About Membership
The Association has Equipment and Books for loan, a regular newsletter (Combings), a calendar of Events, Training, local group meetings and two Apiary sites for use by members. There is more information on these below and on the linked pages.
There are five types of member:
Registered Member (£34): for an adult who looks after bees, includes membership of Yorkshire BKA and British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), BBKA magazine and beekeepers’ public liability insurance.
Registered Partner Member (£11): for the second member of a couple who both look after bees, includes membership of YBKA and BBKA, and beekeepers’ public liability insurance.
Local/Social Member (£11): for those interested in bees and who want to support the Association, including those who are full members of another BBKA-affiliated Association and do not require public liability insurance through our club.
Country Member (£11): Individuals who are members of another association, not being active in beekeeping who nevertheless wish to support and be involved with the Association.
School Member (£34): Individuals employed by a school , for whom a membership fee has been paid to the association. NB: BBKA third party insurance does not apply to this category of membership.
Membership renewals are due at the AGM in October and may be paid at the meeting or by direct bank transfer (contact the Treasurer via the contacts page for more information).
If you would like to know more about becoming a WBKA member, please contact the Membership Secretary via the contacts page.
Equipment
Some items of Association property are available for members to borrow. These include gazebos, folding tables and chairs, a PA system, items of beekeeping equipment such as extractors and honey presses as well as teaching and exhibition items. For a full list, with more information, see the equipment page.
Bees
The association aims to supply bees to all beginners who we have trained, at a better price that you’d pay for a commercial package.
Also during the swarming season, any member wanting a swarm should give their details to Bob Hogson – details in Combings. Anyone with a swarm looking for a home should also contact Bob who will try to match offer with requirement.
Training
For beekeepers with at least one year’s experience we provide training for the BBKA Basics assessment, which tests basic knowledge of beekeeping through a practical and oral assessment. Courses will be run every other year.
For more information on beekeeper training, please visit the Learn about beekeeping page.
Books
The association has a library of approximately 50 books covering a wide range of beekeeping and bee-related topics.
Events
The association has an annual program of events, including apiary visits, lectures and social events, cumulating in the annual Honey Show which is held in late October or November.
Apiaries
The association has two out-apiaries, in Otley and Ilkley, available for the use of members on a temporary basis and for a limited number of hives.
We also have a seasonal Heather Apiary on the moors which is used during August and September.
For further information please contact the Fisher’s Field (Ilkley) or Otley apiary managers, or the Secretary (for enquiries about the heather apiary) via the contacts page.
Local Groups
The Association’s membership is distributed over a wide area, so local groups have been formed to make it easier for members to meet other beekeepers, swap advice, ask questions and sometimes enjoy a drink or two.
These groups meet in Ben Rhydding and Skipton on a regular basis and welcome non-members as well as members.
The Lower Wharfedale group meets on the last Tuesday of the month at The Red Lion in Burley in Wharfedale (LS29 7BT), starting at 7:30pm.
The Upper Wharfedale group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at The Royal Shepherd (Canal Street, Skipton, BD23 1LB) from 7.30pm until about 9pm.
The group meetings have very informal agendas, usually discussing what’s happening in the apiary at that time of year, or focussing on a specific subject, such as artificial swarming, and there’s always an opportunity to ask questions and share experiences. Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience.
Please note: Occasionally, Local Group meetings may be cancelled if there is an Association meeting in the same month.
If you’d like to come to one of these meetings and want some more information, please contact the group co-ordinators via the contacts page.
Committee Meetings
The Association’s committee meets roughly every two months, summaries of the meetings are available from the About Us page.
Combings
Combings is the Association’s newsletter and is published three times a year, in April/May, September/October and December. Members are encouraged to contribute to Combings and submission dates are publicised via the web site and email in advance.
Members may download previous editions in pdf format from the Combings page. They are generally 1-2mb in size.
For more information, you can contact the editors using the contacts form.