hi,everyone i hope someone can help with a bit of advice please, we are on a council run lotty site,but there are a number of us who are interested in forming a commitee for the site, can anyone point me in the right direction of who i need to see to start discussions on this and then what i would do next cheers buster
Love to help but out of my realm as we are a private site... :-\
Our site is Council run and the Allotment Secretary gets her allotment FREE. Once you have an Allotment Sec. who reports to the Council she/he could get a Committee together and forward information to the Council, whether or not they listen or take any notice I don't know, but maybe worth a try. Otherwise just get people together to form a Committee and discuss ideas for the allotment, but if it is Council run the rules and regs. are all laid down by the Council and should be given to you in a booklet when you pay/sign for your allotment. That is what happens where I live.
hi buster
Our association used SWCAA, they gave us all the info needed found them very helpful. Have a look at http://www.allotmentssouthwest.org.uk/startyourassociation.htm
The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners have years of experience in dealing with issues like this. They are very helpful.
www.nsalg.org.uk (http://www.nsalg.org.uk)
lincolnlad,
you do not give any indication of the reasons for wanting to form a committee, eg do you want the council to do more, do you want some degree of independence ... etc.
As well as consulting NSALG, as Ceres suggested, you may find some useful information on the allotment regeneration site
http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/ (http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/)
In particular, the fact sheet Gardeners in Charge is probably worth a read.
http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/documents/gardenersincharge.pdf (http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/documents/gardenersincharge.pdf)
There is nothing to stop the plot holders forming an allotment association with a committee.
However, whatever you do, a good working relationship with the council is essential.
In our Borough we have 20 + sites of which just under half are self managed. They belong to a Federation that seems to have a bit of a bad name with the fact that they are determined to take control of all the sites. Many folk are not happy that due to likely not 100% of plot holders will vote on joining on being taken over,We hear stories that the federation can tell the plot holders what they can and cant do.
As many of you on this site seem to be self managed can anyone explain the advantage of belonging to such an association ??? Pro's and Con's please.
There is nothing what so ever to stop you making up your own 'members association'. Form a committee, even charge a nominal fee, to cover things like postage.
Once you have done so, you should make a 'constitution'. Register it with the council.
Then apply to the council for a grant for some thing, a wild life area perhaps where you can attract frogs and hedge hogs, ladybird thing for over wintering and a few bird boxes. Need not be an application for a large grant.
It is often the Parks and Gardens department who look after allotments but it could be Properties even.
Who do you pay your rent to?
Councils will tell you who to contact, just ask.