A bee hive is a powerful symbol of regeneration by cross-pollination, design, community & working together. Our purpose as a connector cross-pollinating between culture & nature reflects this commitment. Our mission is to bee🐝 the change we want to see, and to help accelerate the social & environmental transition to address the ecological emergency & social problems we see. 

 

Heritage Hive is an all-female team with qualifications & experience in archaeology, museums & heritage, eco-design, retail, social welfare, business & tourism. We are change-makers inspired by archaeology, sustainable human pre-history lifeways, natural systems and indigenous thinking. We believe in a regenerative future that tackles the big issues to truly foster sustainability in museums & heritage sites, and connect the creative & cultural back to nature.

 

Ecological emergency!

 

The current extractive 'take-make-waste' system is leading to biodiversity loss from habitat destruction & pollution. 

 

Scope 3 emissions from offshore supply chains create almost as many emissions as the UK produces domestically, contributing to climate change (WEF 2024). This includes scope 3 emissions from all museum & heritage tourism retail product off-shore supply chains. All reduction in emissions matter, so re-localising is important.

 

On-shore supply chains, however, are not enough - scope 3 is social & environmental impacts as well as emissions. Local products can still have negative impacts as 70% of a product impact is locked in at design stage. Eco-design principles need to be used to avoid negative impacts and emissions. 

 

Social restructure needed!

 

There's a shortage of local employment especially in regional & remote areas, with many underemployed talented local makers & creatives. There's also a lack of funding for the creative & heritage sectors (despite UNESCO support & recommendations). Gift shops usually help fund heritage operations...and provide part of the visitor experience. 

 

Cultural & natural heritage attractions could have a better visitor experience - one that expands knowledge of, and engagement with, the amazing archaeology, prehistory and natural / cultural heritage of Britain and prompts further engagement or return visits - heritage retail that is authentic and meaningful is one of the ways to do this. Unhappiness with current museum/heritage retail offerings (especially international cultural tourists who usually spend more per person) will mean they leave without buying anything...income & opportunity lost! Our marketplace introduces different product / service / experience assortment and a different procurement system.

 

We set up Heritage Hive as a social enterprise because we believe there is a better way to do business. We are committed to transparency & ethical behaviour including a fair living-wage for employees. Eco-design principles will be in every product & service...or the product won't exist on our marketplace. All profit from B2B transactions on the Heritage Hive marketplace will fund ecological restoration projects urgently needed to help re-build & sustain life on our beautiful living Earth.

 

We're really all in this together - there is no 'away'!

 

We are a startup building a curated B2B marketplace, however part of our mission is to co-create the Hive marketplace together with the heritage and creative sectors as it grows.

 

It was lovely meeting you at the M+H Show in May 2024. Give us a buzz on our contact page! 💚