About the National Diploma in Beekeeping
The Examination Board for the National Diploma in Beekeeping was established in 1954, to meet a need for a beekeeping qualification, above the level of the Certificates awarded by the Beekeeping Associations.
It was originally intended as an appropriate qualification for County Beekeeping Instructors and Lecturers, of which there were some forty full- and part-time appointments across the United Kingdom at that time. The prime movers in this development were Fred Richards, the C.B.I. for Norfolk and H.M.I. Franklin, whose brief included rural education. Although the County Lecturers have almost vanished from the beekeeping scene, there are still beekeepers wishing to pursue their studies to an advanced level. The NDB offers them the opportunity to undertake such study.
The Board consists of representatives from a wide range of organisations and together form an impressive amalgam of expert knowledge in beekeeping and education. Although all the National Beekeeping Associations are represented on the Board and make a valuable contribution, the NDB is entirely independent of those organisations.
Board members are drawn from the following organizations:
- The British, Scottish, Welsh and Ulster Beekeepers' Associations.
- The Royal, The Scotland, The Royal Welsh and the Royal Ulster Agricultural Societies.
- A representative from the Colleges of Agriculture.
- The FERA National Bee Unit.
- Rothamsted Research.
- Bee Farmers' Association.
- International Bee Research Association.
- Bees for Development.
Board members
The President of the NDB Board is Geoff Hopkinson NDB.
The current Board Members are:
Dr. David Aston NDB, Chairman
Ken Basterfield NDB, Director, Advanced Course
Dr. Nicola Bradbear, Bees for Development
Michael Brown, FERA National Bee Unit
Graham Royle NDB, Treasurer
Margaret Thomas NDB, Secretary
Clive de Bruyn NDB, Bee Farmers' Association
Ian Craig, Scottish B.K.A.
Di Asquith-Ellis NDB, Co-opted member
John Hendrie, B.B.K.A.
Richard Jones, I.B.R.A.
Paul Metcalf NDB, Co-opted member
Dewi Rowlands, Welsh B.K.A.
(Vacancy), Royal Highland Agricultural Society
Past awards
The following beekeepers have been awarded the National Diploma in Beekeeping:
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Matthew Allan Harry Allen Harrison Ashforth John Ashton David Aston Dianne Askquith-Ellis John Atkinson Miss E. Avey Dan Basterfield Ken Basterfield Bridget Beattie Brig. H. Bell R.W. Brooke Norman Carreck Mrs. Rosina Clark Charles Collins Gerry Collins Tom Collins Robert Couston John Cowan S. J. Cox Jim Crundwell |
B. Cullen Celia Davis Ivor Davis Alec S.C. Deans Clive de Bruyn A.P. Draycott M. Feeley Barry Fletcher David Frimston Oonagh Gabriel George Gill Reg Gove Eric Greenwood Pam Gregory A.R.W. Griffin Robert Hammond Ben Harden C.A. Harwood Alf Hebden Leslie Hender Ted Hooper |
Geoff Hopkinson G. Howatson Geoff Ingold George Jenner C. F. Jesson Simon Jones A.C. Kessel W.E. Large G.W. Lumsden Henry Luxton Ian Maxwell A.S. McClymont J.L. MacGregor Ian McLean Paul Metcalf J. Mills Bernhard Mobus G. N'tonga Gillian Partridge E.H. Pee L.E. Perera |
E.R. Poole Bill Reynolds Pat Rich Fred Richards E. Roberts Arthur Rolt Jeff Rounce Graham Royle J. Ryding J.H. Savage Donald Sims Dr. F.G. Smith Robert Smith George Smith J.H.F. Smith Ken Stevens J. Swarbrick Margaret Thomas John Walker Adrian Waring Brian Welch T. Wilbraham |