Page 4 - ALG Issue 2 2019
P. 4
Vice-Chairman’s
comments
This is my second edition of comments, and as I told you all about myself last time, I am now going to focus on us, the National Society. I feel this is important as we are a voluntary group and I think there is perhaps a danger that in our daily work we can get stuck in the past and the present and not focus enough on the future.
In my experience, allotment societies are rooted in the here and now, and as long as everything stays the same, most allotment holders are happy and contented. As a representative in the North West, I usually get contacted when an “incident” has occurred
on a site or with a council. This is reasonable, but somewhat frustrating.
But is that good enough for the National Society? I do not think it is. We need to be more forward looking. I do not think this message is being passed on to all our members.
We have a great history, and we
need to create a great future. The management committee, mentors and staff have yearly planning sessions at Hothorpe Hall in Leicestershire. Five- year plans are developed and built into the governance system. We are trying to get “it” right.
There are new developments: the training scheme with LANTRA is coming online and many areas have begun to look at venues and set up courses for the first “Rodent Control” course. This will be of benefit to all sites, and to the National Society, and to the individuals who take the course and become qualified. This is just the start. Look LANTRA up online and see the great number of courses they offer; there may be one tailored just for you.
One course that is not there and one we are going to have to write is:
HOW TO RUN AN ALLOTMENT SITE- THE BEST PRACTICE Lotsofusdothis;someofusdoit well, but there are always things to learn, and even the best run sites will get it wrong sometimes. But what about when a site moves from council management to self-management. This can be a daunting experience. Even more so if a group of sites
are moving from council and self- management into management under a local Federation. This is one area we are going to have to address.
Logically, carrying on from this is the management of the National Society’s own sites. These four sites should
We have a great history, and we need to create a great future
be exemplars of the best practice in allotment management. They should be exemplars of excellent practice; with accolades on television and in the press, and post-Brexit, they might be. We, as the National Society, in my opinion, have the obligation to try to achieve this.
Finally, I would like to put forward
an idea for your consideration. Who runs the allotments near you? Is it
the council, a management company working for the council, or the allotment holders themselves? They will all do the best job they can do, given their pressures and constraints. The council with a thousand and one other demands on their resources
will do the best job they can. The management company will do the same as the council, but they may also have pressures from shareholders. The allotment holders will do the best that they can with their limited training and management experience.
So, who might be the best group to properly manage and to run your allotments? What would you like to see? And what support as a National Society would you like us to give you?
John Irwin
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