2024-12-31-accounts

Trustees’ annual report:

Period end date: 31/12/24

Charities Name: Manchester and District Beekeepers Association . Charity Number: 1159052

Period start date: 01/01/24

Objectives and Activities.
Summary of the purpose of the charity as set out in its governing document.	To advance and encourage the understanding of bees; beekeeping and the practice of good beekeeping for the public benefit.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	and exemplify Our main activities for the public benefit are to: • promote good practice in the management of healthy honeybee colonies • ensure that association members have access to appropriate and relevant information and training regarding honeybee health and safe beekeeping practices including information on pollinators and their place in an ecosystem that includes honeybees • offer training and ongoing support for new/novice beekeepers including the placement of apiaries and the issue of over foraging a given area • offer short “taster” sessions on beekeeping for the public • staff visitors centre based in Heaton Park, opened once each week 36 weeks of the year, offering information on honeybees and native pollinators • work with Heaton Park staff to increase their awareness of pollinators and honeybee life cycles • deliver teaching and talks for schools, local social groups and organisations working with the public about bees and pollinators to encourage a wide interest and knowledge of pollinating insects including native bees • facilitate student research projects into honeybees and native pollinators • provide a point of contact for local people concerned about honey bee swarms • act as a point of information and contact for beekeepers and the public about possible incursions byAsian Hornets as and when necessary
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission onpublic benefit	The trustees are aware of the Charity Commissions guidance on “public benefit” and have given due regard to it in their management of the association
Additional information(optional)
Contribution made by volunteers	The association is run and maintained by volunteers. This includes all training and the management and maintenance of a large training apiary. In addition, volunteers cover the weekly opening of the Dower House visitors centre to the public. As an association we are entirely reliant on the good will and energy of our volunteers. Over the course of this year the association has identified ways to encourage volunteering. The novice training course now includes an element about how important volunteers are to the association and the benefits it delivers to individuals. The role of the volunteer coordinator has been changed and more effective data base of volunteers developed.
Achievements and Performance:
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to societyas a whole.	• maintain and improve bee health within the association and the teaching apiary. The number of colonies experiencing infections has significantly reduced during 2024 as reported by the Apiary Manager. Research is still ongoing and the evidence for Hygienic Behaviour is, as yet, unproven

• additional honeybee taster sessions (4) were successfully delivered. Free sessions were offered to officers from Heaton Park. The sessions were accessed by the public and prospective beekeepers. Both groups gave positive feedback

• • with support from the park, public information sessions were offered, linked to other park events. It was not possible to deliver individual playschemes

• • a review of training is now a regular item for trustees, novice review feedback indicates a high level of satisfaction with the training offered

• a WhatsApp forum will be in place for novices in 2025

• training relating to the capturing of swarms was delivered by an experienced ‘swarm catcher,’ this situation will be reviewed annually

• • response to Asian Hornet incursions is on the advice of the National Bee Unit a list of possible beekeepers available to support local issues will be kept and maintained by the association

• • the association continue information sharing with teachers, schools, park staff, social groups, and the public about caring for native bees and the needs of native pollinators

• • There were 13 candidates for basic BBKA examination in beekeeping and 12 passes. The Trustees agreed to pay for the exam for candidates who attained a credit or distinction in the examination, there were 8 candidates eligible for this payment in 2024

• an environmental landscaping company has been commissioned to formalise plans for the native pollinator habitat and provisional permission has been given for the development by park officers

• • a new stock management system has been purchased and a review of how the association manages stock control and sales is currently underway. To facilitate stock management a new container was purchased so that we can buy and store a more realistic amount of stock for equipment sales

• • The association was approached by a local business (Amazon Prime Warehouse) with a view to their sponsoring a honeybee colony. This was agreed and from the 2025 bee season two hives will be sponsored. The plan included purchase of honey, taster sessions for managers and workers, three sessions were delivered during 2024

• • in 2024 Trustees agreed to the purchase of mated Carniolan queens with an aim of increasing the genetic viability of the apiary stock. This introduction will be reviewed and the health of colonies led by an introduced queen carefully monitored. The process may be repeated in 2025 to consolidate the breeding stock

• • this year a link has been made with a local community group that runs a food bank, the association donated 40 small jars of honey for their use. The association is committed to making locally produced ‘real’ honey to as many people as possible particularly in the current climate when so much honey sold in shops is adulterated in some way

Additional information(optional)

Additional information(optional)

Future plans: • research into bee health will be ongoing. • undertake the work necessary to develop the pollinator area, this work is likely to take place during the winter months where possible and may last for over 18 months • the trustees will continue to monitor the number of novices undertaking the Basic Beekeeping examination and continue making payments where a certain standard has been met • continue our existing planned training for experienced and novice beekeepers. • add additional short(half day)trainingsessions to the numberplanned

• to achieve the above additional trainers will be sought and if necessary, offered mentoring/additional training.

