UK beekeeping runs on a layered structure. The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) sits at the national hub, supporting a web of local clubs and societies that meet, teach and inspect apiaries in their own regions. Inside every club, experienced members mentor newcomers, and knowledge flows outward and back again through workshops, conferences and shows. This scene renders that whole structure as an orbiting 3D diagram: the violet hub is the BBKA, the ringed platforms are local clubs, and the small orbs clustered around each are members — connected by glowing mentorship threads.
The BBKA is a federation of dozens of county and local associations rather than a single monolithic body — most beekeepers join their nearest local club first, and BBKA membership (with its public liability insurance) usually comes bundled in through that local association.
A 3D orbit diagram of the BBKA hub, its network of local clubs and the mentored members inside each — with workshops and conferences shown as pulses of light travelling the spokes between them.
The British Beekeepers Association sits at the centre; local clubs orbit around it, each carrying its own cluster of members. Gold orbs are mentors, pale orbs are mentees, and glowing threads show who is guiding whom — while pulses along the spokes represent workshops, conferences and shows exchanging knowledge with the national body.
Change the number of local clubs, lower or raise the annual membership fee to see clubs grow or shrink, and set how many workshops and events run each year to speed up or slow down the pulses. Toggle mentorship links on or off, and rotate the whole network to explore it.
Most UK beekeepers join their nearest local association first — BBKA membership, including third-party insurance for apiary visits, typically comes bundled in automatically through that local club subscription.