Welcome to the Stockport branch of the
Cheshire Beekeepers Association
Stockport Beekeepers’ Association (SBKA) is a branch of Cheshire Beekeepers’ Association and has been supporting bees and beekeepers from Stockport and surrounding areas since 1969. SBKA has 200 members from an area ranging from Partington, Glossop, Macclesfield, Wilmslow as well as Stockport.
SBKA aims to promote beekeeping and bee welfare by participating in local shows and events and making presentations to schools and organisations. It also provides education, support and training opportunities to members and those who want to start beekeeping.
The branch was founded in 1969 with the main purpose to educate beekeepers and provide a social network to exchange ideas and techniques. A training course was developed which today is one of the best and most comprehensive in the area. This annual course consists of a theory section over 10 weeks at a local college and a practical section over 6 weeks at the Association’s apiary in Woodbank Park, Offerton, Stockport. The training programme is very popular with a waiting list from year to year.
A series of indoor meetings are held throughout the winter months to pass on knowledge and new ideas. In the summer there are visits to members’ apiaries where techniques can be demonstrated.
Beekeepers love to talk about bees and the members attend many local events to share their hobby with the public and sell the products of their hives. An observation hive with live bees is a popular attraction at these events and people, especially children, love to find the queen bee.
In recent years, Stockport Council and Manchester Pest Control have been collaborating with SBKA to educate their employees on the basics of beekeeping and providing support to establish apiaries on the roofs of Council buildings and on green sites.
The branch is headed by a committee but many other branch members give their time and effort to fill a busy year learning about, teaching about and tending to the bees.
THE COMMITTEE for 2021
Cheshire Beekeepers Association
Stockport Branch
Branch Chairperson: Peter Carefoot
Show Manager: Pat Booth
Programme Manager: Patricia Watkins
Treasurer: Alistair Taylor
Apiary Manager: Roy Brocklehurst
Deputy Apiary Manager: David Lilley
Librarian: Paul Wheeldon
Education Secretary: Alan Towse
Other Members: Liz Sparkes, Colin Booth, Brian Gee
Secretary: Steve Donohoe
All enquiries should be directed to Stockport Beekeepers’ Secretary: secretary@stockportbeekeepers.co.uk