Old Park Farm Garden Holders Association

Important Notice – Seasonal Heatwaves and Temporary Fire Ban on All Allotment Sites

Dear Allotment Holders,

With the current period of hot, dry weather and the increased risk of fire, a temporary fire ban is now in place across all allotment sites until further notice.

This means that the lighting of bonfires, incinerators, fire pits, barbecues, or any other open flames is not permitted on allotment plots. Even small fires can spread quickly in dry conditions and pose a significant risk to neighbouring plots, wildlife, site infrastructure, and surrounding properties.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping to keep everyone safe during this period.

Water Use and Conservation

Although no hosepipe ban has currently been announced for the East Midlands, we would like to remind all tenants of their responsibilities under the Allotment Handbook and Tenancy Agreement.

Water is a very important asset for gardeners, but it is also an expensive and valuable natural resource.

As part of your Agreement, you must not:

• Use the water supply for purposes other than allotment gardening.
• Leave a hosepipe running when you are not using it or leave a tap on unattended.
• Use a hosepipe if a hosepipe ban is in place.

If you do use the water supplied to the site, please:

• Be aware that other plot holders may also be waiting their turn.
• Try to use watering cans rather than hosepipes wherever possible.
• Ensure hosepipes do not leak and are securely attached to the tap.
• Store rainwater using water butts, IBC containers, and other suitable collection systems.

Helping Your Plot Through Hot Weather

To reduce water use and protect your crops during heatwaves, consider:

• Watering early in the morning or late in the evening.
• Applying mulch around plants to retain moisture.
• Prioritising young plants, seedlings, and crops most vulnerable to drought.
• Making the most of stored rainwater before using mains-fed supplies.

Thank you for your support and understanding. By working together, we can help protect our allotment sites, conserve water, and reduce the risk of fires during the summer months.

Nottingham City Council
Allotment Services 
Greenspace and Natural Environment Team

Dear Members,

Due to the extreme heatwave forecast for the coming days, please be aware of the following safety measures to keep our site secure and everyone safe:

• Extreme Fire Risk: The site is at significant risk of fire. No fires are permitted. Please avoid any activity involving ignition sources.
• Damping Down: To reduce fire risk, please feel free to “damp down” dry grass or vegetation on your plot using a watering can or hose. Please do this carefully and use water sparingly—remember our water usage costs are a major concern for the Association, so please only use what is necessary.
• Personal Safety: We strongly advise against heavy physical labor during the hottest parts of the day (11:00 AM – 4:00 PM). Please stay hydrated, take frequent breaks in the shade, and look out for your fellow plot holders.
• Site Hazards: Please stay alert for hazards such as broken glass, which can magnify sunlight and start fires in dry vegetation. Please clear any glass or metallic debris you find on your plot or on the paths.
• Vigilance: If you see any signs of fire or smoke, please report it immediately by calling 999.

Please take care of yourselves and each other during this period.

Kind regards,

Carol Brier 

Secretary,

Old Park Farm GHA;Members’ Co-operative 

Good morning all,

We’re going to cancel this Sunday’s Work Party as it falls on Father’s Day and we know that this day is meaningful to many.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, whether you’re celebrating time with family, remembering someone or simply enjoying a quieter day in the hot weather.

Anne-Marie

Dear Plot Holders of Old Park Farm: A Registered Members Co-operative
I would like to send a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time out of
their weekend to attend yesterday’s Annual General Meeting. It was fantastic to see
such a brilliant turnout and to hear your feedback and ideas for the future of our site.

As your newly elected Association Secretary, I am incredibly grateful for the
opportunity to serve our community. While I don’t know who voted for me individually,
please know how much I appreciate your support. I am looking forward to working
hard alongside Winifred (our new Chair), Anne-Marie (our Treasurer), and the rest of
the committee to ensure Old Park Farm is a positive, welcoming, and well-run place
for us all.

We are officially starting fresh. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be working
behind the scenes to complete the handover from the previous committee and
update our official contact details. We will also inform all plot holders when the
Committee meeting will be held so that if you have items to be put on the agenda
also making sure we address the feedback raised by members at the AGM will be
our top priority.

In the meantime, while I am still waiting for the official secretary email account to be
set up, you can contact me directly regarding any secretarial or administration
matters using the details below:
●​ Email: karolbrier9@gmail.com
●​ Mobile: 07903602622

Thank you all again for your support, your patience during this transition, and your
dedication to our allotments. Here is to a fantastic season ahead!

Kindest regards,
Carol Brier

Hi all,

It was lovely to see so many people at today’s AGM.

One of the items that was suggested was to have better communication about the work parties for the rest of the year and I promised to add a post of the current schedule for the summer / autumn. We will also provide a further update each month with the general plan for that month’s work party.

As agreed at a previous General Meeting, all work parties will be on the 3rd Sunday of each month. Times, meeting place and planned activity will be provided in advance. We also have a separate Facebook Work Party page, which I will add to the Links.

• 21^st June
• 19^th July
• 16^th August
• 20^th September
• 18^th October
• 15^th November

For those that haven’t yet attended a Work Party, these are for members of the association to get together to donate some of their free time to help with some of the MANY tasks that are required to improve our lovely site. Everyone is welcome and there is always a task available to suit everyone’s capability. They can also be a great way to get to know other plot holders and spend a bit of time sharing growing experiences.

Many thanks!

Anne-Marie

Good morning all,

Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to arrange an online voting system for today’s AGM that we can ensure would allow both anonymity for the voters, whilst also eliminating any possibility of “double votes” (i.e. a member voting both online and in person).

We sincerely apologise for the short notice, but it anyone would like to place their vote in the ballot box, it will be available outside the poly tunnel today from 10.30am and will remain open until the AGM is finished and the votes are counted. If you are unable to attend the AGM but still wish your vote to count, please feel free to pop down at any point during this timeframe to submit your entry.

Many thanks

Anne-Marie

Dear all,

As we prepare for our AGM this weekend, we want to ensure a fair election process for everyone. If you are interested in running for any officer position or as a committee member, please email me (opfgha.secretary@gmail.com) as soon as possible. This will allow us to prepare ballot forms and send them out to those who are voting online. Please note that at the AGM, voting will not be done visually—it will be conducted by ballot papers to protect the privacy of all plot holders. Our goal is to make sure every plot holder has a fair chance to vote.

Thank you!

Lisa

Dear Plot Holders,

I hope you’re doing well. As we prepare for the upcoming Annual General Meeting, please let me know if you have any topics or issues you’d like to raise or propose for the agenda. The deadline for submissions is 12th June 2026 11am. Should there be anyone that is interested in a position please email the secretary with your request, but can also be done on the day.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.

AGM Agenda 13th June 2026 11am

• Welcome 
• Treasury report
• Secretary report
• Vote for committee
• Plot lettings, evictions and minimal used Plot, under maintained hedges and trees
• Water and rent increase
• Honorarium
• Suggestions to change the complaints procedure. 
• A.O.B

Lisa