Your Space Here
Wirral Federation of Allotment Societies would like to offer space on this website to all its members.
• have your own page
• advertise your events
• celebrate your successes
• share tips, advice, local contacts
• upload photographs
For information please contact the Secretaty of Wirral Federation of Allotment Societies email wfas.sec@gmail.com
Forming a Society
As many of you may realise, up until now, due to the limitations of the Council budget, they have barely been able to maintain our allotment sites and there has been no money available for improvements.
YOU can change all that - Yes you can!
A Society gives everyone on the site a voice.
Individuals can raise concerns and problems and develop their own solutions or obtain outside assistance.
Only Societies have access to grants. Forming a Society is not difficult and there is help available. For more information contact Dave on 512 3882, email davejmorris49@hotmail.com
To obtain grants contact any of the societies below for help, or for further assistance contact WBC Lottery Funding Officer Peter Riley 691 8112, or VCAW 653 7275, or the WCVS 647 5432.
What do you need?
A number of plotholders willing to devote a small amount of time and effort to run the society and a willingness on the part of other plot holders to join the society.
Most Societies have started with a small number of volunteers and have then grown.
You need to establish a Committee consisting of a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, plus some other members to represent all plotholders. To obtain funding you will need a constitution download draft constitution, and a bank account.
Talk to fellow plot holders and see what you can gain by working together
NSALG
You don't have to join the NSALG to form a Society although it is recommended as there are several benefits
• Information on how to form and run a Gardening Association
• Help & free downloadable advice sheets on many subjects.
• Public Liability Insurance
• A seed scheme
• Free legal advice
• Advice on many gardening issues.
Useful Contacts
ARI Website has free downloads of many useful Factsheets including A Fundraising Guide for Allotment Associations.
Merseyside Funding Information Portal Click on "Piggy Bank Funding Search". You have to register to use this, but online registration is quick and free of charge.
A series of Factsheets from Wirral CVS
Your Wirral funding
Area Forum Funding
Case studies
Mosslands Drive Allotment Society
In common with many allotment sites throughout the Wirral, we had continually suffered break-ins, the site was run-down, some plots had become derelict over the years and there was a general air of apathy amongst the plot-holders.
It was against this backdrop that Mosslands Drive Allotment Society was formed in May 2006.
We had realised that although it was the council's responsibility to maintain the site, the money was not available to carry out the improvements that we needed and the only way forward was to form a society and therefore become eligible to apply for grants from various sources. However, initially we relied on contributions from our members to fund our works. The first project involved up-grading the watering system, we paid for the materials and plot-holders provided the labour.
We then moved onto bigger projects. The one thing that everyone wanted was a secure fence, we realised that this was something that would need substantial funding! It took time and effort, but we were generally successful.
I arranged for a couple of fencing companies to come and quote for the work, used these to back our applications and did the paperwork. We needed just under £7,000, and made four applications, three of which were successful; we received £1,000 from The Green Machine, £3,500 from Area Forum Funding and £2,240 from Your Wirral.
We have all benefited from the formation of our society:
• we now have well attended social events through the summer months,
• we held a Big Lunch last year and raised almost £300 for a local charity,
• a quarterly newsletter is circulated, letting everyone know of upcoming events and progress reports,
• we have no derelict plots, all have been brought back into full use by work parties at the site,
• we have the local boy's school involved and using spare land for raised beds, so that they can have a gardening club at the allotments,
• and most importantly, the allotment feels more like a community.
Its an easy process to set up, and well worth the effort!
Lynne Goddard, Society Secretary.
More to follow soon...
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