BRIDGEND & DISTRICT
BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
Charity Registration Number 1159663
ANNUAL REPORT 2021
TRUSTEES:
John Gilbert - Chairman Shirley Myall - Secretary Graham Tierney - Treasurer Huw Evans - Shop Manager Greg Nuttgens - Education Officer Paul Whatley - Social Media Manager Chrissie Langmaid (to December 2020) Richard Pett (to March 2021) Dafydd Pett (from March 2021) Chris Jones (from March 2021)
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
1[st] April 2020 – 31 March 2021
The heading above, identifies the reporting period and essentially this is the entire period of the Covid Pandemic, two lockdowns split by a rather short period of relaxation in late summer. I identified in my 2020 report that the Trustees delayed and then cancelled the 2020 AGM and outlined our immediate actions to comply with ‘Lockdown’ provisions whilst continuing to do enough to keep the Association functioning. I recall hearing a media comment that ‘Locking Down’ in a pandemic was easy but opening up again would be more problematic and I think that has proved to be true.
Life is gradually returning to a new normal, the Association is financially secure, our membership numbers have increased slightly and the shop did reopen. Trustees met online, beginners from 2020 and 2021 had some online sessions and we went online for a couple of Association meetings. We will just see whether we have an online AGM or a proper in-person meeting.
I can identify a real positive, being the large number of Zoom or Webinars tutorials shared by the UKs Bee Associations (Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland). We have all had the opportunity to improve our learning and listen to some real experts. I hope this new practice will continue into the future.
individuals willing to take a turn to manage the Association.
John Gilbert - Chairman
THE TRAINING APIARY
Apiary site maintenance and inspections was continued during the reporting period despite Covid restrictions.
Land maintenance of the site was continued, with the hedge line being trimmed and laid and the hives manipulated so that their entrances faced outward to allow ease of access to the hives during inspection. Plans for future site maintenance were put on hold due to Covid restrictions and weather.
Apiary
Chris Jones and John Rees have shared the responsibilities as Apiary Managers and the Trustees value their efforts and Reports. (Reported last year we did have a further outbreak of EFB in two hives which were destroyed and the remainder were subjected to a ‘Shook swarm’. Restrictions were lifted in July 20)
No progress has been made to make level areas within our Apiary site. Partly because of adverse weather and partly because the BLEAF didn’t want heavy plant on their new track / pathway neither have they progressed any of their plans to redevelop buildings and grounds.
Trustees
The Association is fortunate to has such a strong and experienced team of Trustees and I thank them all. However, having retired and been replaced, Shirley was prevailed upon to return as our temporary Secretary and to date we still haven’t identified a replacement. This AGM needs to address this and also reconsider the length of time Trustees can serve. These are simple steps to address an immediate need but it is clear that the Association will always need a regular supply
The hives were inspected during the Spring/ Summer months by myself and John Rees and EFB was discovered in couple of the hives, this was confirmed by the bee inspector and restrictions were placed on the Apiary, with infected colonies being destroyed on site, and restrictions were removed in June 2020. The number of hives were reduced to four.
Six full supers of capped honey were removed from the hives and passed on for extraction.
All four hives went into the Winter months with feed and were “hefted” and inspected towards the end of the Winter to check stores were okay and varroa levels, levels were okay no treatment needed. Toward the end of March, all colonies were showing signs of having come through the winter well and increasing in numbers.
CHRIS JONES/JOHN REES
JOINT APIARY MANAGERS
THE ASSOCIATION’S EDUCATION PROGRAMME
As the year started with ‘Lockdown’ as a result of Covid 19, no training was undertaken during the summer of 2020. Some members continued to act as Mentors by phone and email during this period.
As it became clear that no ‘in person’ meetings would be allowed during the winter period, it was decided that the Association would run an online course for Beginners, using the Microsoft Teams platform. The course was broadly based on the Powerpoint presentations used on previous courses, with opportunities for questions and discussion by participants. Sessions were given by myself, Graham Tierney, John Mosedale and Jonathan Griffiths.
In all, a total of 29 participants signed up for the course, and the majority of participants attended all, or most, of the sessions. The sessions were recorded, and these recordings remain available to members. The course was followed up by practical Apiary sessions for the beginners in April 2021.
I believe the course was a success, and as far as I am aware, few local associations have run similar courses. Good training of beginners is particularly important at this time, as, judging by correspondence on social media platforms about beekeeping, many people are going into beekeeping as an environmentally sound activity which can easily be done while working from home or being restricted to home-based activities. Unfortunately, it appears that many of these people go into beekeeping with little or no understanding of the basic principles, leading to disillusionment when things go wrong.
Association monthly meetings also came to a stop, and existing arrangements for speakers were cancelled. However, in the autumn several meetings went ahead online, using Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Photographer Phil Savoie gave an excellent presentation on bees and photography, Dr Stephen Martin talked about Varroa resistance in honeybees, and Lynfa Davies gave two talks on queen rearing . Recordings of these talks are also available.
A number of online talks were also provided by WBKA, and many members attended these.
GREG NUTTGENS - EDUCATION OFFICER
SWARMS REGISTER
The management of the Association’s swarms register is shared by Huw Evans, who deals with telephone enquiries and sends out text alerts to members registered on the register and Greg Nuttgens who deals with the enquiries that come in via email and the Association’s Facebook page.
