Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association
Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts
for the year ending 31 December 2024
Page
- 2 Administrative Information 4 Trustees’ Annual Report 7 Receipts & Payments 8 Statement of Assets & Liabilities 9 Notes to the Accounts 11 Independent Examiner’s Report
Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association
Administrative Information
Working name LBKA Charity registration number 500360 Honorary Patron Toby Dennis
Trustees (currently and for the whole period reported unless shown otherwise)
Charity Officers and LBKA trustees:
Chair
Vice Chair Secretary Treasurer Membership Secretary
Lincolnshire Show Committee Secretary
Chris Arlett-Johnson Richard Harrison Matthew Palmer Alex Arlett-Johnson Graham Luckhurst Dale Gibson
District Representatives and LBKA trustees:
Lincoln Stephen Jarman Boston Ken Williams Louth Dale Gibson Horncastle Graham Carrott North Lincs Frances Ross Market Rasen Neil Duff Grimsby Vacant Grantham Tanya Walton Sleaford Keith Baker Wragby Gill Smith Stamford and Bourne Richard Griffin
Other elected posts
(If marked € are Central Council members but neither trustees nor voting members in the capacity below.) Honorary President Gill Smith €
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Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association
Other elected posts
ADM Delegate Examinations Officer Education Coordinator Publicity Officer
Matthew Palmer Andy Cursons Andy Cursons Vacant
Principal contact address 9 New Road Martin Dales Woodhall Spa LN10 6XW Email secretary@lincsbka.org.uk Website https://www.lincsbka.org.uk/ Independent Examiner Mr B. Gibbon BSc. Hons ACMA CGMA
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Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association Central Council Trustees’ Annual Report
Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association (LBKA) is an unincorporated charity originally constituted on 18 March 1967 and registered with the Charity Commission (number 500360) on 21 September 1970. Its constitution was last amended 15th March 2020.
LBKA Central Council submits the Trustees’ Annual Report and consolidated accounts, for the charity, its ten districts and annual honey show, covering the year ending 31 December 2022.
LBKA is affiliated to the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), also a charity.
Objects
The main objects of LBKA are to:
-
Encourage, improve, and advance apiculture, primarily but not exclusively within Lincolnshire, to the public good.
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Advance the awareness of the public in the importance of bees in the environment.
Public Benefit
The trustees are aware of the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance and have taken it into account when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.
Review of activities during the year
The county experienced a change in officers with Chris Arlett-Johnsons moving from Vice Chair to Chair and Alex Arlett-Johnson stepping in as Treasurer. The chair spent the year visiting all districts to introduce himself. The committee agreed to send one member from each district to Jersey to learn more about the threat of the Asian hornet, spread over 2 years. This year members from Sleaford, Stamford and Borune, Boston and North Lincs spent a week in Jersey and came back with valuable information, in which they shared with the districts throughout the course of the year. A first Aid course was also offered to the districts, and this will take place in May 2025.
We were invited once again to put on a two-day show for the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society’s Annual Show.
We had a reasonably good turnout of volunteers on the show pre-start setup days, and we are very grateful to all that attended and helped.
The show was well attended, within the region of 58 - 60,000 visitors attending the event, allowing us to demonstrate and educate them by presenting the art of beekeeping, giving the public the opportunity to see bees inside hives working, how bees and beekeepers produce the honey and other hive products that are available.
A new rule (27) for the photography classes (39 & 40) was introduced and well received, requiring all entries to have an accompanying title/caption. A new additional outside game designed and built by Scott Arlett-Johnson was highly successful and was given a lot of praise from both our volunteers and the public.
Show entries were slightly higher than last year (441 entries last year), with 470 entries in 53 classes covering; Honey, Wax, Mead, and Confectionary, which meant the show qualified as a BBKA Blue ribbon event, awarded to Richard Harrison.
We had the pleasure of meeting and showing our new patron Toby Dennis, the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, around the marquee.
Both the judges were very complementary on the number and standard of entries in the show. The Honey show have purchased two pull up roller banners on Asian Hornets, one of which can be leant out to our districts with the following conditions:
1). The district borrowing the sign is responsible for the care and maintenance.
