Old Park Farm Garden Holders Association

OPEN LETTER TO ALL OUR GARDEN HOLDERS FROM JACKIE MEDCALF, SECRETARY.

I know that there has been quite a lot of speculation and rumor about me taking over as your secretary albeit maybe only on a temporary basis until the next AGM. So I thought I would introduce myself.  I have been told that, and understand why, that some people have concerns over my capabilities to take on this role for a number of reasons, including that I haven’t been here on the allotments long enough, wont understand what needs to be done, I don’t know anything about gardening and the fact that I am a woman! To be honest I was surprised to be asked to take over this role, it was not something I had asked for or expected and due to the circumstances it was quite a sudden.  Certainly I would have considered it in a couple of years when Sos may have originally been planning to retire from the post. However it a role that needs to be filled by someone. So who am I?

Well, briefly, I was born in St Ann’s, grew up in Dunkirk, left school at 16, worked for the Education department as an office junior. Joined the Police in the old days of the Police Women’s department, dealing with woman and children and crimes against them e.g. domestic violence and sexual abuse. Then when the equality act came in joined the mainstream service working all hours alongside the blokes. I was the first female officer on the vice squad, a fact I am rather proud of, although there are probably no transferable skills from that job to this post!  I left the Police a year into my marriage and worked at Jessop’s, hated it, got pregnant and over a couple of years had two daughters. I found a job as a part time sales rep flogging batteries to corner shops and had a stint behind the till at Makro. I then saw an advert for Community Service Supervisors with the Probation department supervising and working with adults who had been given a CS order, in those days a direct alternative to going to prison. I loved it.   For a few years I drove a large box van and did furniture removals and ran gardening groups not only supervising the offenders but working alongside them, which basically meant I did large scale clearances, including overgrown allotments, gardens and doing more styled gardening including gardens at The Nottingham Hospice. I was also involved in a cycle repair workshop, I knew nothing about bikes but the lads did!

I applied for a manager’s post when the man who had done it for years retired, which involved assessing painting and decorating work, which the groups would subsequently do. That caused a little bit of a stir at the time amongst some of the men who said I didn’t know enough about decorating and I was a woman!!   However I got it and taught myself to assess and estimate correctly and planned the work in every type of building from churches to small flats.

At this point I did the NEBOSCH Health and safety certificate to distinction level.  A few years later we all had to reapply for our jobs when huge changes came in which also meant a new management post. People from all over the country were applying for it, I could not bear to let it go to a stranger and applied and got the job. So, I became the Senior Officer in charge of Community Service, a few more changes followed and I took on the supervision and management of just under 50 staff, all the work we did in the community in the City and County and about 4000 offenders. At one point in the city we were sending out nearly 100 work groups a week, that was many man-hours of work which I had to ensure was available. I dealt on a regular basis with Politicians, local ones and various Home Secretaries’, Magistrates and Judges. I have had a lot to do with local councils and worked alongside or for many allotment sites and community groups. Bizarrely I also hold a Guinness World Record but I am not telling you what for except it was for charity!!

So basically that’s my background. I left probation last year after 25 years.  Since then most of my free time has been spent with Steve, bring our derelict allotment to some sort of standard or sneaking breaks away in our caravan. I may not be the best gardener in the world, (I failed to get me pumpkin as big as a space hopper!) We have had some successes and some failures but that’s how we learn to be better. I think I have enough life experience and knowledge and managerial experiences to do this role.  But I can’t do anything about being a woman!  I promise I will try to work hard for you and I will try to do you a god job.  I believe in good communication, openness, fairness and hard work.  I respect age and infirmity but am not very good with idleness. I would ask that you all try to give me your support. Hopefully more of you will be willing to join the committee next year and take a more active role in our allotments.

On a more serious note, we are about to have this years Council inspection so my first act as your secretary is to gently remind everyone that as part of your tenancy agreement you are individually responsible for your boundary hedges and adjacent pathways and walkways.  I would like to say at this point that it does not matter who your secretary is or whether you approve of me or not, this is your responsibility as tenants. I understand that the weather has not helped us this year but please do your best if you have not already done so, to spruce them up in time for the inspection. Our rent rebate grant from the council and our independence could be affected by poor inspections.

If anyone is struggling with their allotment because of health or similar reasons I would rather know now please. It may be that I can help find some solutions instead of letting a problem drift into crisis at the tenancy renewal next year. Also if you are planning to give up your allotment next year it would be helpful to know as soon as possible please. Please feel free to seek me out, ask questions etc. I am not at the garden everyday but when there, I am in the very left hand corner, number 66. Usually from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.  It’s ok to contact me by phone or text, or email at any time. I will come see you if you wish.

Thank you for taking time to read this and I hope to get to know you all better as time progresses. My contact details are. jackiemedcalf@hotmail.com. Or mobile 07931 950950

Lastly please remember that the association now has its own web site which you can see at: http://oldparkfarm.org  All of the information that you need to know about will be published there too, such as minutes and the likes of this letter.  You don’t even need to check it regularly to see the new information.  If you subscribe by your email address to the site (there is no charge for subscribing) you will be notified by email of everything that goes onto it automatically.