The Hertfordshire Beekeepers Central and South Association (CIO)
Registered Charity Number 1186777
Annual General Meeting 2024
NOTICE is hereby given that the fourth Annual General Meeting of HBCSA will take place on
April 15th, 2024, at 7.30 pm at Christchurch Peartree, 20 Tewin Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 1BW.
The business to be conducted at the meeting will be as follows:
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Review and approve the minutes from the third AGM held on April 18th, 2023.
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Chairman’s Address: Phill Jepson, Chair of the Trustees to give a brief overview of the activities of the charity from 1[st] January 2023 to 31st December 2023.
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Treasurer’s Report: Steve Smith will present the CSHBKA accounts for the 2023 financial year, as circulated with this Notice. A resolution will be proposed that the Accounts be received.
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Trustees: Under clauses 13(2) and 13(3) of CSHBKA’s constitution one third of the Trustees shall retire by rotation. The trustees to retire shall be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment or reappointment. This applies to the trustees listed under a) to c) below:
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a) Philip Jepson
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b) Stephen Smith
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c) Louise Hare
These Trustees are willing to stand for re-election.
Brief biographies of all the candidates are attached. It is therefore proposed that the Trustees standing for re-election be elected as Trustees for 3 years.
If anyone would like to stand for election as a Trustee or as a Committee Member this year you would be very welcome, so please let us know.
On behalf of the Trustees
Louise Hare
Secretary March 26th, 2024
The Hertfordshire Beekeepers Central and South Association (CIO)
Registered Charity Number 11846777
Report and Accounts for the period of January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023
Trustees Report for the Period of January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023
Trustees:
Phill Jepson Chair of Trustees Steve Smith Treasurer Louise Hare Secretary Nick Leech Andrew Groom Duncan Newton
Independent Examiner: Mike Goodhew
Bankers: NatWest
Incorporation and Objectives
HBCSA was set up as a charitable incorporated organisation and registered with the Charity Commission on December 5, 2019. It was established to assume the role formerly undertaken by the Hertfordshire Beekeepers’ Association - Welwyn Division ("Closing Charity"), an unincorporated charity. It commenced this role with effect from January 1, 2020, and was endowed with an initial capital by the Closing Charity equal to the assets it then held. The objectives of HBCSA, as set out in its constitution, are: "to promote and further the craft of beekeeping; to maintain and improve the highest standards amongst beekeepers in HBCSA; to educate the public about beekeeping and hive products and to increase their knowledge of the importance of bees in the environment."
Activities: -
Training: The year started off with the New Season Preparation Course in February which was run with the help of members from the North Hertfordshire Beekeepers Association. The beginners Course was run in March. The number of Beginners attending was low in that year and there were only very few ad hoc apiary meetings.
A Swarm Collection Course was held in April and run with members from North Hertfordshire and St Albans Associations. This was very well attended.
Apiaries: We currently have 13 apiary sites across our area where we have agreements in place. During the year we have also been in contact with owners of a few additional sites and negotiations are still ongoing. There is space available at some of the apiaries.
Swarms: Andrew Groom did a fantastic job in the Swarm Coordinators Role. The central 12-week period was exceptionally busy. He also administered the “Raise a ‘Nuc’ programme successfully and again we were able to keep our local Bees circulating with those Beekeepers who had Winter losses.
He has now passed the role on to Rob Watt, and we have been incredibly pleased to welcome Rob to the committee and thank him for his enthusiasm to take on the Swarm Coordinators role this year.
Events/Fairs: The first event we attended was in March at the Welwyn Garden City Golf Club who held a Motor Neurone Disease charity event fundraiser. This was followed by the Welwyn Garden World Food Festival in mid-May, an event that is held over two days. We also attended the Welwyn Street Festival in June. In the middle of July, we participated in the “Folk by the Oak” festival event at Hatfield House for the third year running. Later in July we attended the Herts and Middlesex Open Day at Panshanger Park. In August we had a stall at the Tewin Classic Car Show. Later in the year in November and December we had table sales at The QE2 Hospital in Welwyn Garden City thanks to a new member, Dagmar who has connections there.
At all these events we were able to engage with the public, talk about the craft and science of Beekeeping, hive products and the role of bees in the environment. We also were able to promote our Association and attract new members and of course, sell your honey.
In addition to events, we have again been providing the shop at Waste Not Want Not and Trussells Butchers in Knebworth, with regular supplies of association and members’ honey, which provides income for the association.
School Visits and other Presentations: Keith has presented his annual talk to Year 4 pupils at Panshanger Primary school. The Headteacher is keen to have a Beehive on the school site and Keith is hoping to supply them with a Nuc. Phil has met with the school staff and the Association will be providing them with a hive. Some Staff members are interested in taking the beginners course next year.
Earlier in the year Steve and Duncan gave talks to Digswell Horticultural Society and to WGC Scouts and Cubs.
In September Steve and Dagmar gave a talk to the staff at Bookers Food Wholesalers who have hives on their site. With staff turnover, they have lost some beekeepers and are hoping fresh staff members will train as Beekeepers.
Also, in September Phil gave a talk to female members of the Synagogue in WGC.
