Memberships and Qualifications
There are over 25,000 Beekeepers in the UK and for many ‘hobby beekeepers’ they have learnt through experience and some training.
For some, Beekeeping is more than a hobby, its an education; some Beekeepers look to expand on experience and educate themselves aiming to gain further knowledge and certification, in order to educate others.
Here at Sideways Honey, we strive to be the best we can and are always looking to gain a greater understanding of the Honeybees, Honeybee colonies and Honey. As members of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), BIBBA (Bee Improvement & British Bee Association) and CaSCA (Commercial and Semi- Commercial Apiarists) we have access to practical courses, assessments & written exams for this benefit. While comparatively only a few beekeepers test their knowledge in this way, we are keen to progress, improve skills, improve our knowledge and better our understanding of the craft.
Currently a BBKA Qualified Beekeeper, ultimately the goal is to achieve ‘Master Beekeeper ‘status aspiring to accomplish what only few others in the UK have; the path to this is a real challenge and requires a lot of time a dedication.
There are 3 main practical exams and 7 written, technical, exams that must be completed, and once passed, these will determine ‘Master Beekeeper’ status.
Brett, has achieved the following:
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BBKA Qualified Beekeeper
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BBKA Intermediate Theory Certificate
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Practical Assessments
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Basic Husbandry
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General Husbandry
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Written Exams
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Module 1 – Honeybee Management
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Module 2 – Honeybee Products and Forage
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Module 3 - Honeybee Pests, Diseases & Poisoning
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Module 5 - Honeybee Anatomy
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Brett is also the Suffolk Beekeeping association ADM rep, Suffolk rep for Suffolk at the National Honey Show and tutor for the Introduction to Beekeeping annual course, held in Suffolk.
Memberships
We are proud members of the BBKA (British Bee Keeping Association), BIBBA (Bee Improvement & British Bee Association) and CaSCA (Commercial and Semi- Commercial Apiarists)
We are glad to be able to pass on the knowledge and benefits available to us as a result of these memberships.
