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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£13.7K
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Spending
£10.8K
Public benefits
The direct benefit is members of the public are better educated in the significance of honey bees in the environment and the significance of local beekeeping, leading to better environmental awareness and appreciation of the impact of honey bees on our overall well being. In the winter Mid Antrim beekeepers have to provide sugar/fondant to enable
the bees to survive to the following spring. They as other beekeepers have to provide hives and equipment to provide a suitable environment for the honey bees to survive at their own cost. Mid Antrim Beekeepers also voiced their concerns regarding the spring mowing of road side verges such as the A26 between Antrim and Ballymena in 2014 which was a waste of public money and loss of valuable floral habitat. The free service pollinators and beekeepers provide is worth over £7 million per annum for apples in Northern Ireland and €3.9 million for oilseed rape in the Republic of Ireland. Mid Antrim beekeepers have therefore contributed to the economy of the region and the sustainability of natural flora. We also support the ban on importation of bees into the country and provide a free service of educating beekeepers how to multiply bee colonies and promote bee health. This is achieved by meetings and lectures on an organised programme. Mid Antrim beekeepers have attended shows such as Balmoral Agricultural Show where for example they also advise the public to review their perception of wild flowers such as the dandelion, (which many consider to be weeds) that in late spring is vital for bees and other insects. Along with other beekeeping associations they have supported calls to government to review the use of insecticides such as the recent neonictinide controversy. Advice is given to gardeners on the choice of plants that may be used in the gardens. The outcome of these actions is a more sustainable environment for the public to enjoy. The time spent by beekeepers on stands at shows is entirely voluntary. Mid Antrim Beekeepers offer freely their services to the public who have unwanted swarms that they wish to be removed off property. This service covers both private and public land owners and has no financial gain for the beekeepers who do so in their own time. A Mid Antrim beekeeper has supported the current promotional Grow Wild campaign by Kew Gardens and the Heritage Lottery fund in Northern Ireland. The outcome shall be providing a financial package to local communities in Northern Ireland to grow wildflowers for improved habitat and community cohesion in working together. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is supported by the Mid Antrim Beekeepers through affiliation of the Ulster Beekeepers association: A shared plan of action has been developed by a fifteen member steering group and identifies 81 actions across five objectives. Sixty-eight partner organisations from both public, private and NGO sectors have supported the Plan, with responsibility for delivering the 81 actions shared out between these organisations. It is a voluntary Plan. The beneficiaries are the general public with special emphasis on food and flower producers. There is no harm or private benefit flowing from our purpose.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The Mid Antrim Association promotes bee keeping to all groups as stated previously. The Association provides annually course to beginners to learn the craft of bee keeping. For the membership a programme of events to provide knowledge and skills to be further developed, is provided. This allows speakers and experts from a diverse range of related
activities to have a platform for their related industry. This permits a wide range of topics to be linked to the craft of bee keeping. The Association is affiliated to the Ulster Bee Keeping Association and supports the policies and strategies provided the parent body. For example the Pollinator Strategy provided by DARD NI.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of environmental protection or improvement
- The advancement of animal welfare
Who the charity helps
- Adult training
- General public
- Men
- Older people
- Unemployed/low income
- Voluntary and community sector
- Volunteers
- Women
How the charity works
- Animal welfare
- Education/training
- Environment/sustainable development/conservation
- General charitable purposes
- Volunteer development
