Why Bee-lieve?
We asked our Founder and CEO, Steve, where the name for our charity came from…
‘Believe’ was my word
It’s the word every child I ever taught used to hear from me all day, every day.
It became infamous, especially when my pupils were approaching tests, big sporting occasions, singing solos at Mass, or stepping out on stage for drama productions.
So when the time came to set up a foundation to promote positive emotional wellbeing and self-worth, it was a no-brainer: the word believe had to be at the heart of its name.
From Believe to Bee-lieve
I knew that a children’s charity would need something visually appealing to connect with. And, bearing in mind my roots and strong ties to Manchester, the inspiration of the Manchester worker bee was a natural choice.
The Mancunian worker bee has always stood for hard work, integrity, determination, and a city built by the graft of ordinary people without royal patronage or wealthy benefactors. It represents communities of working-class people, led by visionary working-class people, forging a path under the slogan: “Together we are stronger.”
The power of the hive
A single worker bee may be small. On its own, even insignificant. But together? Together, bees form a superorganism, invaluable for the world around them.
That has always been my vision for this charity. We may not have global stars or major media coverage (yet!) but united behind a common goal, we can create massive, positive change for families across the country.
We knew our pathway to success would be built on graft by a small, highly committed group of people determined to make a difference. We knew funding would be tough and competition for attention fierce. But just as Emmeline Pankhurst and other working-class visionaries forged change during Manchester’s Victorian revolution, we believe ordinary people can once again drive extraordinary change.
The name was decided!
And so, Believe became Bee-lieve.
A simple shift that gave the name a bold visual identity, and with the bee in yellow and blue, a symbol of hope, unity, and strength.
Bee-lieve isn’t just a name. It’s our story, our symbol, and our promise that together, we are always stronger. 💛💙
#alwaysstrongertogether #dontstopbeelieving
Steve Tindall
CEO and Founder of Bee-lieve Foundation