Page 24 - ALG Issue 3 2024

AGM
24 | Issue 3 2024 | Allotment and Leisure Gardener
We ensure that any nominations for members of both the Management and Governance Committee are in order, as are any motions being proposed for the AGM or amendments to any options.
We also oversee the conduct of the AGM, including the contents of its agenda.
Administration for meetings was outlined and election of tellers was made. Two tellers were appointed, Janet Carter and John Irwin.
ACCEPTANCE OF THE REPORT & PROCEEDINGS OF THE AGM 2023 Mike Farrell advised of a requested amendment to page 4 Membershiop Increase; to go back for consideration - All members voted in favour to accept.
CHAIR’S COMMENTS
Mike Farrell
The last year has seen lots of activity in the Society.When I was elected as chair,
I stated my term of office would be an open one, that I welcome debate and
am always willing to listen. So whenever invited, I have attended regional shows to meet our volunteers to listen and reply to their views.
The International Allotment Society’s annual conference was hosted by the NAS in Cambridge and the most numerous topics of questioning, of me, by the international delegates was how did we get the current amount of statutory protection for our allotments? The European delegates were very envious
of this safeguard and how respected our allotment system is by our politicians.
Liz Bunting, Legal and Operations Manager has retired after 13 years. Phil Gomersall, our President, has decided
to relinquish his role also. Jeff Barber has kindly agreed to step in on an interim basis and is our current President, but it was my view that it would be a mistake to try and directly replace Liz and with a few tweaks and perhaps some additional hours and a very large portion of goodwill from our staff, it would be possible to distribute the tasks she fulfilled among current Corby staff.
With the Management Committee’s agreement, I accepted the offer of an in-depth analysis of our organisation by a member of our Governance Committee who is also a highly qualified university academic.
The Management Committee has become more efficient, with the use of Zoom for meetings enabling shorter and
more regular meetings with less disruption to regional representatives’ domestic lives. The setting up and use of sub-committees, which due to fewer members and Zoom can easily meet to discuss, has also helped shorten debate and discussion and therefore overall length of Management Committee meetings.Together with the encouragement for more deputy regional reps and the regional use of Zoom, it
is hoped to achieve a broader range of members being involved in our Society.
There has been much talk in the press of the size of waiting lists and we have been and are very proactive in dealing with this situation by initially highlighting
it and helping bring under-used and “mothballed” allotment plots and sites back into use.We are getting children more involved in allotments and
growing food.The Society has written
and published a developers guide to incorporating allotments in new house building developments and has sent copies to building companies and planners. I
have had meetings with members of the current and shadow government about how better site management of allotments would free up more plots and I have
had an encouraging response from both parties to proposals that the NAS be directly involved in educating and training council staff and running courses for site secretaries, treasurers and chairpersons. It has been suggested to me that councils and all council allotment tenants could become compulsory members of NAS as a way of funding this and ensuring allotments throughout the country are overseen by the experts... us!
The entirely new Ambassador project is developing well. Zoe is active on
social media, our magazine and more. Now Sarah has been activated and is eager to get involved. Next, we need to find something for Adam to do. In the past year we have participated in two Parliamentary reviews, given several radio and TV inter views, and par ticipated in planning enquiries.
Due to a retirement at our existing legal partners, they are no longer able to work with us so we are restructuring that area, but our other partnerships with Kings Seeds and Chris Knott insurance are a continuing success with constant reviews and new ideas leading to better, (and more profitable) cooperation.
Whilst the past year has been very busy and Jeff, our treasurer, has had more than a few sleepless nights, and the Finance
Subcommittee (new for this year) has certainly had a big effect on cost saving and reducing the deficit and this has resulted in greater scrutiny and better presentation all round. Both he and the Finance Committee have got us to the finish line and hopefully the fee increase will ease things next year.
There are longer term aims of getting allotments recognised by the public as valuable environmentally diverse green spaces which contribute to the local and wider flora and fauna landscape.There are current discussions regarding more in-depth surveys of the superior health and importance of allotment soils.
We are gradually raising the profile of the NAS.
We have rebranded as NAS.
We have a new look “Allotment Magazine”.
Despite my own ignorance, our social media presence seems to be growing.
I hope you agree that there is much to look forward to with many exciting things happening, among them the launching of the new website and a re-organising of how we run things. As we all know, none of the above would be possible without the cooperation and goodwill of our terrific staff and a massive THANK YOU to all our volunteers.
COMPANY SECRETARY REPORT
Mike Farrell, NAS chair, introduced Sonia Gallagher as the new National Secretary. Mike thanked Sonia for taking on the general management at Head Office in Corby.
The Company Secretary report was introduced for inclusion in the report and proceedings.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
2023 has been a very busy year once again. In the changing environment the Society faces, we do need to adapt and develop to a wide range of challenges.
The focus must be on the continued development of the services we provide for our membership.We must continue
to work on influencing policy, discouraging the disposal of prime growing land
and doing all we can to encourage the creation of MORE ALLOTMENTS all around the country. Our 21st Century Developers Guide has made a major impact throughout the country.This has been taken on board by numerous planning authorities, developers, and local authorities.