Allotments 4 All

I am now starting my tenth term as secretary at our allotments and although its a job i like doing with its many ups and downs the worst part of the job for me is the breaking of bad news to members.

Last night was one of these bad moments when i had to phone one of our senior members and tell him that the vandals had struck our allotments again and burnt his shed down to the ground.

As you would expect he was devastated and he is now on the very edge of giving his allotment up after being a member for over 25 years and at the age of 72 who can blame him.

So today is the day he is coming up to see the damage and hopefully after i have a chat with him i can get him to carry on, this is one of the jobs i have had to do a lot this year as the vandalism at our allotments has increased with over 2 hundred break ins and 6 sheds being burnt to the ground.

I will be glad to see the back of 2008 and hope that 2009 is a better year for all allotment holders and associations who are having the same problems as us.

sorry to hear about this, moonbeam..at 72, i think i would be having the same thoughts.

when the 'club' snatched our ground, Eric, who was 83 at the time, wanted to give up as it was too much to start again...luckily for us, we managed totalk him into staying, there's too much valuable advice to lose.
hope 2009 is a better year for you all, when we put the communal poly up, the first night, yobs chucked half bricks through the cover so i can empathise  :-\

oh moonbeam,so sorry to hear this.as a newish co sec myself,i am dreading having to make a similar call,so really sympathise with you. forgive me for asking a question you are probably sick of hearing but is there nothing that can be done to improve security at your site?
i sincerely hope you and the rest of your plotholders have a more peaceful 2009
x

Sorry to hear that, it does come in waves... as a local D**Khead grows up and out of it, or gets put away... no consolation now. Hope next year is better for you all.  :-\

It must be horrible to have to break news like that, but I'm sure the plotholders are glad of your support, so they don't have to deal with it on their own.
Wishing you a better year next year .

I noticed yesterday that Aldi have mini CCTV cameras very cheap at the mo. Time to start filming them at it and get some convictions? That might deter them... ?  :-[
So sorry to hear you've had this happen.

Well more bad news the plot holder came up today and i had a long ghat with him but despite offering him a lot of help and support he has decided to give his allotment up but he said if he was a lot younger he probably would have stayed so i cant blame him for giving up, at 72 and the way he is feeling he just does not have the heart to carry on.
These mindless vandals just haven't a clue as to the effect there wanting destruction does to some people i hope they rot in hell.
I have told the member if he ever feels like giving things another go i will only be to glad to give him another allotment so will just have to wait and see what happens.
Security is certainly a problem our boundary fence is in a bad state of repair and as usual the council don't have the money to repair it so we are in the process of amending our constitution so that we are in a position to apply for funding from outside bodies to see if we can get some money to do the repairs ourselves.
In the meantime we are still at loggerheads with the council over the lack of security due to there failure in carrying out the repairs,sent them an email this morning asking them to send us a hundred claim forms so we will await there response.
In the meantime its on with the job and fingers crossed that things will hopefully quieten down and that all allotment members and associations have a good new year.Thanks to everyone on a4a for there support its much appreciated.

Tayberries make a very burglar-proof fence! ;)

It's a bad scene, isn't it? :'( :o

I don't know what you've written before, so please excuse this question now if it's been covered :-[, but do you have your local active Councillor on board? By 'active' I don't mean the one who shares your political views but the one who is hungry enough for the power his/her heightened profile will bring when it comes to local elections & votes; here, I've found that culltivating my local bloke has reaped dividends - scuse all the puns :P

Yes Hyacinth we have a couple of councillors on board as well as our local beat bobbies just sent them emails to update them on the position in regards to the fire we will probably get a response from them in a couple of days.

Brill! It's holiday time, praps til the 5th or so for Councillors? but after then, time to turn up the heat, I reckon. Best of luck & I'm SO sorry about the chap who feels so defeated by all this. Not the nicest-ever end to his year :'(

Quote from: saddad on December 28, 2008, 10:38:47
it does come in waves... as a local D**Khead grows up and out of it, or gets put away...

This is true. Aged rellies have suffered extensive damage to their  property last year but fingers crossed the little darlings have moved on to date. I sincerely hope they move on now for your site Moonbeam, I hope, too, you get better response than we did from the local powers that be (virtually zilch although they promised the earth). I hope also that the elderly plot holder keeps in touch.