MINUTES OF ASSOCIATION MEETING 7 TH APRIL 2019

GLEN ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION

MINUTES OF ASSOCIATION MEETING HELD AT 10:00 AM ON

SUNDAY, 7 TH APRIL 2019

Present: Claire Kennard, Chairperson
Efro Tooms , Secretary
Celina Gee
Les Gee
Mariela Munoz del Valle
Apologies: Susie Braithwaite
Dorothy Godfrey
Norah Godfrey
Audrey Johnstone
Margaret & Dave Matthews
Guest: Adam Myers, YACIO Trustee

I. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
The Minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 th February 2019 were
unanimously approved.
II. MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES OF 9 TH FEBRUARY 2019
1. Portacabin Floor Update: Celina confirmed that YACIO had
approved monies for repairing of the floor with the Association
making a small contribution of approximately £32. As soon as the
money has been paid to the Association, Celina will arrange with
Tom McArdle to purchase the materials needed and work to be
done as quickly as possible.
2. Black Shed: The Committee had inspected the black shed and all
agreed that it was a safety hazard and needed to be demolished.
This demolition would be undertaken by YACIO with Association
help. Adam Myers to take this matter to the Trustees and see how
it should be done. Claire stated that she would like to see this done
as soon as possible because the shed is unsafe.
3. Notice Board for Association: See No. 4 below.
4. Police Marking of Tools: Celina confirmed that arrangements
have been made for the police to come to the allotments at 10:00
am on Saturday, 27 th April 2019 and again at 10:00 am on Sunday,

5 th May 2019. John Harper will be supervising on 27 th April and
Celina Gee on 5 th May.
Celina will be posting this information on the Notice Board.
Registration forms to have items marked will be available on the
day and Association members can download copy of the form
already emailed to them.
On the day, Celina will also distribute leaflets she has received
from the police regarding safety and security advice.
Adam suggested that perhaps non-allotment holders could also
bring items to be marked, but this would need to depend on how
much time the police will have. Celina to check.
5. Skip: There was some discussion regarding the need for people to
clean their allotments of non-recycling green waste. A question
was raised as to whether people who gave up an allotment were
required to clear it of all rubbish, and apparently this is the case.
If allotments are not cleared before being handed back, then there
is no refund of the £40 bond originally paid. Celina pointed out
that some of the allotments recently allocated had items that
needed to be disposed of.
With regard to the above, Celina will be arranging, through
YACIO, for a skip to be brought to the allotment for 18 th May 2019
and that this will be only for disposal of non-green waste and items
that might have been inherited from previous tenants.
6. Membership Cards: Unfortunately, neither Norah nor Susie were
able to attend the meeting so this matter will be carried forward to
the next meeting.
7. Association Blog: Ann Harper to put minutes of Association
meetings and other information relating to the Association on the
blog.
8. Report on Site Secretaries’ Meeting: Celina reported that at the
last Site Secretaries’ meeting, 70% of the rental covering all
sixteen sites in York had been paid, and finances were in good
shape.
Applications to YACIO for financial help for projects have been
received and monies allocated.
YACIO has contracted White Rose Company to cut grass and
hedges on all allotments. It was agreed that everyone was satisfied
with the work done.

It was also stressed that allotment holders should call 101 if there
is any damage/break-ins on their allotments. In addition, the Site
Secretaries should also be informed. It should be stressed that if
people report incidents of this type, then the police will be
prepared to take more action if there appears to be a problem in a
specific area.
The current thinking is that sheds should be left unlocked. This
would discourage potential thieves from thinking there is anything
valuable in the shed.
9. Report on RHS Affiliated Society: Claire informed the meeting
that she had looked into this matter and it was agreed that we
would not join at this time but this could be discussed in the
future.
10. A Survey of Use of Current Community Plots for which YACIO is
Responsible For: Adam Myers stated that the results of this
survey are not yet available.
III. TREASURER’S REPORT
The Treasurer was unable to come to the meeting but Claire had been
informed that we had £170.81 in the Association’s bank account of
which approximately £32 would be paid out for our contribution
towards repair of the portacabin floor.
IV. FUNDING APPLICATION TO HEWORTH WARD
Claire stated that applications for Ward Funding needed to be
submitted by the end of April and decisions will be made before the
May local elections.
At the Glen Allotments Committee meeting held last week, it was
agreed that we would submit an application for the following items: 3
Picnic Tables with extensions for disabled persons; 1 Notice Board to
be installed on the outside the portacabin. Other items suggested at
the Association meeting were (a) a Gas Heater & Cylinder to heat the
portacabin when required; (2) a camping gas cooker and other
utensils to enable coffee/tea to be made in and outside of the
portacabin; (3) 2 Pasting Tables which can be used when selling
produce.
Susie Braithwaite has very kindly volunteered to do the application,
with assistance from Claire.
V. WOODCHIP
There was a suggestion that people using woodchip brought onto the
allotments should be asked to make a voluntary contribution to help

raise funds for the Association. However, it was agreed that as we
receive this free from the Council then we should not request
donations.
We should also look for other sources to obtain woodchip and Adam
suggested that we could contact tree surgeon companies, such as Lewis
Tree Surgery or Aborwise Tree Surgery and ask if they could let us
have woodchip if they are working in our area.
VI. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
According to our Constitution, the AGM should be scheduled to take
place in October.

VII. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
1. Area on the left hand side by the gate is in a very bad state and
people are dumping green waste there. It was agreed that Claire,
Efro, Mariela, and Celina & Les Gee would meet at 10:00 am on
Saturday, 13 th April to clear, tidy up and re-plant this area.
2. Mariela kindly donated the extra money she had paid for her
membership to the Association.
3. It was agreed that Claire would contact Gail Farrington from the
Hempland Allotments Committee and meet with her to get an
insight into how their Association works and could work for us.
4. Raised Bed on Boundary of the Allotments: Claire raised the
matter of this raised bed which officially does not belong to anyone
with Adam, who informed us that YACIO plan to develop a new
plot in this area. YACIO will be contacting the surrounding
allotment holders and asking them to contact YACIO for more
information. There was some comments made about the fact that
there was a possibility this area was contaminated, but no-one was
certain if this was true. Adam to also talk to the person who is
presently using this area.
5. Tang Hall Community Plots (Part of Plot 46): As these are no
longer being used by Tang Hall Community Center, Claire asked
Adam if it was possible for Tara Mason, one of our young
allotment holders, to use one of the raised beds to grow flowers for
a project she was undertaking for Gardener’s World. Her design
was accepted by Gardener’s World and she will need to display
her garden at their Exhibition in Birmingham in June. Adam said
he would talk with Plot 46.
This would be good publicity for Glen Allotments.

6. Adam stated that YACIO were prepared to put a new lock on the
gate, but a decision was taken at the last Association meeting to
leave the gate as it is for the time being.
7. It was agreed that we should put a new lock on the portacabin.
8. The issue of whether people were allowed to use hoses for water
was discussed. This matter had been brought up at YACIO’s
AGM, but still needs to be clarified.

VIII. DATE OF NEXT ASSOCIATION MEETING
The date of the next Association Meeting was set for Saturday, 8 th
June 2019 at 10:00 at Glen Allotments.

09/04/2019