Leigh Parker

Have you met the Bee Lady? She has raised more than £100,000 for charity

Her name is Jean, and  she is 91 years old and known in the City of Hull as “The Bee Lady”,  she has her own  special bumble bee themed phone box in the city center and  has been named Fundraiser of the Year at the Pride of Britain Awards.

Mrs Bishop started fundraising for Age UK Hull 14 years ago , after her husband died and initially rented a costume from the charity to attract attention while carrying a tin at shopping malls.

Her daughter later made a costume for her out of three hula-hoops and material bought from a charity shop which in later became a giant bumblebee. As a thanks for her  voluntary work she has been to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen, was chosen as an Olympic Torchbearer in 2012,

She recently  won an award at Pride of Britain 2013, ‘ The awards were amazing and all of the celebrities added to the £92,000 I had raised to get to my first goal of £100,000′. She states

Pam Davies, chief executive of Age UK Hull, said Mrs Bishop was “inspiring”.

“She has serious staying power to stand with that tin all day, and to do it all in that outfit, which isn’t the most comfortable, is incredible,” she said.

“Really her money has helped us continue to provide services for elderly people in the city.”