_Chairman:_ Mr S J Baker _Hon. Secretary:_ Dr P R Weller _Hon. Treasurer:_ Mr P J Hughes _Registered Charity No._ 328685 www.cbdennistrust.org.uk ## **Charity Information for the year ended 31 December 2023** **Trustees:** Mr Simon Baker, BSc, MSc Dr David Aston, BSc, MSc, PhD, NDB Ms Brenda Ball, BSc. Prof Mark J F Brown MA, PhD Dr Nicola Bradbear, BSc, PhD. Mr Norman Carreck, BSc,,NBD. Mr Philip Hughes BSc, ACA Prof Juliet Osborne BA, PhD Dr Peter Weller BA, MSc, PhD (appointed 18[th] April 2023) **Chairman:** Mr Simon Baker, BSc., MSc **Secretary:** Dr Peter Weller BA, MSc, PhD (appointed 18[th] April 2023) **Treasurer:** Mr Philip Hughes BSc. ACA ## **Registered Office: West View, Churchill, Axminster, Devon, EX13 7LZ** **Charity number:** 328685 **Independent Examiners:** Heartwood Accountants Ltd, Chartered Accountants Riverside House 3 Place Farm Wheathampstead Herts AL4 8SB _**Registered Address:**_ West View, Churchill, Axminster, Devon, EX13 7LZ _**Trustees:**_ **D.Aston** ,BSc.,MSc.,PhD.,NDB., **S.J.Baker,** BSc.,MSc., **B.V.Ball** ,BSc., **N.Bradbear** ,BSc.,PhD., **Prof. M.J.F Brown** , MA., PhD., **N.Carreck,** BSc.,C.Biol.,FRSB.,FRES,NDB., **P.J.Hughes** ,BSc., ACA., **Prof. J.Osborne** , BA., PhD., **P.R.Weller** BA, MSc, PhD ## **Trustees Annual Report for the year end 31[st ] December 2023** ## **Report on Activities** ## **Trustees** The trustees have all continued to serve the Trust throughout 2023. Dr Peter Weller was appointed Secretary and Trustee as of 18[th] April 2023. ## **Grants paid in 2023 - £97,227** The following grants were paid, some of which were approved for support by the Trust in prior years. ## 1 **. Joint studentship with Bee Diseases Insurance £5,318.** This joint initiative in partnership with Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd. was a landmark in the history of the Trust. For the first time we were able to initiate research by invitation and help to train young scientists to secure a future for bee research in this country. The project funded is entitled: Transmission of _M. plutonius_ and the establishment of symptomatic European Foul Brood disease during pesticide exposure at field realistic levels. Led by P Graystock & R Gill, Imperial College London & S. Evison, University of Nottingham. The C B Dennis Trust is managing the administration of the project funding. In 2023 the Trust paid the 2023 grant to Imperial and will recover the funds from Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd in 2024 once the Annual report of the research is received. **2. BBKA Spring Convention** Sponsorship towards the recording of lectures to aid knowledge transfer and the communication of research outcomes. **Total paid** £2,750 **3. National Honey Show** Sponsoring the show is helping to raise our profile as the Trust is acknowledged in the live lecture programme and videos. We are also helping to educate through dissemination of the science. **Total paid** £5,670 **4. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew** Grant for a research project entitled “Are flowers of lime trees (Tilia spp.) toxic for bees?: The role of nectar, pollen and floral aroma chemistry” **Total paid £23,600** **5. University of Sussex:** Wild honey bees in Britain: colony density & survival, nest site availability, diseases & natural resistance, genetic structure & gene flow **. Start date:** March 2020 **. Total paid £27,689** **6. Bournemouth University,** Establishing the relationship between cardio-circulatory physiology and survivability in _Apis mellifera_ . **Total paid £5,140** **7. Auburn University, Alabama, USA, Queen Mary University of London,** International collaboration and “bees-in-the-loop” to reveal the behavioural rules behind comb building **Start date:** 1[st] Jan 2023 (24 months) fully funded in 2023 to cover the 24 months. **Total paid £27,060** ## **Applications for grant funding in 2023** A summary of applications reviewed at the board meetings held on Tuesday 18[th] April and Tuesday 17th October is presented below. _**Registered Address:**_ West View, Churchill, Axminster, Devon, EX13 7LZ _**Trustees:**_ **D.Aston** ,BSc.,MSc.,PhD.,NDB., **S.J.Baker,** BSc.,MSc., **B.V.Ball** ,BSc., **N.Bradbear** ,BSc.,PhD., **Prof. M.J.F Brown** , MA., PhD., **N.Carreck,** BSc.,C.Biol.,FRSB.,FRES,NDB., **P.J.Hughes** ,BSc., ACA., **Prof. J.Osborne** , BA., PhD., **P.R.Weller** BA, MSc, PhD ## **Meeting 18th April 2023** 1. Prof. Grace McCormack, **University of Galway Title:** Learning from wild-living honey bees in the UK **Start date:** 1st June 2023 **Duration:** 6 months **Total requested:** £29,352 Funding Approved post the meeting, after a number of questions were raised at the board meeting. 