MMAA Chairmans Report

Mastin Moor Allotments Association

Annual General Meeting Monday, 14 November 2011

Chairman’s Remarks

Although it was only last March that we had our last (delayed due to snow and germs) AGM, it has been an eventful time:

We have had monthly committee meetings and work parties.
The Feasibility Study commissioned by Staveley Forward has been completed and shown a good level of support for the idea of a small café on the Community Garden.
Building work on the Turning Point site goes on apace and we look forward to working with the charity in the future.
We have been approached by a Staveley resident who is exploring the idea of setting up a ‘green gym’ and look forward to seeing how the idea develops.

On the down side:

Poor old Compost Corner fell victim to an arson attack and we lost quite a lot of useful items like chairs and tables.
We’ve lost the water in our pond … well it has been the driest 12 months for the Midlands on record, so, hopefully, we may yet see it replenished.
Sadly, we have once again suffered from antisocial behaviour (including 2 arson attacks on the Garden itself) and can only say thank you to Sue Cooke and her colleagues from the Staveley Safer Neighbourhood Team for giving us such much appreciated support.

Notwithstanding the ‘downs’, it has been good to see that the allotment plots have now all been taken and the Community Garden is still being well used by local people. Yet again, I have been very touched to see how much voluntary help is given to the Community Garden, so I want to thank:

Ron, who has finally decided to ‘retire’ and hang up his hoe, for all his hard work on the Garden, for writing the newsletter and for always being so positive in the face of adversity! We won’t be missing him, as we expect him to continue to play his part at our committee meetings and to continue to share his many years of gardening experience and his common sense with us all. I hear that he will still be out and about on Monday mornings, practising his supervisory skills!

I also want to acknowledge the hard work done by Glynn, who has supported Ron’s efforts in fair weather and foul. We really appreciate your work and commitment, Glynn. It is very good of you to give so much time to the Garden, when you are also working and caring for your sister, Julie. Thank you.
Carol and Gerry have decided to take a break from the Committee; and I know that you will join me in thanking them for all their support and hard work since we started this venture. The Community Garden owes them a great debt, not least for cutting the grass year in, year out, but they have contributed in many other ways: in creating and maintaining the website at their own expense, undertaking the risk assessments, providing the barbeque on open days, donating to the upkeep of the site and of Compost Corner and to our raffles. The Community Garden could never have got off the ground, nor lasted this long, without Gerry and Carol’s support. They have told me that they will still be supporting our efforts and we hope to see them around the Garden on Work Days, if only for the lure of Rita’s buns!

Thank you John, for once again doing our accounts and for all your labour on the Community Garden. Thanks too to Jill for joining the work parties,

I also want to thank Lucy, who took over the job of managing the allotment plots and has done a fantastic job.

Denise has yet again generously donated plants and helped keep an eye on things. Thank you for all your help.

Thank you too to Fee Unwin from the PCT and PCSO Sue Cooke who have regularly turned out for our committee meetings and given us much appreciated advice and support.

Thanks too to Rita for your hospitality, for the refreshments at the work parties, and for undertaking the role of Secretary.

One final thank you to all of you who have kept on keeping on, making the allotments and Community Garden not only possible, but so successful.

There is much to look forward to and I know that our hard work and persistence will, in the long run, prevail and that Mastin Moor Community Garden will continue to be an asset to the community, of which you can be justifiably proud. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the fund raising hamper which will be raffled here next month, but we do need your continued help and support. Can you help us to sell some raffle tickets? Can you help with litter picking? Can you help with weeding or the wild life areas? Is there anything else you can do to help the Community Garden? As I always say, it is voluntary and every contribution, no matter what, is much appreciated.

Mastin Moor Allotments Association

Annual General Meeting 22 March 2010

Chairman’s Remarks

2009 was a year of mixed fortunes, both for the weather and for the Community Garden. We had more than our fair share of cool damp days and we also suffered from some anti-social behaviour, which led to us contacting the Safer Neighbourhood Team. We were not alone in experiencing such incidents; it seems that everywhere you go you hear and see evidence of anti-social behaviour, but we are not going to dwell on the negative. We are determined not to let the selfishness of the few spoil the lives of the many people who get great pleasure from our Community Garden and allotments.

And good does come out of evil. Our contact with the Safer Neighbourhood Team led to us receiving help from PCSO Sue Cooke who helped to organise our Open Day in October. That proved to be a very enjoyable afternoon and, wonder of wonders, it actually stayed dry! In addition to Sue Cooke I want to thank Gerry and Carol Machen who once again did sterling work with their barbeque and tea-urn. I also want to thank John Hempshall for organising the Birds of Prey exhibition, which proved so popular. We were loaned some bouncy castles by the landlord of the Elm Tree in Staveley, and thank him too for his generosity. My thanks and appreciation also goes to the many people who worked so hard to make the day a success: John & Jill Hempshall and their extended family, Philippa Johnson, Rita Packwood, Mary White and the Tenants And Residents Association and to the Craft Group.