32 reports of honey bee swarms were received and put out to members for collection but, in addition, more than 130 enquires which turned out to be wasps or bumblebees.
Numerous email queries from the general public, through our website and also through the Association’s Facebook page, were received requesting advice about bees. These were usually about bumblebees nesting in nest boxes and roofs, and showed how widespread Tree Bumblebees now are. There were also many queries about honeybees in roofs, walls and chimneys. Advice and guidance is given to all who make contact.
HUW EVANS & GREG NUTTGENS
SOCIAL MEDIA
We have 2 presences on Facebook - a Group and a Page
Our Group can only be accessed by paid up members of the Association web address https:// www.facebook.com/groups/BridgendBeeKeepers/ Those wishing to join are vetted to ensure they are members, non-members are invited to follow our Page instead.
The Group currently has 62 members using it as a useful tool for Association Members to exchange information. We have approximately 170 members at present, so only around 36% are using it.
Our Page is a public free access platform for public discussion and promotion of BeeKeeping in general. web address https://www.facebook.com/ BridgendBeekeepers/
There is also easy access via Google etc. @BridgendBeekeepers
We currently have 236 followers, several from abroad, with regular submissions, enquiries and posts of information to share.
We would encourage more to use our Facebook presence as most of us are now familiar with how it works. This also applies to use of the Association website which has undergone a substantial revamp, making it fresher and more user friendly, courtesy of our young star member and co-opted Trustee, Dafydd Pett. We are planning the launch it in the near future.
PAUL WHATLEY - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
MEMBERSHIP
On 31[st] March 2021, we had a total of 110 paid up members, this compares with 108 registered with WBKA on the same date in 2020.
The total number of Colonies insured at March 2021 was 651, 660 in 2020, 693 in 2019, 640 in 2018.
| 18. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY |
2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| INDIVIDUAL | 61 | 60 | 38 | 60 |
| FAMILIES | 20 | 27 | 23 | 21 |
| JUNIOR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUPPORTER | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| CORPORATE | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| SCHOOL | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| NEW MEMBERS | 17 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
| BEGINNERS | 19 | 15 | 20 | 21 |
| TOTAL TO 31 MARCH |
110 | 108 | 95 | 109 |
| TOTAL MEMBERSHIP FOR THE YEAR |
123 | 116 | 119 |
If the pattern follows previous years, the total membership for 2021/2022 should be approximately 125. In addition to the above 5 new members have joined since 1st April. The Covid lockdowns do not seem to have effected membership.
The final membership total of 123 for 2020 reversed a downward trend, numbers have been dropping year on year by between 2% and 4%
The totals for beginners are not a direct comparison as we have capped the number of people on the course to 20. For 2021 the total includes 5 Family memberships, which we count as two people.
At 31[st] March 23 members from 2020 have not renewed, all the Beginners from 2020 were transferred to the 2021 course which was held online. 24 joined the various online presentations.
GRAHAM TIERNEY MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
Bridgend and District Beekeepers Association
Registered Charity 1159663
Accounts for the period 1[st] April 2020 to 31[st] March 2021 prepared using the Receipts and Payments method.
Bank Accounts
Cash at 31[st] March 2021 - Current Account 861.55 Deposit Account 10,860.79 PayPal 0.00 11,722.34 Cash at 31[st] March 2020 - Current Account 306.64 Deposit Account 10,705.71 PayPal 0.00 11,012.35 Surplus cash at the bank for the year ending 31[st] March 2021 709.99 The surplus for the year ending 31[st] March 2020 was £1,485.46 Turnover Receipts 28,771.63 Less Payments 17,049.29 Cash in bank at 31[st] March 2020 11,722.34 Cash in PayPal account 0.00 11,722.34 Cash at 31[st] March 2019 11,012.35 Surplus cash at the bank for the year 709.99 Income was from membership fees, shop sales and Charitable Donations.
We have not carried out a check to establish the stock value in the Association “Shop”. An estimate of the value of stock is as follows: - The approx. stock value at 31[st] March 2020 £ 5,613.72 Additional stock purchased: - £ 3,097.23 £ 8,710.95 Sales during the year £ 3,491.66 Estimated Stock Value at 31[st] March 2021 £ 5,219.29
As predicted due to the various Covid restrictions this year`s sales of £3,491.66 were just under 50% of the £7,239 sold in 2019/2020.
As normal we bought a large stock of hive parts in January 2020 to take advantage of sale prices; due to the Covid restrictions the majority remains in stock. Consequently, we did not buy additional hive parts in the January sales in 2021.
Stock is stored dry in the container so will not deteriorate in value and is covered by insurance.
The cancellation of our Beginners Course in 2020 effected our income by £1,375. The Trustees made the decision not to repay these fees by agreement with the members concerned and to carry them over for the 2021 course, which was eventually held online.
Graham Tierney – Hon Treasurer
BRIDGEND BEE KEEPERS XAMINATION OF ACCOUNTS I"APRIL 2020- 31" March 2021 Qn examination of the association's accounts (01.04.20 - 31.03.21), they were found to have been meticulously kept, following standard accounting procedures. The association uses bank current & depostt accounts with money transfers made by cheque, Paypal and BAC5, where all transactions had been accurately recorded and monitored. There are no risk areas to be noted. Helen Embling ACIB Ty Coch The Court Coychurch Bridgend CF35 5EH th 12 April 2021