Thursday 24 July 2014

MINUTES 14/07/2014


ABAS - Association of Bolton Allotment Societies

Meeting 14th July 2014

 

Present: Committee – Richard Heyes (Chair), George Wild (Secretary), Terry Farrell (Treasurer), David Jackson (Asst. Secretary), Jeff Gibson, Margaret Jackson, Phil Warren plus representatives of : Sapling Rd., Tonge Fold, Haslam Park, Dealey Rd., Rawlyn Rd., Smedley Avenue, Settle St., Florence Avenue, Shepherd Cross St., Tonge Moor Rd., Moss Lea and Harpers Lane.

 

Minutes of Last Meeting

The minutes of the meeting of 9/06/2014 have been posted on the Association’s website at http://www.abas2014.blogspot.co.uk   The minutes were agreed.

 

Matters Arising from the Meeting

ABAS had contacted the Council about reinstatement work at Cemetery Rd. Farnworth. What has happened since could not be discussed as no representative of Cemetery Rd. was present to provide an update.

 

Matters Arising between Meetings

Contact from the National – members with projects relating to Bees that might form the basis for a piece in Allotment and Leisure Gardener were asked to contact Diane Appleyard – diane@nsalg.org.uk

 

Update on Council Actions
(information provided by the Allotments Desk at Bolton MBC)

 

OMAs

  • Completed 4 – (Harpers Lane, Florence Ave, Shepherds Cross St, Moss Lea)
  • Expected Completion in July 2 – (Dealey Rd., Sapling Rd.)
  • Site Visit Completed, In progress 3 –(Rawlyn Rd., Tonge Fold, Tonge Moor Rd.)
  • Site Visit to be arranged 1 – (Settle Street)

 

The Council are currently aware of 42 vacant plots borough-wide (excluding plots on OMA sites)

This is down from 69 in March

The Council are currently filling vacant plots at Crown Lane, Rawlyn Rd. and Manningham Rd. They aim to tackle 2 more non-OMA sites in September

 

Waiting Lists

There are currently 293 people on the Council’s waiting list (down from 305 in March)

 

Community Plots – a definition

A community plot is any plot where the person(s) working it do not have a tenancy.  On OMA sites this may include people clearing a plot for their own subsequent use (provided they complete the clearance) with no tenancy and making no payment.

 

Non-OMA sites

The Council is struggling through lack of capacity to make inspections on non-OMA sites. They have reported on only one site to date at which 12 plots were served with Notices to Improve

 

Competitions Update

Report on Judging – 5 sites have been judged so far. Judging will be completed on 15/07/2014.

 

Sponsorship of Prizes

Sponsorship by J Maher Ltd of First and Second Prizes for the Fairhurst, Greenhalgh and New Entrant Trophies. The balance of prize money etc. will be provided from ABAS funds.

 

Presentations to Prize Winners

Will take place at Harpers Lane Open Day at 3.00 p.m. on August 10th 2014 by Councillor Sufrana Bashir-Ismail (executive Member for the area covering allotments)

 

A representative of Sapling Rd. enquired why Harpers Lane’s Open Day had been chosen as the venue for the prize giving. The reason given was the limited time to find, and the limited funds available for, other venues. This reply satisfied the representative.

 

 

National Allotments Week

National Allotments Week runs from 4th August to 10th August

The National have issued a pack to help any society to promote events in connection with the Week. Memebrs were informed that they could get an electronic copy from ABAS at boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk or direct from the National at www.nsalg.org.uk from whom you can also order free posters (some posters were made available at the meeting.)

ABAS will be trying to get material about allotments into the Bolton News during National Allotment Week

 

Open Days etc.

Sites having any ‘public’ events over the summer (whether in connection with National Allotment Week or not) were asked to inform ABAS. A provisional list was drawn up which will be posted on the ABAS blog-site. ABAS will try to get events posted on the North West Counties’ website

 

Good to Grow Project - Presentation by Alun Morris

 

Any Other Business

 

The meeting approved a suggestion for the Committee that we have invited speakers at some of our meetings. Suggestions ranged from a visit from Robinson’s Seeds, to dahlias and chrysanthemums, worms, beekeeping and poultry-keeping. The Treasurer’s suggestion that ABAS joins the National Vegetable Society was agreed by the meeting.

 

The Assistant Secretary asked whether (in view of the number of events taking place in August) we should still have an August meeting. The feeling of those present was that we should.

