Page 32 - ALG Issue 3 2022

I cannot see happening in the near future. I also feel that the way things are at the moment in society, our gardening activity may become a necessity instead of a recreational activity. It is so very pleasing to see young families taking
on allotment gardening. When children participate in helping their parents to grow fruit and vegetables it gives a child lasting memory. It is many, many years since I was a child, but I still hold fond memories of helping my dad on the allotment.
It is interesting to see a change in the housing development world where many housing developments are being accompanied by a new allotment site as part of the green space allocation, a practice we shall encourage going hand in hand with the offer of help from NAS in setting them up. We have also got permission from the Royal Household to name any new allotment site with the additional title of ‘Platinum Jubilee Allotments’ for new sites in 2022.
Only one negative note; we as an organisation are still having to deal with a number of complaints (very time consuming) which are usually to do with personality clashes or proper procedures not being followed. There is no excuse for the latter as associations have access to information regarding policies and procedures for every allotment related eventuality from the NAS library. If properly followed, half of these situations would not arise.
Back on a more positive note again,
it is great that our public image is
so good with requests to share that image at many different venues; it is also great that our services are in such high demand, so we must be doing something right.
Thank you to all those members who go that extra mile to promote our wonderful organisation at every opportunity.
I repeat what I said last year, allotments
have a lot to offer society and ‘THE FUTURE OF ALLOTMENTS IS BRIGHT’.
CHAIRMANS COMMENTS
Many improvements have been made in the Head Office; we have new staff, plans for a new website, ideas for the development of staff training and an existing development system for the management teams in parish and town councils through webinars. Perhaps individual site management training should be the next target offered to sites for self-improvement.
The better trained the management teams are on allotments, then the fewer problems there should be on allotment sites that are caused by tenants and site committees misunderstanding the rules that they should use to govern allotment site management.
For the NAS, our biggest task now is communicating those improvements to the general membership, and further enhancing the development of all our volunteers who manage allotments for their members.
One thing this year I am very pleased about is the possibility of new sites taking the name, the Platinum Jubilee Allotments. These will be used within an allotment title which might be a long name, but it has class, and we should mark the Queen’s reign in our own way.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCES
Colin Bedford Judith Hill
Tony Urwin
Alan Cavill
Dave Morris
Jeff Davies Shirley Fleetwood Mark Vincent
OBITUARIES
There were no obituaries, but a minute’s silence was taken for those who have lost loved ones since the previous AGM.
One thing this year
I am very pleased about is the possibility of new sites taking the name, the Platinum Jubilee Allotments. These will be used within an allotment title which might be a long name, but it has class, and we should mark the Queen’s reign in our own way
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
It is the work of the committee to monitor the progress of the changes and modernisation of the Regional Constitutions, Procedures and Code of Conduct. This involves changes in both the parent body (NAS) and regional constitutional changes.
Paul Merryweather, chairman of the Governance Committee, thanked volunteers for their hard work over the previous year and mentioned that the 11 regions have been working hard for the organisation. The lack of further report is down to the efforts of the reps dealing with any significant issues at their level.
Paul asked the members attending if there was anyone in attendance that wanted to put themselves forward to fill the three vacancies on the Governance Committee.
Keith Meakin from the London Region and Gareth Owen from West Midlands both volunteered.
ACCEPTANCE OF THE REPORT AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AGM 2021 Members voted to accept
NOMINATIONS & AWARDS
• John Irwin was nominated as the regional rep for the North West for another full term (3 years).
• Mike Cantillon was nominated as the regional rep for the Southern Region for 2 further years.
• Terry Dickinson was nominated as the regional rep for London for a further 2 years.
President Phil Gomersall presented the awards:
• Jenny Crawford was awarded
an Honorary Life Membership, nominated by the Southern Region which was collected in her absence by her husband, Ian Crawford.
• Jeff Barber was awarded an Honorary Life Membership,
32 Allotment and Leisure Gardener