Bannside and District Beekeepers registered charity NIC107483 Annual Report 2022- 2023 Contents Introduction.................................................................................. Secretary's report......................... . Introductlon Bannside and District Beekeepers became a registered charlty In June 2020 with the principal objective of promoting and furthering the craft of beekeeplr)g. It Is one of 14 local associatlons connected to Ihe Ulster Beekeeper5 Associalion. Bannside and District beekeepers operate under their constitutlon adopted on 24 Feb 2016. Publlc beneflts The most dlrect benefit to those taklng part In any of our activities will be the health benefits of working outside in the fresh air coupled wilh the manual labour associated
wilh these actlvltles. When honey is harvested along with pollen and propolis the health benefits will be added to for the like of hay f8ver sufferers. Friendships with our fellow participants will be made that will la5l for a Ilfetime with every support offered lo any that may need it, The benefits can be (lemonstrated by the general health and wellbeing of all who take part In the actlvltles of our program. The beneficiaries of the charity will be the school chlldren, scout groups and any groups that we inleract with who wlll learn of the importance of bees and the olher pollinalors In our ecosystem There will be no private benefit to anyone Involved In our activities. Our group glves talks beekeeping and other pollinators to schools and scout group5 in the Mid and East Antrim Councll area, we also have talks and dernon5trations for groups In the Portglenone area. Everyone Is welcome to attend our monthky meetings or visit us at our apiary. Secretary's report It was difficult to imagine a world where we would be Ilvlng a new nomial after Covld-19, and it has been another eventful year post lock-down for Bannside Beekeepers. A lot of local beekeepers lost thelr bees over the wlnter months, and it wa5 difficult to obtain new bees for some. This year our aplary was supported by a small number of people through Ihe season. There has been a lot of developments with the club, now that we have our new club house club house at Klllycon Road. Tim has glven up a lot of his spare time to add the finlshing touches to the club house and apiary, and we are now eslabllshed in our routine of monthly meetings on the last Thursday of the month, Trustees Chairperson Secrelaryrrreasurer Commlttee Member TIM Dowie Tracey Mltchell Stephen McAllister Mernbershlp Currently membershlp stands al 11 (Individual) members. The renewal subscription for a full member is £10 per year. This Includes UBKA Insurance. Membershlp subscriptions are due for renewal on 151 April annually. PAGE I
Capltatlon and Insurance Bannside and Dlstrlct Beekeepers are a Beokeeplng club affillated to the Ulstar Beekeepers, Association by payment of an annual capllation fee. The club will pay a capitation fee of £8.00 to the Ulster Beekeepers Assoclatlon for every club member. This provldes Insurance to Bannslde and Dlstrict Beekeepers and Its regIsted members In carying out beekeeping activities. Tralnlng Due to Covld restrlctions The Intermediate Course tralnlng was re- scheduled to run on Zoom, second year training will resume in September 2022. Unfortunately, nolhing has yet been confirmed wlth CAFRE for contlnuatlon of the cours8, so our m8mbers are stlll waiting to continue with their studies The club had proposed to fund further tralnlng courses for members. There were no new club members ready to undertake the Introduction to Beekeeping course. One club member has expressed Interest In studylng for the Proficiency in Beekeeping (Intemiedlale lev81) and the club has lodged the expresslon of Interest wlth CAFRE. The club are keen to promote beekeeplng and ar8 looklng at runnlng an Infomial introduction to beekeeping in the summer months, as well as opportunities for talks and demonstratlons for groups In the Portglenone area. Club Aplary The club bees are being in5peGted by Tim Dowie, at present there Is one hive. In addition to the club bees at the Aplary, the club is also keen to promote other pollinating insects. In October Stephen 8ntered a competltlon run by U105, and the club won £250 to buy trees or wlldflower seeds to glve to schools visited for talks and demonstrations. Steph and TIM have sourced a suppller and we hope to have these sometime in May 2023. Club Meetlngs PAGE:
The club has now settled Into the new club house at Scroggy Moss The club meet monthly at the club house In Scroggy Mos5. Average attendance is 5 members. At the June meeting the olub discussed the June dearth. and dlscussed ways lo care for bees during this period of poor weather that we had. Soclal Medla The club continues to use a WhatsApp group chat for members and its Facebook page to stay In touch and promote the club, Bannside & Dislrict Beekee ers - Home Facebook Tracey Mltchell Secretaryl Treasurer PAGE 3