 

Date and Venue of Next Meeting

The next meeting will take place at 8.00 p.m. at Astley Bridge Cricket Club on the 11th of August.

 

Close

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed.

 

 

Wednesday 16 July 2014

SUMMER EVENTS IN BOLTON


Association of

BOLTON ALLOTMENT SOCIETIES (ABAS)

 

AUGUST ON THE ALLOTMENTS – OPEN EVENTS AND NATIONAL ALLOTMENTS WEEK

Started twelve years ago, National Allotments Week is an initiative which runs annually to help raise awareness of allotments and the role they play in helping people to live healthier lifestyles, grow their own food, develop friendships and bolster communities.  The National Allotments Society’s annual awareness week will run this year from 3 to 10 August 2014, and events in Bolton will start with Sapling Rd. Allotments Site’s Open Day on August 3rd and end with the presentation of the ABAS Competition Prizes at Harpers Lane on the 10th.

However Bolton allotment societies (as part of this awareness raising and also to raise much-needed funds to maintain and improve allotments sites) aim to extend this initiative throughout August with a programme of activities that all the community can join in with.

By opening up our allotment sites and inviting the local community to see what happens behind the gates, our hope is that more people will begin to see the benefits allotments bring and support us in our efforts to protect and improve existing sites. Allotments not only benefit those who garden the plots, from families and school children through to working couples and retired individuals but also provide habitats for wildlife and help to keep towns and cities breathing.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS ON ALLOTMENTS SITES – AUGUST 2014

August 3rd          SAPLING ROAD                 OPEN DAY (at the allotment site)

August 10th         HARPERS LANE                  OPEN DAY AND FLOWER & VEGETABLE SHOW

                                                                                (At the allotments site)

includes               ABAS                                     BOROUGH-WIDE ALLOTMENTS COMPETITIONS

                                                                                (Presentation of Prizes by Cllr Bashir-Ismail)

 August 16th         TONGE FOLD                      VEGETABLE SHOW (At Trinity Methodist)

August 16th         SHEPHERD CROSS ST.     BARBECUE - (At the allotments site)

August 23rd         SHEPHERD CROSS ST.     CAR BOOT SALE (At the allotments site)

August 30TH        MOSS LEA                            OPEN DAY (At the allotments site)

August 30th         FLORENCE AVENUE         OPEN DAY (At the allotments site)


IF ANY OTHER SITES ARE ORGANISING EVENTS PLEASE LET US KNOW - boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk
 

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Monday 7 July 2014

Allotment Competitions

The prizes in the Borough-wide allotments Competitions (Fairhurst, Greenhalgh and New Entrants) will be presented on 10th August 2014 at 3.00 p.m. in the show marquee at Harpers Lane's Open Day.

The presentation will be made by Councillor Sufrana Bashir-Ismail the Executive Member with responsibility for Allotments on Bolton Council.

The prizes have been generously sponsored by J Maher Limited (Garden Supplies) - Lever Edge Lane, Bolton.

We hope that as many as possible will turn up to support the winners and runners-up.

The Harpers Lane site is off Church Rd., Bolton between Harpers Lane and Captains Clough Road. There is a 501 bus stop within 100 metres of the entrance. It's also very close to Moss Bank Park. The Open Day itself starts at 12.00 and runs through to 4.00 p.m.

Calls for Information

1. The National are seeking information on sites with projects involving Bee-keeping 

If your site has such a project or are planning one, please contact Di Appleyard on diane@nsalg.org.uk


2. National Allotment Week is 4th to 10th August - we have an electronic copy of the promotions guide produced by the National which we can copy on to you (boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk) alternatively you can go to the National's website (where you can also order posters)

As you may know ABAS is having the presentation of the annual allotments trophies at Harpers Lane's Open Day on the 10th. of August. The prizes will be presented by Cllr Sufrana Bashir-Ismail the Executive Member at Bolton Council with responsibility for the Allotments Service.

We'd like to hear of any other Allotment Week events that sites may be planning.

3. Open Days - we have two open days on the calendar at present - Harpers Lane on 10th August and Florence Avenue on the 30th August. We'd like to publish an Events Programme if possible so if you could let us have details of shows, open days, etc. then we'll do our best to get the message out.

4. The next ABAS meeting is on Monday 14th July 2014 at 8.00 p.m. at Astley Bridge Cricket Club - the meeting will include an update provided to ABAS by the Allotments Desk on Council progress with OMAs and other matters relating to Allotments management..We hope this will become a regular feature.