I am a trustee and committee member of Fleet and District Beekeepers Association (FBKA). The Association has members in Aldershot, Ash Vale, Farnborough, Fleet, Church Crookham, Crookham, Dogmersfield, Hartley Wintney, Hook, Odiham and surrounding North Hampshire areas.
The organisation that became the FBKA first met on Friday, March 15th 1918 and in the constitution stated that its aims were “to assist cottagers and beekeepers by supplying them with beekeeping appliances and assisting them in the care and management of bees”. The association has been in continued existence since that time and holds regular meetings and other events to promote best practice. It is now one of the largest beekeeping Associations in Hampshire, with over 200 members, and is now a registered Charity.
As a charity, the FBKA is run on a voluntary basis for the benefit of bees and beekeepers alike.
FBKA has its own shop to provide beekeeping equipment to members at discount prices and also have a number of key items of equipment available to hire by members at very low cost including a honey extractor, refractometer, cappings tray and wax melter etc.
FBKA provides training for new beekeepers up to the Basic Assessment standard as promoted by the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA). This is FBKA’s “Beekeeping for Beeginners” course run on an annual basis starting each March and continuing over the next two years to teach new members all the skills they need to become competent, confident beekeepers.
If you would like to know more please visit the FBKA Website.