2025-11-30-accounts

THE IPSWICH & EAST SUFFOLK BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION

First Founded 1880, Charitable Incorporated Organisation No. 1183025 Via the Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association, one of the British Beekeepers’ Association’s associations

The Trustees’ Annual Report for the period from 1[st] December 2024 to 30[th] November 2025

This is the report of all ten 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.

The current correspondence address is: c/o The Old Rectory, Dallinghoo, Woodbridge IP13 0LA.

Bank account: Barclays Bank plc, in the name of The Ipswich & East Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association, sort code: 20-4451, account number: 10570028.

SECTION A - REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

Trustees Listed inalphabeticalorder	Responsibility (Ifany)	Date of **birth **		Contact details
David CharlesAdams From5/2/25	President	14/11/1934		Deben View, Back Lane, Falkenham IP11 0RA 01394 448235 [e-mail]
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 to14/10/25		16/10/1958		3 Old Cottages, Tattingstone, Ipswich IP9 2NN 01473 327240 [e-mail]
Mark AnthonyDua From7/2/2024		28/9/1964		The Thatch, Stowmarket Road, Ringshall IP14 2HZ 07733 363442 [e-mail]
JackieMcQueen From 22/02/2012	Hon Treasurer	04/05/1944		643 Foxhall Road, Ipswich IP3 8NE 01473 420187 [e-mail]
Gemma Parrott From 15/10/25	Newsletter	28/02/1981		1 Bank House, Chelmondiston IP9 1DZ 07758 193847 [e-mail]

BarriePowell 14/10/2015 to29/12/2024	Former President	03/01/1935	Bristol House, Bristol Hill, Shotley Gate, Ipswich IP9 1PU 01473 787199 [e-mail]	We have two other
Jeremy DenisQuinlan From 22/02/2012	Chairman	16/08/1937	The Old Rectory, Dallinghoo, Woodbridge IP13 0LA 01473 737700 [e-mail]
Philip RoyRamsey From 12/10/2024	Apiary Manager	21/04/1964	47 Colchester Road, Ipswich IP4 3BT 07879 667867 [e-mail]
Helen CatherineThorne From03/02/2021	Schools Liaison	13/10/1953	Offton Place, Offton, Ipswich IP8 4SF 07814 506988 [e-mail]
SalThurlow From7/2/2024	Mentors and new beekeepers	18/3/1958	Old Post Office, Hadleigh Road, Holton St Mary CO7 6NP 01473 312080 [e-mail]
Jonathan JamesTuppen From03/02/2021	Safeguarding Lead	07/07/1961	Hallfield Cottage, Lower Street, Sproughton IP8 3AD 01473 742862 [e-mail]

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), N[o] 1183025.

Organisational Management. The Trustees of the Association are responsible for its management and control; they meet at least three times a year, usually more often. Our constitution requires us to have at least three trustees and at most twelve. At each annual general meeting (AGM), one third of the Trustees must retire in turn but may offer themselves for re-election. 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 Commissioner’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.

All activities are carried out voluntarily by the members at no cost. The Trustees thank all those who give their time so freely to help the Association to function. We could not manage without their good will and ready practical assistance; we thank them for their enthusiasm and commitment throughout the year.

Additional details of objectives and activities

Disappointingly, in late 2022, the fourth East Anglian research student (EARS-4) had begun work on establishing the results of not treating for Varroa but suffered ill health and had to stop. Since then, the EARS committee had been

looking for another suitable student. Just before the end of our accounting period one was found researching bee sting tolerance at Plymouth University; this will be EARS-5.

SECTION D - ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

The Association recognises the need to engage with the public and advance their understanding of the importance of bees and beekeeping both to them and to the environment. During the year we assisted at the Suffolk Agricultural Association’s Annual Show and their School Farm Country Fayre - and at many other public events, fetes and open gardens. Eight schools were visited. We continue to provide expert advice and training to HM Prisons, Hollesley Bay and Warren Hill, and to the Ipswich charity ‘ActivLives’; each has 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. Unfortunately, there is also widespread ignorance of the different bee species so most calls are 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 lists of those prepared to respond to swarm calls; many of our members volunteer for both. Usually, our people make no charge for responding to such calls.

The association’s 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. As always, we accept those with no beekeeping experience and offer free training to those who cannot afford the fee. In 2025, 23 people took our course.

We continue to focus on the training and development of our members. Although our offer of mentoring for those new to beekeeping continues, in 2025, 20 new and inexperienced beekeepers asked for mentor support; 15 experienced people volunteered to be mentors; the difficulty is geographically matching mentors and new beekeepers. Beginners’ support requirements range from guidance on hive siting and swarm collection to help with hive inspections. All beginners are encouraged to work towards taking the BBKA’s Basic Assessment and to enter the Suffolk Honey Show classes. We need to do more to get them to do both.

Between May and August, we opened our Wherstead apiary for teaching every Sunday afternoon. Over 13 afternoons, we had 156 come; many were repeat attendees. The team set out to encourage those who did not hold the BBKA’s Basic to take it; 8 did and were successful. Our particular thanks go to our apiary manager, Phil Ramsey, for whom this is a considerable commitment.

Module examination study groups continued their evening meetings with considerable success. Several other individuals continue to study too.