• • plan regular short talks for members linked to social events, these to include swarm management and identifies bee health issues

• • continue hosting a honey event and meet the beekeepers in early autumn • continue to review the effectiveness of the novice WhatsApp group • introduce new stock control methods to ensure association members can access equipment when they need it at the lowest cost

• • review financial reporting to include income, cost analysis on individual areas of the charities work including the training apiary, equipment sales, honey production and training delivery

• ~~[P|]~~ Signed: Date **** 17 February 2025 C A MacLeod. Chair of Trustees M Green. Treasurer

• <

Public#

			Charity Name						No (if any)	No (if any)
			Manchester & District Beekeepers' Association						1159052
			Receipts andpayments accounts									CC16a
	For the period from ~~ee~~				01-Jan-24 Period start date ~~ee ~~			To ~~ee~~		31-Dec-24 Period end date ~~ee~~
	Section A Receipts and payments
			Unrestricted funds		Restricted funds	Restricted		Endowment funds		Total funds		Last year
			to the nearest £	to the nearest	to the nearest £	to the nearest £		to the nearest £		to the nearest £		to the nearest £
	A1 Receipts
	Subscriptions includingBDI		11,462		-	-		-		11,462		11,238
	Donations		1,191		-	-		-		1,191		1,162
	Equipment sales		33,707		-	-		-		33,707		15,323
	Gift shopsales		5,482		-	-		-		5,482		10,579
	Honeysales		14,433		-	-		-		14,433		6,946
	Teachingcourses		7,135		-	-		-		7,135		7,768
	Advertising		56		-	-		-		56		30
	Hive sponsorship		800		-	-		-		800		-
	Sub total(Gross income for AR)	(Gross income for AR)	74,266		-	-		-		74,266		53,046
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total receipts 74,266 - - 74,266 53,046 ~~——————~~
	A3 Payments
	Equipment costs		31,490		-	-		-		31,490		14,705
	Gift shopcosts		7,082		-	-		-		7,082		803
	Newsletter,Post,Stationery		759		-	-		-		759		981
	Bee disease insurancepremium		1,016		-	-		-		1,016		859
	Donations andgifts		47		-	-		-		47		311
	Education		2,682		-	-		-		2,682		1,211
	BBKA Capitation fees		5,826		-	-		-		5,826		5,462
	Garden		-		-	-		-		-		59
	Social Events / raffles		363		-	-		-		363		334
	Teachingcourses		2,801		-	-		-		2,801		2,288
	Paypal,Sumupand STRIPE fees		814		-	-		-		814		552
	Travel expenses		1,323		-	-		-		1,323		845
	Equipment and other costs for Dower
	House		2,912		-	-		-		2,912		2,674
	Equipment and other costs for Apiary		11,807		-	-		-		11,807		6,883
	Equipment and consumables for
	extraction room		2,480		-	-		-		2,480		7,918
	Charityadministration costs		156							156		-
	Dower House Insurance		1,101		-	-		-		1,101		1,006
	Examination of accounts		250		-	-		-		250		250

Sub total [ 72,909 ] - - 72,909 47,141 A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - - Sub total [ - ] - - - - ~~—~~ Total payments ~~—————~~ 72,909 - - 72,909 47,141 Net of receipts/(payments) 1,357 - - 1,357 5,905 A5 Transfers between funds - - - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 59,535 - - 59,535 53,630 Cash funds this year end ~~===~~ 60,892 - - 60,892 ~~>>~~ 59,535

Public#

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

				Unrestricted	Restricted		Endowment
Categories		Details		funds	funds		funds
				to nearest £	to nearest £		to nearest £
B1 Cash funds	998 - - 456 - 57,232 - - 2,206 - - 60,892 - - Total cash funds Credit with Sumup Bank Petty cash Credit with Paypal ~~—===~~
		(agree balances with receipts and payments	(agree balances with receipts and payments
		account(s))		OK	OK		OK
				Unrestricted	Restricted		Endowment
				funds	funds		funds
		Details		to nearest £	to nearest £		to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets	- - - - - - - - - ~~————~~
		Details		Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional)		Current value (optional)
B3 Investment assets	- - - - - - - - - - ~~====~~
		Details		Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional)		Current value (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the					-		-
charity’s own use					-		-
				Fund to which	Amount due		When due
		Details		liability relates	(optional)		(optional)
B5 Liabilities	- - - - - ~~===>~~
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees		Signature		Print Name	Print Name		Date of approval
				Michael Green			17/02/2025
				Christine A MacLeod			17/02/2025

Commercial in Confidence

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Manchester & District Beekeepers’ Association members of

On accounts for the year 31 December 2024 Charity no 1159052 ended (if any) Set out on pages Form CC16a pages 1 and 2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/12/2024 .

• Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

• accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or

• the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

• Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.

Signed:

Date: 17/02/2025 ~~|~~

Name: Naomi Povey ~~Cs~~ Relevant professional CPFA qualification(s) or body (if any):

Address: 5 Newland Way Nantwich Cheshire CW5 7JH

October 2018

1

IER

Commercial in Confidence

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

No matters to report

October 2018

2

IER