SURPRISE!
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud
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Compo
- KG Regular
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- Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:58 pm
- Location: Somerset
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I Went to the allotment AGM last night to pay my modest ten quid annual fee. I walked out with a folder and the chairmanship of the allotment society. We have 28 plots, a newish lawnmower and a grand or so in the bank. Our outgoings include the annual water bill est £300 and liability for fence repairs (none forecast for next few years) Some folk have suggested building a small hut for the lawnmower and buying some other robust items for loan. Any thoughts, has anyone else found themselves in this position, any advice? DW thinks it is best to leave things exactly as they are, not a bad idea either.
If I am not on the plot, I am not happy.........
Hi Compo,
congratulations
my advice is, make yourself known to all of your members and ask them what they want, that way you will gain an overall view as to what your site needs.
As with all allotment site's you will at sometime encounter problems
what ever problems arise deal with them as a committee and as you are now the Chairman it is best to be firm but fair.
Regards
Kevin
congratulations
my advice is, make yourself known to all of your members and ask them what they want, that way you will gain an overall view as to what your site needs.
As with all allotment site's you will at sometime encounter problems
what ever problems arise deal with them as a committee and as you are now the Chairman it is best to be firm but fair.
Regards
Kevin
I have completely NIL advice, because I KG outside my kitchen door, but I just wanted to say "Make the Most of It Whilst You Can" ...!
Where Trousers and me fail on advice, I'm sure everyone else will flood in to give their best, and that will surely give you the diversity and honesty that you're going to need from now on !!!
Best of Luck,
Wellie & Trousers
Where Trousers and me fail on advice, I'm sure everyone else will flood in to give their best, and that will surely give you the diversity and honesty that you're going to need from now on !!!
Best of Luck,
Wellie & Trousers
What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. The good they do is inconceivable....
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peter
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See how much old shipping containers are.
The most secure and solid "shed" you can get.
Will certainly deter the casual vandal.
Note of caution, a serious tea-leaf will bring a battery or petrol angle-grinder to gain access if they think it worthwhile.
A fishing club a few miles away lost their strimmer and ride-on lawnmower by that method.
The most secure and solid "shed" you can get.
Will certainly deter the casual vandal.
Note of caution, a serious tea-leaf will bring a battery or petrol angle-grinder to gain access if they think it worthwhile.
A fishing club a few miles away lost their strimmer and ride-on lawnmower by that method.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
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Chantal
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- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:53 am
- Location: Rugby, Warwickshire
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We have a concrete shed with a padlocked steel door but that didn't stop someone smashing in and stealing the lawnmower and strimmer. We now have a steel bar which is padlocked across the doorway before the door is closed which seems to work well.
I'm Secretary of our site and we find it VERY hard to get volunteers to mow paths, fix fences etc. Many people say they will but are noticeably absent when needed. Do NOT try and do everything yourself as you will annoy genuine enthusiastic volunteers (however few) and play right into the hands of the lazy ones.
Above all, enjoy yourself and don't let the politics dampen your enthusiasm for your plot.
By the way, what happened? Did you go to the toilet as nominations were being made?
I'm Secretary of our site and we find it VERY hard to get volunteers to mow paths, fix fences etc. Many people say they will but are noticeably absent when needed. Do NOT try and do everything yourself as you will annoy genuine enthusiastic volunteers (however few) and play right into the hands of the lazy ones.
Above all, enjoy yourself and don't let the politics dampen your enthusiasm for your plot.
By the way, what happened? Did you go to the toilet as nominations were being made?
Chantal
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
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Compo
- KG Regular
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- Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:58 pm
- Location: Somerset
- Been thanked: 14 times
Jopsy there were a dozen of twenty eight at the meeting.
Chantal it was a bit like that!! But more like this: The chairman said 'I'm standing down me missus is ill' And then pointed to me and said he'll do it. and I said 'Will I? and the people in the room grunted and it was all done....
Seriously the role is v simple, the only real jobs are taking enquiries and maintaining the Waiting lists. We have a couple of lax gardeners with too many weeds, but not enough on the waiting list too warrant kicking folk off. SO it should be fairly straightforward.............but the advice is very welcome for those that contributed.
Thankyou
Chairman Compo
Chantal it was a bit like that!! But more like this: The chairman said 'I'm standing down me missus is ill' And then pointed to me and said he'll do it. and I said 'Will I? and the people in the room grunted and it was all done....
Seriously the role is v simple, the only real jobs are taking enquiries and maintaining the Waiting lists. We have a couple of lax gardeners with too many weeds, but not enough on the waiting list too warrant kicking folk off. SO it should be fairly straightforward.............but the advice is very welcome for those that contributed.
Thankyou
Chairman Compo
If I am not on the plot, I am not happy.........
