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Celebrating Harvest
Following the success of a coffee and cake morning in early summer, The Drove Allotment Association, in Andover, held a BBQ for its members and tenants at the allotment site in September.
The weather was rather unpredictable, so a couple of gazebos were erected, one of which was attached to a member’s row of runner beans – providing the perfect shield against the prevailing breeze (and a rain shower) that day.
The event was well attended and there was an abundance of food, including many delicacies members had harvested from their plots.
The speciality of the afternoon appeared to be Fred’s Rum Babas, all of which disappeared very quickly.
Our local PCSO also visited so that tenants could meet her and discuss any concerns about security.
London
On the Agenda
The London Region has now agreed a framework of governance and processes required to bring about change. Four meetings a year have been agreed: February, May, August (linked with National Allotments Week) and October. The various types of meetings have been identi ed as speaker, seminar or workshop related, and regional and national issues will be on the agenda but will not dominate. The formal business of an AGM will be held as a part of the October meeting which makes for a longer winter break, as even in the urban heat island that is London, weather can make travel more dif cult.
The dates for 2018 are: 17th February
19th May
11th August
27th October (AGM at Roots and Shoots in Kennington, SE11)
The content of the meetings is to be announced but will be set out in the material that is sent to all association, individual
and life members in Greater London before each meeting. If you would like to attend
or continue to receive information please
let Head Of ce know your email address. Ultimately, post will only be sent to active participants, and email is the most cost- effective method.
The other area which has been agreed for 2017 to 2018 is the of cers and committee. These are:
Chair and Regional Representative
Jeff Barber
Vice-chair
Chris Barker
Welcome to our new members...
1 individual member
Secretary and Regional Mentor
Grant Smith
Treasurer
Linda Kavanagh
Committee members
Terry Dickinson Brian Kavanagh Iris Lynch
Eddy Robinson Penny Smith
We would like to see representation on the committee from all parts of the Region. From the above list, only two are from the western parts of London, and those from boroughs south of the river are also under-represented to a lesser extent. The London AGM in October 2018 should see the Committee evolve: some of the combined roles could and should be divided, and there does need to be some new blood on the Committee. Think about it now please.
The Region has adopted the new NAS Regional Constitution along with the Standards and Procedures which spell out, at least in part, how the constitution should be interpreted in practice. I would also like to see the Regional Committee sign up to a Code of Conduct, much like the document signed by the NAS Management Committee in 2015. Codes of Conduct set down the declarations of interest and loyalties that need to be known by all members of the board, as well as setting out appropriate conduct for members in meetings, and outside when representing the organisation. This would enable an easier, agreed way
of widening meaningful discussions within
the Regional Committee, and ease any perceptions that within a membership organisation it is only a one-person band that is operating.
The underlying agenda task for the existing Regional core group is building (from the grass roots upwards) a sense of an inclusive NAS membership by the individual and associations in the London Region. If feelings of constructive involvement and commitment could spread throughout the wider membership it would show members’ ‘skin in the game’. Whether we realise it
or not, our demonstrated behaviours in allotment terms sets the view that others have of allotment holders.
Any regular communication has to be considered relevant, useful and trustworthy by and to members. Lack of communication is a recurrent ‘cri de coeur’ and I would appeal to association representatives
to embrace their role as a conduit of information to the af liate members and help to create a dynamic and relevant regional body.
London allotments will always have interesting things to say, and distinctively interesting things at that. Do not be inhibited about sending in material for publication in the ‘Allotment & Leisure Gardener’ magazine together with high resolution digital images. Your articles will be welcome and can be sent to Di Appleyard and/or Karen Maher. And do turn up to a meeting in 2018.
Jeff Barber
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