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Welcome to the British Beekeepers' Association

The BBKA is a charity set up in 1874. Today it has more than 16,000 members and works to support and promote honey bees and beekeeping. Educating the public of the enormous importance of honey bees and pollination to everyone's lives is one of its priorities. Another key role is to represent its members views and concerns about the health of the UK's honey bees. It lobbies government, the European Union and statutory bodies on these issues. Currently it is campaigning to raise the level of Government funding for research into the diseases which threaten to wipe out our honey bees. It is asking the Government to commit £8 million over the next five years to this research programme over which period pollination will have contributed over £800 million (£165 million per annum) into the agricultural economy.

Our current weather patterns mean there is is no fixed date to the start or end to the beekeeper's year, and like all crops, there are regional variations too. Beekeepers usually start opening their hives in March, and the first crop of honey is taken out of the hive in late April/ May. The main crop is taken out of the hive in July or early August. Some beekeepers have a later crop of heather or ivy honey which is taken off in September. Most beekeeping associations hold their end of season honey shows in October and by mid November, usually, the bees are clustering in the hive until spring.

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News Home > Statements > Honey Sent to The Office of TRH

Honey Sent to The Office of TRH

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By Tim Lovett
President, BBKA

Published Sep 25, 2008

Honey - National Honey Show 2007

Statement by the British Bee Keeping Association regarding honey sent to The Office of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

The Prince of Wales has been very touched recently to receive so many letters of support from beekeepers both in this country and the continent.

Many of these letters have been accompanied by jars of honey. While His Royal Highness is a well-known supporter of the work which all of us do to protect and promote the honey bee, his office is being rather overwhelmed with honey!

It has been said on some websites these gifts are being encouraged and that they will be given to charity. This is not the case. It is not, in fact, possible for The Prince of Wales’s Office to redistribute perishable items and so, while the letters are much appreciated, please do not send any more jars of honey.

Tim Lovett

President BBKA

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The British Beekeepers Association is pleased to see that its sustained campaign to increase funding for bee health research has been recognised by the Government.