2021-11-30-accounts

THE IPSWICH & EAST SUFFOLK BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION

First Founded 1880, Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 1183025 Via the Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association, an area association of the British Beekeepers’ Association

The Trustees’ Annual Report for the period from 1[st] December 2020 to 30[th] November 2021

This is the report of all eight Trustees, not just of the three who have signed it.

The Charity Commissioners call for this report and specify its format.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This Association was first founded in 1880; in 2014, it became a registered charity. On 1[st] June 2019 we became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Correspondence address: c/o The Old Rectory, Dallinghoo, Woodbridge IP13 0LA.

Bank account details: Barclays Bank plc, in the name of The Ipswich & East Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association, sort code: 20-44-51, account number: 10570028.

SECTION A - REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

Trustees Listed inalphabeticalorder	Responsibility (Ifany)	Date of **birth **	Contact details
RichardAllen From 10/10/2016	Hon Secretary	09/09/1962	11 Jupiter Road, Ipswich IP4 4NT 01473 719207 [e-mail]
BarryCrabtree From 15/06/2017	Talks Programme & Newsletter	16/10/1958	3 Old Cottages, Tattingstone, Ipswich IP9 2NN 01473 327240 [e-mail]
JackieMcQueen From 22/02/2012	Hon Treasurer	04/05/1944	643 Foxhall Road, Ipswich IP3 8NE 01473 420187 [e-mail]
BarriePowell From 14/10/2015	President & Apiary Manager	03/01/1935	Bristol House, Bristol Hill, Shotley Gate, Ipswich IP9 1PU 01473 787199 [e-mail]
JeremyQuinlan From 22/02/2012	Chairman	16/08/1937	The Old Rectory, Dallinghoo, Woodbridge IP13 0LA 01473 737700 [e-mail]

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Helen CatherineThorne From03/02/2021	Schools	13/10/1953	Offton Place, Offton, Ipswich IP8 4SF 07814 506988 [e-mail]
Jonathan JamesTuppen From03/02/2021	Safeguarding Lead	07/07/1961	Hallfield Cottage, Lower Street, Sproughton IP8 3AD 01473 742862 [e-mail]
SteveWillingham From 10/10/2018	Mentors for new beekeepers	20/12/1955	380 Norwich Road, Ipswich, IP1 4EJ 07521 467247 [e-mail]

Note: We have two other committee members who prefer not to be Trustees.

Independent examiner of accounts: Paul White

SECTION B - STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document. The association is governed by its constitution; this was accepted by the Association’s members at our annual general meeting of 6[th] February 2019.

How the charity is constituted. The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

Organisational Management. The Trustees of the Association are responsible for its management and control; they usually meet at least three times a year. Covid restrictions have meant that all but one meeting has had to be by Zoom. We must have at least three trustees and at most twelve. One third of the Trustees must retire in turn at each annual general meeting (AGM) but may offer themselves for reelection. Trustees are elected by the ordinary members of the Association at our AGM. Should there be a vacancy for a trustee, either the members or the trustees may at any time appoint a new one - see our constitution article 13.

SECTION C - OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objects: Working mainly in Ipswich and East Suffolk, our objects are to:

• a. Promote and further the craft of beekeeping.

• b. Advance the education of the public in the environmental and economic importance of bees.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects:

Charitable Activities

When planning the activities of the association, the Trustees bear in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. In carrying out its charitable objects, the association undertakes a wide range of activities. These include responding to many enquiries from the public on a wide variety of bee related subjects, collecting swarms, school visits, shows, talks and demonstrations, advice and help to new and inexperienced beekeepers, classroom and apiary training courses and preparation for national beekeeping examinations and assessments.

Additional details of objectives and activities

Together with most of the other beekeepers’ associations in East Anglia, we continue to contribute to the advancement of bee sciences; in conjunction with the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Newcastle, we support our third East Anglian Research Student (EARS3) as she works for her PhD, a study of honey bee nutrition in the effects of Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus. With Bee Disease Insurance we also support research at the Pirbright Institute into the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia and its potential ability to inhibit honey bee viruses such as DWV and CBPV. Both research projects continue; in 2020-21 we gave £600 towards them.

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SECTION D - ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

The association’s wholehearted commitment to education and training continues.

