The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) was founded as a national body for beekeepers in 1874. The first committee comprised of a number of eminent people which included scientists and leading beekeepers of the time. One of the founding members was W. B. Carr, the inventor of the WBC hive which is still widely used by beekeepers today. When it began one of the BBKA's aims was for the individual members to organise lectures by leading beekeepers and scientists, the content of which would be distributed across the local beekeeping community.
Over the next 65 years many local affiliated Beekeeping Associations formed across the country and via their elected BBKA delegates continued to distribute up to date information and practices to their local associations. In 1945 the BBKA reorganised which resulted in the formation of the BBKA as it operates today and the group now known as the Central Association of Beekeepers. The BBKA currently operates as the central body for all its affiliated Beekeeping Associations. Its primary function being to “promote bees and beekeeping and to provide a range of member services to beekeepers in the UK” (BBKA-Membership).
According to research carried out by John W. Whiston (1976) the first official mention of organised beekeeping activities in Staffordshire was recorded in the December issue of the British Bee Journal of 1875. Later the following year (1876) the Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Beekeepers Association was formed. By 1883, after some restructuring, this Association began operating as the Staffordshire County Beekeepers Association. Records then show that beekeeping across the County in general was very prolific and over the years was reported as having varying degrees of success. In 1913 South Staffordshire beekeepers formed their own Association (SSBKA) and began meeting seperately from the County group. In 1946 a number of the Staffordshire County beekeepers located in the north of the area split from the County group to form the North Staffordshire Beeekeepers Association (NSBKA). On the 31st December 1961 the County group was dissolved leaving just the two Associations with responsiblities for its members in Staffordshire. Which is how it remains today.
In 1982 several members of the NSBKA got together to form the Leek & Moorlands Beekeepers (LAMB) which later became a branch of the NSBKA with its own constitution. In the summer, before meetings, members would gather in their own apiary which for many years was located at the Friends Meeting House grounds in Leek. Their meetings were held fortnightly (up until 2001) at a number of locations in the town, including Leek Central Club, The Wilkes Head and The Nash public houses. The members of LAMB were enthusiastic and experienced beekeepers and their membership strength and groups popularity grew as a result.
Some of the more experienced members of LAMB then formed the Leek Bee Breeding Group (LBBG) which, through the selling of shares, enabled them to buy their equipment. However during the late 1990's local interest in beekeeping diminished and both groups decided to merge. LAMB has never officially been wound up but exists today only through its remaining members activities at the Longsdon apiary.
In 2000 the NSBKA were sucessfull in their bid to the Millenium Commission to obtain equipment which enables members to actively promote and demonstrate beekeeping and its benefits to community groups within Staffordshire and neighbouring Counties. Since then we have been asked and have given many talks and demonstrations to various groups and have attended many outdoor events including agricultural shows and similar festivals equippped with our tent, display boards and observation hive. Live bees in the observation hive are always a great attraction to young and old and allow us to explain in some detail how honey bee colonies operate.
To find out more about how we could help you e-mail our Secretary
© North Staffordshire Beekeepers Association.
References
History of the Staffordshire Beekeepers Associations 1876-1976 by John W. Whiston, FSA. Published in 1976 by Staffordshire Beekeepers Associations-Walsall, p1, p15, p30, p35.
Thanks also go to Nick Mawby and Ron Clews for their help on LAMB and LBBG.