Page 7 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2024

News from the Trustees
MICHELLE NIXON
The Trustees first meeting of 2024
was held on the 16th of January via Zoom. One very important discussion was related to succession planning
for the position of National Treasurer. Our existing treasurer Jean Forrester intends to retire this year, after many years of service. Anyone interested in volunteering for the position is asked to contact the Secretary, Fiona Shenfield. Fiona has written a brief article about the role elsewhere in this edition of
the magazine. She and Jean are also preparing a detailed “job description” which will be available shortly.
The new social media and website
team, Sean James Cameron and Andy Wall, are making a big impact on the Society’s communications. Their plans
for 2024 include setting up a library of images which can be used for publicity without copyright infringement; drafting a communications strategy; reporting on the benefits and costs of available social media and video-sharing platforms
and reporting on options
for a central electronic
filing system to help with
the smooth running of the
Society.
Dickinson and Fiona will continue working on ways to improve the membership renewal process. The current payments systems create a significant workload at peak times and we aim to make it easier to use for both members and officers.
published in 2013. Stocks of this book are exhausted, and Lady Chair Sandra Hall has started a waiting list. It was agreed that a paper reprint would be more appropriate than producing the guide in electronic format. We are aware that significant revision of the guide will be necessary, for example to cover changes in technologies and available composts, and the significant new regulations applied by many local authorities to limit use of pesticides.
Finally, preparations are now well underway for the 2024 competitions.
Dates for the Branch Championships
have been published on the website. The National Championship will be held on
the 21st and 22nd September as part of the South of England Agricultural Society Autumn Show in Ardingly, West Sussex. The schedule and planning for the National were discussed in a separate Trustees meeting on 30th January. The judging panel has been confirmed and is made up of representatives from all Branches. The AGM has also been confirmed and will take place at Hapstead Hall, High Street, Ardingly on Saturday 21 September at 3.30pm.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Tasks already completed
by Sean and Andrew
include production of a
video of the 2023 National
Championships, which
has been posted on our
Facebook page and added
to the website library. This
has received excellent
feedback and includes
interviews with exhibitors,
judges, and our President, Medwyn Williams. Sean has also altered the presentation of Zoom talks via the website – they can now be viewed directly via the webpage instead of via a separate Zoom link, and this gives a better user experience.
This year, Membership Registrar Norman
The new social media and website team, Sean James Cameron and Andy Wall, are making a big impact
Vice Chair Raymond Higgins has continued to organise this winter’s very popular programme of
free Zoom talks. Keep an eye on the website events page and social media for details of the remaining programme, and how
to attend. The talks will continue to be recorded and added to the website library as a members-only benefit, wherever the speakers give permission.
Raymond also reported that judging theory and
practical exams will continue to be held across the country throughout 2024, with a significant number of candidates have already registered with their Branches.
We discussed the logistics of reprinting the very popular NVS publication “Getting Started on the Allotment” which was first
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