A PROJECT aimed at preserving honey bees in Tyldesley has been given a shot in the arm after equipment was donated by the Rotary Club of Astley.

The £500 donation, which will enable youngsters to learn about all the values in preserving bees, has gone towards buying new suits and equipment for children, a new wooden hive and two polystyrene ones.

The equipment has been given to Tyldesley Allotment Association, which manages a 14-and-a-half acres site and 144 allotments.

The association, which is currently celebrating its centenary, is planning to open its own community orchard and to eventually operate one of only a few beekeeping schools in the the country.

Eunan Jones, the association's treasurer and the organiser of the beekeeping initiative, said: "The site we have here works well and provides an ideal location for the bees, with so much pollinating required for our orchard, fruit trees and bushes.

"I am aiming to set up the beekeeping school for children and people of all ages interested in the benefits of preserving bees."

According to Eunan, the polystyrene hives will each provide six frames of bees.

They will eventually be transferred into the larger wooden hive, which will provide 12 frames of bees.

He added: "This donation is fantastically important equipment, which is expensive to buy and which will allow me to provide a new hive and take it into the next season.

"It is a vital lifeline and it should provide a perfect backdrop for children wanting to know about the value of bees."