But behind all that went on on the Open Day, was the huge effort made week in, week out by Ron Goodwin and Glynn Collins to keep the site clean and tidy and to maintain our many flower beds. And that is not all, Ron kindly writes our monthly newsletter, which Philippa is so good as to type and print out; and then Ron delivers or posts them! He is a star and has my utmost respect and admiration. Our thanks go to Mick Smith, who has generously repaired our water supply on more than one occasion. And yet again I must mention Gerry, who gives so generously of his time and money to mow the grass on the Community Garden throughout the year. I also want to mention Denise Evans who has donated many plants and helped us to bag some bargains from Dobbies Garden Centre, who also kindly gave us some gifts for our Open Day. Thanks also to those of you who attended the weekend working parties through the year. It is wonderful to know you and experience true generosity and community spirit.

We have made some new friends for the Community Garden. Two people from the group Transition Town Chesterfield came along to the Open Day and were very impressed. If you have not already seen it, please visit their website and read what they wrote about our “gem” of a garden. They finished off by saying that they had seen a community that was alive and well in Mastin Moor and isn’t that what all our hard work is all about? But that isn’t the end of our fame … Chesterfield Borough Council is producing an Eco-Tour of the Borough booklet and our Mastin Moor Community Garden is the first entry, so we can look forward to welcoming many more visitors to the site. May the Community Gardens and allotments continue to go from strength to strength in 2010!

I know that I have not been able to acknowledge every contribution to the Garden individually, but once again, I do want to say that we truly appreciate and value every gift of time, plants, and effort large and small that goes into making the Community Garden the great success that it is.

Thanks everyone.

Mastin Moor Allotments Association

Mastin Moor Allotments Association

Annual General Meeting 28th March 2011

Chairman’s Remarks

This will be the eighth year that we have welcomed people to the Community Garden and, although we have had occasional problems with anti-social behaviour, I am pleased to say that, despite those setbacks, it is a well used and well prized asset to the local community.

I am very proud to have been able to serve as the Chair of such a determined, tenacious, loyal, and hardworking group. I often extol our virtues to people and cite Mastin Moor Community Garden as a fantastic example of what can be achieved by a team of dedicated volunteers. In fact, I recently told my tale to someone I was working with; and that same evening she began canvassing her neighbours to start a community garden themselves!

Once again I can only say thank-you to all those who have made it possible for the Community Garden to continue to bring so much pleasure to so many people:

Ron for his hard work each (and almost every) week (he missed one or two due to some paltry excuse like 2 foot of snow and minus 10 degrees!). When he wasn’t ‘shirking’ he was picking up litter, emptying bins, weeding, planting, pruning, carrying out potato trials, writing and distributing newsletters … and generally idling his life away! Not bad for an 85 year old; in fact, not bad for someone half his age!

And alongside Ron, more often than not, has been Glynn. I know Ron has really appreciated his support and help, as have we all. Although we may not have been able to say it to you in person as often as we would have liked Glynn, we do send you our thanks each week and I want people to know how much the Garden owes to both of you.

I also want to thank Gerry and Carol for investing so much time, effort, and money in continuing to cut the grass on the site. And for maintaining the website, which is now splendidly adorned with their wildlife photos. They are very impressive ... as are the Latin names on the labels! We are fortunate to have your support and look forward to seeing many more of your pictures.

John, I want to say thank you for undertaking the role of Treasurer. You do a grand job. And thank you too for your help with maintaining the Garden, especially the pond, at our monthly work parties during the summer. Clad in waders, mud and sweat you make a picture that could rival Gerry’s Red Admiral photo! I am not sure what to say about the delivery of manure you so kindly arranged for while you were on holiday in Tenerife … we had a wonderful time getting it to the allotments! Still, I am sure your fellow plot-holders loved you for it!

Thanks Philippa for typing and printing the monthly newsletter. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Denise, once again you have quietly and generously supported the site. Thank you for your donations; they do make a difference.

Thank you to everyone who turned up to our committee meetings and thank you to Rita for hosting them, for providing the refreshments for our Saturday work parties, for taking care of the paperwork and all your hard work behind the scenes.

Thank you to all those who have dug and planted and harvested their allotment plots through all the vagaries of a British summer. May the quality and quantity of your produce exceed your wildest dreams in 2011.

I am pleased to be able to tell you that Staveley Forward, a residents’ group, recently secured £7,000 for a feasibility study that will be looking at the idea we have for a café on the Garden and a cookery school for the area. It will also look into the use of the Healthy Living Centre by local people. If the feasibility study demonstrates that there is support for these ideas, they will then look to seek funding for a project worker to move things forward.

