Bee Lady Day to celebrate Jean Bishop’s legacy
ICON: Jean Bishop with David Walliams
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
The life and legacy of ‘The Bee Lady’ Jean Bishop is to be celebrated on a special day dedicated to her.
Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire (HEY) is launching Bee Lady Day on May 13 to continue Jean’s legacy of raising funds the charity.
Jean was known for dressing up in a fun bee costume to collect donations to support the work of Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire. She was also a user of its services.
Jean made a huge difference to the charity, raising over £100,000. She was committed to raising her next £100,000 before she died in 2021, aged 99.
Age UK HEY want to continue the legacy that Jean established and are encouraging everyone across the region and beyond to get involved and establish Bee Lady Day as an annual celebration.
Schools and nurseries are being asked to dress up as bees or in black and yellow, businesses are encouraged to get involved and fundraise however they can, and prominent local buildings are being lit up in amber in memory of Jean.
As part of the day’s events, the Age UK HEY team will be at the Prospect Centre and Paragon Interchange raising money for the charity. These are the same places that Jean used to attend with her donation pot.
Hull Trains will be also be bringing their train, Jean Bishop – The Bee Lady, to the interchange and it will be taking some of Age UK HEY’s clients on a grand day out, whilst encouraging fundraising at the same time.
Andy Haynes, CEO at Age UK HEY said: “We are extremely proud and excited to be able to launch this amazing Bee Lady Day across the region. Jean was an inspiration to people of all ages, and she meant a lot to our charity and the community.
“Many people have a special memory of Jean, and this is a great way to remember her, celebrate her legacy and raise funds for Age UK HEY, just as she used to do. We are aiming to establish this day as an important calendar date for many years to come.”
Louise Mendham, service delivery director at Hull Trains, said: “We’re delighted to be involved in Bee Lady Day – a fitting tribute to a true Hull legend. Jean was an example of the strong community spirit in our area, and we’ll be welcoming volunteers onboard to hopefully raise plenty of money for a cause that was close to her heart – Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire.
The day has been developed in conjunction with Jean’s family, in particular her son and daughter.
For more information about Bee Lady Day and how to get involved, visit www.ageuk.org.uk/hull, call 01482 324644 or email fundraising@ageukhull.org.uk