As I want to design for a charity group it is very important that I contact a few in the area of my subject 'Bees' to get some feedback on my ideas, some additional information on bees and maybe a way forward?. I was a little apprehensive about emailing charity groups/trusts as I lack confidence in my writing due to my dyslexia and was worried that I might sound 'silly' or be rejected. Despite all that I plucked up the courage and wrote the following email.
Hello,
I am a student at the University of Brighton studying BA Design and Technology Education. For one of my modules I have chosen to design and manufacture a product to help preserve UK bees, particularly in urban areas where there are limited natural habitats.
At present I am creating a cheap, flat pack Bee product for people with very small gardens or limited space to provide nest sites for solitary bees. I have a few ideas’ such as including a little pouch to grow a bee friendly plant, making the product light enough to be posted as a large letter and get away from the ‘birdhouse’ style design. I have also been doing a lot of research on how to make my product as appealing for Solitary bees (Which is obviously really important)
I want my product to be as successful as possible and I was wondering if there was anything you could suggest I include as part of my design? Or some feed back on my project ideas (Good or bad)
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards
Michaela Harper
* In hindsight I wish I had worded my letter better or made it less casual and more formal as I didn't quite get the responses I would have liked, although I have been given some more resources to look at which will contribute to my research. I think it would have been more beneficial if I had created a questionnaire or asked some direct questions regarding products they sell on their site and how they fund free products and information packs to members. I also think I should have been more selective with companies I contacted, I have since found few more charities and thinking of re writing my email and seeing if I receive better feedback, or some cases any feedback*
I rewrote the email (see below) and sent it to three more charities recommended to me from the British Bumblebee Conservation Tryst and PlanBee. I reworded a lot of it and addressed it specifically to the charity to make it more personal. To >insert charity name<
I am a student at the University of Brighton studying BA Design and Technology Education. For one of my modules I am designing and manufacturing a product to help preserve British solitary bees, particularly in urban areas and cities where there are limited natural habitats.
I am intending to create a light weight, flat pack be box which can be posted as a large letter to save on costs. The product will be small enough to be placed in even the smallest of outside spaces and provide a safe, appealing home for solitary bees and be an attractive feature for humans. As an additional feature I am planning to include a small pouch to grow a bee friendly plant to attract bees and provide a source of pollen (which is something I have not seen on any commercially available nesting boxes). I have a few other ideas however am in the very early stages of planning and designing. I am really keen to do something for this cause and want to get more people providing nest boxes and realise just how important our bees are.
Although I have researched into the Mason bee and other solitary bees I want my product to be as successful as possible and I was wondering if...
There is anything you feel would benefit the design of my product?
My product is a good idea and do you think it will encourage more people to put up nest?
There are any helpful resources or tips you think would help?
Any help would be greatly appreciated and I value your opinions.
Best regards Michaela Harper
CHARITY RESPONSES
British Bumblebee Conservation Trust and responses
A post i saw on the BBTC site which inspired me to create a bee box product
Bumblebee conservation trust response- see below as image is small and blurry
Hi Michaela
Thanks for getting in touch, your idea sounds really good. I see you've already had a look around at the current designs, which mostly use a 'bird box' style shape, but all that solitary bumblebees need is a space in which to nest. It is usually a round hole that should be at least 4 or five mm (differs between the species). I suppose if you wanted something that could fit into a letter or flat package, all you need is something that would form a box. In the box you could then have the smaller holes for the bees to nest in. I'm not sure how you would incorporate these holes though. I have noticed in Pets at Home that they sell a kind of flat pack bird house - have you seen it? It's made using waterproof card of some sort - very light and easily packed. This kind of idea may be useful for your bee box.
Let me know if you need any more advice, or keep my updated with how the product goes.
Best wishes and good luck Anthony
-------------------------------- Anthony McCluskey BfE Outreach Officer Bumblebee Conservation Trust
As a response to this email I researched the bird box recommended in pets at home which led me to find other cardboard/fold out bird houses, although it is not completely what i am looking for its a good avenue to venture down interns of weight and how I am going to package it and materials. (See Design section for analysis)
It was good to get some clear measurements for the hole as every website has a different size and feel that the BBCT are a reliable source to acquire information from, therefore I have amended my specification measurements.
It was good to know they liked my idea although as it is in the very early stages so wasn't very clear on what I want to achieve, I would like to email them again when I am further along and have clearer questions to ask or maybe even some work to show. It was by far the best email I have had back and nice to know I have a good point of contact.
The co-operative group - Plan Bee
Contacted with original email.
PLANBEE RESPONSE
Charity recommended by PlanBee (I used the improved email to contact them)
I haven't had any response from this campaign which is disappointing, although ive looked on there recently to see when it was last updated or any news posts and there had been no activity since last November so there is a chance they are not running or just haven't read my email. I'm not going to let this discourage me, when I have finished my product it would be a good idea to send them photographs of my finished design which might explain it better, my design has moved on since I initially emailed them so a resolved idea and product may get a more positive response.
Charity recommended to me by PlanBee (I used the improved email to contact them)
Capital Growth Campaign (Worst response)
I emailed this group as it seemed to be the most appropriate choice as they are promoting bee friendly gardens and bee keeping in the city and urban areas! which is exactly what I want to do! however the reply I received was in my opinion lazy and unhelpful. The advice they gave me was to contact a beekeepers association!? which deal only with honey bees and have no contact details unless you want to pay to become a member! I am extremely disappointed with their response and I feel it wasn't entirely my emails fault!
London bees are in trouble!?... with people like mikey working for them i would say YES!