RBC × Alvéole: When community engagement has a buzz to it
The Challenge
RBC Capital Markets 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 to each other, 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.
The Solution
RBC partnered with Alvéole in 2021, installing urban beehives on the terraces of 100 Bishopsgate. But the hives were always meant to be more than a rooftop feature — they became the anchor for a broader community engagement program tied directly to RBC's foundation work.
Every year, RBC runs four or more hands-on workshops for employees and stakeholders — ranging from beekeeping sessions to honey harvesting. The honey and byproducts produced by the RBeesC 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 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 — not just write a cheque. 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 Brand & Marketing, Europe & Asia-Pacific, RBC Capital Markets
The Outcome
Since launching in 2021, the RBeesC program has become a fixture of RBC's community calendar in London. More than 1,000 people are touched by the program every year — through workshops, honey giveaways, and charitable activations tied to the hives.
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 in the hands of community partners, it's our employees actually doing something together that matters. That's what we were after."
— Desirée Clarke-Noble, Managing Director, Head of Brand & Marketing, Europe & Asia-Pacific, RBC Capital Markets
