Topic: unworked plots

[Mr Smith]

As I type an Allotment association is being established on our site after being dormant for several years because of the lack of interest, but because of the resurgence in growing your own and new people coming in to take on the allotments we hope to have lift off we have the support of our local council and we have already had a site meeting this morning with those that are already interested, the council have taken a note of allotments not being worked so that is a start because we do have a waiting list, I have suggested that we notify all the allotment holders of a meeting to form a committee so it is in their interest to attend, :)

[macmac]

Hurray at this weeks commitee meeting my mate Doris rallied the troups and result the two worst plots are being re-let.When I started this thread I didn't think it would happen, some of the information posted here was very helpful so thanks all :)

[Ishard]

Unwashed I LOVE your posts  ;D

They bring back memories from my younger days when I took contract law for 2 years (before deciding to switch degrees and become a nurse)

Mr Smith it will be interesting to know how you started to get a commitee together and what rules you are planning to put into place as Lake Terrace doesnt have any sort of ruling body, apart from the council of course.

[Mr Smith]

Ishard,
           One of the new allotment holders suggested about setting up an association and a committee consequently it turns out that there is a 'Crescent allotment association' set up many years ago, I was talking to one of the founder members of the association and it turns out it was never implemented to do anything because of lack of interest but now that we have an influx of new allotment holders it is now going ahead because of interest so we will have to wait and see, I should imagine that it will  be something on the lines of 'Victory street', :)
        P.S.  You do have a committee at Lake Terrace 'The gang of four'  ;D ;D

[Ishard]

rotflmao And they are exactly why Im interested in setting up a committee, with any luck to exclude them from it.

Theres more of us newbies!  ;)

[1066]

Hurray at this weeks commitee meeting my mate Doris rallied the troups and result the two worst plots are being re-let.When I started this thread I didn't think it would happen, some of the information posted here was very helpful so thanks all :)

well done to you and your mate Doris that's a real result!  ;D
1066

[radar ears]

Hello everyone,

This is the site manager's wife here.

I feel I should explain that initially we went to the site to take over a plot and offered to help out with anything, I offered to help the "then Secretary" and we both offered to help in the trading hut.

The next thing we knew (two weeks later) was that I had taken over the Secretary's job full time and we were put in charge of the trading hut.

Never having done this before, we had to learn as we went along.

We cleaned and repainted the inside of the trading hut and put up new shelving, as it was filthy in there and full of spiders, got new stock in and trade started to pick up, most of the plot-holders stated that they hadn't used the hut for years because it was so manky.

John then strimmed down a lot of plots (on his own) that had not been touched for years and let them off and gradually managed to get things moving, he got at least fifteen unused plots back into circulation.

We also have another site about half a mile away that is also part of our site, so there is all that to deal with also.

There was not a proper record of "up to date" plot-holders so we had to walk about each site with a map for quite a few weeks, asking people what plot they had and what their names were.

So, although it has been said that all the hut manager says is "he is keeping his eye on it" that statement intimates that he isn't bothered about it, in fact, quite the reverse is true, but we have other voluntary commitments and we are not going to "jump" when someone clicks their fingers.

Patience is a virtue and once everything has been "got on top of" then it can be kept at a manageable level, including sending out letters to people who have not cultivated their plots.

We know how hard we have worked to come this far and the plot-holders who were there before us know it.

May I also state that although he doesn't look it, John is 77 years old, so I think he's done extremely well.

I am 51 years old and I couldn't have done as much as he has.

The poster is a relatively new plotholder, if she had asked some of the original plot-holders about us, they would have told her that since we took over, the site and the trading hut has vastly improved, even the allotments officer has said that the site is looking the best that it has in years, although in our opinion we are by no means there yet.

We will be effecting more changes because the new Committee is part of our newly formed working party and a lot of the newer plot holders are more than willing to help us cut back all the overgrown trees and brambles to get more plots back into cultivation.

However, she didn't ask, she just assumed and that has now given the whole allotment world the impression that we are just not bothered with our site, well I can now tell the whole world that we are bothered with the site and I think we have done well so far.

Regarding Committee members, I send out newsletters two or three times a year and in one of these I asked for volunteers for the Committee.

That is how they came to be on it and the person that "didn't know" they were on the Committee, happened to appear at the meeting we had in the Trading Hut, so we automatically assumed that he had volunteered for it.

