Our mission: to support and advance Britain’s bees as well as improve the wellbeing of those who frequent or work in our pubs and the surrounding local communities.

Pubs have always been the heart of the community and over the years, Brakspear pubs have raised a lot of money for various charities including Sue Ryder, Marie Curie and Mind. We’re changing how we do things so more charities can benefit. The Brakspear Giving Back fund is a pot of money all pubs can raise money for and then decide how it’s spent. Tom Davies, Brakspear CEO, has also confirmed Brakspear will donate £25k every year into the fund so that’s quite a head start!

The fund has a committee who decide how and where the money is spent. This team is made up of Brakspear tenants as well as folk from Brakspear head office and general managers from the managed houses.

The Giving Back Committee: (from left top row) Sean – the Blackwood Arms, Matt & Emma – Brakspear HO, John the beekeeper (not on the committee but an important part of this project!), Claire – the Hare & Hounds, Tom & Gerard – Brakspear HO, (from left bottom row) Peter – the Horseshoe inn, Jaci and Alexa – Brakspear HO.

CREATING A BUZZ

In Spring 2022 we installed 12 beehives in a selection of suitable pub gardens. Because of the long hot summer, we even managed to get honey from all 12 hives which is amazing news in the first year.

We have our dedicated beekeeper John, from Chiltern Bee, which looks after the hives for us. We’re hoping to install more hives in more pub gardens in the coming months.

If you want to see our hives, you can find them at the Hare & Hounds in Sonning Common, the Cherry Tree, Stoke Row, the Chequers in BerricK Salome and the Lion in Wendlebury.

We also have plans to install bee hotels, wild flower meadows and any other ideas we have to help support Britain’s bees in our pub gardens with the support from the Brakspear Giving Back fund near Bicester.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Over the coming months, our pubs will be raising money for causes close to their hearts. The Brakspear Giving Back fund is there to top up these endeavors and increase this support. Keep an eye on our news section for all the latest goings on.

If you have a charitable cause you’d like support from your local Brakspear pub wiht, please speak to the landlord at that pub. All requests for support have to come via our publicans rtaher than directly to Brakspear.