Support us The difference you make Apiary and Education Appeal Filmed by fridaysky : www.fridaysky.co.uk Thanks to a generous legacy from a beekeeper, Jim Hopkins, together with generous donations from the public and corporate sponsors, the BBKA has been able to complete work on the office building and apiary garden to provide the facilities needed for an educational centre aimed at schools and community groups.The office building has been modified to create a modern training hall with disabled facilities. Wooden structures and wheelchair friendly paths have been installed in the apiary garden as well as a wildlife pond. There is a large wooden cabin which can be used as an external classroom and there is a large viewing window which allows visitors to watch safely whilst a hive of bees is opened by a beekeeper outside. This work has enabled us to invite school groups to spend a day with us free of charge to learn about honey bees and pollinators, their importance to the environment and how this aligns to the National Curriculum. In March 2022 we welcomed our first school visit and a full day of activities was enjoyed by everyone. The school children loved their day at the BBKA's new Apiary Garden and Education Centre and we received some lovely feedback from the school. ‘I just wanted to say thank you again for the wonderful day yesterday the children really have been 'buzzing' since we left.’ We have welcomed at total of 37 schools since 2022. We offer a relaxed, informal learning environment where children are encouraged to participate and ask questions to enhance their learning. Please click here for further information about our school visits.This is an ongoing project so please contact us for more details about how you can get involved: [email protected] Friends of the Honey Bee Donations from members of the public and corporate partners have also enabled us to launch our ‘Friends of the Honey Bee’ initiative aimed at reaching out to primary schools and community groups to encourage them to become more bee friendly and aware of the importance of pollinators. Benefits of becoming a 'Friend of the Honey Bee': FREE to join! Use of the 'Friends of the Honey Bee' logo within school and on school stationery Laminated membership certificate 'Friends of the Honey Bee' stickers for all children A termly newsletter from the BBKA which includes ideas for activities which can be used as part of the curriculum Donate Now Save the Bees - Yellow-legged Asian Hornet Bees face threats from climate change to loss of forage to the use of pesticides as well as pests and diseases. They now also face an additional threat from the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet. With your help we are working hard to raise awareness and educate the public about the threat and how they can report sightings: Identify & Report Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet We have a YLAH Liaison Officer who is working with our Associations across the country as well as other stakeholders on the issue of Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet. We have advertised on the back of buses to raise awareness in the south of the country. Photo: Colin Lodge We have also commissioned a Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet costume which has been used at various events across the country to help engage with the public. In addition, we have printed 'business card' size ID cards to be handed out to members of the public at shows and events to enable easy identification and reporting. With your help we can reach as many people as possible and stop Asian Hornets from becoming established in this country and decimating our pollinators. Donate Now Save the Bees - Research Appeal This appeal has now been paused and the amount raised has been allocated to supporting bee-related research. Thanks to generous donations from the public and corporate sponsors the BBKA is able to support bee-related research. We support wide ranging topics which have a benefit to bees and beekeeping.Click here for further details about the projects the BBKA are currently funding.Click here for further information about projects previously supported by the BBKA. Manage Cookie Preferences