How RBC turned rooftop beehives into a community program reaching hundreds of colleagues, clients and community partners a year
Two goals, one ask: bring employees together and give back locally
RBC has been a major tenant at 100 Bishopsgate, a Class A office tower in central London owned by Brookfield Properties, since the building opened. Like many global financial institutions, RBC had a well-established community and charitable program. But they were looking for something that could do double duty: connect employees, clients and community partners and connect the firm to the local environment in a way that felt real, not performative.
The ask to Brookfield was simple: could they have beehives on the terraces? Brookfield said yes. That's how the RBeesC were born.
A hive, a terrace, and a program that grew wings
RBC partnered with Alvéole in 2021, installing urban beehives on the terraces of 100 Bishopsgate. But the hives were never just a rooftop feature. They became the anchor for a broader community engagement program tied directly to RBC's sustainability and impact work.
Every year, RBC runs multiple hands-on workshops for employees and stakeholders, from beekeeping sessions to honey harvesting. The honey and byproducts from the RBC hives are used as giveaways and charitable touchpoints, giving RBC a tangible, local product to share as part of its community outreach.
The program connects three things at once: employee and client engagement, environmental responsibility, and community giving. That's not easy to do with one initiative.
"We were looking for something that could genuinely connect our people to the communities around us. The bees gave us that. Every workshop, every jar of honey, every conversation it starts — it all ties back to why we show up in London and what kind of company we want to be here."
— Desirée Clarke-Noble, Managing Director, Head of Citizenship & Impact, RBC Capital Markets and RBC Europe
When nature brings community together
For Brookfield, it started with a tenant request. Now it's a model for how a Class A office asset can go beyond amenities and become an active participant in the urban environment.
For RBC, it's proof that community engagement doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it just needs a hive, a terrace, and the right partner.
"The bees are a conversation starter, but the program is much more than that. It's workshops, it's honey and bee products in the hands of community partners, colleagues and clients, it's our employees actually doing something together that matters. That's what we were after."
— Desirée Clarke-Noble, Managing Director, Head of Citizenship & Impact, RBC Capital Markets and RBC Europe
