Allotment by committee

A few nights ago I spent a rainy evening attending the annual allotment committee meeting for the two sites in my small corner of the home counties.

The demographic of the attendees broadly matched that of the wider group of allotmenteers I see around the site, and that of the area I live in - 16 men, four women, all white, average age 50-odd - although I think it was skewed towards those plotholders who have been renting for years rather than relative newcomers like me. There weren't any of the other newbies who tend plots near mine, for instance.

The main topics for discussion were ones that will be familiar to anyone who has ever had an allotment: how to improve security on the site, complaints about rubbish tipping (asbestos, of all things), and worries about the erosion of allotment land, in this case via the erection of a mobile telephone mast (one plotholder joked that the new, bigger mast being erected would help him grow an even larger pumpkin next year).

The issue of an increase in the risible allotment rent (currently £6.05 a year for a five pole plot) was not raised, which is probably wise as that was the hot potato that had me riled at the same meeting a couple of years back (I was outvoted when I proposed a doubling of the rent, arguing that the current charge just about covered a Big Mac and fries).

What’s the demographic on your allotments? Are you, like me, considered to be "young" if you're under 40? What about the ethnic mix - does it match the wider community?

Comments

[David]

Hi - I'm not a member of an allotment but the one I would join I know a little about as my sister was a member and I occasionally wander around taking photos (something I started as a college course project). The age spread seems pretty even but I've never seen anything but a white face there and Preston has a large Asian and Black population.

What does your allotment use their £6 rent for? I'm guessing it must be heavily supported by the council if they don't want/need a further £6 of the member?

[Jane Perrone]

Yes, I think the running expenses are subsidised by the general council budget. Having said that, there aren't a lot of facilities on the site such as toilets, communal manure heaps or even a secure fence, so that cuts back on costs!

To be fair, I think very few allotments are entirely self-funding: they're considered to be a general community facility that's worth funding from the general budget.

[David]

Aye. Well it's a pity you can't persuade them as the extra cash sounds like it would useful, especially given the lack of toilets. Some nice composting ones would be perfect.

[moonbells]

Our site has a £10 per 5 pole rent, water on tap and reasonable security after a few visits by undesirables. It helps that several councillors are plotholders! Occasionally there's a self-governing attempt from the other council site but ours has always been quiet on that matter!
Demographics: I'd say about 98% white, 1% Afro-Caribbean, 1% Asian (given 100 or so plots). At least two families are Italian that I know of. Of the rest of us, it's getting to be 50:50 men:women with the men being older and the women younger... The committee is a good mix and the chair is very dynamic!

Local Horticultural soc is rather different - all the committee are retired gents and the ladies make tea and cakes! I keep wondering whether to start making waves the next time they wonder how to attract younger folk!