Future events

1

Present

Graeme Ainsworth, Heather Davies, Penny Fear, Jane Lacey, Sue Morris, Simon Pickhaver, Jane Thorley-Watkins, Hilary Tuite, Stuart Sidebotham, Andy Watkins, Kay West, Marcus Williams

2

Apologies

Charley Crosse

3

Minutes of 2025 AGM

Circulated read and approved. Proposed Kay West, seconded Heather Davies

4

Matters arising

·         Council does not want bird feeders to be used from May to October. It encourages rats and RSPB advice is that it spreads disease amongst the birds.

·         Swap Table. Useful to plot holders but please, no glass or rubbish. Remove your items if not taken after 2 weeks. Stuart is preparing an official notice to be placed by swap table.

·         Social prescribing. Ryelands surgery were interested in prescribing allotment work/visits but apparently without clinical support for the individuals concerned. Committee would welcome groups or individuals accompanied by a clinical worker and could offer tuition in gardening but concluded we do not have the expertise to run such a scheme without back up from the scheme organisers.

·         Heart of England It’s Your Neighbourhood award scheme. Kay and Hilary attended the awards ceremony in Malvern. Our score was only 3 points short of top category award. Judged by Lesley and David Pritchard.

·         David and Lesley also came to judge our plot holders’ awards on 18th August. Due to dry summer, many plants and flowers had already finished producing.

·         Informal Produce Show held at the site in summer. Some good entries but we need more next time.

·         Harvest Supper Friday October 10^th Delicious bring and share food, raffle (raised £30), quiz and presentation of awards.

·         Tourist Information Office Christmas Tree. Kay, Jane and Sue decorated it again this year using lovely items made by Penny. Many thanks to her.

·         Jane and Kay, helped by Heather, did a car boot sale on April 26^th, selling donated plants and other items. It raised £86 profit and was simpler to organise than the Leominster in Bloom Plant Fairs.

·         Simon asked about the lease negotiations. Council are finalising the contract which puts the two halves of the site into the one contract and should safeguard the site for another 10 years

5

Membership and Treasurer’s Report

This year we made a loss of £160.62, probably due to the fact that we did not take part in any fundraising markets. (May plant Fair too late in season and Autumn too late as the dry summer meant we had no produce to sell.)

Currently the balance at the bank is £1458.95.

The car boot sale raised £86.

Manure money is still in deficit. Cost of manure £190 and current total of payments received is only £123 leaving a deficit of £57 to break even. There is still a small amount of manure in the first car park for people to take and pay for.

It was mentioned that the sales of seeds from the Kings seed catalogues also raises money and ways to encourage Association members to be aware of and to use this scheme were discussed.

Heather proposed a vote of thanks to Hilary for all the work she has done this year sorting out a difficult situation, seconded by Simon.

6

Chair person’s report

Kay reminded us that she has been the Chair person for 6 years and it would be good to have someone else take it over.

The necessary move to online banking proved so difficult that even the bank staff struggled with it plus issues around changing the signatories. Thanks to Hilary for many visits to the bank and to Heather for assistance.

Thanks to Stuart and his team and Sarah for ongoing support. Many positive comments have been made about the allotment site by plot holders and others and how it was such an important space, appreciated by the plot holders and what a good community it was with people helping each other.

7

Secretary’s report

We have held 4 committee meetings plus the AGM, in the summer months on Sundays at the site and in the winter in the Town Council Art Gallery. Thanks to Stuart for booking this. Thanks also to Sarah Davies, who does the admin for the site and is the person who sends letters and makes welfare calls.

I have been minutes secretary since 2022 taking over from Sam Cox so would be very happy for someone else to take over this role. I prepare agendas and circulate to committee and town council, I take minutes and send out to members and to the website admin and do a one-page summary of the meetings to post up on the notice boards at the site.

I usually join Stuart’s site inspections but that is not an essential part of the role.

Thanks to Kay, Hilary and Jane for all the work they do on the committee.

8

Site Matters

Waiting list is only 9.

Only plot 3 is vacant plus minibeds I and J.

Plot 18a is vacant but has another quarter plot at the end of it with the only access through plot 18.

Stuart has received two very different quotes for levelling the track at the site entrance. He intends to get another quote to see which is more realistic.

New padlocks and keys have been obtained at a cost of £900. The changeover to the new locks and keys is May 21^st.

Solar powered CCTV cameras have now been purchased and will be installed at strategic points around the site.

A replacement tap for drinking water will be installed by the community area at the same time.

There was discussion as to what to do if someone locks you in.

There should not be a problem if the pedestrian gate key is always locked on the inside while the large gate is locked from the outside. It is recommended to shout out before locking the gate to see if anyone else is on site.

One witness to the recent fly-tipping incident has come forward and the Council is investigating. Council team have removed most of the branches for chipping but it is not their job to chip other people’s wood.

9

Election of Officers

Chair Kay West

Treasurer Heather Davies

Membership Secretary Jane Thorley-Watkins

Minutes Secretary Sue Morris

10

Future Events

·         BBQ   Friday June 5^th at 6pm. We hope people will come along after work or school and enjoy the BBQ after watering their plots. Bring your own sausages.

·         Judging for the “It’s Your Neighbourhood” award will be on Sunday afternoon, July 19^th. David and Lesley hope there will be plenty of plot holders to talk to at that time.

·         Plot Award judging TBA

·         Saturday August 15^th Produce Show (informal)

·         Harvest Supper Friday October 9^th at the Forbury 7pm

·         Next allotment meeting on Wednesday July 1^st 7pm at the community shed.

·         Fund raising ideas from Jane – another car boot sale, Advent calendars containing seeds to sell.

·         Planting summer bedding into flower tubs. Offers of plants welcome.

11

AOB

·         Communication. Sue is still trying to have a meeting about the web-site with the host. Face Book page: Jane and Sue are now the admin for this page which is quite well used.

·         The redundant gate post by the wild-life which people claimed was hard to see has now been brightly painted as a figure by Jane.

·         Simon commended the hard work and excellent progress of new plot holders. Congratulations to them!

·         Thanks were offered to Stuart and Sarah of the Council team and to Graeme, Andy and others for the help they give others

Kay thanked all the attendees and closed the meeting at 8.25.

Day

Date

Event and venue

Time

Friday

5th June

BBQ,  Allotment site

6pm

Wednesday

1st July

Meeting, Allotment site

7pm

Saturday

15th August

Informal produce show

Wednesday

2nd September

Meeting, Allotment site

7pm

Friday

9th October

Harvest Supper, The Forbury

7pm

Wednesday

11th November

Meeting, Town Council offices

7pm