2. Marcela Diaz Rivadeneira, Dr Darren O’Connell &; Dr Julia Jones, **University College Dublin. Title** : Honey bee microbiota - pathogen and pesticide interactions **Start date:** 1 st May 2023. **Duration** : 2 years **Total requested:** £17,516 Funding declined. ## 3. Dr Paul Hartley, **Bournemouth University** **Title** : Do our bees have healthy hearts? **Start date** : 1st June 2023. **Duration** : 2 years **Total Requested** : £5,140 Funding Approved post the meeting, after a number of questions were raised at the board meeting ## 4. Dr Carlos Martel, **Royal Botanic Gardens Kew** **Title** : Are flowers of lime trees toxic for bees? **Start date:** 1st May 2023 **Duration:** 1 year **Total requested:** £30,000. Funding Approved post the meeting, after a number of questions were raised at the board meeting ## 5. **National Honey Show - Centenary Year October 2023** Stage a series of science based and practical lectures, film them and make them available free to beekeepers in UK and worldwide via YouTube. Annual contribution normally £2,500 but this is a special year and the Board agreed further funding of £3,000. ## **Meeting 17th October 2023** **1. BBKA spring convention 2024 150[th] Anniversary:** Request to fund a series of science based and practical lectures, film them and make them available free to beekeepers in UK and worldwide via YouTube. The board agreed to fund this special event to £5,000 to cover speaker’s expenses. 2. Dr. Christopher Rodrigues & Dr David Chandler, **Warwick University** . **Title** : Molecular genetics and cell biology of the life cycle of Paenibacillus larvae. **Start date** : 1st Jan 2024. **Duration** : 4 years **Total requested** : £119,932.48 Funding Declined ## 3. Dr. Charles Wood, **Portsmouth University** **Title** : Assessing the impact of particulate pollution on rural and urban honeybees. **Start date** : 1st Dec 2023. **Duration** : 6 months **Total Requested** : £13,770 Funding Declined ## **Web Site** Recent publications have been added to the Website and kept information up to date. Use of the web site has remained consistent throughout the year with a peak in November possibly due to our details being added to Research Professional at around that time. A large proportion of users were new visitors, which is encouraging. Users were mainly from this country which hopefully means that we are reaching research groups interested in bees. _**Registered Address:**_ West View, Churchill, Axminster, Devon, EX13 7LZ _**Trustees:**_ **D.Aston** ,BSc.,MSc.,PhD.,NDB., **S.J.Baker,** BSc.,MSc., **B.V.Ball** ,BSc., **N.Bradbear** ,BSc.,PhD., **Prof. M.J.F Brown** , MA., PhD., **N.Carreck,** BSc.,C.Biol.,FRSB.,FRES,NDB., **P.J.Hughes** ,BSc., ACA., **Prof. J.Osborne** , BA., PhD., **P.R.Weller** BA, MSc, PhD ## **Financial Review for 2023** The Trust’s investments continue to be managed by the brokers Walker Crips Weddle Beck plc. They are maintaining a dividend return in a difficult market. The value of the fund has decreased largely consistent with the movement in global markets following the impact of the Ukraine war on global economies, rising interest rates to address inflationary pressures which is reducing economic growth. The value of investment on 31st December 2023 was £1,064,219. (2022: £1,162,180) The Trust continues to encourage good quality grant applications and finding innovative ways of funding projects. The grants paid this year - 2023 are significantly higher in 2022 at £97,227 compared with £24,377 in 2022. This is due to good quality proposals coming forward for funding and a delay in the invoicing of a grant from Sussex University in 2022. Simon Baker Chairperson. 9th April 2024 _**Registered Address:**_ West View, Churchill, Axminster, Devon, EX13 7LZ _**Trustees:**_ **D.Aston** ,BSc.,MSc.,PhD.,NDB., **S.J.Baker,** BSc.,MSc., **B.V.Ball** ,BSc., **N.Bradbear** ,BSc.,PhD., **Prof. M.J.F Brown** , MA., PhD., **N.Carreck,** BSc.,C.Biol.,FRSB.,FRES,NDB., **P.J.Hughes** ,BSc., ACA., **Prof. J.Osborne** , BA., PhD., **P.R.Weller** BA, MSc, PhD The CB Dennis British Beekeepers. Research Trust Accounts for the Year ended 31 December 2023 0000001 Chairman.. Mr S J Baker Hon. Secretary.. Dr P R Weller Hon. Treasurer.. Mr P J Hughes C.B.DENNIS Registered Charity No. 328685 www.cbdennistrust.org.uk 8AITISH 8EEKEEPERS' RESÈARCH TRUST Charity Information for the year ended 31 December 2023 Trustees: Mr Simon Baker. BSL. Msc Dr David Aston BSC. MSC. l)hl). ND13 Ms Brei)da Ball Bsc Prot- Mark J r Brown MA, PIID Dr Nicola Bradbear BSL, I)IID Mr Normali Carrcck EISC. N13D. Mr Pliilip Hiighcs13SL. ACA l)r()f' JuliL'I Osb()I'nL' E3A. I)II[) Dr Pcler WLIILI. BA. MSL, I)hD {LlPP()ilItL'L5 18111 April 2023) Chairman: Mr Simon Bakcr BSC. Msc Secretary: Dr Peter Weller BA. MSL. PIID {app()iiiicd 18111 Ai)I'jl ?023) Treasurer: Mr Philip14ugyhes BSL ACA Registered Office: West View, Churchill, A%min.stcr, Devon, EX13 7LZ Charity number: 328685 Independent Examiners: Heartw()nd Acc()untants I,td. C harlered Accountanls, Rii'ersidc E lousL 3 PlaLe f