Shipston and District Beekeepers is a branch of the Warwickshire Beekeepers Association – a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) number 1197656 – which in turn is an area association of the British Beekeepers Association. Membership of our branch is open to anyone interested in beekeeping.

We have in excess of 100 members made up of beginners, who are most welcome, as well as long standing beekeepers who are full of wisdom and help! We aim to promote an interest in beekeeping and provide ways and means of teaching the art, as well as educate the wider public on all things bees.

Meetings:

Throughout the year we hold monthly meetings for our members on the second Monday of the month at Cherington Village Hall

During the summer months the meetings are general discussions as we know that during the 'active' beekeeping season we all have lots of questions to ask the experts! During the winter - September onwards - we add in talks by both members and external speakers.

Apiary visits:

We organise 3 to 4 apiary visits during the summer months when one of our members invites the membership to their own apiary. This enables attendees to see at first-hand how other members manage their apiary, and weather permitting, to inspect some of their hives. Often the Apiary host provides tea, cakes and biscuits for members as they chat about what they have seen and learned from the visit once the hives are closed up. Apparently beekeepers can get through a lot of cake and biscuits whilst talking about beekeeping!

Training evenings:

During the summer months we run weekly Apiary Sessions for new members at our branch apiary in Upper Brailes . These are an opportunity for new beekeepers to work on one of our hives under the guidance of an experienced beekeeper to gain become familiar with handling bees and seeing at first-hand the annual beekeeping cycle. These sessions are a great prelude to a member getting their own bees.

Local Shows:

We exhibit at number of local shows during the year. These represent an opportunity for us to help educate the general public about all things bee related. Usually we have an observation hive on the stand so you can see bees at work. We also sell honey from our Branch Apiary as well as member’s honey and hive products. Dates of shows at which we have booked to exhibit are listed in our upcoming events page.

Interested in joining us?

If you have any questions about Shipston and District Beekeepers, or about beekeeping in general, please email our secretary.

If you wish to become a member please click here to go to our application form.