Plot 46 Open Day and Fundraising

 

Joanne adds the finishing touches to the refreshement area and it looks like we are nearly ready for opening up. A crowd has gathered at the gate and Dwayne is doing his best to keep them at bay.

Remploy have set up a stall loadded with garden furniture that has been made in their local workshop. During the day there was a great deal of interest in their stall.

Amazingly, all the lawnmowers in the picture plus the clapped out out one in the manure bay all sold along with allsorts of tools and garden implements on the tool stall. I even bought a bright flourescent orange kagool with a padded lining.

 

Dianne and Elaine at the tombola stall, every ticket a winner!

To perform the opening of the plot Gregg Scott from Minster FM local radio station came along and helped young Simon our newest plot holder to plant some broad bean plants before going on to cut one of the ribbons on the gateways to the plot.

For any opening you have to have a speech from the Chairman and this was no exception as Barry Bothamley chairman of the allotment association gave his speech preparations were made for the cutting of the ribbons. Behind Barry you can see some of the tools and the junior sized wheelbarrows for the plot holders of the special needs plot use that were part of the sponsorship from many kind donors that made this plot a reality.

Gregg Scott from Minster Fm watches as young William cuts the tape at the first entrance, then it's a quick walk to the second tape where young Simon is waiting with scissors in hand to open the second entrance.

So once the tape had been cut the sun continued to shine for the rest of the day and people were dropping in throughout the day until the close at 4.00 in the afternoon. The whole day was amazingly good but was marred only by the poor quality write up in the York Press which completely failed to grasp that the day was about the opening of the "Youngsters special needs plot" and the fund raising through sponsors and the tabletop sale for the Special Needs plot and the work the association plans to do in future on the site. The Press in their usual inimitable way focussed on the previously opened raised beds for adults with mobility issues which had been funded by the local ward committee and seemed to be more like an election plug for the Labour Party for the upcoming local elections

All in all it was a wonderful day that achieved much. A lot of what was achieved was done so through the hard work of various people in the allotment association (and some who were not in the association) putting in time and effort to obtain and then utilise the backing of the local sponsors who helped enormously in making this possible. I'll be doing a follow up posting to thank the sponsors and all those who helped in this enterprise.

For a photgraphic review of the activities leading up to and more photos of the Open Day visit this link.