A NEW bee club has launched in North Lancashire. 

The Lune Valley Community Beekeepers officially launched today (October 26) and welcomes all beekeepers from the Lune Valley and North Lancashire.

The Club will provide training and support for new and experienced beekeepers who wish to keep their bees using alternative or natural techniques, and provide public liability insurance cover.

Based in the grounds of Nazareth House, near the centre of Lancaster, work has already begun on preparing the site for a training apiary, wildflower meadow and a club house, and is expected to be completed by the start of next year’s beekeeping season. An important feature of the new site will be its accessibility for the disabled to visit and become beekeepers.

In addition to quarterly meetings and a monthly newsletter, a range of courses covering an introduction to beekeeping, setting up and maintaining an apiary and the creation of pollinator patches has been arranged for next spring and early summer.

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Dr Fred Ayres, Trustee leading the site development programme, said: “We want to support people to improve responsible beekeeping husbandry that has the needs of the bees and the environment as its prime areas of focus. We also wish to raise local people’s awareness of the challenges facing honey bees and show them how they can help."

Huston Clements, Trustee leading the beekeeping development programme said: "We are looking forward to developing and implementing a new training programme where the emphasis is on the needs of the honey bee rather than the beekeeper and to introducing alternative beehives to support the minimalist and less invasive approach."

Mike Parsons, a potential beekeeper, said: "I have been put off beekeeping by the time involved in conventional beekeeping and frequency of the invasive interventions it requires. I’m delighted that training in minimal intervention beekeeping will now be available locally."

As well as being clearly focused on improving the standards of minimal intervention beekeeping, the Club is firmly committed to improving the local forage for honey bees and other pollinators. Its supporters have been operating the 'Pollinator Patches' scheme for the last three years.

Erica Sarney, Trustee leading the Pollinator Patches programme said: “I would like to thank everyone who has supported our community pollinator work so far. Over the last three years these brilliant projects have led to the creation and management of 22 local wild flower pollinator areas. The location of the new apiary will provide an opportunity to create a permanent wild flower meadow within an urban setting.

For further information visit www.lvcb.org.uk or telephone Dr Fred Ayres, 01524 811978.