To members of the public new to beekeeping, we offered our usual introductory course with follow up guidance for learning and practicing the craft. Covid restrictions gave us some difficulties, however. As always, we accept those with no beekeeping experience and offer free training to those who can’t afford the fee. In 2021 thirty four signed up for the course but three withdrew.

We continue to focus on the training and development of our members and are particularly proud of our mentoring system for those new to beekeeping. In 2021, 35 new and inexperienced beekeepers requested mentor support. Where possible, they were paired up with someone who lives nearby - but only 23 members volunteered as mentors; we will be attempting to persuade more to volunteer. Their support requirements range from guidance on hive siting and swarm collection to help with hive inspections.

Despite restrictions, between May and August we opened our Wherstead apiary for teaching every Sunday afternoon. Around 50 attended. Currently there are 5 different types of hive here. Our particular thanks go to our apiary manager for whom this is a considerable extra commitment. Face-to-face winter evening groups meet in two different places. Two Module study group of 11 & 9 met by Zoom. Two took the BBKA’s Module 1 examination; both obtained Credits; one took Module 2 and passed. Four took the BBKA’s Basic, all passed.

We would like to improve the level of expertise within the association and develop competent knowledgeable teachers, but we have difficulty getting the more experienced but less expert to engage. Liaison is maintained with DEFRA’s APHA National Bee Unit Inspectorate in monitoring the health of the honey bee population and promoting good practice. The trustees actively encourage all members to take advantage of these services by registering with the NBU’s BeeBase.

Our library of some 350 books and DVDs continues to be both popular and well used by our members. On request, books are sent out by post with the borrower responsible for the cost of return. Over 50 are currently out on loan.

While the Association has long recognised the need to engage with the public and advance their understanding of the importance of bees and beekeeping to them and to the environment, during the year the Suffolk Agricultural Association’s Show and School Farm Country Fayre and many other public events, fetes and open gardens all had to be cancelled. We were, however, able to visit two schools; seven more visits to schools are planned for the new year. We continue to provide expert advice and training to HM Prisons, Hollesley Bay and Warren Hill, and to the Ipswich charity ‘ActivLives’; each have an apiary with several colonies of bees.

Many members of the public fear bees, particularly honey bees in swarms, and seek information and reassurance by telephone and email; Covid has made no difference to this. Unfortunately, there is also widespread ignorance of the different bee species so the majority of the calls turn out to be for either bumble or solitary bees. While we have no great expertise with these, we have helped many with advice. Both the Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association and the British Beekeepers’ Association maintain separate lists of those prepared to respond to swarm calls; many of our members volunteer for both. We recommend there should be no charge for responding to such calls.

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In 2017 we signed lease at a peppercorn rent with Ardencrest Limited, the legal name of the Eastern Counties’ Co-operative Society, moved our apiary to Wherstead Park and installed a hut. As we have no security of tenure there, we continue to look for a small piece of land we might buy for an apiary; so far, we have not found one.

The overall membership of the association continues to be buoyant. During the year our membership reached 259, the most it has ever been. The growth in numbers allowed us to continue to engage good speakers from far away; this has enhanced the standards of teaching and training. A general much greater experience of Zoom has, however, meant that few are now willing to travel far.

Continuing his most successful series of talks during lockdown, Barry Crabtree, one of our Trustees, continued arranging Zoom talks. From September, we were able to continue face-to-face meetings in the Kesgrave Scout Hall.

Meetings:

