Membership Sign-up form
The sign-up form is at the bottom of this page.
SBKA offer 4 membership categories at the following rates for 2023-24 (assuming up to 3 hives for BDI insurance):
| Membership Class | Benefits | Total Fee |
| Registered (i.e. full) | Includes British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) membership, public liability insurance, Bee Disease Insurance (BDI) for up to three colonies, and a monthly copy of the BBKA magazine. | £33.50 |
| Partner | The same benefits as a Registered or School member, excluding the BBKA magazine and BDI insurance. | £21.50 |
| Junior | Includes British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) membership, public liability insurance, Bee Disease Insurance (BDI) for up to three colonies, and a monthly copy of the BBKA magazine. | £14.00 |
| Local | For a person paying full membership to another beekeepers’ association affiliated to BBKA. Excludes public liability insurance, Bee Disease Insurance (BDI) and the BBKA magazine. | £ 7.50 |
Details of eligibility for each category is given in the notes below.
The membership year runs from 1 December to 30 November of the following year; we regret that there are no pro rata rates for members joining part way through the year.
Once you complete this form the Membership Secretary will generate an online form for you to enter all the details we need to finalise your membership application. The form will also tell you the total cost of your membership that may vary depending on the number of hives you want to insure.
Membership Categories
Full membership is for people 18 or over who keep bees.
A Partner member is a beekeeper co-habiting with a Full member. The Partner member having bees of their own should include them for insurance purposes in the number of colonies declared by their ‘Full Member’.
A Junior member has their own bees but must be under 18 at the beginning of the beekeeping insurance year, starting 1st January 2020, to qualify for this category. A family member without bees and under 18 may join as an Associate member.
An Local (previously known as Associate) member has no bees of their own but may well help a partner or others with their colonies. No levy is payable to either the BBKA or WBKA and all support is derived from SBKA. This category would also be for those already paying a full subscription to another branch or association.
What comprises the Membership Fee
The Shipston branch are required to pay a levy to both the national and the county BKA’s as well as the minimum Bee Disease Insurance (BDI) premium based on membership category. The 2023/24 rates are detailed in the table below.
| 2022/23 | Full | Partner | Junior |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBKA fee | £21.00 | £13.50 | £9.50 |
| WBKA fee | £5.50 | £3.00 | £2.50 |
| BDI (minimum payment, covers up to 3 colonies) | 2.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 |
| Non-Shipston fees | £28.50 | £16.50 | £14.00 |
| Shipston Membership Fee | £5.00 | £5.00 | £0.00 |
| Total Membership Fee 2023-24 | £33.50 | £21.50 | £14.00 |
Bee Disease Insurance
Bee Disease Insurance (BDI) covers member’s hives which have been destroyed, by an approved Bee inspector, as a consequence of a notifiable disease. The minimum level of cover, 3 hives, is included as part of your subscription to SBKA but additional premiums are payable for hives in excess of this minimum.
Please allow for planned increase during the season; under-declaration voids BDI cover.