Leominster Allotment Association Newsletter May 2017 Annual General Meeting: May 10 th 2017 The AGM of the Leominster Allotment Association was held on Wednesday 10 th May at 19.00 at the new Town Council Offices in Corn Square. Firstly, many thanks to those Association members who attended and joined in the discussions. The committee for 2017/18 is as follows: Gill Murdoch Chair Christine Conlon Minutes Secretary Steve Gallimore Treasurer Jane Lacey Membership Secretary John Braithwaite Seed Order Co-ordinator Viv Pearson Ian Wilkins Bridget Hirschman n The Association extends its heartfelt thanks to Cathy Fewlass, Ray Wall, Chris Preece and Lesley Marsh who have served on the committee for many years and are taking a little break. We value the contribution each has made. They will, of course, continue to support and participate in allotment activities. The committee is pleased to welcome two new members, Bridgett and Ian, and looks forward to working with them over the coming years. By a unanimous vote it was agreed that the LAA subscription will increase to 7.00 per annum from April 2018 to cover increased insurance and NSALG affiliation costs, plus the impact of inflation over the last 10 years. It was agreed that during the coming year the committee will: Organise two coach trips, if there is enough support Organise a summer BBQ for plot-holders and friends, if there is enough support Investigate a source of soil conditioner for plot-holders Review the allotment judging criteria (now 10 years old) Review the Allotment Handbook (now 10 years old)
Composting Large composting bins Please observe the following procedures Any plot-holder may deposit compostable green waste from the plot into the RIGHT-HAND large composting bin. The Town Council staff will deposit green/brown compostable waste into the left-hand bin. The Town Council staff will use the middle bin to mix compost from the 2 outside bins. TOWN COUNCIL USE ONLY Holding bay for TC green waste TOWN COUNCIL USE ONLY Mixing bay using green waste from left and right bays PLOT-HOLDER USE Deposit green waste from plots only All non-compostable waste should be taken away from the allotment site for appropriate disposal elsewhere. Please do not deposit any waste in the area adjacent to the large composting bins. Day Trip to Birmingham Botanical Gardens On Saturday 18 th March, a group of 29 (LAA members and friends) enjoyed an interesting day out at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Luckily the rain held off until the return coach journey so we had a chance to wander around the gardens and enjoy the spring planting, Victorian aviary with very noisy but entertaining birds, hot houses with tropical plants and a beautiful resident cat! A tasty fish and chip lunch was included in the cost, freshly cooked and served in the friendly Atlantis Fish Bar on the Hagley Road. The return journey included a garden centre stop for tea and shopping. A good day was had by all. Page 2 of 5
Allotment Association E-mail If you need to contact the Allotment Association we now have an email address: leominster.allotments@outlook.com Intruders There has been an incident recently when intruders came into the allotment site. To deter intruders, it is really important to make sure the gates are closed at all times and safely secured overnight, otherwise we are an easy target for thieves, vandals and ne er-do-wells. BASIC RULES Close the gates Parking areas Dogs on leads Please make sure you close the gates as you come into and leave the allotment site. THIS MEANS YOU! Please do not park vehicles on the grassy paths between allotments. There are designated car parking areas. If you have heavy loads for your plot it is OK to drive to the plot to unload, and then move your car to the car park. We ask you to keep dogs on leads until you are on your plot. Security Marking Session The Town Council has kindly organised for the police to come to the allotment site to mark tools and equipment as a deterrent to theft, on Saturday 20 th May 10.00-12.00 (see Julie s report below). Summer BBQ Last July we held a BBQ on the allotment site to celebrate the 10 th anniversary of the site. It was a beautifully sunny Saturday afternoon and the food and company were both great! The committee is happy to organise the food for a BBQ in July if you are interested. This year we would have to make a charge of 4 per individual for LAA members and 5 for others, family 10 for LAA members, and 13 for non-members. Bring your own drink. Email leominster.allotments@outlook.com state your interest and preferred date(s), July 8 th, July 15 th, July 22 nd, July 29 th or August 5 th. Phone Gill 01568 589287 Page 3 of 5
