Hayle Allotment Society

Date:   15th July 2011

Time: 19:30

Venue: Phillack Church Vestry (great venue – thanks to Andrew...)

Present:  Simon A, Joanna, Lech, Carole M, Aimee, Alan, Pat, Judith

Apologies: Carol and Russell, Andrew, Tina and Jane, Sue and Steve

Financial:  no change - £70 on bloom used on strimmer (see note on strimmer)

1.       Minutes of last meeting:

1)      Rose and Cabbage

Carole and Jo have no more official meetings to attend. Nominations  have closed on Saturday 16th July.  Setting up for R&C begins next Friday afternoon 22nd at 16:00, Simon and Aimee will be attending,  and again on Saturday prior to show, on completion hopefully everything will be put away (from 1800) if not it will be completed the following day, other members are welcome to assist in setting up. If people wish to help they should talk to Aimee who has a rough idea of what is happening.

2)      Hayle council meeting – Howard attended

Howard not present

3)      Representation on Hayle Forum

Organisation to bring together groups in Hayle.  Howard not present

4)    Contacting Pentowan Gardens and Connor Downs Allotments

Nigel (#10) is chairman of Pentowan, Nigel will liaise, Carole to put poster up at Connor Downs. Aimee to provide poster.

5)    Comunal push mower/strimmer

Strimmer may need stronger battery, Aimee will investigate to see if we can  return strimmer and/or obtain another with better battery,

6)    Hayle Council Grant application

Aimee will do now constitution can be drawn up. Discussion about what to apply for – we don’t have much to put in a shed, and most people have their own, but most of us don’t have a greenhouse. Could raise plants and share them in communal greenhouse and some tools could be stored there. Shed could be security risk as large locked shed could be theft target. Will apply for greenhouse rather than shed (voted 8 –0 in favour)

7)    Gate suitable post to fasten gate open

Town Clerk sorting post so gate can be fastened back, intention is for combination lock to be used on gate, policy for first in to unlock and last out to lock

8)    Burial site

Aimee has applied for grant from Cornwall County council 250 pounds for wild flowers in cemetery area. May be able to get some help from Hayle in Bloom too as seeds are very expensive. Intention is to cover in wild flowers and have a mown area where bench maybe placed for use of everyone. Carole may have poppies seeds and  Alan may have seeds, Aimee will obtain official approval from council before proceeding. When approved volunteers will be needed to clear area, probably in autumn. Anyone who could plow it up?

9)    Concealed gate sign

Aimee emailed Cornwall county council, in progress

10)  Allotment etiquette - Closed

2.       Matters arising:

1)      to vote on adopting the constitution

It was discussed and then voted by members present to lower membership fees to a pound, see below, this can now be inserted into the constitution and Aimee will publish. (votes: 8 in favour of adopting the constitution)

2)      to discuss changing the membership fee to a lower one

As above – discussion included whether membership fee should be abolished altogether to widen access but most thought that a nominal fee giving voting rights and defining the membership was a good idea.  All agreed that fundraising rather than membership fees was a better way to raise money because we do not want anyone to be excluded from joining. Membership will now be a pound (8 votes for, none against), any member who wishes a refund if they paid ten pounds for 2011 can do so and should speak to Aimee or Andrew, if not this will remain in the kitty.

3)      insurance by affiliating to a body such as South West Counties Allotment Association

There is the possibility to join SW Allotments which for three pounds can provide public liability insurance for individual plots. Plotholders have to do this individually by plot because of the nature of the insurance, so we can’t do it as a group, but it costs £3 per year.

Aimee to investigate how we could get insurance for our events – in the meantime, we should perhaps make sure they are informal gatherings of friends, not official allotment events.

4)      to agree a date for a summer barbeque

Due to school being off and many of the members present having holidays in August it was agreed to hold a BBQ Sunday 11th September in the late afternoon. There will be a meeting on Monday 5th to organise this.

3.       A.O.B.

1)      Carol has kindly donated a Poly tunnel for all members’ use to go on plot 13, there maybe a section used for growing crops which could be sold to raise funds for the society. She has also a compost bin. She will advise when it is ready to collect from her house and we will need volunteers to put it up.

2)      Simon has a friend  who can provide  manure, he works abroad on his return, it is intended to get a load delivered to the site,  Jo and Lex have offered to lend their trailer for this and so the only cost will be towards Diesel.

4.       Date of next meeting:

Monday 5th September – to confirm arrangements for BBQ

On completion some members had a few drinks in the Bucket of Blood, where several ideas of how to raise fast cash for the society however these will not be used, as it believed it was fuelled by alcohol and they maybe considered illegal.

The ideas were first prompted by Simon’s T-shirt.