Agreed at AGM 28 September 2017
Tilehurst Allotments Society
Minutes of the Sixteenth Annual General Meeting held on 29 September 2016
Present: people signed in (29 plot-holders,2 waiting list and 2 representatives from the Charity) .
Apologies : Derek Huckin, MaryBartlett,Lesley Hedge
1. David Griffiths welcomed everyone and opened the meeting
2. Minutes of the sixteenth Annual General Meeting (24.09.15) were accepted ( prop Ian Duddle, sec Judith Buckingham agreed nem con)
3. Address from Chair: David Griffiths said
Welcome
I'd like to welcome the Trustees, the plot holders, including representatives from the Ghurkha charity, and people waiting for plots, I hope you will all find it interesting here this evening.
Main Purposes of the meeting are
• to help the Tilehurst Poors Land Charity collect the rent efficiently ,
• to give your committee a steer regarding priorities for the next year,
• to provide one of two annual occasions for you to meet up face to face rather than just by bumping in to who ever is around on site when you visit your plot.
• To provide an opportunity for tenants to hear from our landlord.
The pack
On your chair you found a pack containing:
• The agenda for tonight
• Our accounts for last year
• The minutes of last years AGM
• And on the last page there is a task sheet for some group work in the second half. It would be great if you could, during the group work, complete the back page and hand it in before you leave.
Key messages from chair
I am very keen that children should appreciate how vegetables get from the seed packet onto plates. However, I have an allotment because I want to grow stuff, it tastes better. When I visit the site, I want to garden. So what is the Tilehurst Allotment Society all about?
Why TAS
TAS exists to promote allotment gardening. It aims to help make visits to the allotment more enjoyable and productive. We want to help minimise obstacles, share good ideas and make it easier to make new friends and meet up with old ones. It is really important that skills and knowledge about gardening and food are passed on from generation to generation. We find ways of adapting to 21st century living, busy lives, small plots, fast food and electronic communication.
Which brings me to a special mention of thanks to Karen and Mary for their work waving the TAS banner on social media. I am also very grateful for the support I get from the rest of the committee, I would like to say too numerous to mention. But that is not the case, Thank you Jenny, Karen, Mary, Colin and William - particularly William and Joan Macphee who have hosted committee meetings for the best part of two decades - starting when we had no cash to pay for a meeting room. They can now have their living room back. In future a larger committee will be meeting in the small committee room at the side of this hall. A special thank you and welcome to each of you who has stepped up to help on next years committee. However, there is still space for more volunteers.
Reading Town Meal
Once again, TAS has supported the Reading Town Meal. I think that Helen is here to talk about that later, but I would like to thank all of you who have contributed produce.
Plot Letting
This committee is not the landlord. We regret delays in letting plots which appear vacant, sometimes it is due to family circumstances and giving tenants a reasonable chance to get things sorted out.
Rubbish
Where does it come from, yesterdays potentially useful gizmo always seems to become tomorrows heap of rusting junk. Some of you will be used to the March RESCUE when Reading council turn up and remove everything from the carpark that in not physically bolted down. I fancy that some neighbours have used this as an opportunity to turn out their sheds and garages. It has certainly been an excellent opportunity for plotholders to have a clear out.
a) Sadly, next year, due to council cuts there will not be a RESCUE event, there are no arrangements for collecting rubbish. We have been very lucky to have the service in the past. It is the responsibility of each Plot holder your to remove rubbish from your plot. I recommend doing it steadily throughout the year, dont collect junk.
b) There is no bin collection from the site. Compost your weeds and take your rubbish home.
c) There is no dumping on the site. There is very little policing of the fly tipping which occurs in odd corners but I am concerned that any waste brought onto site because of local council cuts could escalate into a serious problem. Anything which grew will compost into a valuable resource, I think Bob Flowerdew said that he does not have weeds in his garden, they are all unprocessed compost.
4. Treasurer’s Report: Karen Fidler referred to the summary of the Society’s accounts for the year ending 30 June 2016 which had been agreed by our scrutineer to be a fair representation . The Society had a good year, receiving £516.75 more than it spent thanks to the really good show result and the generosity of Mervyn Tayler’s friends and relations . The Tilehurst Show result was the best ever thanks to all for the splendid range of produce and good selling team. The committee suggest two possible site improvements to be discussed later in the meeting to be funded by the kind donations of Mervyn’s family and the Waitrose ‘green pennies’ donation received several years ago.
