Shipston Beekeepers is a branch of the Warwickshire Beekeepers Association (WBKA) – a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) number 1197656 – which in turn is an area association of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA). Membership of our branch is open to anyone interested in beekeeping.
We have over 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 knowledge and skills, as well as educate the wider public on all things honey 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 include 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 colonies and help with any beekeeping tasks that need doing. 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!
(* There’s no ‘apparent’ about it – beekeepers get through a lot of cake!)
New Beekeeper Training
During the summer months we run weekly Apiary Sessions for new members at our Training Apiary in Brailes. New beekeepers are formed into groups of 4-5 with a ‘lead’ who was a new beekeeper last year. They are allocated one or two colonies and lean the basics of beekeeping by looking after ‘their’ colonies at weekly sessions for the beekeeping season (roughly May – August). These sessions are a great way for new beekeepers to learn the knowledge and skills needed to look after a honey bee colony before they consider getting their own bees.
Village Shows
We exhibit at number of local shows during the year. These are an opportunity for us to help educate the general public about all things honey-bee related. Usually we have an observation hive on the stand so that visitors can see bees at work. We also sell honey from our Branch Apiary as well as members’ honey and hive products.
Interested in joining Shipston beekeepers?
If you have any questions about Shipston 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.