2). The district is responsible for the cost of a replacement/repair of the banner if it becomes damaged or lost.
3). The banner must be returned one week before the next annual honey show to either the show Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association
secretary or a show committee member.
4). If the banner is being borrowed district to district the honey show secretary must be informed beforehand to update our records as the last recorded district to have the banner will be accountable for the banner.
Education
Basic Assessment 16 Honeybee Health 9 General Husbandry 5 Theory Modules 10 Advanced Theory 1
Education continues to be a driving force, with my plan to future proof the county by improving education and future proofing the county. We had only 3 active basic assessors, 2 of which were in their late 70’s, so it was imperative to get more basic assessors for the county, and I am happy to report, we now have 8 basic assessors for the county after 5 candidate visited Stoneleigh to complete Basic Assessor Training.
.
Reserves policy
Unrestricted reserves £74.0 k LBKA’s consolidated unrestricted reserves at the year-end were equivalent to 27 months
Unrestricted financial reserves of the charity continued to increase and stood at £74.0k at 31 December 2024, comprising monies held centrally and those distributed across its ten district branches and honey show committee.
In the past Central Council has considered, but never formally ratified, a charity reserves policy of holding sufficient funds to cover 18 months’ normal running costs excluding self-funded items such as subscriptions and bulk purchases resold to members. LBKA’s consolidated unrestricted reserves at the year-end were equivalent to 27 months’ coverage on that basis, so the charity is in a very strong position to carry out its primary objectives.
Administrative responsibilities
The charity’s trustees comprise its 6 officers (as listed above), one representative for each of its 10 districts. These trustees are elected, as appropriate, at either its central or districts’ Annual General Meetings to serve until the next AGM. Additional members to fill casual vacancies or otherwise may be co-opted during the year. The names of the current trustees and all who have served as trustees during the year being reported, are shown on page 2.
LBKA Central Council comprises its trustees and additional post holders, who are not trustees, elected at the charity’s AGM or co-opted. Whilst Central Council broadly co-ordinates and administers many of LBKA’s activities, the trustees meet separately to address matters specifically relating to the charity’s management and regulation.
The trustees recognise their joint responsibility for keeping proper accounting records and preparing financial statements each year. The appended accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and have been independently examined with the examiner’s report included as part of these financial statements.
Approved by Central Council on 1[st] April 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association
…………………………………..
Alex Alrett-Johnson (Treasurer)
Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association Receipts and Payments Account Year ending 31 December 2024
| Notes 2 Receipts Donations & grants (inc. Gift Aid) Fundraising receipts 4 Members' subscriptions 9 |
2024 2023 £ 900.50 2,327.83 24,672.72 26,862.75 19,732.05 16,821.67 |
|---|---|
| Training events Meetings & social events Sales Bank interest Sundry income Payments Fundraising costs 4 Subscriptions to BBKA/BDI |
6,940.87 8,701.65 1,700.00 456.00 21,758.15 14,407.48 255.47 139.90 9,111.58 1,818.19 |
| 85,071.34 71,535.47 19,424.96 22,499.91 15,090.80 11,660.60 |
|
| Bulk purchases for resale 8 Meetings & social events Equipment & books Training & education Quarterly Review & Directory Donations & grants Postage, stationery & bank charges Honey shows District apiaries Accounts & Charity Ind. Examination Sundries Net receipts (payments) for the year Cash & bank balances brought forward Cash & bank balances carried forward Opening Balances Current Accounts Deposit Accounts Savings Accounts Community Accounts Cash Closing Balances Current Accounts Deposit Accounts Savings Accounts Community Accounts Cash |