Finally, if anyone has a problem on our sites, I wish they would come and tell us face to face, rather than behind our backs on an allotment forum.

[ceres]

Welcome to A4A Radar Ears (indeed!)  I think in the interest of fairness, you should make it clear that you aren't referring to the OP - at least I think you aren't but maybe I'm wrong?

[Baccy Man]

Radar ears comments appear to be directed towards the posts made by Jeanbean.

[BrianK]

Which somewhat confuses me to be honest.

I think in general the Secretary?? Site managers wife's post is rather contenscious. ( Never have liked husband and wife teams tbh)

Clearly herself and her husband, the site manager have made a difference to what was the situation at the allotment site before. Hat's off and well deserved thanks I am sure from your plot holders. It clearly isn't enough it seems.

However well meaning and hard working there isn't really an excus for not doing things the right way. "Due Process" I beleive Unwashed might call it. Electing a committee is a brave and realistic way forward but it does sound that there were "shortcuts" to get a committee elected. That in itself is going to lead to problems as the authority and judgement of that committee is forever going to be in question if their actual "election" was not done in a manner that would be approved off by the majority of the plot holders, and indeed the council.

I also think it's very unprofessional for any secretary to a committee to post on a forum countering a complaint about the work her and her spouse has done or not done with trumpet blowing, excuses about other things and then saying the person should have said something to them personally when she clearly states she did but was totally disatisfied with the replies given. Especially as Jeanbeans post was not derogatory or personal. The post itself was indeed a personal voice of disatisfaction about vacant plots and a possibly undemocratic way the committee was elected. Very valid thread topic discussion points.

I think the ball is firmly in the site managers side of the court to get things done properly regarding the committee, to improve communication with the plot tenants and to obviously move the site forward either by doing what is needed himself as soon as possible or delegating "properly" to someone else who might have the time and skills base needed to get it done.

Sorry but if you have been elected, or volunteered or have been paid to do something then you should get it done, whatever "it" may be, without any excuse, or step aside and let someone else do it.

[djbrenton]

Sorry but if you have been elected, or volunteered or have been paid to do something then you should get it done, whatever "it" may be, without any excuse, or step aside and let someone else do it.

Yep, there are always hordes of people in the wings waiting for the chance to join the committe and do some work.  :D

[BAK]

djbrenton - surely you understate the numbers of people waiting in the wings ready to do their bit for the greater good?

What comes after hordes I wonder? ::)

[vegRus]

I think that you get out of life only what u put in.
I have been lucky enough to get 3 plots, that were 100% unworked - 15ft brambles and heaps of rubbish acclimated over 10years. certainly a problem created long before today's site manager and probably before the last one to.
But the politics are a waste of weeding time!!
We (hubbie and I) are fast approaching our 1st anniversary as novice plot holders, and thanks to all the help and advise we have received from the many new friends that we have made, and the support and encourage from the site manager and his wife.....We are champions....!!!We are so proud to have won Best new plot in our borough 2009 :)
We are delighted, not just for ourselves, but for everyone on our site that has worked there socks off weeding planting and planning our plots and the communal areas around us.
unworked plots can be a pain, but only if you just moan about them. Action speaks louder than words, to make that a reality join the working parties.......A lot of action = a lot of new friends a lot of fun and no unworked plots.....I say put your fork where your tongue is ;D

[BrianK]

Congrats. Sounds well deserved too.

Sadly there is a waiting list on our site. And only one plot per person. RULE! lol

I agree with you that action speaks louder than words and I think complacent allotment "politicians" are always the loudest to moan and complain when someone finally gets the courage,(  or arrives new to the scene ) and starts making waves for change.

It's my experience that there is always someone waiting in the wings. Sadly some wait there all their lives though. Either because they don't get the chance, for whatever reason, or they are scared to take the chance for lots of reasons including confidence, and not the least because they don't know the right way to step out from the wings to get into the limelight... to be elected to a committee in other words.

People with real skill and talent to do things often need help to get to where they need to be.
Most frontline politicians don't get there by their own will. They get there from the dedication of temas of people that support them, help them, encourage them, and in a lot of cases, lead them to where they need to be.

[Unwashed]

There was not a proper record of "up to date" plot-holders so we had to walk about each site with a map for quite a few weeks, asking people what plot they had and what their names were.

Did your tenants sign tenancy agreements, and do you still have the copies?  If they didn't, or you don't, then you'll have difficulty evicting them if they don't want to go - though they probably won't know that.