Let’s look forward to 2011, to a year of sun, but not too much, of just the right amount of rain and at just the right times, and many more happy memories of Mastin Moor Community Garden for us, and for everyone who uses the site.

Thank you for making it all possible.

Annual General Meeting 22 March 2010

Chairman's Remarks

And good does come out of evil. Our contact with the Safer Neighbourhood Team led to us receiving help from PCSO Sue Cooke who helped to organise our Open Day in October. That proved to be a very enjoyable afternoon and, wonder of wonders, it actually stayed dry! In addition to Sue Cooke I want to thank Gerry and Carol Machen who once again did sterling work with their barbeque and tea-urn. I also want to thank John Hempshall for organising the Birds of Prey exhibition, which proved so popular. We were loaned some bouncy castles by the landlord of the Elm Tree in Staveley, and thank him too for his generosity. My thanks and appreciation also goes to the many people who worked so hard to make the day a success: Jill Hempshall and their extended family, Philippa Johnson, Rita Packwood, Mary White and the Tenants And Residents Association and to the Craft Group.

We have made some new friends for the Community Garden. Two people from the group Transition Town Chesterfield came along to the Open Day and were very impressed. If you have not already seen it, please visit their website and read what they wrote about our �gem� of a garden. They finished off by saying that they had seen a community that was alive and well in Mastin Moor and isn't that what all our hard work is all about? But that isn't the end of our fame � Chesterfield Borough Council is producing an Eco-Tour of the Borough booklet and our Mastin Moor Community Garden is the first entry, so we can look forward to welcoming many more visitors to the site. May the Community Gardens and allotments continue to go from strength to strength in 2010!

Thanks everyone.

Chairman's Report to the 2007 AGM

This time last year I began my report by suggesting we pause and take stock on what had been achieved.

We had a wonderful site for people to walk around and enjoy
We had 16 Allotment plot holders
The entrance way, centre circle and a third new flower/shrub bed had been glorious through the year
Many people had walked around the site and made very favourable comments
The garden had by then a permanent Water Supply
and the Pond was progressing well
We had a �gifted' green house that was proving useful
And the new sign at the entrance to the Community Garden was looking good.
�Compost corner' continued to survive thanks to running repairs and new heaters etc
The Web Page was terrific and attracted very favourable comments from far and wide.
Second Christmas raffle was in progress
We had Networked with a number of organisations inc Barnsley Building Society; Presentation at SNM (national) conference, stand at CBC equality = respect event, etc
And we had been successful (after previous failed attempts) with Funding Bids for the pond; sensory garden; as well as smaller bids for shrubs/plants for entrance area etc

As I recall, we held the meeting at Ritas and had wine, beer, mince pies etc �

but did we pause �. ?

not a bit of it.

This year even more has been achieved

The Pond, the Bog garden and the Sensory garden together with its unique laburnum walk are by any measures a tremendous success :

As is the generous community spirit , as recorded in the stand we erected for the CBC Equality = Respect / Unity in Community day held in November in Staveley: The willingness to work and help one another which has been a feature of this project since its inception, has continued throughout 2007.

Yes there have been problems; the paths continue to challenge us, as does the wildflower meadow. Furthermore some one chose to use their talents not for constructive purposes but destructive ones and after a number of broken windows it was finally agreed to take down the green house: The stealing of the weed repellent material caused some distress also: And a few comments recorded on the web page were obviously forged in a sad mind: These however are but small set backs within a project that is proving to be an outstanding community success. And it is in the facing of such �problems' and transforming them into opportunities that the Community Garden is growing.

People have continued to help the learning disabilities group, as well as the �young' lads, with their plots: Not only are they continuing to learn but are feeling valued; � and it is in this light that a real community continues to grow as young and old work and learn together and respect one another! And let it not be forgotten that the young lads and especially the learning disability group contribute so much in their own way back to the site.

Every one here present has been enormously generous helping in so many ways both financially and physically. In particular I would like to pay thanks to:

Ron � our young at heart �80 something'; he is an inspiration giving help to both the gardens and other plot holders esp the group with learning disabilities and the even younger allotmenters. He keeps many areas of the site weed and litter free.

Gerry & Carol �website, general help in many other ways including the newly designed hi tec weed killer device

John � treasurer, pond, etc

Rita � secretarial work, paper work for bids etc (that so often can pass unnoticed but without which the project would grind to a halt), compost corner, keeping community payback team �happy' with choc biscuits etc,

Mick � for all the support to Ron, pond, bog garden, clearing the brambles etc

Derek, Ian and Learning Disabilities group; flowers for front bed, green house(s), repairs/decoration/furniture in compost corner, water supply.

