We now face a further six months of restrictions and running
an allotment during this pandemic can be a thankless and complex business. Decisions
must be taken that are not always popular and the allotment business has to
continue. The situation will be different for Council direct managed sites to
those who are self-managed and to others whose management is with third parties
or less well defined. However, at the end of the day, the same changes must be
met, the same decisions thought through and the same community protected.
The first challenge we all faced in March was whether we
were open, closed and the rules surrounding attendance. Micheal Gove made it
clear allotments were exercise and all stayed open. However, there is still the
question of site management and maintenance. Whatever the position water
provision needs to be maintained, gates and locks need to work and to maintain
security, and the various issues that require direction and decision needed
just that.
We were lucky and unlucky. Lucky in that we did not need to
consult others outside and were in control of our own site, but unlucky in that
the main role needed, that of Site Manager, went into self-isolation where he
remains today. This means others had to step in who may not have had the
experience of sometimes stopping minor issues being blow out of all proportion
or the practical knowledge to maintain that which needed to keep all working
and secure. The biggest issue we faced was that several our gate locks decided
to give up around the same time. We had to learn how to fix and fiddle with a
box of spare parts to effect security. When finally, they gave up, a quick
decision had to be made to replace not just the locks but some 100 plus keys
and ensure the keys and locks were secure and obviate unauthorised copies being
made. Then we had to reissue keys to all under social distancing.
The most emotive issue was the decision to ban fires and
BBQs. After all it was a respiratory virus and smoke could affect others on
neighbouring plots who may well be asthma or have other breathing issues. We
stood firm, but as time went on this decision came under increasing pressure.
The situation wasn’t helped by the farm who could and did have fires under
their DEFRA licence.
Decisions had to be made without committee meetings. We
could have zoom meetings but not everyone on the committee was internet savvy
or internet connected. Officers took the decisions needed acting under a
consensus reached by email, phone and controlled by a Secretary who was herself
self-isolating some two hundred miles away.
One of the early initiatives we took was to find out who was
unable to maintain their plot for whatever reason; shielding, self-isolation
etc . We found buddies either from the community or waiting lists to help
maintain these plots such that when the plot holder returned, they would not be
faced with a jungle. We also abandoned planned plot inspections and that still
stands, but it was surprising and encouraging to find that the on the whole plots
were attended more and maintained better than some would say they were
previously.
I think I have had moore emails and calls than ever and our
waiting list has exploded from being 150% oversubscribed to now being some 250%
oversubscribed.
We also had to set up a visitor authorisation process. We
effectively said no visitors other than children and according to the
government guidelines had to ensure and social mixing and distancing was
observed. Visitors were allowed but we need details and issued them with a
letter accordingly. To some this may seem overkill but it was about ensure we
knew who had visited and if someone had a problem knowing we could track and
trace attendees.
Then comes the AGM and rent collections. We had already
decided to move to cashless so that decision was a given and we also had to
collect payment and distributed shares in our new cooperative company. We
combined the activities and reduced the process time window and are confident
that like the key distribution we shall achieve this with social distancing and
good humour.
The AGM is a bit more of a challenge. We took note of the
FCA guidelines and postponed our AGM. We
have written to the FCA with some suggested options and asked for their help
and guidance, but it looks increasingly unlikely that any AGM can take place
before early Spring and we need to address the constitutional issues of account
sign off and officer and committee elections etc. With 30% of our membership not
being internet connected, many not being internet savvy, a number do not have
good English skills we await FCA guidance. You may say, ‘we just got on with
it,’ or ‘we did it all electronically’ but we are adamant we should not exclude
members based on their lack of internet connection, unfamiliarity with conferencing
tools or their ethnic background and command of English language.
So the last six months have not been easy. In many cases it
has brought plot holders closer together and given all common purpose but it has
given us a lot of issues and decisions to make but fortunately we have had no
one catch the virus and long may that continue.