[radar ears]

No, I'm talking in general terms of anyone wanting to say something, say it to us.

I'm just stating that we are not just sitting back and doing nothing, the previous people who site managed let things slip and we have tried our hardest to get things in a semblance of order, that's all.

[saddad]

Welcome to A4A radar and VegR...  :)

[kt.]

Yep, there are always hordes of people in the wings waiting for the chance to join the committee and do some work.  :D

Not on our site.  8) 8) Every year at our AGM we vote for the committee.  The meeting is on our notice board outside the shop for a month beforehand.  The only people who ever turn up at the meeting are the committee members.  We also have a monthly committee meeting that is an open forum but again it is only the committee present.  Not everybody wants to put themselves forward but overall we are fortunate to have a good bunch of plotholders on our site. There is the odd occasional whinge but nothing major.

[radar ears]

There was not a proper record of "up to date" plot-holders so we had to walk about each site with a map for quite a few weeks, asking people what plot they had and what their names were.

Did your tenants sign tenancy agreements, and do you still have the copies?  If they didn't, or you don't, then you'll have difficulty evicting them if they don't want to go - though they probably won't know that.

Hi,

There was a few bits and pieces, that's all.

From walking around and asking people, we got the two lists (one for each site) together of "who was who" on what plot.

I asked the Council for a list of the plot holders that they held, so I could make sure that they (and we) had all the tenancy agreements for every plot-holder.

They gave me the list, it had a total of fifteen (yes, fifteen!) names on it, five of those had given up their plots years' previously, four
of them had died and the last six were working the plots.

Lord knows what the Council did with all the tenancy agreements that were given to them in-between by the previous person who dealt with it.

Also, when I took over from the then Secretary I asked her whose plot "number 43" was and she waved her hand in the direction of the nearby road and said "I've let it to a gentleman from Zimbabwe, I don't know his name, but he lives over there somewhere".

So, John and I had to try and see if we could find out who it was, one night we were driving down a particular road nearby and we saw a group of people (who we assumed were from Zimbabwe) talking outside a house and we just stopped and asked them if anyone had just got an allotment plot and one of the gentleman replied that it was him, so we got him to sign a tenancy agreement and that problem was sorted.

Now can you see what we were up against ?

So it's not a case of "trumpet blowing" or "excuses" it was outlining the REASONS why things took longer than they should have.

All the other plot-holders who had been on the site for years did not worry too much about the overgrown plots once they knew that we were trying to get things into some sort of order, the majority agreed that everything would take time to sort out, especially when we had been chucked in at the deep end.

Before we started running the hut, the people who were running it previously, just used to put money in the drawer, they NEVER wrote down what people bought, so how could they keep track of what people had purchased and what stock they had in etc. etc.

We started writing everything in it with a tally for the trading day and also a running total, so we can see at a glance what money we have in hand to get fresh stock.

We are a society site, it has been a society site for donkey's years, it has always had a Committee, but only one or two people were left on it, so when people volunteer you do not turn them down.

At the AGM there are only about twelve people who turn up and most of them are Committee people.

That is why I decided to join and post, because it does hurt when something is stated and others read it without knowing the full facts.

I'm extremely sorry if I've upset anyone, but take a minute to reflect and think if it was you and you knew you had progressed a long way, (even though there is tons more to do) would you feel the same ?

[BrianK]

Well there ya go. Hopefully it's been an informative discussion for everyone. But that is all it is. A discussion.  A forum website is just that. A place to discuss things.

You will always have discussion, be it on the plot or in a pub or over the phone and on the website is just as efficient a place as any. However this gives everyone , especially the effected parties to see the consensus of opinion and very often to ponder on the situation before replying. That much you cannot do in real life  :P

Nobody was back stabbing, and people will vote off people that don't belong where they are in most cases.

In ktlawson's case it seems there don't need to be hordes of people in the wings. Sounds to me people are happy with the committee as it stands! Perfect lol.

Here's a thought. Red tape isn't going to go away. As time goes on and councils etc are bought more to task either by government or european legislation it won't be long before a general tightening up of all aspects of their responsibilities will have to be made.  What will the criteria be? Witnessed public allotment committee elections? A standard 75% cultivation of which 50% must be edible of 100% of the plots at least twice a year, with photographic proof of every plot for Brussells to examine the Brussels?  ;D

The axe is being sharpened ... lol