AGM report to MSN Council on Monday 7th November 2022
“ Post covid recovery and moving forward”

Background - Since March 2020 ‘Covid19’ has wreaked havoc with the psychology of the human spirit and the community in general. The public has reacted in fear by avoiding social contact in a lockdown mentality. This has meant for this Association that people have been unwilling to volunteer or participate in anything that involves ‘meetings’ or contact in general. 
Thankfully due to tenacity the administration has gone through this virtually unscathed but admittedly bruised. The conditions are now right for us to embark on a programme of re-building and moving forward.
We aim to build on our position as the leading allotment group in Somerset with regard to the quality of service and administration and of course the quality of maintaining the plots. 
For the past few months, we have been running single-handedly with only myself performing the major roles, with the support of three allotmenteers and co-opted old-timers who give advice. As I said at our AGM this is actually not a burden for me but is not sustainable in the long run and not consistent with the ethos of an association’.
On Tuesday 18th October 2022 we held our AGM at the Somer Centre and we have so far accumulated a total of eight volunteers who have agreed to help in principle. Some of these people are new to the job and we have not had much forward movement, as each person needs to be met and talked with individually. It seems we have a possible treasurer and a publicity officer so the portents are good.
I am not involving most of these volunteers in this meeting of 7th November as they are new and have not agreed to do a particular job. Instead, I have involved those with more experience. I will bring people through as expeditiously as I can.
At the AGM meeting no one mentioned possible improvements, but ideas may surface. We could run to an earth toilet which I have seen used with success. Perhaps a lottery grant?
Publicity and advertising may well have a place; we are undergoing rapid development and when we have relevant activities, we will announce them in the NMR Journal and even in the Mendip Times. Facebook may play a part (see relevant section).
On the home front we have previously covered at an extra-ordinary meeting with the council the rise and fall of the ex-treasurer; we are still awaiting the return of the accounting papers and a rotavator which has been stored in his garage for a few months now.
The accounts below are as presented to the members before the AGM. They are functional rather than beautiful. The treasurer at the time took no part in any financial operations save sending out the invoices. He refuses to make contact.

Accounts 12 November 2021-30 September 2022 (partial)

Opening balance			2075.68
Income
Rental income			1,900.00
Manure income		      104.00
Total income			2,004.00 
Expenditure
Obligatory expenses
Rent to council	          1,350.00
Allot Insurance		       156.74
Subtotal		          1,506.74   (£30 per week for all)	
Discretionary expenses
Web site and servicing    	215.50
Postage and printing		118.97
Manure			     105.00
cultivator purchase		 50.00
Mower (Argos push)   		 45.00
Room hire for AGM	 	 33.00
Subtotal				567.47    (net £9.60 per week for all)
Total expenditure	         2,074.21
Current balance 24.9.22     2,005.47
Since then, we have collected rentals for 22/23 and the balance on 28/10/22 was £3,715.44
NB - We are ready to pay our rent to the council.

These are the services we are now offering

New tenants
We spend time with them ensuring that they are up to the job and realize the work involved. Currently we have one vacancy which I expect to fill without the need to advertise.
News Bulletins
These are sent out at regular intervals to advise of such things as the arrival of manure, the availability of a plot, social meetings and other factors contributing to group coherence. Recently the items are for the most part being uttered on the home page of the website.
Web site
Over the past 12 months we have had 12,872 visitors and 52,296 page reads throughout the world. Hence, the site is are not only a support for our members but a role model to other societies. Every allotmenteer has access to the latest news on a daily basis. We can all be proud of this. Please try to visit the website (recently enhanced) which can be found by visiting www.msnallotments.net
Social events
We are starting regular social events this month which will help people get to know each other, and repairing the social damage caused by the ‘lockdown’ mentality and fear in general.
Facebook
We are starting a private group to enhance connections between members. It is a question whether we should open it up for the public to participate in including ‘read only’ mode as the situations we experience are common to all allotmenteers. It might also help with recruiting new allotmenteers as required and should give more than enough general publicity.
Supplies
We enjoy supplies of wood chip (free), manure (small charge), coffee chaff fertilizer (free)
Bonfires
We have them twice a year to provide a convenient method of people disposing of material. The most recent was last week. We must now discourage people from leaving material by the main shed apart from pre-fire periods. We are blessed with a recycle centre with is 100m away.

The central shed
The central shed is used for communally shared tools. There is just about enough room for the rotavator when it is retrieved from Will. We have not experienced any thefts this year though some idiot breaks locks from time to time. We have bought a push mower for those willing and able to mow their borders. We could do with a bigger one at some stage.
Ongoing matter
# The person who did such an excellent job of mowing during the season has ceased to function. Is he still employed?  If he is less expensive than Primrose, we would like him to consider doing the pathways between the plots as it is beyond the abilities of some of the older members.
# We requested from the council a second hard stand for the storage of manure deliveries but this could not be accommodated. We have the money to build a stand on our own probably hiring a cement mixer. It just needs the combined will of a few of us. I have not yet requested assistance from the plot holders. I imagine this would be a winter job. 

Short to Medium term
We are filling positions from the supply of new volunteers. This rebuilding will take time and we intend to hold an interim special meeting when appropriate to formally elect those who have volunteered and who have settled in to their new position and are known by the other plot holders.
It is a risky course to accept a person with unknown track record being ‘elected’ just because they put their hand up at a meeting or to offer to help. A couple of ‘seconders’ is a good idea.
We are currently entering into discussion for the following
Chairman   (Secretary*)   Treasurer   Site officer   Social secretary   Webmaster
•	I shall put myself up for this post

Abutments
One of our allotmenteers wrote as follows:
On a personal note, I am very concerned at the proximity of the current housing development and potential ingress onto the adjoining land.  Can the council provide a categoric assurance that the allotment site is to remain as it has for the last 40 odd years and that no development of the site is planned by the council.
Committee meetings
Starting with where we find ourselves, we will plan committee meetings at regular intervals, the periodicity to be agreed internally. My first thoughts are four times a year with support between-times via emails and phone conversations not to mention real life meetings on the allotment itself.
As mentioned, we hope to have gathered enough volunteers to merit an extra General Meeting at which those people will be ‘officially’ elected.

Brian Snellgrove
Chair 
Allotment Association.
2 November 2022