Old Park Farm Garden Holders Association

The next OPFGHA General Meeting is on Sunday 2nd March 2025

Please contact myself, or one of the committee members, if you have any issues that you would like to be added to the agenda for the meeting by Saturday 22nd February

I hope to post a draft Meeting Agenda this weekend on our website

Dave

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This message is to inform members of the Association that Wendy and Ralph recently stepped down from the Committee creating two vacancies, and to ask for volunteers to join the Committee.

On behalf of the Association, I would like to thank both Wendy and Ralph for all the work that they have done for the Association while they have been on the Committee. Their contribution has been genuinely appreciated and will be missed.

We only have 7 Committee members now. I would like to have 9 Committee members – the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and 6 other members of the Association. We need at least 5 Committee members to attend each Committee meetings to make decisions, and having 9 people on the Committee means that everyone does not need to attend every meeting. It also means that the views of more Members can be represented at the Committee and better decisions are made.

I would welcome interest from any new, or longstanding, member of the Association who would like to join the Committee. Please contact myself, or another member of the Committee if you are interested. We hold Committee meetings roughly every month and they last for 1-2 hours. The role of a Committee member has been posted on the website – I have copied the main points below:

1. Attend Committee meetings regularly.
2. Provide input to discussions, including information, ideas and views of their own and other tenants helping to make decisions and communicate those to non Committee members. 
3. Where appropriate, keep discussions confidential, but explain agreed decisions as minuted.
4. Represent non Committee members by raising their issues, concerns and ideas  
5. Provide practical support to the Committee, e.g. undertaking delegated tasks such as interviewing potential tenants, participating in plot assessments, working parties, attending external meetings, drafting documents etc.
6. Provide a positive example to other tenants through their behaviour, following Policies and Procedures and the management of their plots.

The Association cannot function without an effective Committee, and the Committee will work better with a full set of 9 Committee members. If the Association does not run itself to the satisfaction of the Council, the Association will lose its independence, and the site may be directly managed by the council. Amoung other things, if the council run our site, rents are likely to increase significantly – this could mean an increase to the annual rent of £100 or more per plot.

It does not seem to be in anyone’s interest for the site to be directly managed by the council and having 9 people on the Committee is one thing we can do to prevent that happening. I look forward to hearing from a couple of people who are willing to volunteer to join the Committee.

Best regards and happy gardening

Dave

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On a number of occasions over the past week or so, we have had a number of break-ins. The culprits appear to be breaking in along the railway line and through the top gate that has been used to bring a vehicle on to site.

Last nights break-in was the most serious of all, over a dozen gardens and the association hut were broken into. In addition to the significant amount of damage that they caused, unfortunately a number of pieces of machinery were taken, generators and strimmers along with some small tools.

The Police have been informed on each occasion, so please document and or take pictures of damage that you may find, list any items you may have had stolen, and I will have the Police updated further. Nottingham City council’s allotment office have also been informed and I wait a response from them.

Please avoid leaving anything of any value your plot. I know it can sometimes be more convenient to leave it overnight if you intend on using it the next day, but it isn’t worth the risk.

I will be on site tomorrow (Thursday), and if I can asisst with any repairs, please come and find me, probably in or ariund the association hut.

John Stooke – Secretary

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Providing the City Council with a ‘Digital Image Library’ of our site is part of the ‘New Lease’ process. This ‘Library’ will be produced with the use of a drone.

Weather permitting, it is my intention to begin building this library week commencing 17th March 2025, and I hope to have it completed no later than the 23rd March.

Video/Images captured will reviewd and archived by the council, this review will form part of our annual inspection, and archived material shal used for comarison in future inspections

If you have any have any queries or concerns, please email me no later than 3rd March 2025.

John Stooke – Secretary.

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We planned to have a General Meeting on Sunday 5th January in the Association Polytunnel

If you recall, the weather forecast was particularly bad for that day, and the polytunnel was very cold

Five of us did get the polytunnel for the planned start at 10.30am

Thank you to everyone who braved the cold

The five of us made a collective decision that due to the weather, and how many people were at the polytunnel, the meeting should be cancelled

We also agreed to schedule the next General Meeting for the beginning of March

Sunday 2nd March is a potential date for the next General Meeting

2nd March will be approximately 3 months before the Annual General Meeting which is consistent with the intention to have General Meetings every quarter i.e. 3 months apart

The General Meeting will be in the Association Polytunnel starting at 10.30 am

The General Meeting is open to all members and I extend a warm welcome to everyone to join the meeting

The Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary will give a summary of what is going on in the Association in the meeting

I especially encourage new members to come and hear about what is going on in the Association

It is also an opportunity for everyone to ask questions of the Chairman and the Committee, and to give feedback from your perspective

It would be great to see lots of people at our General Meeting, I hope to see you there

Please let me know if you have any feedback on our General Meetings

Thanks

Dave

Acting Chairman

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The next OPFGHA Committee Meeting is planned for Sunday 2nd February 2025

Please contact myself or one of the committee members if you have any issues that you would like to be raised at the Committee Meeting

I hope to post a draft Committee Meeting Agenda next weekend on our website

Dave

Acting Chairperson

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General Meeting Sunday 5^th January 2025

Association Polytunnel 10.30am

Introduction and Welcome

Apologies

Minutes of the General Meeting 25th October 2024

Chairman’s Report

Treasurer’s Report

Secretary’s Report

Date of next General Meeting – Sunday 20^th April – Easter Sunday ?

A.O.B.

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The next Association Quarterly General Meeting is planned for Sunday 5th January

It will start at 10.30am and take place in the Association polytunnel

Please wrap up warm if you attend and the weather is cold, hopefully warm drinks will be available to see us through

I would like to encourage all members to attend and join in the discussion

If you are a new member, please join us, everyone is very welcome

Please let me know if you have any items for the agenda by Friday 27th December

Regards

Dave

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