## **THE LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION** 

BRANCH OF THE YORKSHIRE BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION AFFILIATED WITH THE BRITISH BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION Registered Charity No. 1175455 

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

## Contents 

TRUSTEES REPORT ..................................................................................................................... 3 Reference and Administrative Details ................................................................................... 3 Objectives and Activities ........................................................................................................ 3 Achievements and Performance............................................................................................ 4 Financial Review ..................................................................................................................... 5 Plans ....................................................................................................................................... 6 REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER ............................................................................... 7 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ........................................................................................................... 8 Profit and loss account for the year ended 30 September 2024........................................... 8 Balance sheet ......................................................................................................................... 9 Notes to the financial statements ....................................................................................... 10 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

## TRUSTEES REPORT 

## Reference and Administrative Details 

The Charity's name is Leeds Beekeepers’ Association, also known as LBKA, and the principal address is Temple Newsam Park, Leeds, LS15 0EA. 

The names of the Charity Trustees who served in the year and at 30 September 2025 are: 

Clare McGettigan, Chair Steve Fox, Vice Chairman & Asian Hornet Co-ordinator William Elliott, Treasurer Catherine Graham, Education Officer Andrew Hebden, Shop Manager Angela Utley, Clubhouse Manager Michelle Fox, Equipment Manager Helen Lowry, Secretary until 28 November 2024, then Membership Secretary & Nuc Co-ordinator; Resigned 28 August 2025 Andy Gowdy, Swarm Co-ordinator David Cook, Colony manager, Appointed 28 November 2024 Clare Gillespie, Club House manager, Appointed 28 November 2024 Glyn Frampton, Secretary, Appointed 7 January 2025 

The following individuals retired as Trustees at the AGM held 28 November 2024: Ann Chamley, Membership secretary Karen Gauldie, Colony Manager 

## _Structure, Governance & Management_ 

Our governing document is our Constitution, adopted 26th October 2016 and last amended on 16 May 2023. We are registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, and our trustees are appointed or reappointed at our Annual General Meeting held in November with the filling of casual trustee vacancies between Annual General Meeting’s being appointed by a formal meeting of the Trustees. 

Membership of LBKA is open to anyone interested in the craft of beekeeping in the Leeds area. Trustees oversee all the day to day running of the Association. 

LBKA is part of Yorkshire Beekeepers Association, which in turn is part of British Beekeepers Association, to whom a fee is payable annually for each member. From the British Beekeepers Association, we receive third party insurance for members, assistance with educational material, newsletters and many other benefits. We also have ongoing contact with the National Bee Unit with regard to bee health. 

## Objectives and Activities 

Our objectives are to promote the craft of beekeeping in all its aspects, with particular emphasis on helping our beekeepers and informing the wider public of the importance of bees.  This we have achieved through: 

- an extensive range of training courses; 

- facilitating informal exchange of knowledge and ideas between members at regular social evenings and events; 

- maintaining an apiary for practical training, provision of experience and allowing newer members to manage their bees under the watchful eye of more experienced beekeepers; 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

- maintaining our observation hive so visitors to Temple Newsam Farm can safely view some frames of bees without the need for a beekeeper to be present; 

- in the community we have, as usual, been providing a service to remove swarms of bees from gardens and property, and re-home them as appropriate. In the spring and summer of 2025, through the facility of a publicly available swarm telephone line, our swarm co-ordinator provided advice to over 175 members of the public and arranged for members to remove over 30 swarms; 

- participating in national initiatives to monitor for the presence of Asian (Yellow legged) hornets which pose a threat to both honey bees and many other pollinators; and 

- participating in national initiatives to monitor for the presence of other notifiable pests which could threaten the honey bee population. 

Further details of our activities are set out below under Achievements and performance. 

Throughout these activities we have had regard to the Charity Commission’ guidance on public benefit. 

## Achievements and Performance 

_Regular activities including education_ 

Our regular activities have included: 

- weekly meetings at our association apiary during the active beekeeping season; 

- taster sessions – opportunities for the public to find out more about honeybees and get some hands-on experience handling bees. Over the course of summer 2025 we had 70 attendees at such courses; 

- beginner beekeeper consisting of both theory and practical training.  There were 20 attendees attending our 2024/5 winter beginners’ course, 20 attending our weekend beginners’ course and there are now 14 bookings for our 2025/6 winter course; 

- facilitating the supply to new beekeepers of nucleus colonies of bees from other members at a considerable discount to the open market prices and providing ongoing mentoring as the new beekeepers took responsibility for ownership and management of their colonies; 

- improver and continual education training sessions available for all members; 

- supporting BBKA formal assessments e.g., Basic Assessment, Honeybee Health assessment; 

