Dear member,
The committee would very much like to thank all those members who attended this year’s AGM.
Hopefully everyone there found it useful, especially the Q & A session we introduced at the end of the meeting.
During Alan’s (President) presentation, he explained the difference in funding between the Community Garden (Plot B6) and the new Shop / meeting cabin which is required as the existing building cannot be insured as it is wood based, and is getting towards the end of its life with increasing rot and general roof / ceiling issues. In short, it needs replacing. To summarise, the Community Garden B6 is 100% funded through grants and while B6 has allowed us to apply for the National Lottery grant to purchase the new container, which will also be available for B6 volunteers to use, the container will be owned by the Association. More details on this will shortly be on our website https://www.beightonallotment.org/
While the new container shop & meeting room will primarily be paid for by a £20,000 National Lottery donation, the higher than expected cost of the structure has meant that the overall cost has depleted our contingency fund (which is what instances like this is for). As rents have now not been raised for nearly 5 years (despite inflation during this time getting towards 25% in total), our current financial position has meant that we have proposed, and the membership at the AGM voted for unanimously, an increased rent to £30.00 for the 2025/2026 season. This is still substantially less than a similar plot on a SCC site and remains excellent value for money.
Now rents have been agreed at the AGM, payment is now due.
Please also note that you will need to bring your rent book when paying your rent. We already have several people that need their rent books updating from last year and everyone needs to have their rent book up to date. If you do not bring your rent book, or have lost it, there will be an additional charge of £5 for a replacement. Rents can be paid each Saturday and Sunday 10am-noon when the shop is open and the deadline for payment will be Saturday 31 May 2025.
we have also been asked for copies of the current price list to be sent to our members. We have not raised prices at the shop since January 2024 so this is also our current price list.
Thank you.
2025 AGM & Rents
This years AGM will take place once again at the Lifestyle Centre in Beighton on Sunday 13th April @ 10am promptly.
The minutes of the AGM will be available on request by email and will be permanently available for members to view in the allotment shop once approved at the next committee meeting at the end of April.
This years rent has not yet been proposed by the Treasurer and will not be payable until after the AGM. All rents will then need to be paid by Sunday 1st June.
Beighton Allotment Association
2025 AGM Information
Meeting Date: Sunday 13th April 2025
Meeting Location: The Lifestyle centre, high street, Beighton, S20 1HE.
Start Time : 10:00am Prompt
End Time : 12noon Prompt
Agenda : Please submit any items to the agenda to Mark Kirby (Assn. Secretary) to beightonallotmentassociation@gmail.com by 12 noon on Friday 28th March 2025 at the latest.
All items submitted for the agenda must be presented at the meeting by the person submitting the question or a nominated representative and only items submitted in advance will be discussed.
PLEASE NOTE : NO RENT PAYMENTS WILL BE TAKEN AT THE AGM!
2024 AGM & Rents
A big thank you to everyone who attended this years AGM at its new venue, the Beighton Lifestyle Centre.
The minutes of the AGM will be available on request by email and will be permanently available for members to view in the allotment shop once approved at the next committee meeting at the end of April.
This years rent of £25.00 was approved by the majority of voting members at the AGM and so will remain at the 2020 level for another year.
Rents are now due and must be paid by the last Sunday in May.
Garden Inspections 2024
We will be having three garden inspections this year which will take place during the last week of March, June and September, however please ensure your plot complies with the rules at all times as gardens which are not kept in a good condition and cultivated may get a letter to improve (which could lead to an eviction) at any time.
Summer Fayre 2024
This years Summer Fayre will take place in August however we are already collecting Bric-a-brac so please contact Julie Ridge or Sue Rowbotham if you have anything you would like to donate.
We would also welcome donations from any local business to be used as prizes for our Raffle or Auction (depending on value).
2024 Best Garden Competition
We will again be running a "Best Garden" competition in 2024.
There is a "Best New Gardener" category for those who have joined us in the last 2 years, a "Most Improved" category awarded for recent outstanding effort (often won by newish gardeners between years 2-5) and a "Best Garden" category which can be won by anyone!
The assessment date for gardens will be on Thursday 11th July.
If you would like your garden to be included, contact any committee member before this date or let someone in the shop know you would like to enter your garden.
AGM Update: Sunday 2nd April 2023
The committee would like to thank all those who attended this years AGM. The highlights of which are below.
The 2022 Minutes were agreed to be a true reflection of last years meeting.
The 2022 accounts were approved and seconded by the members.
Mark Kirby (Treasurer) confirmed a new account had been set up to eventually pay for a new shop / cabin.
Mark Kirby stood down as Treasurer & from the committee. David Brown took over as Treasurer with immediate effect.
New rules on gate security agreed & passed by the members.