20,103.74 13,618.20 4,907.13 4,031.42 4,739.43 3,616.21 5,957.43 2,847.20 0.00 348.43 41.48 590.00 1,527.12 718.49 2,454.86 1,934.88 4,475.35 5,309.61 400.00 400.00 1,214.57 537.35 80,336.87 68,112.30 4,734.47 3,379.58 77,125.00 73,702.09 81,859.47 77,125.00 63,404.00 51,261.09 8,190.75 17,012.66 0.00 0.00 5,122.61 5,043.38 364.31 384.96 |
| 77,081.67 73,702.09 |
|
| 76,729.22 63,404.00 4,292.67 8,190.75 0.00 0.00 0.00 5,122.61 794.25 364.31 |
|
| 81,816.14 77,081.67 |
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Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association
Statement of Assets and Liabilities Year ending 31 December 2024
| Notes Monetary Assets Current accounts Deposit accounts Cash Total Monetary Assets comprising: Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Total Funds Non-monetary assets Investment Shareholding in Beecraft Ltd 6 Fixed assets for the charity's use at valuation Equipment costing 7 Stock 8 Monetary liabilities Subscriptions to BBKA/BDI 9 |
2024 2023 £ 76,729 63,404 4,293 13,313 794 380 81,816 77,098 7,774 - 74,086 77,098 81,859 77,098 - 36,660 30,705 - - |
|---|---|
Approved by Central Council on 1[st] April 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
…………………………………………… Chris Arlett-Johnson Chair …………………………………………… Alex Arlett-Johnson Treasurer
The notes on pages 9 to 10 form part of these accounts.
Registered Charity No. 500360
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Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association
Notes to the Accounts
Year ending 31 December 2023
1 Accounting policies Basis of preparation of financial statements
The accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis. Fund accounting
Unrestricted fund
The unrestricted general fund represents the net income received, which is applied in furtherance of the objects of the charity.
Restricted funds
Restricted funds are funds, which are used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by funds providers. The aim of any restricted fund is set out in these notes to the accounts.
2 Presentation of accounts
There being no restricted funds received, retained or expended during the current year, the Receipts and Payments Account shows only unrestricted funds.
3 Reserves Statement
| Unrestricted funds Robert Park Legacy Grimsby Funds General fund |
Opening balance at 01/01/24 Receipts Payments Closing balance at 31/12/24 £ £ £ £ 5,123 61 5,184 2,589 2,589 71,975 85,071 80,337 74,086 |
|---|---|
| 77,098 87,721 80,337 81,859 |
A £3.3K legacy from the estate of Robert Park in 2002 was, by decision of an AGM of the charity, topped up to £5,000 and invested in an interest-bearing bank account with the intention of leaving the principal sum untouched. This sum was draw upon in 2018 and reinstated in 2019. There are no restrictions on the use of that money beyond that AGM decision which is thus open to being reversed at a future general meeting.
4 Fundraising receipts & costs - annual auction
Within the fundraising receipts are the proceeds of an annual auction of beekeeping items. These have been shown net of the sums paid to the sellers of the items auctioned, which are consequently excluded from fundraising costs.
| 2024 2023 2022 £ £ £ |
|
|---|---|
| Auction receipts from buyers less payments to sellers Net receipts |
13,749 19,697 12,139 10,897 15,656 9,783 |
| 2,852 4,041 2,355 |
Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association
Notes to the Accounts Year ending 31 December 2023
5 Payments to Trustees
No remuneration was paid or payable, directly or indirectly, out of the funds of the charity for the year to any member of the executive committee or to any person or persons known to be connected to them.
6 Investment
The charity owns 59 fully paid shares of £1 in Bee Craft Limited. These shares are held for the charity in the names of nominee shareholders: Mr Daniel Bayes and Mr Graham Carrott. As the shares are not listed, a valuation is impractical.
7 Equipment
As per total valuations provided by districts.
| Estimated value at 31/12/24 £ 36,659 |
Estimated value at 31/12/23 £ |
|---|---|
| 30,705 |
8 Stock for resale
Unsold bulk purchases of consumable stock (e.g. feeding or treatment products for bees) for sale to members has not been separately evaluated for the accounts.
9 Monetary liabilities
Subscriptions include monies received in advance for 2025 BBKA membership and insurance. These sums will be paid on to BBKA/BDI in 2025 but have not been separately evaluated for the accounts.
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