Latest News and Announcements from RBKA
About us…
Ryedale
Beekeepers Association [RBKA] members live between Sutton Bank, Thornton le Dale, Swinton and the southern dales of the North York Moors. Indoor meetings are held in Wombleton Village Hall and in nearby villages with other local societies.
RBKA is governed by a concise Constitution.
Activities and benefits include:
- 6 indoor winter meetings in Wombleton Village Hall
- 4 outdoor summer meetings in members’ apiaries
- Beekeeping course for beginners
- Training for new beekeepers
- Local support system through WhatsApp and in person advice to help newer beekeepers
- Social events
- Discounted sugar syrup and fondant through bulk purchase arrangements
- Access to association equipment e.g. honey extractor and honey press
- Raising awareness of honey bees at public events – look out for our stand at the Ryedale and Farndale shows this year and come and say hello!
Registered and Partner members additionally benefit from its affiliation to the Yorkshire and British Beekeepers Association. This includes:
- Access to online Learning Platform
- Online forum for beekeeping support
- Beekeeping examinations, from beginner to Master Beekeeper
- Annual Spring Convention and Exhibition with a full range of lectures and seminars
- £10m third party public & product liability insurance
- Monthly membership magazine, BBKA News, posted to you
- On-line BBKA News magazine archive which is fully searchable
Membership
Full details on Membership can be found on the Membership and Governance page. This sets out the rights and benefits of the different classes of membership, the costs and an application form.
Programme
The Association has a full programme of indoor and outdoor activities, which include guest speakers, joint meetings with other groups and societies and apiary visits. The 2026 Programme includes technical and general topics and the apiary visits – weather and any disease restrictions permitting!
For further information, please contact: enquiries@ryedalebees.co.uk
BBKA National Honey Day
The British Beekeepers’ Association celebrates National Honey Day on 21st October each year.
According to the International Trade Centre, the UK imported an average of 50,917 tonnes of honey in 2023. Some of this will have been adulterated and may feature a blend of products from a number of different countries. We want people to be able to recognise honey produced here in the UK and be able to have a choice in what they are buying.
Local honey means real honey – made by bees collecting nectar from the surrounding environment and featuring all the goodness that comes with keeping the final product as close to nature as possible. As the product is extracted and sold within the community the money spent on a jar of honey is invested back into the local economy too.
Help us celebrate British honey by buying a jar of local honey for National Honey Day.