On a chilly March morning, numerous teams from Munich Re gathered at The Bee Sanctuary to volunteer their time and give back to the local community.

Located in South Manchester, The Bee Sanctuary is an inspiring green space. Once a mix of clay pits and dumping sites, years of dedicated work have transformed it into a thriving nature reserve filled with wildlife. Newly created ponds were teeming with frogspawn and newts, planters of flowers buzzed with bees and other insects, and members of the community were out enjoying the pathways and open spaces.

The day began with a guided tour of the reserve, where the team learned about the history of the site and the work that has brought it to where it is today. After a quick break for tea and coffee, everyone split into groups to take on different projects across The Bee Sanctuary: digging out a new wildlife pond, clearing brambles from an embankment and building habitat piles, and restoring pathways by spreading mountains of woodchips across the site to make it easier for visitors to get around.

After a well-earned lunch break in the sunshine, the Munich Re team got straight back to work. Activities included planting wildflower and native grass seeds around the new pond, continuing work on the embankment and pathways, and even a litter-picking adventure around the reserve.

A massive thank you to Munich Re for travelling from across the region to volunteer at The Bee Sanctuary and helping improve this special space for both wildlife and the local community.