- in-person and Zoom winter talks; 

- continuous provision of an enclosed observation hive at the Association apiary (located in a public farm) during the beekeeping season; and 

- trustee meetings in person. 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

Several members worked to continue the past practice of outreach events such as fulfilling schools’ and other organisations’ requests for speakers and demonstrations and assistance, viz: 

- talks and demonstrations – 

   - Boston Spa scouts 

   - Cub Scouts group in Morley 

   - Westwood primary school 

   - Asquith Primary School 

   - Adventure scouts 

   - Dreams Childminding 

   - East Yardsley Primary school 

   - Homeschooling group 

   - Friends of Stanningley Park 

   - Care Home Kirkstall 

   - Grove Road Primary School Harrogate 

   - St Peters & Pauls Friendship group, Yeadon 

   - St Urbans Church Friendship group, Meanwood 

   - Wetherby Wharfedale 41 Club 

- support to Yorkshire Beekeepers Association  in promoting the public interest in bees and beekeeping at The Great Yorkshire Show in July 2025. 

We arranged a visit of our members to Bradford Beekeepers Association Apiary and a return visit of Bradford BKA to our Temple Newsam Apiary. 

This year our number of colonies expanded from those coming out of winter, although through use of the Demaree method of swarm control, the expansion was less extensive than in 2024.  We were still able to supply colonies for sale from our own apiary to HM Prison service as part of an initiative there to rehabilitate young offender as well as our normal services of arranging supply of nucleus colonies from other members.  We have also had a “bumper” honey harvest which we hope to sell over the coming months.   We continued to replace older hive boxes and spent a lot of time and effort improving the public area around the bee enclosure by clearing over-growth and continuing to replant. 

## Financial Review 

Our income derives mostly from three sources: 

- charges for educational courses, 

- subscriptions from our members; and 

- the proceeds of selling equipment to members.  This activity is described as “the shop” and is directed towards buying in bulk to secure the benefits of bulk purchasing and passing on those benefits though selling to members at a very modest mark up. 

The total revenue for the year ended 30 September 2025 was £48,437  (2024 - £52,221 ) and total expenditure net of interest received in the year was £58,610  (2024 - £45,096 ) giving a net surplus for the year of £10,173   (2024 - £7,125 ) 

At 30 September 2025, LBKA had total reserves of £140,461 largely represented by cash and funds in deposit and current accounts amount to £124,249 .  These reserves have been built up over several years with a view that they will be expended in either improving the existing apiary site and facilities or relocating.  See the section below entitled “Plans”. 

Further details of the financial performance are set out in the financial statements on pages 8 to 14 below. 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

Our subscription rates are reviewed annually at the AGM.   Details of the rates applied for the year ended 30 December 2025 are: 

Individual subscription £33.00 Associate subscription £12.00 Partner subscription £19.00 Social subscription £5.00 Junior subscription £10.00 School subscription £Nil 

At the end of this financial year, our membership stood at: 

Individual 213 Partner 15 Junior - Honorary 1 Associate 5 School 1 

In the course of our activities, we continue to provide all necessary protective clothing and ensure full access for disabled people who have an interest in beekeeping. 

## Plans 

The coming year will see us: 

- Continue to support relevant outreach activities where we can, with a special emphasis on school events. 

- Continue to improve our education programme where possible, with particular emphasis on retaining existing beekeepers and improving their knowledge and standards. 

- Look for opportunities to further improve our training apiary with a particular focus on being able to offer more opportunities to educate the public about bees and beekeeping. This will require co-operation with Leeds City Council in the likely event of a planning request as well as the team at Temple Newsam farm. 

- Continue to invest in our training apiary to improve the learning experience for our members. 

We are thankful for the generous hours contributed by LBKA members, both Trustees and nonTrustees, working on running the Association and managing its apiary and shop activities, running and assisting in our educational courses and our outreach work, including the collection of swarms. These have numbered around 60 individuals over the year. 

Signed on behalf of the Charity's Trustees 

Clare McGettigan Chairman 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION 

## REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER 

## _Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Leeds Beekeepers Association_ 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Leeds Beekeepers Association (“LBKA”) for the year ended 30 September 2025. 

## _Responsibilities and basis of report_ 

As the charity trustees of LBKA you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of LBKA’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. 

## _Independent examiner’s statement_ 

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the LBKA as required by section 130 of the Act; or 

2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 

3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 

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

Signed: ……………………………. 

Date…………………….. 

