Allotment Associations and the internet...

[Dynamo]

The vast majority of people on my allotment site wouldn't have a clue about the internet either, and even if they did, I doubt they'd have any use for it regarding how the site is run. We have one meeting per year in the local pub some time in April/May and all everyone wants to do there is pay their subs and get away as quickly as possible. Nobody wants to hear any news or suggestions for the site.

A few years ago, my mates allotment association got a computer curtesy of the National Lottery Fund. As far as I am aware, its never been taken out of the box lol.

[BarleySugar]

As a new association, we collected email addresses of all the plotholders bar one, who doesn't use email. The secretary emails all notices to everyone, minutes of the committee members meetings, social events and plotholders meetings. We don't necessarily get much response, but it does save postage and printing costs. Someone usually hand delivers to the one plotholder we can't contact.
We also have a Facebook page, which is used by some people, not many. It isn't lack of tech savvy, it's more apathy, they are content to leave it all to the committee

[Kaiya]

Our web presence consists of the words "Allotment Association?" on a random village website list of contact info. That's it - just a question mark. No info.

We've got a bloke. He's got a dog.

[Alison]

We don't have an association (not really sure why we'd need on really but people will probably disagree) so no need for a website but can't imagine it'd be used much as everybody is very busy and those of us that are regulars tend to know what the others are up to anyway.

[binley100]

I think that to a certain extent a lot depends on how big your site is and the average age of members....Our committee are not old school hiding out in their sheds with scratty bits of paper in fact our chairman is a very lively 70 year old

[Snadger]

The vast majority of people on my allotment site wouldn't have a clue about the internet either, and even if they did, I doubt they'd have any use for it regarding how the site is run. We have one meeting per year in the local pub some time in April/May and all everyone wants to do there is pay their subs and get away as quickly as possible. Nobody wants to hear any news or suggestions for the site.

A few years ago, my mates allotment association got a computer curtesy of the National Lottery Fund. As far as I am aware, its never been taken out of the box lol.

Should that not have been the National Lottie Fund...................

[zazen999]

We don't even have an association.

[binley100]

Would you not get together and form one ....could be benefits to being a self managed site .

[Alison]

At the risk of getting shouted at, what exactly does an association do anyway?

[binley100]

We manage ourselves and our site.........the council doesn't have much to do with us apart from we pay rent to them through a garden committee so basically we pay a ground rent covering the whole site and then we sort out our own bills for water, fencing, etc........ Means that if we want to eg build a composting toilet we vote on it and do it . Any evictions or anything like that is down to the committee not some council chappie . We make our own rules and have a constitution (that's pretty new) vote for our committee etc etc .........

[zazen999]

Would you not get together and form one ....could be benefits to being a self managed site .

Not much point, it doesn't work like that as the land is owned by a trust and they would not let us be self managed - so no point in having an assn.

[binley100]

aaah.......je comprends .......

[Aberdeenplotter]

At the risk of getting shouted at, what exactly does an association do anyway?

effectively it is just a way of organising individuals into a group. The group of members then decide what their aims and objectives are and form a constitution accordingly with a view to achieving these aims and objectives.

[zazen999]

effectively it is just a way of organising individuals into a group. The group of members then decide what their aims and objectives are and form a constitution accordingly with a view to achieving these aims and objectives.

Our aim and objective is to grow fruit and veg.

[Alison]

We manage ourselves and our site.........the council doesn't have much to do with us apart from we pay rent to them through a garden committee so basically we pay a ground rent covering the whole site and then we sort out our own bills for water, fencing, etc........ Means that if we want to eg build a composting toilet we vote on it and do it . Any evictions or anything like that is down to the committee not some council chappie . We make our own rules and have a constitution (that's pretty new) vote for our committee etc etc .........

We pay our bills direct to the council too but as there is no water etc and there's a right of way through the site then that sort of thing isn't really relevant to us. No need for a committee or anything like that but we only have 10 plots and am guessing it's more of a big site thing. Was wondering from some of this thread if I was missing out but looks like not at all