AGM2022
Street & District Allotments Association
Annual General Meeting – 6th March 2022 – Victoria Club
Committee Officers: Chair: Nina Swift; Treasurer: Peter Fry; Secretary: Julie Hillman Present: 25 members
1. Welcome Nina welcomed everyone to the 2022 AGM.
2. Apologies Mary & Andrew Hucker, Andy Jackson, Margaret Just, Tim Sellars, Suzie Williams
3. Minutes of the last AGM 7th March 2021 These have been posted on our website since last March and were displayed on our site notice boards for some time following the meeting. There were no questions or matters arising and the minutes were approved unanimously by those present. Proposed R Coles/Seconded C Routley
4. Annual Report – Nina Swift
Thanks – Nina started by thanking the committee on behalf of members for all the hard work and efforts they have put in. Without these volunteers S&DAA would not be able to operate and members wouldn’t be looking forward to a productive growing season. The Site Reps have gone above and beyond to ensure the allotments are kept fruitful and tidy, making our allotments harmonious places in which to garden. Thanks too to all members who have given assistance through the year to fellow plot holders or to the maintenance of common areas of the site. Julie Hillman, your Secretary, has been extremely diligent in dealing with correspondence and busy keeping Nina on the right track at committee meetings. Peter Fry, your Treasurer AND Membership Co-ordinator, has also had a very active year in these roles.
Covid 19 – Our 2nd full year living with Covid-19 and we continued to provide appropriate guidelines for safe enjoyment of the allotments. Plot inspections had been suspended in 2020 but took place as normal in 2021.
Plot inspections – Perhaps as a consequence of the difficulties of 2020, there seemed to be a larger than usual number of neglected or under-worked plots. Most issues were eventually resolved either by the plots being brought round or in some cases surrendered and subsequently re-let. The committee has discussed ways in which to help prevent this happening again by: 1. having site inspections earlier in the season, the first to be in May and,
2. taking up concerns verbally with the plot holder sooner rather than later.
As the restrictions were relaxed the Site Reps took a sympathetic view but had to tackle some of the worst plots. This involved the committee’s and rep’s time and effort and paperwork. Many of you may not even be aware that this happens and it can sometimes feel like a thankless task. Ensuring that allotment holders do actually work at keeping their plots tidy is for everyone’s benefit. By ‘weeding out’ plot holders who are not seriously intending to grow produce plots can be released to people on the waiting lists. It is the committee’s job to ensure standards are maintained. Our rents are very low and, as it is costing them so little, some plot holders may hang on ‘just in case’ but don’t work the plot to any real extent. In these cases the committee does and will continue to issue improvement notices.
Health & Safety – This is a standard agenda item for our quarterly meetings and through the year 3 additions were made to the site risk assessments:
1. Legionella risk of stored water;
2. Risk of pathogens in soil, manure & composts;
3. Risk of vehicles getting stuck in soft verges e.g. back lane at Farm Lane.
Up to date risk assessments can be found on the website and are displayed on the site notice boards.
Newsletter – Early in the year Richard Coles offered to produce a newsletter and we have since seen 4 issues, one being published after each of the quarterly committee meetings. It has been a useful way to communicate current issues to the membership as well as feature items of interest. Thank you to Richard and all contributors.
Website – Our current website is still accessible but cannot be updated as Google is withdrawing this particular service. Thanks to Peter for working on its replacement.
Brooks Rd water – The supply of water for the Brooks Road allotment is from a well. Although a small electric pump has been in use for the last couple of years, charging the battery every few days was a chore. It was therefore agreed by the committee to install a solar panel and much larger battery. It took a while to get the system built and operating by which time the long spring dry spell was almost over. However we should see the benefit in 2022. Thank you to Mark Porter, Tom and Michelle Atton and Peter Fry for seeing this project through.
Farm Lane hard standing – The track between the gate and the car park at Farm Lane is used a great deal and needs to be maintained. Two large dumpy bags of scalpings were purchased for this purpose.
