Page 69 - ALG Issue 2 2019

The Kingston Federation of Allotment Gardeners
In 2003 the Council’s Agenda 21 Officer for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK), invited Kingston’s allotment holders to discuss problems at the sites and how to improve the management
and provision of plots. There were concerns and complaints that many sites were in an increasingly dire state, with neglected and overgrown plots, many of which were unlet. The problems were worse on Council managed sites (14 sites at that time) rather than on the voluntary managed sites (eight at that time). A smaller group of people agreed to meet again and identified two key areas. One: communications between sites and the Council officer responsible for direct managed allotments, so that the sites could be managed more effectively. Two: provide publicity, to improve plot lettings.
We set up the Kingston Federation of Allotment Gardeners (KFAG) in July 2003 with the aims to:
- Promote and encourage allotment
gardening in the Borough.
- Build relationships within and
between sites so that ideas and
experience can be shared.
- Provide information, support and
advice to sites considering setting up an Allotment Association
and subsequently Voluntary Management, if they wished to pursue this.
KFAG surveyed the direct managed sites and identified a ‘willing’ contact at each site.
With the agreement and support of the Council, a ‘site liaison volunteer’ system was set up so that each
site had a plotholder responsible for lettings and reporting back
any problems, a vital direct line of communication. Plots began to be
let, site data was updated, rules on working plots began to be enforced and sites gradually started to improve. The Federation embarked on a busy schedule of advertising allotments with our promotional stall at a variety of public events, distributing leaflets produced in partnership with the Council. This continued for a few years and was very successful until allotments became generally popular and we no longer needed to advertise. Waiting lists were started and we could concentrate on other areas of our plan.
Eventually, RBK no longer had an
allotment officer and contracted out the administration and management of allotment sites which were not voluntary or self-managed to a company (now known as Idverde). The site liaison volunteer scheme was continued. In 2008 we successfully negotiated with the Council a ‘model’ lease for new voluntary managed sites and for lease renewals at existing V.M. sites as this would make the system more efficient. Following discussions with the NAS we were able to get some of the more onerous clauses removed from the existing leases, making it fairer and more appropriate for management by volunteers. We were very involved in discussions prior to the publication of the Council’s ‘Allotment Strategy’ document and contributed to subsequent reviews,
the most recent in 2018. In 2010 we negotiated a ‘revised new tenancy agreement’ with the Council and ‘Idverde’ for its plotholders. We attend regular meetings with Council officers.
In 2011 the Council agreed to rent to the Federation eight vacant half plots on the Kingston Road site that were regarded as ‘unlettable’. This started a successful project to return heavily neglected and overgrown plots to productive use by plotholders. The project continued until 2014, when the site became voluntary managed and we handed the plots back (still being worked) to the site to manage themselves.
We have written a series of information sheets covering all aspects of voluntary management from setting up a plotholders’ association and the advantages of voluntary management along with samples of all the necessary paperwork, including constitutions, the standard lease
KFAG surveyed the direct managed sites and identified a ‘willing’ contact at each site
and billing etc. These are listed on our website and available to all. Over the years we have met with many plotholders and tried to ‘spread the word’ of the advantages of voluntary management and since starting
have assisted a further six sites to take on voluntary management and become independent. We now have 14 voluntary managed and eight direct managed sites.
The Kingston Federation of
Allotment Gardeners is an umbrella organisation; we are not regulatory but advisory and represent all of the sites in the Borough providing one voice to liaise with our Council to raise issues, discuss problems and solutions. The Federation membership is currently made up of representatives from the voluntary managed sites and from Horticultural Societies. In the past we had reps from direct managed sites with allotment associations, prior to voluntary management, and some co- opted committee members from direct managed sites.
A Federation can provide information and support to its members and offer an opportunity to connect with others so that sites do not need to work in isolation and can learn from each other to the benefit of all the allotment sites and plotholders in Kingston. Our newsletter is distributed widely across all the sites and to individuals on the Federation mailing list. Our website, kfag.org.uk publishes contact details for lettings at voluntary managed sites on the Council’s behalf and is the main source for allotment information in Kingston.
Finally, helping sites to take on their own management has proved a hugely rewarding experience and we hope that anyone wanting to emulate our experience will find this so too.
Gloria Wallis and Joan McConn, Kingston Federation of Allotment Gardeners
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 69