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BISHOP’S STORTFORD BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

Registered Charity No: 1192150

Report and Accounts for the period from 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2025

Bishop’s Stortford Beekeepers Association (“BSBKA”)

Report of the Trustees for the period from 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2025

Management

Those involved in managing BSBKA during the period were as follows

Trustees:

John Palombo
Andrew Crossley
Simon Rice
Robert Croft
John Dockerill (to 3[rd] March 2025)
Kate Walker Pay (from 3[rd] March 2025)
Philip Smart (from 3[rd] March 2025)

Executive Committee:

John Palombo Chair
Kate Walker Pay Secretary  Philip Smart Treasurer  Andy Crossley Membership  Karen Davis Membership  Alison Shaw Training  Jean Johnson Events  Allison Evans Swarm Coordinator  Robert Croft HBKA Representative  John Palombo Jenkins Lane Apiary Manager  Simon Rice Westland Green Apiary Manager  Jim Jones Quarantine Apiary Manager  Lucy Holmes Committee Member

Incorporation and Objectives

BSBKA was incorporated as a charitable incorporated organisation and registered with the Charity Commission on 4[th] November 2020. It superseded an unincorporated charity with the same name and took over the assets of that previous body.

The objectives of BSBKA, as set out in its constitution are to promote and further the craft of beekeeping within the area defined broadly as the town of Bishop’s Stortford and its surrounding villages and countryside (“area”) and to advance the education of the public within the area in the importance of bees in the environment.

Affiliations

BSBKA is affiliated to the Hertfordshire Beekeeping Association (“HBKA”), which in turn is an Area Association of the British Beekeepers Association (“BBKA”).

Activities

2025 was busy year for BSBKA.

In the spring we held a well-attended Beginner’s Beekeeping course. As well as several intermediate training sessions.
We held a full set of monthly evening meetings for all members with a wide selection of lively talks.
Throughout the summer we held practical training sessions for new and developing beekeepers at our Association Apiary.
We continued to provide a free swarm collection service in the Bishop’s Stortford area and collected a number of swarms.
We attended the Bishops Stortford Town Carnival and displayed live bees in an observation hive, which, as ever, provided a great tool to educate the public on the importance of bees and how they live.
We provided education to the public through a number of other channels:
We had a stall on the local monthly Farmers Market, which gave us an opportunity to sell honey and to talk to the public about the importance of bees and beekeeping.
We gave talks to various schools, WI groups, scout groups and care homes, etc. as well.
For the second time we entered a “shop window display” in the National Honey Show and were pleased to win third prize.

The Association teaching apiary at Jenkins Lane continued to have problems with disease. After multiple hives were found to have European Foulbrood (EFB) in 2024, we had two more incidents in 2025 and the site had to be quarantined for 6 weeks. However by midsummer the apiary was clear of disease and hopefully will remain so.

The development of Jenkins Lane continued this year, with addition of a large shed purchased second-hand from the allotments in Stansted. This entailed two working parties, one in the spring to dismantle and transport the shed to JL and a second in late summer to reconstruct the shed on site.

Annual General Meeting

The AGM of BSBKA will take place on 2[nd] March 2026