We want to improve the level of expertise within the association and develop competent knowledgeable teachers of beekeeping, 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 want all members will 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. As last year, thirty are currently out on loan. Suggestions for new books are welcome and new books are added regularly.

In 2017 we signed a lease at, literally, 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. While relationships between us are good, we have no security of tenure there, so we continue to look for a small suitable 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 249. The maintenance in numbers allowed us to continue to engage good speakers from a distance; this has enhanced

the standards of teaching and training. The general use of Zoom has, however, meant that few are now willing to travel far.

We are very grateful to Tim Wilmshurst. one of our members, who has been engaging speakers and organising talks through to the end of 2025.

Meetings:

Date	Speaker	Subject	Ten Minute Talk, etc
4 Dec	Jeremy Quinlan	Wax& Candles
2 Jan	Barry Crabtree	Pollen Analysis	Jeremy Quinlan: HoneyBeeWaggleDances
5Feb	FionaDickson	Judging at ahoney show	AGM
5Mar	Dale Gibson	BermondseyBees	Olga Hamond: Royal Jelly
2 Apr	Kevin Thorn	The simple SustainableApiaryforthehobby beekeeper	Barry Crabtree: TheBBKA'sBasicAssessment
15 Jun	“Safari” in Kirton&Felixstowe areas.Ledby ChrisMilton&David Burns,BeeInspectors
3 Sep	Social/Auction/Forum
1Oct	ClivedeBruyn,NDB	BeekeepingMistakes
5Nov	Jeremy Quinlan	The Colony as aHoneyFactory	Olga Hammond: DealingWith A Vicious Colony

SECTION E - FINANCIAL REVIEW

As usual, some three quarters of our expenditure was paid to outside bodies, principally to our central organisation, the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), Bee Disease Insurance Ltd and for Bee Craft Magazines. The arrangement for discounted Bee Craft magazines ends in early 2026.

	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Income	£18,350	£13,057	£31,553
Expenditure	£17,521	£11,798	£30,149
Surplus/Deficit	£829	£1,259	£1,404
Bank current account at start ofyear	£10,546	£9,287	£7,883
Bank current account atyear end	£11,375	£10,546	£9,287
Deposit account at start ofyear	£27,713	£27,347	£15,048
Deposit account movement	+£6,958	+£366	+£12,299
Deposit account total atyear end	£34,671	£27,713	£27,347
Our total cash holdingatyear end	£46,046	£38,259	£36,634
Less EARS moneyon deposit	£18,200	£12,200	£12,200
Our total cash assets atyear end	£27,846	£26,059	£24,434

In 2023 the I&ES BKA became the custodian of £12,200 in charitable honey bee research funds donated to EARS; another £6,000 of EARS money was added during the year 2024-25, making the total £18,200.

Gift Aid - tax refund: Our Gift Aid number is ZD09379. In 2024-25 our refund was £1,438.

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

There were no funds in deficit.

Our accounts have been checked by an independent examiner. He has given his assent to them, signing them electronically. A copy of those accounts accompanies this report.

There were no serious incidents to report.

TRUSTEES’ DECLARATION

The trustees declare that they have approved this report.

Signatures:

Who:	Richard Allen	Jackie McQueen	Jeremy Quinlan
Position:	Hon Secretary	Hon Treasurer	Chairman
			February 2026

Ipswich & East Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association Income and Expenditure Account For the Year ended 30 November 2025

		2025						2024
Income
Subscriptions	£	8,096.55					£	8,965.55
Research Donations	£	718.35					£	721.90
Other Donations	£	6,000.00
Gift Aid	£	1,437.84					£	1,378.02
Course/Training Fees	£	1,280.00					£	1,410.00
Suffolk Show/Honey Sales	£	780.14					£	230.40
Refreshments	£	18.50					£	36.35
Asian Hornet Campaign							£	315.00
Miscellaneous	£	18.50
			£	18,349.88					£	13,057.22
Expenditure
BBKA, BDI	£	6,049.65					£	6,134.10
Direct Debit Costs	£	67.49					£	69.80
Research - EARS	£	6,000.00
Beecraft	£	1,705.00					£	2,413.00
Meetings/ Speakers/Hall	£	878.04					£	480.00
Newsletter	£	6.00					£	15.40
Course Expenses	£	646.21					£	745.99
Honey/Apiary Costs	£	1,541.37					£	585.14
Suffolk Show	£	247.65					£	20.00
Library	£	214.90					£	196.42
Bee Safari	£	138.99					£	57.38
General/Stationery	£	6.80					£	6.00
Miscellaneous	£	18.50
Refund							£	68.70
Asian Hornet Campaign							£	1,005.90
			£	17,520.60					£	11,797.83
Excess of Income over Expenditure					£	829.28					£	1,259.39
Current Account
Cash at Bank Start of Year	£	10,546.19					£	9,287.35
Cash at Bank Year End	£	6,324.46					£	10,546.19
Cash to Deposit Account	£	5,000.00
Deposit Account
Cash at Bank Start of Year	£	27,187.08					£	27,553.21
Cash at Bank Year End (includes EARS)	£	39,145.02					£	27,187.08
Deposit EARS account	£	18,200.00					£	12,200.00
Interest	£	957.94					£	366.13
Total Cash Assets at Year End	£	45,469.48					£	37,733.27
Paul White					Jackie	McQueen
Accounts Examined					Treasurer