Bolsover Woodland Enterprise continues to be helpful and have again donated wood chippings for the willow area and of course built the arch for the sensory gardens.

But most of all I want to thank and remember Dec and Yvonne without whom the gardens simply would not have been what they are.

Dec and Yvonne have been keen supporters of the Community Gardens since the very beginning. This is in itself no small achievement because they and other colleagues had experienced the problems which saw the demise of the old allotment association and everyone of the �old' allotment holders had serious doubts as to whether it could be done. It was especially good to hear Dec say to Rita last year in his very own manly style, � ey lass, I didn't think it could be done but you've done it�. Well Rita would be the first to say she hasn't done it but everyone working together has done it, and none more so than Dec and Yvonne.

Two years ago they even bought, a sit on mower and a shed to house it in, solely for use on the community gardens. Dec then undertook to keep the grass cut as well as maintain the mower all out of his and Yvonne's own pockets!!! Yvonne has bought flowers/roses for the different flower beds and Dec has dug/maintained them. Dec almost single handedly dug out the �new' site for the pond and bog garden and I remember the fun we had when he told John that he hadn't filled in his site for the pond but merely temporarily put the soil on top! His choice of site (with Ron's help) has been proved right however as it didn't dry out even in the long dry spell experienced earlier this year.

Between them Dec and Yvonne have been instrumental in bringing the gardens to the wonderful state that they are now in.

And Dec was even travelling to represent Mastin Moor Community Gardens at Chesterfield in Bloom when the unexpected happened � Dec was very proud of the community gardens and rightly so And we are very proud of

Dec

Dec was a man's man;

worked in mines really rough,

where life was hard

and the going tough.

Dec had a man's voice

chiselled by circumstance

far underground

amongst noise and violence

Dec had a man's strength

forged at the coal face

both pickaxe and spade

he'd simply embrace

But Dec also had heart

and legacy has left

in the community gardens

where we are bereft,

at the untimely passing

of one who did give

so much of himself

that others might live,

with this beautiful garden

here at Mastin Moor:

Your passing dear friend

has left us more poor.

But the garden lives on

that others might share,

what you helped to mould

from land that was bare.

Thank you from all

who will enjoy without check

this beautiful space

you've helped create dear Dec.

Chairman's Report

Good news

��. the old allotment site is once again open for gardeners. It is not only providing allotments however, it is also serving as a community garden for the benefit of everyone in and around Mastin Moor.

Allotments

For over 60 years the site served local residents, providing over 50 allotment plots. However, by the year 2000, increasing vandalism forced the allotment group to disband. Since that time a dedicated group has worked to resurrect the site for the use of everyone and prevent it from being lost to the community.

Community Garden

Times change and our site is no longer simply about the provision of allotment plots. The site is being transformed into a garden that is here for the whole community to share and enjoy. Wheelchair and pram/buggy friendly paths have been laid allowing access around the garden to the many wildlife/bio-diverse features including a wild flower meadow, native British trees/woodland, a willow copse and community orchard.

The Future

Everything is still in its infancy, especially the young trees, replanted hedgerows and wildflower meadow, but this site is being designed with a view to the long-term. To this end, local residents both young and old (and those in-between!) will be able to enjoy and learn about wildlife, nature and the growing of fruit and vegetables as the gardens and trees change and develop through the seasons. Soon birds will begin visiting again and we can look forward to watching them nesting in the years ahead.

Four seats have already been provided for your use and in the future we will be seeking funds to provide more and also raised/sensory beds especially for less able-bodied members. We also want to see the site provide opportunities for people to share their knowledge and experience and for others to learn, thereby enabling us all to live and eat more healthily. Examples of this will include sharing best practice in organic fruit and vegetable growing and in practical terms by the provision of community supported allotment growing plots for non-allotment holders including a communal polytunnel. We hope young people will become involved and perhaps even design and build their own willow structures. Another exciting development will be a scheme enabling local people to plant trees, shrubs and flowers to commemorate important anniversaries events and loved ones, both human and animal. Other developments might include a bog garden/pond area for wild life in a damper part of the site close to the willows. To help achieve these aims and as part of our philosophy of inclusion, we want Adults with Learning Disabilities to train and work on the site thereby enabling them to know and feel that they are making a positive contribution to society and the environment. Their skill levels and quality of life will be improved, thereby enabling them to enjoy more meaningful social relationships and enhance their feelings of self worth. To help achieve this aim, MMAA as a voluntary body is working in partnership with other voluntary as well as statutory bodies including: Staveley Town Council, Stavely Neighbourhood Management and Derbyshire County Council Social Services.

Your Site

This is truly your site. It is for everyone to use and enjoy. To this end please feel free to walk around the site. If you would like to take up an allotment, plant a commemorative tree/bush, need more information or perhaps would like to offer to help in any other way please contact one of the committee members.

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