Date	Title	Speaker	Type	Comment/ number attending
9 Dec 20	Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus & Nutrition	Theodora Commandeur	Zoom	Newcastle University
6 Jan 21	Beeswax Wraps	Bev Rogers	Zoom	48
20 Jan 21	Nuclei in beekeepingoperations	Jamie Ellis	Zoom	52
3 Feb 21	Set Honey; MonthlyQ&A	Richard Allen	Zoom	47
17 Feb 21	Bees Abroad	Richard & Jane Ridler	Zoom	34
3 Mar 21	Bee Eyesight	JeremyQuinlan	Zoom	28
17 Mar 21	A Lifetime with Bees	Barrie Powell	Zoom	64
14-Apr-21	Should we be afraid of wasps?	Dr Ben Aldiss	Zoom	58
28-Apr-21	The month ahead: May		Zoom	26
26-May-21	The Month Ahead: June		Zoom	25
30-Jun-21	The Month Ahead: July		Zoom	16
28-Jul-21	The Month Ahead: August		Zoom	21
25-Aug-21	The Month Ahead: September		Zoom	16
1-Sep-21	Good Queens	Barrie Powell	Meeting	53
29-Sep-21	Women's beekeepingin Uganda	Christine Ryumugabe	Zoom	25
6-Oct-21	Microscopy	Gordon Brown	Meeting	36
2-Nov-21	Queen Cells- Threat or Opportunity?	JeremyQuinlan	Meeting	c.28
24-Nov-21	Ventilation, the whyand whynot	Derek Mitchell	Zoom	36

Most activities are carried out voluntarily by the members. The Trustees thank all those who give so freely of their time to help the Association to function. We could not manage without their good will and ready practical assistance; we thank them particularly for their commitment throughout the year.

In 2020-21, 76% of our expenditure went to outside bodies. The principal ones were our central organisation, the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), Bee Disease Insurance and Bee Craft Magazine. In 2022, the BBKA will increase subscriptions by £2 per year but we have decided to absorb half that increase.

SECTION E - FINANCIAL REVIEW

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	2020-21	2019-20	2018-19
Income	13,346.33	8,236.43	10,204.20
Expenditure	9,766.56	8,952.35	10,055.13
Surplus/Deficit	3,579.77	(715.92)	149.07
Cashat bankat start ofyear	18,509.34	19,210.14	19,038.82
TotalCash Assets atYear End	22,089.41	18,509.34	19,210.14

Gift Aid - tax refund: Our Gift Aid number is ZD09379. In 2020-21 our refund was £2,223 (two years’ worth).

Reserves policy: The Trustees wish to buy land for an Association apiary; we are looking for a suitable place at a price we can afford.

Details of any funds materially in deficit: There were no funds in deficit.

SECTION F - OTHER INFORMATION

None.

SECTION G - TRUSTEES’ DECLARATION

The trustees declare that they have approved this report.

Signatures:

Full names: Richard Allen Position: Hon Secretary

Jackie McQueen Jeremy Quinlan Hon Treasurer Chairman February 2022

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Ipswich & East Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association Income and Expenditure Account For the Year ended 30 November 2021

		2021						2020
Income
Subscriptions	£	8,208.64					£	7,152.64
Research Donations	£	621.25					£	506.50
Other Donations	£	43.60					£	10.00
Gift Aid	£	2,222.87					£	-
Course/Training Fees	£	2,160.00					£	350.00
Apiary	£	60.00					£	-
Teas & Coffees	£	29.97					£	36.21
Miscellaneous Payments	£	-					£	131.08
County AGM	£	-					£	50.00
			£	13,346.33					£	8,236.43
Expenditure BBKA, BDI	£	5,589.15					£	4,770.85
Direct Debit Costs	£	78.16					£	30.03
Research - EARS	£	300.00					£	-
Research - BDI	£	300.00					£	300.00
Beecraft	£	1,889.43					£	1,915.52
Meetings/ Speakers/Hall	£	647.88					£	591.23
Newsletter	£	17.59					£	24.25
Course Expenses	£	303.19					£	310.87
Honey/Apiary Costs	£	47.67					£	433.00
Cup Insurance	£	12.00					£	12.00
Library	£	320.77					£	243.23
Oxalic Acid /Fondant	£	-					£	89.08
General/Stationery	£	15.72					£	8.79
Refund	£	245.00					£	223.50
			£	9,766.56					£	8,952.35
Excess of Income over Expenditure					£	3,579.77					-£	715.92
Cash at Bank Start of Year	£	6,468.63					£	7,184.55
Cash at Bank Year End	£	10,048.40			£	3,579.77	£	6,468.63
Deposit
Deposit Account
Cash at Bank Start of Year	£	12,040.71					£	12,025.59
Cash at Bank Year End	£	12,041.01					£	12,040.71
Total Cash Assets at Year End			£	22,089.41					£	18,509.34
Accounts Examined					Treasurer
Paul White					Jackie	McQueen