_Name:_ 

Mark Threlfall AFA MIPA 

Four Accountancy 4 Tinshill Lane Leeds West Yorkshire LS16 7AP 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

## FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

Profit and loss account for the year ended 30 September 2025 

|<br>Note<br>**Turnover**<br>2<br>Cost of sales<br>3<br>**Gross profit**<br>Other income:<br>Bank interest received<br>**Profit before overhead expenditure**<br>Overhead expenditure<br>4<br>**Net profit for the year**<br>5|Year ended 30 September<br>2025<br>2024<br>£<br>£<br>48,437<br>52,221<br>(32,675)<br>(39,126)<br>______<br>_______<br>15,762<br>13,095<br>2,135<br>2,808<br>______<br>_______<br>17,897<br>15,903<br>(7,724)<br>(8,778)<br>_______<br>_______<br>10,173<br>7,125<br>_______<br>_______|
|---|---|



Further details are provided in the notes to these financial statements on pages 10 to 14 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

## Balance sheet 

|Note<br>**Current assets**<br>Stocks and work in progress<br>8<br>18,099<br>Trade debtors<br>9<br>-<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>10<br>124,249<br>________<br>**Current liabilities**<br>Accruals and deferred income<br>9<br>(1,887)<br>_______<br>**Net current assets**<br>**Total assets less current liabilities**<br>**Net assets**<br>**Reserves**<br>Balance at beginning of year<br>Profit for the year<br>**Total reserves at end of year**|At 30 September<br>2025<br>2024<br>£<br>£<br>11,144<br>118<br>121,005<br>________<br>142,348<br>132,267<br>(1,979)<br>________<br>(1,887)<br>(1,979)<br>_______<br>_______<br>140,461<br>130,288<br>_______<br>_______<br>140,461<br>130,288<br>_______<br>_______<br>140,461<br>130,288<br>_______<br>_______<br>130,288<br>123,163<br>10,173<br>7,125<br>_______<br>_______<br>140,461<br>130,288<br>_______<br>_______|
|---|---|



Further details are provided in the notes to these financial statements on pages 10 to 14 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

## Notes to the financial statements 

## 1. Basis of preparation and accounting policies 

In common with previous years, these financial statements are prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with Charities Statement of Recommended Practice. Accordingly, 

- no value is attributed in the balance sheet to the various items of equipment owned by Leeds Beekeepers Association such as equipment in the apiary, in the main building or held for lending out to members such as extraction equipment. Furthermore, no value is attributed to the stock of honey extracted from the bees from the Apiary; and 

- receipts for subscriptions and courses are recognised as income when the relevant monies are received and, for example, there is no deferral of recognition of income for courses not yet or only partially delivered at the financial year end. 

However, provision has been made for all known financial liabilities and accruals and recognition given to shop sales supplied on or before 30 September but where the cash was received on or after 1 October in that year. 

Stock in the shop held for resale is value at the lower of cost or net realisable value. 

## 2. Turnover 

Turnover for the year comprised 

|Turnover<br>Turnover for the year comprised|||
|---|---|---|
||Year ended 30 September||
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Subscription income|6.093|6,059|
|Courses, taster day and talks income|7,550|8,970|
|Gift aid income|1,136|887|
|Sundry income|40|80|
|Donations received|1,324|50|
|Swarm Income|-|-|
|Nucs & honey sales|2,768|1,490|
|Shop sales|29,527|34,685|
||_____|______|
|Total turnover|48,437|52,221|
||_____|______|



## 3. Cost of sales 

Cost of sales comprised: 

|Total turnover<br>Cost of sales<br>Cost of sales comprised:|_____<br>______<br>48,437<br>52,221<br>_____<br>______|_____<br>______<br>48,437<br>52,221<br>_____<br>______|
|---|---|---|
||Year ended 30 September||
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Capitation fees|5,048|5,463|
|Shop cost of sales|27,627|33,663|
||_____|______|
||32,675|39,126|
||_____|______|



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## LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

The costs of good sold by the shop has been calcuated as follows: 

||||Year ended 30 September|Year ended 30 September|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||2025|2024|
||||£|£|
||Opening stock||11,144|17,274|
||Add: Purchases in the year||34,582|27,533|
||Less: Closing stock||(18,099)|(11,144)|
||||______|______|
||Cost of goods sold||32,675|33,663|
||||______|______|
|4.|Overhead expenditure||||
||Overhead expenditure comprised:||||
||||Year ended 30 September||
|||Note|2025|2024|
||||£|£|
||Accountancy costs||600|600|
||Apiary costs|6|1,986|2,726|
||Bank charges||72|95|
||Credit card charges||508|498|
||Education costs||205|978|
||Equipment– new extractor||1,175|1,144|
||Warming blankets||223|-|
||2 Lap top computers||591|-|
||General expenses|7|1,095|738|
||PayPal Charges||160|218|
||Provision for Architect fees||-|500|
||Room hire||345|632|
||Smoker provision||-|(117)|
||Speaker fees||144|173|
||Telecommunication and data costs||245|233|
||WebCollect costs||245|230|
||Website costs||130|130|
||||______|______|
||||7,724|8,778|



_____ ______ The smoker provision is an allowance for the cost of replacement smokers for those supplied by the shop and potentially contaminated by asbestos.  This amount was settled in early October 2024 at £183, being £117 lower than the provision created in the 2023 accounts. An architect was engaged to assist in planning matters related to the development of the apiary. This work was suspended pending consideration of the impact of parking charges at Temple Newsam and provision has been made for work carried out to the point of suspension. 