Asian Hornets: Our Bee Inspector, Peter Folge was kept busy in Kent last Autumn, hunting Asian Hornets. The BBKA have taken on new staff to keep us all up to date and to help raise public awareness of this non-native invasive species. We now have an Asian Hornet Action Team (AHAT) led by Terry Davis with Steve Smith and Steve Hill who are verifiers. Thanks to these members who have taken the training for this. We also have monitoring traps near all Association Apiaries.
Social Events: We had a few Pub Night events last year, finishing with a Christmas Meal in December. These were informal evenings that enabled people to mingle and chat about bees and everything else.
Membership
HBCSA is a member of the Hertfordshire Beekeepers Association (Registered Charity No. 1184766).
Annual General Meeting
The fourth HBCSA AGM will take place on April 15[th] , 2024, at 7.30 pm at
Christchurch Peartree, 20 Tewin Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 1BW.
The Hertfordshire Beekeepers Central and South Association (CIO)
Registered Charity Number 11846777
Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees of CSHBKA
I report on the accounts of HBCSA for the period from January 1 to 31st December 2023 ("Accounts").
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
As trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the Accounts. It is my responsibility to state whether matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
The examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by HBCSA and a comparison of the Accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the Accounts, as well as seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the Accounts.
Independent Examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to (a) keep accounting records and (b) prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records have not been met; or
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2) to which in my opinion attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the Accounts to be reached.
Michael Goodhew
The Hertfordshire Beekeepers Central and South Association (CIO)
Previously referred to as Central and South Herts Beekeepers Association (“CSHBKA”)
Registered Charity Number 11846777
These Accounts were approved by the Trustees on February 6, 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
Phill Jepson, Chairman of Trustees
Accounts for the Period from 1st January to 31st December 2023
| INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT | INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT | Income | Spend | Net | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MembershipFees & BDI Insurance | 2023 | ||||
| Membership | |||||
| CSHBKA | Fees | 477 | 477 | ||
| Membership | |||||
| HBKA | Fees | 244 | 242 |
2 |
|
| Membership | |||||
| BBKA | Fees | 2414 | 2360 |
54 |
|
| Insurance | |||||
| BDI | Fees | 371 | 362 |
9 |
|
| Membership Fees & BDI | Insurance | ||||
| Total | 3505 | 2964 |
541 |
306 |
|
| Other | |||||
| Income | |||||
| Educaton &Training | 1505 | 1796 | |||
| Other Income | 1487 | 0 | |||
| Donatons | 87 | 65 | |||
| Apiary | 0 | 0 | |||
| Events & Honey Sales | 6266 | 7838 | |||
| Gif Aid | 0 | 776 | |||
| Interest | 339 | 44 | |||
| Other Income Total | 9683 | 10519 |
| Educaton & Training | 1139 | 604 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administraton | 611 | 969 | |
| Lockup | 2460 | 1765 | |
| Donatons | 0 | 0 | |
| Apiary | 698 | 652 | |
| AGM | 0 | 0 | |
| Events & Honey Sales | 4841 | 6882 | |
| Bank/SumUpcharges | 93 | 28 | |
| 9842 | 10900 | ||
| Net Surplus/(Defcit) | 382 | (75) |
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES at 31 December 2023
Current Assets
2023 2022
| Cash at Bank | 16690 | 17108 |
|---|---|---|
| Prepayments | 0 | 221 |
| Beekeeping manuals | 300 | 340 |
| Debtors | 810 | |
| Current Assets Total | 17800 | 17669 |
| Current Liabilites | ||
| 2024 membership payments in | ||
| advance | 219 | 71 |
| Current Liabilites Total | 219 | 71 |
| 17582 | 17598 |
|
| Capital Account | 17598 | 17961 |
| Retained Funds | (398) | (288) |
| Net Surplus/Defcit | 382 | (75) |
| 17582 | 17598 |
The Hertfordshire Beekeepers Central and South Association (CIO)
Registered Charity Number 11846777
Annual General Meeting
The candidates standing for re-election to be trustees of HBCSA at the 2024 AGM to be held on 15th April 2024 are as follows:
Louise has been on the committee as Secretary for a year. Before that she was a trustee. She has been keeping bees with her husband Steve since 2020. She is a retired Primary School Teacher and has more time now to pursue her interests in gardening and the natural world as well as enjoying art, especially watercolour painting. She also volunteers at the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice in Barnet.
Bees were an important part of my horticultural studies from the 1960’s to the 1970’s. My interest grew while studying and I joined my nearest beekeepers’ organisation at the time, in St Albans. Having worked in horticulture throughout Southern Europe, I returned to the UK and settled in WGC, again taking up Beekeeping and joining Welwyn Beekeepers in the mid 1990s. I was organising County Shows in Hertfordshire and having been on the committee for a number of years became Chairman of Welwyn Beekeepers in 2017. A role I have continued with
CSHBKA and now HBCSA.
Steve started Beekeeping in 2019, following a lifelong interest in nature. He keeps his bees in Knebworth, Waste Not Want Not and at his home in Stevenage. Steve worked for 39 years in both Retail and Commercial banking before retiring in 2012. He now runs his own part-time business as a handyman and gardener. He is married to Catherine and they have two grown up children.