New wording on some of the constitution approved by the membership.
2022 accounts and minutes of last years meeting are available to members from the shop with immediate effect.
The 2023 AGM date is now confirmed as Sunday 2nd April 2023.
The meeting will start at 10am promptly and will finish at 12noon and as always, will take place at the Limes Community Centre, Beighton. (For your satnav, the postal address is 47 Rosemary Rd, Beighton, Sheffield, S20 1AQ however the main entrance is on Lime Street)
As in previous years, any member proposals need to be submitted as early as possible as only items on the agenda will be discussed due to time constraints. The 28th February 2023 is the final cut off date for member proposals.
Voting will be done by holding up your blue rent book only. No additional voting cards will be available at the meeting. Replacement rent books are available in advance at £3.00 each from the shop to full Association members who have lost theirs (you will need one to pay your rent if you have lost yours anyway so you may as well get one before the AGM!). New rent books will NOT be available at the AGM. No rents will be taken at the AGM.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
Gates & Break-in's (New Rules ) - 20th December 2022
IMPORTANT NEW RULES REGARDING THE GATES - PLEASE NOTE : GATES TO BE LOCKED ON A/B/C/D lanes
Dear Gardener,
As most of you know, we have now had three spates of burglaries on our allotments this year, with thefts and damage that are upsetting and distressing for us all. After a detailed inspection of the site perimeter, there are no obvious signs of entry, nor vulnerable points of access. The most obvious conclusion is the intruders are gaining access through one of the four gates off Orchard Lane. On several occasions now, members of the committee, fellow gardeners and even the householder of the bungalow opposite C lane have noticed and reported gates being left open, when no one is on any of the plots, or in some cases were open late evening when someone noticed when driving past. The most recent and embarrassing instance was a report from our local PCSO, who was patrolling earlier this week and noticed C lane gate open, with no cars in the car park and after walking across the whole site, he could see no one on any of the plots in lanes B, C, or D!!!
We cannot allow this to continue and with immediate effect, we are introducing this rule. Anyone using any access gate, by car or on foot, whether or not it is open, must lock it behind them when they enter and leave the site.
THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE IS WHEN THE ALLOTMENT SHOP IS OPEN
It is disappointing to have to introduce these measures, but we cannot allow these intruders the opportunity to access our site to continue their acts of theft and vandalism. It’s also disappointing that we have certain people in our community who do not operate on a last out, lock up principle.
Thank you in anticipation of your support on this important security measure.
Kind Regards, Security officer / Committee
The 2022 AGM date is now confirmed as Sunday 3rd April 2022.
The meeting will start at 10am promptly and will finish at 12noon and as always, will take place at the Limes Community Centre, Beighton. (For your satnav, the postal address is 47 Rosemary Rd, Beighton, Sheffield, S20 1AQ however the main entrance is on Lime Street)
As in previous years, any member proposals need to be submitted as early as possible as only items on the agenda will be discussed due to time constraints. Sunday 20th February 2022 is the final cut off date for member proposals to ensure they can be included in postal packs to members not on Email. Any member proposal submitted by 20th February, needs to be presented at the AGM by the member putting it forward.
Voting will be done by holding up your blue rent book only. No additional voting cards will be available at the meeting. Replacement rent books are available in advance at £3.00 each from the shop to full Association members who have lost theirs (you will need one to pay your rent if you have lost yours anyway so you may as well get one before the AGM!). New rent books will NOT be available at the AGM. No rents will be taken at the AGM.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
20th December 2021 A Lane Gates
The new A Lane gates have now been fitted and they are a big improvement on the previous gate. In consultation with several members of A Lane, it has been decided to go with a short chain way of locking the gates that means the lock will go through the hole (similar to the photo below except the lock needs to be raised to be in line with the sliding gate lock). Please ensure that the gate is locked and unlocked behind you when you both enter and leave the site.
28th October 2021 Locking Gates
It was noted at today's committee meeting that some of the gates, especially C Lane gate, is not being locked in an evening. Please help keep our site secure by locking A, B and D gate behind you when you come and go on every occasion and as it is often the last gate to be used, the last person to leave by both car and / or foot on C gate MUST lock the gate behind them. Wrapping the chain and lock around the gates without locking the padlock is not acceptable,. Every member must have the main gate key with them while on site and the gates must be locked in the evening as you leave, especially as the nights draw in an the risk of break-ins increases.
28th October 2021 Lane Access
All plot holders are reminded that it is against Association rules to have anything outside your plot in the lanes and that all plants should be trimmed back to your plot boundary. We have had complaints that some sections of the lanes are very hard to pass with wide vehicles when taking items to and from their plots. Please be considerate and ensure your section of lane is clear.