25 July 2024
I’d like to begin by welcoming the new plot holders who have joined us since September 2023 and hope they are enjoying their plots. I see many people enjoying the allotments for regular exercise, socialising and fresh air when I’ve been visiting them over the past few weeks.
It’s been a difficult season again so far. Following a cold winter and wet spring cultivating and sowing seeds was very much delayed. However plots are now being well worked, although the continuing cool weather followed by recent hot spells has meant many plot holders are still catching up with planting crops, myself included! All plots are now let, thanks to Marek Nalewajko our lettings officer, apart from those plots where current tenants are not cultivating them and have been given notice to leave. We can then relet them to new tenants on our long waiting list. Plot holders have already been harvesting broad beans, potatoes, salads and other crops.
Like other allotments in Ealing there continue to be incidents of tenants’ sheds being broken into and damaged, and crop thefts, but they’ve been fewer than we’ve had in the past. We generally report these incidents to the police so please be vigilant and let us know of any incidents of theft or vandalism.
The working party of volunteers led by Charles Vaughan Jones continues to clear unused and vacant plots, prior to reletting them. The hedging whips we planted along the northern boundary are flourishing and the southern boundary hedge is very well established. The bait boxes around the edge of the site are regularly replenished to control the rats. We’ve had complaints recently about more rats being seen again on the site and we’ve asked our pest controller to put down some more bait boxes in areas of the site where more rats have been reported. Unfortunately, we cannot eliminate rats from the site, but only control their numbers. The site communal paths are being kept cut by Charles Vaughan Jones and Tom Lafferty. A big vote of thanks to Charles Vaughan Jones, Tom Lafferty and to all the other volunteers who’ve helped with the work. This all helps to foster the community spirit on the site.
We are also hoping to get estimates for installing a flushing toilet in a new toilet room we want to create in the Trading Hut. It will be in the eastern corner of the Hut, and be a separate room with its own access directly from outside. We hope to be able to report some costs at the AGM in September, but at the moment we’re waiting for information from Thames Water about connecting into their sewer which runs through Pitshanger Park to the south of the allotments.
Once again please can plot holders refrain from accumulating unnecessary items on their plots as PACA often have to pay for their removal when plots are relet! Bonfires or barbecues are allowed on the site, but please don’t light bonfires or barbecues until after 7pm during the summer, which applies from 1 May until 31 August. Please also abide by our bonfire rules, which are displayed on the noticeboard.
We’ve already had a Plant and Seedling Swap on 25 May, which was very successful and raised £157 for the Parkinson’s charity, and a big thanks to Monica Booth, Elizabeth Cave and Edith Rambure-Lambert for organising it and providing cakes and coffee. We are planning to hold our Late Summer Produce Show again this year on Sunday 8 September, so look out for more details.
Sadly Hazel Bull, who’s long been a plot holder, passed away in the spring. Our Secretary Patrick McMahon also died in September last year shortly before the AGM after a long illness. Our condolences to their family and friends.
Just a reminder that we currently hold contact details for all our tenants and associate members. To comply with the Data Protection Regulations, the spreadsheet on which the details are held is password protected and only accessible to PACA Officers. The details are used by PACA for Association business only and never passed to any third party. If you wish us not to hold your phone or email details let us know and we can remove them. However we still need to have your address so we can contact you when necessary.
Our website at www.pitshangerallotments.org is being run by Stefan Jasinski, but we need help to keep it up to date and if anyone is willing to take it on please let us know. If you want to get in touch with us our contact email address remains contact@pitshangerallotments.org or secretary@pitshangerallotments.org. As you know we send out News Bulletins regularly to let plot holders know what’s happening on the site. If you don’t receive them by email let us know and we’ll add you to our mailing list. Special thanks to Robert Reynolds and all those who have helped him in the Trading Hut again this year. Please support the trading hut by buying your seeds, tools and garden products there. If we don’t use the Hut then Robert won’t be able to keep it going. And thanks again to Maggie Simpson and her team of ‘weedathugs’ for keeping Sheila’s garden tidy and weed free. Also special thanks to Kathy Clutterbuck and Monica Booth for taking on secretarial duties this year to help out.
Finally the Annual General Meeting this year will be held on Sunday 22 September at the Brentham Club. It is your chance to have your say about the way that the Association is run. But do please remember that the Committee are volunteers giving up their time to run the Association. You can offer resolutions for changes to be made in the site management. These have to be notified to us and supported by another association member. You may also feel that you or another plot holder should be on the Committee. I’m aware that the Committee Officers are not getting any younger and we need new members on the Committee to take the Association forward in the years to come!
Your nominations should be sent in and need to be supported by one other association member as well as yourself. If recommending a person other than yourself please make sure they agree to stand! A brief description of the principal duties of officers and committee members is set out below.
Nominations and Resolutions should be submitted to us by early September. Meanwhile we hope you all have an enjoyable summer on your plot!
David Housego – Chairman
PACA Officers and Committee Members Roles
Chairman
- Overseer and Membership Liaison
- Moderator
- Fund – raising
Secretary
- Official address
- Issue Committee notices
- Issue AGM notices
- Issue all Plot Management notices (letters/NTQs)
- Take minutes at AGM
Membership Secretary
- Maintain Membership database
- Issue rent invoices
Treasurer
- Oversee accounts and prepare for Auditor
- Oversee rent collection
- Oversee expenditure
- Keep books and issue payments
Lettings
- Maintain waiting list
- Let plots / oversee probations
- Communicate all information to Membership Secretary / Treasurer
Newsletter Editor
- Edit and co-ordinate bi-monthly newsletters
PACA Committee