Page 43 - ALG Issue 1 2020

Northern
Northumberland, Cumbria and Durham
REPRESENTATIVE
Glen March
0191 3866291 glendonmarch.northernregionrep@gmail.com
Six-month report
Glen March, Northern Region Representative
MENTOR
Mike Brannigan
Northern
0191 649 2542 mbrannigan.nas@gmail.com
Welcome to our new members...
Glencorse Association
Shap Allotment Society
Church Street Allotment Holders Wooler Community Food Garden Thornley Allotment Association Wooler Parish Council
10 individual members
At the time of drafting this article I have just completed six months as your Regional Representative, and I would like to share some of my experiences with you from this period.
I have now attended three meetings
of the management committee, an induction course covering all aspects of the duties expected of me, and two days strategic/developmental training. I can report with confidence that the National Allotment Society is financially sound, well led, well managed and that the breadth of knowledge and passion for allotments at the Corby headquarters is second to none.
Our Northern Chairman has kept members up to date over the last two magazine issues regarding the ongoing work to rejuvenate the regional panel and regional branch. Lots of things
are happening, but what I want to do
in this particular article is share some of the regional panels’ experience with handling member enquiries, the main issues arising and my own conclusions.
General enquiries from our members are received at the northern branch, logged out to individual panel members depending on the expertise required, and then jointly monitored by the whole panel through to completion. Many enquiries can be resolved quickly by telephone or email, some require literature despatched by post, and others can be complex and take far more time.
The regions bi-monthly report to the management team in October 2019 identified that, over the preceding two months, the regional panel had dealt with one application from the Secretary of State, ten enquiries from associations, six enquiries involving local councils, and six enquiries from individuals. Sixty percent of all enquiries were concluded within the two-month report period, and forty percent were ongoing.
In terms of the main issues arising from the enquiries, it is clear that
many northern allotment associations are experiencing difficulties in their relationships with their allotment providers. In larger local authorities, the financial pressures which have developed over the past 20 years are resulting in a move towards higher rents. At the same time, dedicated allotment officers are disappearing and services becoming more limited. The inevitable result is member complaints, which either gets an inadequate response from providers or no reply
at all. Sheer member frustration then brings the complaints to our door. NAS north does assist where it can by utilising its good relations and contacts with the regional authorities.
Problems also occur now in parish councils where problem-solving support from local allotment officers in parent authorities is no longer available or must now be charged for. NAS north
is helping by offering member parish councils day-to-day advice, allotment management and other training opportunities.
There is also the issue of forming an association and site self-management, which NAS has promoted for many years. However, the commitment
and volunteer resources needed to sustain an association committee are considerable, and if these volunteers are not forthcoming, the committee can soon become dysfunctional. NAS north does offer crisis management services to its member associations.
Sometimes the main reason for a site to enter into a self-management
Good news does happen, but you have to consciously seek it out like pretty shells on a beach – where the rest of the beach is covered in litter
agreement is in order to seek external funding for improvements. What most sites want is a pleasant appearance, good infrastructure, fences and
roads, and this is precisely what most charitable funders do not seem to want to pay for at the moment. NAS north can advise on external funding, and with advice about appropriate scheme/ project design work.
To summarise my experience over the last six months, I would say that the health of our region’s allotments is in the poorest condition I have seen in 20 years. At a time when many government strategies are singing the praises
of community, health and wellbeing
and the undoubted benefits which allotments do bring, the reality has been year on year cuts, more declining and neglected sites, inadequate services and poor promotion of local allotments provision. Good news does happen, but you have to consciously seek it out like pretty shells on a beach – where the rest of the beach is covered in litter.
In my view, the need for an organisation at the top of its game like the National Allotments Society is greater now than for many previous years. To be truly more effective, the NAS really needs all northern sites as members!
This report is my own personal view, but if you as northern members agree with me go to our northern webpage: www.nsalg.org.uk/about-us/national- allotment-society-northern-branch/ or @NASnorth Facebook and share your views.
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 43