Starting a new Bee Association BBKA advice please

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I also struggle with membership of the BBKA and if I had a choice to be part of a group that was not connected I would probably join. But for the most part I simply allow myself to forget about the BBKA and focus on the very nice people I have become good friends with through my association as without beekeeing would not be as much fun.
 
After reading this thread, it would seem that match sticks are no longer allowed. Can I use lighters on their side, but would that make the gap too big?:icon_204-2:
 
The only advantage the BBKA offers is insurance. Some local associations provide good tutoring/mentoring - but not all. The BBKA is very resistant to change and the democratic process is a: arcane and b:subject to too many layers, with the result that as an individual member of an association it is almost impossible to cause change. I don't think it does a good job as a national voice for amateur beekeepers - it is more of an embarrassment than anything, especially at an international level.
I would stick to your ad-hoc association, and maybe look to city and guilds for training...
 
Dunno about coming out, but the BBKA is the only recognized national organisation representing amateur beekeepers. Like any large organization it suffers with too much politics and internal power-plays. But then I've rarely come across any organization that didn't suffer from these problems.
It tries hard to promote beekeeping in the UK and puts forward a lot of national initiatives to encourage and educate people into bee-keeping. It's very important that this continues as it something no local independent club of mates is going to tackle
It's not perfect, but what is?
But there are many damn fine beekeepers who are members of it, and for the paltry membership fees that include your liability insurance worth every penny.
But of course it's easier to knock it and reckon it's so primitive they still encourage matchstick use.
Of course there are the usual dorks, but then there are enough dorks on here who aren't members of the BBKA as well. Seems it goes with bee keeping.

As for their forum there are several forum members , like myself, who post on both.
I'll tell you about one little recent topic you may all want to think about. If you sell honey from home it invalidates your home insurance, unless you have declared you are running a business from home. That is how the insurance companies look at it.
Don't believe me?
Ring your insurance company and ask them. You'll get quite a shock.
There was at least a happy outcome for the original BBKA member who brought this issue to peoples attention.
BBKA is made up of BKA's in England. The other home nations Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own national BKA's.
 
They do change the names of failing schools, when they are taken into special measures, and are given a new management. So it could be a good idea ..... if carried out properly ....
 
Well, here we are on page four and still only one who favours the group, one dunno and a lot of, shall we say, unimpressed.

Their one real supporter tried to dismiss my initial comments in a, well, quite obvously derogatory way but it seems I was not far out in my honest assessment.

If you don't like it one can do as I did - leave. No point in staying and changing from the inside with the hierarchy blatantly changing proposals put forward for discussion. Cozying up to the beekillers was likely abhorrent to the majority of grass roots members, I would think, but reversing that decision was resisted tooth and nail by the top dogs. I used to often wonder why.
 
Going back in history - the BBKA forum had a number of trolls there and people who were causing trouble at one point. They are not there any more; maybe they are here or they have gone to an eco-friendly forum? The BBKA forum is far less aggressive that what I see here. (Although the software isn't special - you do get used to it and it's better than facebook).

It will be the case that there are some beekeepers who post in forums or are involved in associations who are rude and awkward. Just because someone in the local association is a nit doesn't mean that the whole of the BBKA are or there aren't decent helpful members local to you. Same applies to the forum community. And only the pedantic would see an exam question about a brood frame holding honey and deliberately get the wrong end of the stick. In winter many of us want brood frames full of honey.

I assume the last comment is about the pesticide endorsement issue. I was not comfortable with that either and it lost the BBKA a lot of credibility - mainly for the way it was handled. However that was some years ago and is past history.
 
Last edited:
I do not have a problem with many of the members... they have helped new beekeepers get into beekeeping for many years (and not all in a bad way).... many are only there for the insurance. Some are there for the social aspect.

However, there are also a number of 'holier than though' and 'if you have not been taught by the BBKA, you are doing it wrong' idiots.

The groups I have had contact with have had the NIMBY attitude (AKA don't keep bees on 'my patch') and others with that are clicky and make you feel unwelcome.

look at many areas honey shows and look at the historic winners for year after year after year and spot the pattern, especially with those that run the club.

there are also 'rumours' of financial inadequacy's, investigations, mismanagement, board members also shareholders of conflicting organisations... naturally I am not accusing anyone... I would not do that! :rolleyes:

It would be interesting if an insurance company offered insurance at a reasonable price directly, how many people would leave. However, from what I have heard (more rumours!), the insurance with the BBKA is extremely conditional and will not pay out if honey is sold to members of the public.... would be interested in knowing if it is true!
 
It would be interesting if an insurance company offered insurance at a reasonable price directly

NFU.... do a great beekeepering / farming policy

..... I pay my BBKA £26 and begrudge the miniscule? amount that BDI take for doing nothing!

However they {BDI} do sponsor the odd CBKA event.

It often surprises me that I have not been asked to leave......!

Mytten da
 
It would be interesting if an insurance company offered insurance at a reasonable price directly, how many people would leave.

I can give you two prices depending on where you sell your honey. Both cover standard third party liability etc etc.
Gate sales, fetes (no more than 5 per year) and shop insurance runs at £51 per annum
Farmers markets and the likes (doesn't cover gate sales or shop sales) is just over £100 with Market traders federation. Yes you can get it cheaper, I know of market trading policies around £50 (again not covered for gate sales). We couldn't find one that would cover both. If anyone knows of one that does both I'd be very interested.

As I mentioned in a previous thread if you are selling honey and haven't disclosed this "business" to your home insurers you are invalidating the policy.
Be warned on that one.
 
As I mentioned in a previous thread if you are selling honey and haven't disclosed this "business" to your home insurers you are invalidating the policy.
Be warned on that one.

Sorry to hear your house has burnt down, we will not be paying out on your insurance as we found out that you sold a jar of honey last month, and never told us about it.
 
However, from what I have heard (more rumours!), the insurance with the BBKA is extremely conditional and will not pay out if honey is sold to members of the public.... would be interested in knowing if it is true!

You have the wrong end of the stick. Not rumour, but wrong. Despite BBKA insurance, the insurers of a members' home were considering cancelling his home insurance because he might sell some honey. In the event they relented and put a clause on his home insurance.
 
I do not have a problem with many of the members... they have helped new beekeepers get into beekeeping for many years (and not all in a bad way).... many are only there for the insurance. Some are there for the social aspect.

However, there are also a number of 'holier than though' and 'if you have not been taught by the BBKA, you are doing it wrong' idiots.
There are always good and bad people in any organisation or grouping of people.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top