Leominster Festival Family Fun Day, The Grange Saturday 10 th June 2017, 10.00 to 16.00 The Family Fun Day is a free event for all ages and a key event in the Leominster Festival. There are lots of exciting activities for children and interesting stalls for all. Allotment Plant and Produce Stall The LAA is having a stall at the Fun Day and we will sell plants, seedlings, preserves, cakes and produce. We will also have some activities for children. Are you free to help on the stall? 10.00-12.00 12.00-14.00 14.00-16.00 Do you have plants, produce or cakes to donate to the stall? Please let us know, email leominster.allotments@outlook.com Phone Cathy 01568 616464 or Gill 01568 589287, Allotment Outings The committee is happy to organise further coach trips following the success of our day in Birmingham, one this autumn and another next spring. Please email leominster.allotments@outlook.com if you are interested (or phone Viv 01568 617431) and feel free to suggest gardens that you would like to visit. Depending on the location and entry fees, the cost is likely to be between 20 and 25. A message from Julie Debbage Allotment Site Manager It s great to see everything springing into life and the allotments looking fresh and ready for the new season despite the recent frosts! I would like to welcome new members and thank regular members for continuing to grow on site. If your contact details change, please remember to update the office staff. We do have a small number of empty plots available to rent, so if you know of anyone who might be interested, please ask them to call 01568 611734 or email grounds@leominstertowncouncil.gov.uk and I will be happy to show them around. The compost bins are ready to use. The left hand one is for Town Council waste that needs to be shredded but please put green waste into the right hand composter. Town Council staff will then layer it alternately into the centre bay with our shredded waste. Page 4 of 5
The Police will be visiting the allotments on Saturday 20 th May 10am-12noon, to carry out security marking to any equipment or bicycles that you may have. This was booked before the recent spate of thefts. It is essential that the gates are closed all the time and locked when no-one is on site. I have visited twice, early in the morning to find the gates unlocked and no-one on site. I have checked the perimeter fence and the only place that someone has entered is the bottom corner near Cattery Lane. The fence has been repaired and signage put up. If you think that you have had items taken from your allotment, please report it on 101 and also to me on the email address or phone number above. Each report generated will be linked so that the Police can see the bigger picture. They have informed me that they regularly drive past at night and they now have a gate key for the site. Our Pest Control contractor has changed, so if you experience any pest issues, please let me know so that they can be dealt with promptly. As dog mess has become an issue, I have left free dog bags in a tub by the swap table, I hope to install a bin, that will be emptied by Town Council staff, in the near future. It has been highlighted at a recent meeting, that the access roads are being used for parking. As these are a grass surface, please only use these for loading or unloading and park in the car parking area at the bottom of the site. Lastly, don t forget that the Town Council has moved from 17 West Street to our new offices at 11 Corn Square along with the Tourist Information Centre. The Town Council office is open Monday to Friday 9.15am- 1pm. Please feel free to pop in and see the new look Tourist Information Centre open Monday to Saturday 9.30-4.30. Happy Growing! DIARY DATES Saturday 20 th May 10.00 12.00 The police will come to the site for security marking session. 2 nd 11 th June Leominster Festival Thursday 8 th June 7.30pm at the Community Centre, School Lane NO ENTRY FEE DONATION REQUESTED The talk will introduce permaculture as a way of designing resilience, sustainability and harmony into our farms, gardens, relationships, businesses, governance, health and all aspects of life. For Leominster it can help in the transition towards a greener, low carbon future by enriching our livelihoods, lifestyles and environment. Saturday 10 th June July 10.00-16.00 Family Fun Day at the Grange. Allotment plant stall. Allotment BBQ tbc Contact the Town Council Town Council Offices Phone 01568 611734 E-mail grounds@leominstertowncouncil.gov.uk or admin@leominstertowncouncil.gov.uk Page 5 of 5