Strode Rd waste – Street Parish Council is landlord to the Strode Rd site. They have recently carried out maintenance work to the ditch and hedge. They have asked us to clear the waste around the compost compound on the bank. Members are asked not to add any waste to the compound or alongside until further notice.
Comments invited from the floor – Tony Bolas thanked the committee for all their hard work, he knew from experience how much is involved. Peter Fry said it is nice to feel appreciated but he did hope members wouldn’t be put off from volunteering to join the committee in future years. Richard Coles thanked Julie and Peter in particular for their support through the year.
5. Treasurer’s Report – Peter Fry
Peter thanked member Tony Bolas for scrutinising the accounts and signing them to say they are a true record. A summary was included with the agenda sent to all members covering the 12m period 1st Feb to 31 Jan.
Last year’s members’ rents and subscriptions totalled £1706. At 6th Mar all but one member have paid for 2022.
Through the year we had the usual outgoings of rent to landlords (unchanged), 3rd party insurance and subscription to the Allotment & Gardens Assoc, altogether totalling £1,135 (£1,126 in 2021). Other administrative costs were a little bit up (£85 compared to £62) due to committee meetings being held in a more expensive/Covid secure room. Of site related costs, £234 at Brooks Rd was for installation of a solar panel and larger battery to the water pump at the well. At Farm Lane £75 was for scalpings needed to make good the track from the gate to the car park with smaller amounts being spent on paint for road markings and gate keys.
Outgoings continue to be less than income, with a surplus for the year of £147 and there is judged to be no reason to propose an increase in fees.
There were no questions and the accounts were unanimously approved by those present.
6. Membership – Peter Fry
Through the year we have placed 28 new members; 6 at Brooks Rd, 11 at Farm Lane and 11 at Strode Rd. Peter thanked Adrian Chamberlain and John Mizen for doing what we call “Meet & Greet” at Brooks Rd and Strode Rd respectively. The current waiting list for a plot is longer than it has been for some time. It is made up of two parts; existing members who would like to take on more space (2B/2F/1S) and new people applying. Of the latter (of which there are 15) some have expressed an interest in a particular site but when it comes to their turn they will be offered the next available plot no matter where it is. Currently vacant plots are 1 half-plot at Brooks Rd and 2 halves at Strode. For comparison Peter said Bristol with a typical annual rent of £250 has 6000 plots with a waiting list of 4500!
7 Election of Officers & Committee Members
All positions are elected each year. Nominations have been submitted to the Secretary including two new nominations. There were no contested nominations that would require a vote off.
NEW NOMINATIONS / POSITION
NOMINEE
PROPOSED / SECONDED
Site Rep, Brooks Rd
Mark Porter
Craig Gooding / Julie Hillman
Site Rep, Brooks Rd
Bev Wicks
Sarah Curnow / Tania Malone
Ian Crafer had been co-opted to the committee part way through the year as member responsible for overseeing the care of hens kept on the allotments and was now standing for election.
Member responsible for hens
Ian Crafter
Patrick Franks / Anthony Bolas
A unanimous show of support was given for these three nominations, duly elected to the committee.
Other Committee Members as below had agreed to stand for re-election and had been duly nominated.
POSITION
NOMINEE
PROPOSED / SECONDED
Chair
Nina Swift
David Lane / Richard Lane
Treasurer & Membership Co-ordinator
Peter Fry
A Sorgente / N Farren
Secretary
Julie Hillman
Daryl Livingston / Adrian Chamberlain
Site Rep, Brooks Rd
Craig Gooding
Bev Wicks / Tania Malone
Site Reps, Farm Lane
Amos Hurst
Tim Sellars
Roger Spicer / Chris Routley
M Atwell / D Stanislaus
Site Reps, Strode Rd
Richard Coles
John Mizen
Di Baker / Christine Chapman
M Barnes / Des Groves
There being no objection these nominations were considered en bloc and were given a unanimous show of support and duly elected.
8. Any Other Business
A Strode Rd member had asked if another outlet for the mains water supply could be installed at the other end of the site. John Mizen said this had been looked into on a previous occasion but ruled out by Bristol Water. The matter will be discussed at the next committee meeting in May.
There being no other business the meeting closed at 11am.