West Suffolk Hive CIC is a Community Interest Company, founded in September 2019 by Steph Holland. We have three directors, Steph, Claire and Kimberley, and eighteen trustees. The Hive hosts community events and sessions from our site in Bradfield St George, and from the town centre in Bury St Edmunds. We work collaboratively with several other organisations to broaden our reach and benefit a wide range of the community. We have created a family-centred community space in a natural environment to foster a connection with nature, improve wellbeing and share skills and knowledge. 

Our main objectives focus on: 
Our key aims are to:
  • Develop and nurture a community of families who share our values
  • Create a wellbeing and educational space in a natural environment
  • Find and regenerate an area of land
  • Build and manage an eco-community centre
How we are doing it:
  • We have created an Eco Directory for West Suffolk, celebrating a variety of environmentally-friendly businesses and organisations
  • We have reinstated The Green Fair for Bury St Edmunds, which will be held biannually
  • We run St Edmundsbaby, an organisation providing information and ideas for parents in Bury St Edmunds and beyond, which includes a directory, support group, and biannual parenting fairs in Bury St Edmunds
  • We run West Suffolk Home Ed Hub, an organisation providing support and information for home educating families in West Suffolk, hosting two Home Ed Fairs each year in Bury St Edmunds, an online directory and support group.
  • We have taken on a lease of land just outside of Bury St Edmunds to create our Eco Community Centre. We shall use the space to grow organic fruit and vegetables, plant trees and wildflowers, promote biodiversity and environmental education, and host community events and workshops.
  • We have worked in collaboration with a variety of local organisations to enable us to achieve our aims, including The Suffolk Mobile Sling Library, Happy Food Coop, West Suffolk Council, Our Bury St Edmunds BID, Bush Adventures UK CIC, Awe & Wonder Sensory Play and Baby Massage and many others.
  • We have begun to grow an online community to share our values and build a strong relationship with others via our website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels.