Charity raises £10k in one day to clear bee infestation

A charity has thanked supporters after more than £10,000 was raised in a single day following an urgent appeal sparked by a bee infestation at its headquarters.

Minstead Trust, based in the New Forest, said the bees crammed into a ceiling, causing structural damage and dripping honey onto the reception area below.

A social media fundraising campaign was launched and the bees have now been successfully removed, with repairs to the masonry now completed.

The trust supports adults with disabilities and offers training, employment, and activities at its headquarters near Lyndhurst.

The bees took up residence at Minstead Lodge, a country house dating from the 1830s.

Head of marketing, Matt Stroud, said the infestation had caused a "real problem" for its operations.

He said the bees had been "coming through the ceiling" above the charity's reception area.

"We've had honey dripping down onto the receptionist desk," he said.

"Obviously, then it's become an area that we can't use and people have had to move out."

He said the money raised had been "fantastic" as it meant specialists could be hired so the bees could be safely moved to a new location.

He said a large honeycomb with about 1kg of honey was removed from the ceiling.

"To get that sorted and not have to have that outlay of money has been an incredible thing for us," he added.

You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.