I've got every sympathy with people who run a mile at some of the courses/brainwashings offered by many local associations - there are many ways of keeping bees other than those propounded by many as being "the only way" , so it is reasonable that if there isn't a "sympathetic" local club, then people may choose to find their own routes - there are excellent courses offered outside the aegis of "mainstream" beekeeping, loads of good books, and a growing body of people who are happy to help and mentor outside any formal structure -it should be remembered that the BBKA only represents a minority of UK Beekeepers, and they do not have a monopoly on "being right" or the only "proper" route into beekeeping.
I find many of the phrases used by those who are tut-tutting about those finding their own way as rather telling - this strange insistence on preventing swarming, and "you will be told about modern disease/pest management" - I swiftly had a bellyfull of the fundamentalist preacher impressions of some of those in my local association "ours is the one and only true faith, you WILL practise drone brood culling, queen marking and clipping, you will religiously tell your bees the forest is on fire every few days prior to ripping their homes apart, you will do all you can to thwart their natural instincts to swarm, and you will dutifully douse them with toxic chemicals once in a while whilst genuflecting towards Bayer HQ, you will tithe your income to aid the pesticides trade body in their work of world domination OR you and your issue will be cast into the outer darkness, yay unto the ninety fifth generation alongside Beelzebub himself, that bloke who advocates top bar hives"
Me? - just got back from giving a talk to a bunch of wannabee beekeepers putting the (more) natural beekeeping viewpoint, alongside a lecturer in "conventional beekeeping" at an "intro to beekeeping day"