[lucywil]

we have an association meeting next week because people have apparently been moaning about the £5 joining fee and what they do or don't get for their money so i was just wondering what other people pay to join their allotment association and what they get for their money, or what benefit being part of the association has.

[vegikev]

if the aa runs the site then you shouldnt pay a joining fee as youve allready joined the aa by renting a plot. but if its not run by the aa then its possible they can charge

[lucywil]

it's a council run site but last year we set up the association, the council do the bulk of the maintinance but the association take care of community areas like communal compost heaps etc, we also were able to order seeds at a discounted rate.

[Yorkie]

Ours is £2.50.

For that, the members can buy stuff in the association shop, order seeds at a 1/3 discount, get advice on the spot from seasoned gardeners, we have a newsletter 3 times a year, organise events such as a birdsong walk, barbeque, feast day.  We're also trying to negotiate a discount at local shops, I think we have one with the local HSS shop but also trying for local garden centre.

[SG6]

As you say that you set up the association I would have suspected that there were some stipulations on what the association was to do/perform.

Was there a reason for setting it up? As it sounds as if there were allotments in use and I would gather operating quite happily. So why the need for an association if that were the case?

I would agree that an allotment site probably needs a group of some form to raise matters with the council, to be a contact point for the council and for general day to day "management"  of the site.

Is joining/paying the association compulsary? As if it simply meant that you did not get access to cheap seeds then little benefit as the seeds available may well not be of the variety you wanted.

Get along to the meeting, after all it was created by you, so go and find out what you created. Thoughts of Mary Shelly come to mind

[lucywil]

it was not started by me, when i say we i mean the plot holders. it was started by the site rep, who is also a plot holder and does not work for the council. it was not compulsory for us to join but it is for anyone that takes a plot on now.

it seems to be running the same as Yorkie1 association, with seed discounts and social gatherings.

perhaps i should find out what the plot holders on our site were expecting from it in return for their £5

[min200]

Our membership is £1 a year.  Im still a relative newbie so havnt a bloomin clue what they do for it!

[Yorkie]

Our association isn't compulsory, in fact only about 1/3 of tenants are members - we have quite a lot of private gardeners too, though.

If it's a council run site I don't quite see how you can justify making it compulsory to be a member of the association - I'd feel a bit aggrieved as a tenant, as my tenancy was with the council and not the assoc.  That resentment may be a motivation behind some of the grumbles?

[peterjf]

in newland hull we charge £1-00 per year usually.

for your £1-00 you get good measures of all soil associated goods, eg  blood fish bone , calcified seaweed, bone meal , ect etc, all at £1-00 per kilo,

you also get a good cup of tea, pleanty of advice , and lots of cheek , lol ,

worth every penny

[savbo]

some memberships include insurance I think, through NSALG... ours also includes our subs to the District association...

[Bozwell]

Our subs this year were £2.50

For that we get a third of rrp, just 3 or 4 packets of seeds or a couple of bags compost you can make that back.
But it's more about the social element going down there, banter for want of a better word.
Every bit worth the sub money being a part of that. They also organise coach trips to major flower shows and other events and attractions much cheaper than you could by your own steam.
Be honest would you really miss £2.50 or whatever yours is for a whole year.

[aelf]

Ours is £2.50.

For that, the members can buy stuff in the association shop, order seeds at a 1/3 discount, get advice on the spot from seasoned gardeners, we have a newsletter 3 times a year, organise events such as a birdsong walk, barbeque, feast day.  We're also trying to negotiate a discount at local shops, I think we have one with the local HSS shop but also trying for local garden centre.

ours is much the same as Yorkie's except we pay £5. We also get free compost and wood chippings from time to time and we do BBQs and an annual veg competition. I think it's great value!