The accounts were accepted ( prop Colin Robinson, Steve Watson nem con).
5. Report from the Charity: Colin Cairns speaking on behalf of the Charity said
“Thank you to the plot-holders for being good tenants, your work in cultivating the land and taking care of the shared paths. It should be noted that at the Health and Safety there were no issues other than several under cultivated plots and the Trustees commented on how much improved the allotment site was looking. Thank you for paying your rent which go towards the Charity’s purposes of relieving poverty and distress in the ancient parish of Tilehurst.
One note, to remember is that the allotment site will be closed for 24hrs from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day.
The Charity had received three questions ( respoonses given below)
1. How many plot-holders were granted the nominal rent (£1) for second year after having made a good start in cultivating their plot, which was uncultivated or a poor state when they took it on. Please give the figures for autumn a) 2015, 6 tenants b) 2014 5 tenants c) 2013. 5 tenants
2. The rent for 12 month’s usage of a standard (half size) plot is now £1 per week. Will the Trustees make a pro-rata rent reduction for tenants who take on a plot mid- year? To do so would mean plots could be let promptly when vacant avoiding the eligibility for significant second -year rebates in accordance with the Trustees’ policy.. This has already been happening for the past couple of years( since 2014)
3. What is the Trustees’ policy regarding mature trees (e.g Ash) in the middle of the site depriving nearby plots of light, ground water and nutrients. The Charity has no policy on mature trees but will deal with this on a case by case basis as has happened previously
6. Growing vegetables in UK and Nepal : Chandra Burathoki said he was pleased to be here to speak with us. Chandra, (representative of the Charity the forgotten Ghurka ) started by reminding us that Nepal is landlocked- between Thailand and India- 27.5 million population Hindu and Christian. 80% of the land is mountains so growing things is different from UK. The land is terraced and hand dug -no machines. Chandra has grown in Nepal where his family are .everyone there knows about growing things. He also has experience of growing in UK-he has a plot at Theale, and he facilitates countrymen getting plots in Reading—including The Tilehurst Poors Lands Charity land. He said climate here and at his home (height of 6000m) was similar but growing was different. Water has to be carried a long way, all is hand cultivated, no big fields but patches say 5 or 6 acres in total. Crops are similar( corn and wheat but include rice and millet) .Ghurkas who have allotment plots in Reading notice several differences, - they use every bit of land- clearing it , popping things in when there is space, they don’t waste anything, especially food and preserve for winter - drying say pumpkins, and using for soup. He pointed out two posters displaying photos and names of Nepalesel vegetables..
Chandra explained that the families who have plots enjoy growing in the UK-, and it helps them to stay healthy. They are interested in the different ways .The Charity arranges English lessons and all welcome conversation practice- please chat . In response to a question Chandra explained that at home in Nepal ,the men do the heavy work( carrying water long distances) and and the women do lighter work .
Dave thanked Chandra for his thought -provoking talk .
7. Town meal and Reading Food Growing Network : Helen Wright explained about Reading Food Growing Network (http://www.readingfoodgrowingnetwork.org.uk/ ) that helps growers throughout the year. She also talked about the celebratory Town Meal event to be held on Saturday at the Forbury gardens ( including stalls., attractions and music from the bandstand programme) . 1000 meals will be prepared by Reading College students using donated harvest vegetables and fruit . Tilehurst allotments donations including magnificent squashes had been delivered on Monday , Helen then accepted some more fresh produce for the meal and thanked tenants for their kind donations.
During the Interval (refreshments c kindly provided by Joan Macphee and Deborah Dadd ) people continued to pay their rent, chat and compared notes about crops etc , whilst the room was arranged for small group discussion
7. Discussion of Site Issues and priorities for the Society Groups of members with plots in the same area
Considered questions on the task sheet ( site do’s and don’t’s, a social?, site improvements- including two specific proposals, the worst impediments to allotment happiness) the feedback is recorded in separate document, and will inform committee decisions.
8. Elections The following people where elected Dave Griffiths: Chair, Karen Fidler:Treasurer, Jenny Cottee:Secretary , Mary Bartlett Membership Secretary,
Marsdon Baker, Deborah Dadd, , David Elton, Carine Guenand, Willam Macphee, Colin Robinson
Julia Cottee was elected as accounts scrutineer
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9. Raffle £42.00 with all prizes donated.
Joan Macphee thanked the committee for all their work during the year. Dave closed the meeting at 9.05pm.
For agreement at AGM 29 September 2016