I am a relative newcomer to allotments, having had our plot for 1 season. All the people on the site are very friendly, but there doesn't seem to be very many community/social activities going on. The only real event is the allotment show in Aug, which is really nice. It incorporates the competition with entrance to the general public for tea, cakes and selling produce. We do have a communal shed on the allotment, but it is not really used as it doesn't have anything in it! There has been talk of setting up a Saturday club for coffee, cakes and chatter and someone has organised a meal out in february so things are looking up ;D. What do you do on your plots?
Nothing really, apart from the show, and that's a fairly new idea. I think a lot of sites are like yours.
We have the summer show, Christmas get together and every day the canteen is open at 10 am for a cup of tea/coffee and a chat.
None :(
since we updated our plots, we have started having plant sale days for the local community, we have barbeques, work days every month where we all get a free fry up, we had a bonfire party and barbeque, and are looking to have a harvest festival so's we can sell our surplus veggies to the community, all for allotment funds..it's worked for us ;D
We have a coffee/mulled wine morning with nibbles in Dec.
Our lottie shop opens 2 hours sat & sun mornings. Always busy. Sometimes I just go for a brew, not for anything in particular. We also have a nursery from which we sell to the public. So people are always coming & going, offering and asking for advice. There are flower arranging classes should it take your fancy. And you could always volunteer for the committee. I would if I didn't work away so much.
We have a 'brew up' most Monday to Friday mornings, sometimes in the afternoons as well, we have a summer BBQ; we have coffee and cakes for those helping at our working parties (held two or three times a year), and we hold an 'at home' at our field shed (about the end of September, for those people who have taken on a plot recently, or are on our waiting list and near the top so about to get a plot, so they can see the range of equipment available to them on loan, and to meet the committee members) when we serve coffee and cakes. We also have an annual open day.
As for furnishing your empty communal shed - we asked plot holders for donations of surplus and unwanted chairs, cushions, crockery etc and a local carpet shop gave us a really good quality carpet (used but had been partly damaged and was replaced under insurance for a customer). Local skips are also a good source of items to furnish your shed! Also freecycle.