Hi Compo
We tried having items of equipment for use by our plot holders but there's a problem in that they get put back not cleaned down (eg the box on the lawn mower wouldn't be emptied) or they will break down when someone is using them and they get put back broken and no one is told and its only discovered when someone else goes to use them. Also who is going to carry out regular maintenance/servicing of them to ensure they are kept in good and safe order?
One thing we have found useful is to have regular working parties, this helps people to get to know one another and to generate a community spirit. We get about one third of our plot holders who help with these working parties for field maintenance - its usually the same people every time, but you get that in all organisations.
Re your not too tidy plots - we used to think that as we didn't have a waiting list and the people who weren't cultivating their plots were at least paying their rent, we'd not say anything. But we changed our views when we realised that we weren't getting any interest from newcomers because there were untidy and overgrown plots. We now contact people whose plots are not being cultivated and kept tidy and if they don't tidy them up after warning letters, their tenancy is terminated. We then use our working parties to tidy them a bit and because our field is now kept tidy we have more people wanting plots on our field.
and Chantal - I've found a solution (at least for the moment) to the mowing of paths on our field (I'm the field warden, which is the deputy to the field secretary). My husband - who took early retirment two years ago - likes using (and restoring) old mowers but our small garden lawn doesn't warrant their use, so he uses them on the allotment field to cut the community areas. The Council contractors cut the main pathway (using a tractor pulled grass cutter) but this doesn't give a very good cut so he cuts these as well! Currently he's using an 80 year old restored Atco Standard mower but he's got several other mowers he's got back into working order which he uses from time to time on our field.
We tried having items of equipment for use by our plot holders but there's a problem in that they get put back not cleaned down (eg the box on the lawn mower wouldn't be emptied) or they will break down when someone is using them and they get put back broken and no one is told and its only discovered when someone else goes to use them. Also who is going to carry out regular maintenance/servicing of them to ensure they are kept in good and safe order?
One thing we have found useful is to have regular working parties, this helps people to get to know one another and to generate a community spirit. We get about one third of our plot holders who help with these working parties for field maintenance - its usually the same people every time, but you get that in all organisations.
Re your not too tidy plots - we used to think that as we didn't have a waiting list and the people who weren't cultivating their plots were at least paying their rent, we'd not say anything. But we changed our views when we realised that we weren't getting any interest from newcomers because there were untidy and overgrown plots. We now contact people whose plots are not being cultivated and kept tidy and if they don't tidy them up after warning letters, their tenancy is terminated. We then use our working parties to tidy them a bit and because our field is now kept tidy we have more people wanting plots on our field.
and Chantal - I've found a solution (at least for the moment) to the mowing of paths on our field (I'm the field warden, which is the deputy to the field secretary). My husband - who took early retirment two years ago - likes using (and restoring) old mowers but our small garden lawn doesn't warrant their use, so he uses them on the allotment field to cut the community areas. The Council contractors cut the main pathway (using a tractor pulled grass cutter) but this doesn't give a very good cut so he cuts these as well! Currently he's using an 80 year old restored Atco Standard mower but he's got several other mowers he's got back into working order which he uses from time to time on our field.
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peter
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Compo, my site only goes up to 28 original plots.
A ten rod plot can be split into four, 10a,b,c & d.
However we just have a single grass cart track, and narrow path up between each pair of original plots up to the wire.
So I just mow the main drag and add the mowings to my personal compost bins.
When I'm feeling nice and well-disposed to the world I'll mow the narrows, but as people tend to ignore them and dump weeds/stones and allow anthills to grow I normally strim them.
Why do I do it?
Cos for three years no other bugger would except the council, once annually.
A ten rod plot can be split into four, 10a,b,c & d.
However we just have a single grass cart track, and narrow path up between each pair of original plots up to the wire.
So I just mow the main drag and add the mowings to my personal compost bins.
When I'm feeling nice and well-disposed to the world I'll mow the narrows, but as people tend to ignore them and dump weeds/stones and allow anthills to grow I normally strim them.
Why do I do it?
Cos for three years no other bugger would except the council, once annually.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
Hi Compo
We have about 150 plots (a mixture of 5 and 10 rod plots) and just over 100 plot holders (some plot holders have more than one plot). Because we have a growing waiting list, any 10 rod plots becoming vacant are being split into 2 x 5 rod plots, thus we'll increase the number of plot holders; we find that the newer plot holders are generally very keen to get involved and help at working parties.
Our site has a grass trackway through the centre (from one gate to another) and a plot off each side of the trackway. Plot holders are responsible for cutting the pathway between their plot and their neighbours.
We have about 150 plots (a mixture of 5 and 10 rod plots) and just over 100 plot holders (some plot holders have more than one plot). Because we have a growing waiting list, any 10 rod plots becoming vacant are being split into 2 x 5 rod plots, thus we'll increase the number of plot holders; we find that the newer plot holders are generally very keen to get involved and help at working parties.
Our site has a grass trackway through the centre (from one gate to another) and a plot off each side of the trackway. Plot holders are responsible for cutting the pathway between their plot and their neighbours.