The BHA is an advisory body for hamster clubs in the UK

There are many hamster clubs in the UK. The main clubs in terms of membership size are:

With so many clubs it's only natural that some sort of governing body should attempt to coordinate the efforts and activities of individual clubs. There is a lot to be gained by cooperation - a unified set of show rules and exhibition standards is one example. Without these, it would be awkward for members of one club to show their hamsters at a show held by another club.

Before 1992, the only governing body in the UK was the National Hamster Council and it had three main clubs under its umbrella - the Northern, Midland and Southern Hamster Clubs. Between 1990 and 1992 some 'differences of opinion' arose in the National Hamster Council committee and a number of key figures in the debate felt there was a need for an additional national body. This new body was the BHA, established in 1992.

In 1992, the UK clubs could choose which body to affiliate themselves to. The NHC and MHC elected to remain under the National Hamster Council. The SHC chose to affiliate to the newly formed BHA and a new club, the Northern and Midland Hamster Society (NMHS) was formed to serve the rest of the UK. Some time later (about 2 years?) a vote was taken to rename the club 'The Hamster Society'.

The essential difference between full and associate affiliation is that fully affiliated clubs have voting rights and can nominate delegates to attend BHA meetings, in other words, they can influence decision-making in the BHA.

Here is a Q & A summary of the work of the BHA.

  1. What is it?
    The BHA is a co-ordinating body for hamster clubs in the UK.
  2. Can I join the BHA?
    The BHA coordinates the efforts of clubs but doesn't have a membership, just an elected committee. So the answer is 'No' (!).
  3. Well, how do I get involved with the BHA then !?
    Hamster clubs, circles, societies and organisations can affiliate with the BHA. Each club nominates representatives to attend the BHA meetings so that they can have their say. See the affiliation page for more details.
  4. Name any other activity that the BHA coordinates
    • Recognition of new varieties
    • Educating/advising the public on hamsters
    • Setting exhibition standards (through the efforts of the Standards Panel)

Lastly, some thoughts on the future of the BHA. The emergence of papovavirus (sorry, hamster polyomavirus - thanks Liz ;-) ) has tested all the clubs and I hope that the BHA response has been adequate. I believe that without the BHA, it would have been more difficult to coordinate the efforts to control spread of the virus and to get accurate and reliable information from the veterinary profession. The BHA exists because a small (and I mean small!) group of enthusiasts keep it going. They are not paid for their efforts and they do it because they share a common interest. There is a chronic shortage of volunteers at both club and national level to assist with administration. I don't know the solution, I only know that with an ever-dwindling membership and vacant committee posts, the threat of extinction is a real one. There has never been a better time to get that local hamster club or circle up and running. The BHA needs you!