Forming and Allotment Association - 1st Meeting help!

Over the last couple of years we have had various "issues" with our parish council (PC), relating to our 2 allotment sites here in Cumbria. A year ago a new set of rules where put forward by the PC and for the last year we have been fighting many of them.

We have been very successful thus far and have persuaded the PC to form an allotment working group consisting of PC councillors and allotment tenants from both of our sites, and one by one we have worked through the issues and resolved them, we have also managed to motivate allotment tenants into "work parties" to start and complete some quite major tasks to improve the sites. This will continue.

We have achieved all of this as a group of "Allotment friends" because many where wary of past association or club failures on the sites, and because people where reluctant to take up positions within that.

After a year of this we now have people who will fill 3 main positions of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, and at the end of this month's meeting we will be forming an association.

I need some help with this, and I am getting buried reading many web pages that say mostly the same thing but do not tell me what I need to know, I am hoping to get some help or guidance here.

We have a constitution which sets out how we operate and how we react to certain situations and we have the major positions filled, what I cannot find is the information on how to run the first meeting or how to appoint people to positions and in what order. Then to present the constitution.

We are starting small and taking baby steps forward so everything will be incredibly simple for this first year. We aim to continue what we have been doing which is addressing allotment issues, organising work parties we wish to add in two events, possibly three One educational, one social and possibly one reaching out into the community.

Most web sites seem to discuss what is needed in an association or how to write your constitution, I need to know how to run that first meeting to ensure I do things properly.

Many thanks in advance.

Steve...

 

I think the easiest way is to write an agenda. So the most important thing to discuss will be first. Then in descending order of importance, all the other things. Finishing with Any Other Business.

I'm not sure it matters what you discuss when but an agenda gives everyone the same framework so that the meeting stays on track.

 

@Steve R If you haven't already found it the National Allotment Society About Us – The National Allotment Society – National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Ltd might be worth a look.

 

Thank you Laura we have an agenda but it does help to know how best to list things within that paper. Thank you also Nigel, we have used NSLAG an awful lot of the last year and other Allotment umbrella organisations too, they have all been very helpful and those who did not visit our sites where happy to advise by landline or email.

Thank you Shiney, that is perfect and what I was looking for, I want to ensure no hiccups along the way by missing something important or doing something in an incorrect manner.

Steve...

 

See if we can help at www.tcvallotments.wales

 

Aye up Dai How’s it going?

 

Freddy, Shiney. It`s good to be back. Freddy, you need a shave, mate.

 

But, but, this is my handsome head!

 

00000000000000000000000000001348

You poor, demented fool you. You would be women bait if you got shot of the stubble.

 

Many thanks Dai for your response. I have had a look over your site, it's nice to see another site getting organised too. Great framework for you all to start adding some info to, I wish you all the luck in the world with it.

Steve...

 

When I worked the allottment with my dad. The ground was privately owned so no problems. Might I respectfully suggest. As the land belongs to the local council. Make friends with a council member. Might save you a lot of trouble in the future

 

Thank you for our reply Mike and advice, we have actually been very busy this last year and we now have two allotment tenants on the Parish Council itself. 4 out of 6 people at an allotment working group at/for the council are allotment tenants too. The association we are forming is to further back up the above people whilst driving the allotments forward in the community, educating and assisting tenants. It is slowly coming together (baby steps) but we now forming a reputation of being decisive, deliberate and helpful too. And we are shocking people with what we can do as a collective.

Ultimately we are aiming towards self management and we already have it agreed and in writing that when we do we will rent both sites for a "peppercorn" rent.

Steve...