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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

## 5. Segmental analysis 

Year ended 30 September 2025 

|Segmental analysis<br>Year ended 30 September|2025|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||General|Apiary|Education|Shop|TOTAL|
||£|£|£|£|£|
|Turnover|8,592|2,768|7,550|29,527|48,437|
|Cost of sales|(4,375)||(672)|(27,628)|(32,675)|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
|Gross profit|4,217|2,768|6,878|1,899|15,762|
|Interest received|2,135||||2,135|
|Overhead expenditure|(4,581)|(1,986)|(349)|(808)|(7,724)|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
|Net profit|1,771|782|6,529|1,091|10,173|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|



Year ended 30 September 2024 

|Year ended 30 September|2024|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||General|Apiary|Education|Shop|TOTAL|
||£|£|£|£|£|
|Turnover|7,076|1,490|8,970|34,685|52,221|
|Cost of sales|(4,407)|-|(1,056)|(33,663)|(39,126)|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
|Gross profit|2,669|1,490|7,914|1,022|13,095|
|Interest received|2,808|-|-|-|2,808|
|Overhead expenditure|(3,754)|(2,726)|(1,601)|(697)|(8,778)|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
|Net profit|1,723|(1,236)|6,313|325|7,125|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|



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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

## 6. Apiary expenses 

Apiary expenses include amounts purchased from the shop activity and may be further analysed by category as follows 

|analysed by category as follows|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Year ended 30||September||
||2025|2025|2024|2024|
||External LBKA shop||External|LBKA shop|
||£|£|£|£|
|Cleaning|38||69||
|Fondant||90||90|
|Foundation||173||372|
|Frames||148|114|230|
|Fully Assembled Frames|||125||
|Hive Parts||178|387|640|
|Jars & Buckets||794||104|
|Other|270|8|218|88|
|Parking Fees|95||||
|Pruning|150||||
|Sugar|||167||
|Varroa Treatment||42||122|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|
||553|1,433|1,080|1,646|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|
|||1,986||2,726|



_____ _____ 

Jar and bucket costs in the year ended 30 September 2025 includes the cost of a substantial quantity of labels specifically designed for sale of honey to Temple Newsam shop. 

## 7. General expenses 

General expenses comprised: 

|General expenses<br>General expenses comprised:|||
|---|---|---|
||Year ended 30 September||
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Bad debt|-|14|
|Coffee/tea/ biscuits etc|170|33|
|DBS|54|90|
|Electrical testing|25|68|
|Fire protection|195|-|
|Garden & fencing|16|110|
|Gas|85|47|
|Keys & locks|-|26|
|Misc|286|76|
|Parking|60|-|
|Pest control|20|84|
|Petrol/oil|168|190|
|Suits & veils|17|-|
||______|______|
||1,096|738|
||______|______|



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LEEDS BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 

8. Stocks and work in progress 

|Stocks and work in progress|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||At|30|September|
||2025|||2024|
||£|||£|
|Stock and work in progress|18,099|||11,144|



Stocks and work in progress comprises stock of bee equipment held for resale. 

## 9. Trade debtors 

|Trade debtors|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||At|30|September|
||2025|||2024|
||£|||£|
|Trade debtors|-|||118|



Trade debtors at 30 September 2024 comprise amounts due from customers where the sale was recorded prior to that date but where payment was expected after that date. 

## 10. Cash at Bank and in hand 

|Cash at Bank and in hand|||
|---|---|---|
|||At 30 September|
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Cash held in deposit accounts|96,994|94,859|
|Cash held in current accounts (inc PayPal)|27,075|26,070|
|Cash in hand|177|76|
||______|_______|
||124,249|121,005|
||______|_______|
|Accruals and deferred income|||
|||At 30 September|
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Accountancy charges|600|600|
|Provision for smoker replacement|-|183|
|BBKA/YBKA subscriptions|360|696|
|Provision for Architect re Apiary planning|500|500|
|Other|427|-|
||_____|____|
||1,887|1,979|
||_____|____|



## 11. Accruals and deferred income 

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