Page 6 - ALG Issue 1 2017

Head Of ce
fromthepresident
Christmas has come and gone and
the allotments in Ipswich are shrouded in misty mornings often burning off towards lunchtime. The sunrises on clear frosty days are beautiful and the sunsets stunning. The plots are looking a bit sad but some have great standing soldiers of sprouts ready to eat.
International Certi cates and Diplomas to two excellent projects. From the Northern Region, Langley in County Durham an excellent Community Project, which you will read about in this magazine. It was great to meet the lovely people who spearhead this project, and some of the children too, at the presentation attended by local dignitaries. Thanks to the Region for organising the transport to the site and the school. It was amazing to see how this project has risen like a phoenix from the most awful tip of a spare piece of ground. It was built with recycled
everything and with
hard work and goodwill from all. It has become a loved and well used local facility for many. Local people who often just drop in and sit in the garden of tranquillity and
chat as well as the school doing much gardening and learning in the outdoor classroom.
The West Midlands Region are proud that their Moseley and District Allotment Association has been awarded the International Diploma for Ecological gardening ( Environmentally friendly). This is scheduled for a week’s time
as I write this so watch this space
for more information. Everyone is so busy it has been dif cult to coordinate diaries to present the Diplomas etc
but we managed to complete it before Christmas.
The New Year is here and we must continue to re-assess how we face the
future of the allotment movement. It is important that we encourage more young people to participate in the running of associations. Allotments are changing; we are so pleased that more and more young families are working allotments; more, dare I say it, middle aged people too. It is important that we engage these age groups to join our committees and take up the reins of management of
the associations. We must always be planning ahead for succession for that is what ensures a healthy robust Allotments Movement.
The ‘old guard’ have long had the responsibility and they have done a splendid job; however, we must allow them to gradually retire and enjoy the bene ts of their hard work over many years, as advisors rather than doing
all the work. We must honour them for keeping the allotment movement going in dif cult times and ask them to become mentors for the next generation, to
help ease them into the jobs knowing they have their experience to call on as they progress. So come on the next generation, step up and make sure your allotments continue to improve facilities and are in good nick for the generation that follows you! I know work can interfere with pleasure; however, it takes less time than you may think if the load is spread around. Have a go, join the committee.
Enjoy the spring planting season.
Karen Kenny
What an eventful year. We now
have a revised set of rules awaiting
the go-ahead when they are nally registered which will herald a new era
for the Society. It is important that we
all get behind the Society and make
sure that the future
is secure for all
allotments. In the light
of the nal decision
by the Secretary of
State in the Farm
Terrace allotments
case, we must be
doubly vigilant of councils attempting to erode long established allotment lands in favour of other material gains. This is the short-sightedness of many people who appear unable to join together cause and effect. Allotments are already oversubscribed in many areas and it is often these areas that are targeted for an increase in housing, creating an even larger de cit in allotments, as the new householders discover that they have tiny or no gardens and wish to enjoy the pleasure of growing their own and all the other health bene ts that allotmenteering brings.
This late autumn has seen me
having the great pleasure of presenting
We now have a revised set of rules awaiting the go-ahead
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