Two more things….

• I forgot to include the very exciting decision that was made at the Annual Plotholders Meeting to not charge a subscription fee this year. The Committee put this proposal forward as a pilot, and we will evaluate whether we do the same in future. We will be putting donation boxes at coffee mornings, and maybe undertake specific fundraising activities for specific projects.
• The new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) are upon us and affects even tiny allotment associations. There will be a communication to you all shortly about how we collect, use and protect your data. We do not need to ask if you consent to us continuing to use your contact details, as we fall into the “legitimate interest” category – but we will tell you how you can remove consent should you so wish. Your data is not – and has never been – shared with any other body, including the St Albans District Council. It is only held for the purposes of communication. However if you do decide that you do not want us to hold your details, please be aware that there have been occasions in the past (e.g. flooding, burglary) when we have needed to contact all plotholders. 

Advertisements

Annual Plotholders Meeting 13 May 2018 – feedback

The AGM took place on Sunday 13 May 2018 where those present elected the Committee and approved some important changes to our Constitution. Our committee page has been updated and the revised Constitution is available here (and on the committee page). Those elected were:

• Kim Scrivener (Chair)
• Sonia MacArthur (Treasurer)
• Kati Gastrow (Secretary)
• Jan Castle
• Chris Flakes
• Derrick Davies
• Christine Miles
• Barbara Vernon

Thanks were expressed to Gill Feakes for her long service on the Committee and great input into social event planning over the years, and to Jan Carpenter who completed her term of office as Treasurer. Thanks also to Jan Davies who helped with the refreshments.

The changes to our Constitution were:

• Specification of a 50% limit on the number of Associate committee members
• Limitation of term of office of Chair, Treasurer and Secretary who are Associate Members
• Clarification that Associate committee Members may remain until the next Annual Plotholders Meeting
• Clarification that the Site Liaison Officer may be an Associate Member provided the St Albans District Council and Annual Plotholders Meeting agree

We also agreed to donate £100 to the Park Street Village Hall as our annual charitable donation.

All are welcome to attend our Summer committee meetings in the Hut, the dates of which are as follows, at 7.45pm:

• Monday 21 May
• Monday 25 June
• Monday 30 July
• Monday 24 September

Lastly, do take a moment to pop into the Hut to see the lovely artwork created by Kati to celebrate our tenth anniversary!

10th Anniversary New Look Newsletter!!

Dear Burydell Community

We are very pleased to present you with your new look Newsletter – we hope you like it, and please send any suggestions or comments to Kati or Jan.

This is the tenth year of the Association’s existence, so we are looking to do things a little bit differently this year. Dates for your diary so far are the Quiz next Saturday on 3 March, first coffee morning of the season on Sunday 8 April and the new Annual Plotholders Meeting on 13 May. Read the Newsletter for more details.

Your Autumn Newsletter is now available!

You can download the Newsletter here! We hope you enjoy. And don’t forgot to come and have brunch with us on Sunday 5 November at 11am on site!

Open Day 2017

On Sunday 2 July, Burydell Allotment site was open to the public for the first time as part of the Transition St Albans Open Food Garden programme. We advertised locally, hoping to attract local interest in our site and in allotment gardening generally. We were not disappointed – we had a large number of visitors – both via the Transition St Albans programme, and local friends and neighbours. The Committee provided refreshments for a nominal donation which was donated to Transition St Albans. They were delighted by the interest shown and the number of people who attended. We were especially pleased by the large number of you who chose to be on site and talk to passing strangers about your plot, including our very own Allotment Officer from the Council, Philip Bruce-Green, who gave up his Sunday morning (in an unofficial capacity of course!).

Fuller details as to numbers will be given in the next edition of the Newsletter.  In the meantime, I have updated the 2017 Photo folder with images kindly donated by Christine Miles. Thanks once again to all of you who helped to make it a success!

Best Plot results and BBQ 2017

The winners this year were judged by Ayletts, who did a very difficult job given the stunning display on many of our plots. Well done to all the recipients of a coveted Ayletts voucher!

The results were announced at our annual Summer BBQ which, although enjoyable, was not as well attended by our plotholders as we had hoped. The Committee will be canvassing opinion from you as to what YOU would like by way of a social event in the summer. We have been doing the Summer BBQ for some time now and maybe it’s time for a change! If you have any ideas, please stop any one of us and let us know.

Best plot on Burydell – Plot 38 – Alyson and Adrian Fricker

Best plot Runner up – Plot 29 – Jan Castle and Pat Solomons

Best Newcomer – Plot 27a – Martin Stevens

Best Newcomer Runner up – Plot 27c – Lorraine Dogged

Your Summer Newsletter 2017 is now available!

Please go here to download your fantastic Summer Newsletter 2017! Thanks as always to our wonderful Newsletter Editor, Jan Castle.