Last Friday evening our new hive was installed on the roof of the London Muslim Centre. The beekeeper came back today to check the hive, and could see bees had already found a source of pollen to bring to the hive.

Several months earlier, beekeeper Khalil Attan contacted the East London Mosque to suggest we offer a home to a beehive. Khalil and his wife, Salma, are keen beekeepers, and know how beneficial bees are in urban environments, as well as a creature mentioned in the Qur'an. Once he explained how it would work and answered all our questions about safety, we were keen to accept his proposal.

It was simply a matter of waiting for a suitable colony of bees to be available. Now, they're in a great location on our roof where they won't be disturbed. People may be surprised that bees can flourish in urban areas, but they can fly up to 3 miles for forage, and there's plenty for them within this distance.