Benefits of membership

Join with our membership form or ask for a paper copy from the WSBKA Membership secretary: Carol Williamson, please email wsbka@yahoo.co.uk.

Beekeeping can be a very solitary activity but joining an association enables you to keep in touch with others locally and keep informed. This is also essential for bee health, especially if there is a challenge such as disease or predators such as the Asian hornet. It can also enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of keeping bees.

As a member of West Suffolk BKA you automatically become a member of the Suffolk Beekeeping Association. This comprises six branches and you are welcome to attend most of their events and meetings organised by those other branches.

If you sign up for full membership, you automatically become a registered British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) member and your beekeeping activities will be covered by 3rd party liability insurance. You will receive their monthly magazine to help keep you informed about beekeeping nationally and globally.

Our own newsletter is published three or four times per year and is available directly to members via email.

We run an Apiary at Nowton, Bury St Edmunds, which is open to members at fixed times during the summer. Our flourishing Education programme gets new beekeepers off to a flying start after which they can join our mentorship scheme. During the winter we hold monthly meetings, generally at Hawstead, with a programme of talks and the chance for members to catch up on each other’s bee-news. Nuclei (new colonies) of bees or swarms can be supplied depending upon availability.

Extractor loan – We have two manual, tangential extractors for hire for a small remittance. Please email Francis Gibson or call 01359 250282 for more details.

Club library – A varied selection of publications old and new for free, time-limited loan. Please attend our meetings to view them!