Wellbeing
We will grow our bee friendly antibacterial plants in close proximity to honey bees and determine if their antibacterial compounds are incorporated into the honey.
This is a collaboration between the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Anuerin Bevan Health Board.
We will also explore the potential of a bee-garden based on these plants to act as a healing/well-being space for patients, relatives, healthcare and University staff and students.
We anticipate that by siting a bee-garden within hospital grounds we will:
- provide a mechanism for increasing patient and community engagement
- have positive effects on well-being (patient, relative and staff) which we will capture using qualitative and quantitative methods (questionnaires (including questions from a validated quality of well-being measure), interviews and focus groups).
We will also collect information on how stakeholders felt that their participation in setting up the bee garden, and contributing to the health of bees and biodiversity, impacted on their perceived sense of well-being, and if people gained skills through any aspects of the project.
This project represents an exciting and novel fusion between laboratory science, ecology and biodiversity with the health and social sciences. While there is evidence to suggest the beneficial effects of green spaces to date there have been no rigorous studies to explore the potential benefits of establishing and using a bee-garden in a UK healthcare facility.
Contact us
If you are interested in this research, get in touch.