First Prize!

What inspires anyone to take the responsibility of running an allotment site? More than that, what inspires them to continue year after year? Could it be because of the enjoyment of being moaned at by other plot holders when all you want to do is get away from life and get on with a bit of work on your own plot? Would it be for the pleasure of spending time writing letters to people who take a plot but who don’t then use it? Would it be the death threat directed to our Secretary when a young man was evicted from his plot for using it as a storage facility for his building supplies? How about the aggressive encounters with other plot holders not particularly wanting to work a plot (but wanting an allotment anyway) and not being happy about letters reminding them of their obligation?

    What is it about the human psyche that gives someone every enthusiasm for an allotment but without the commitment to do anything with it? What makes people sign up to a tenancy agreement outlining minimum standards of plot upkeep and usage when the intention may be good but in practice they just can’t maintain the minimum standard and rarely pitch up on site? We’ve seen many over the years and had many an unpleasant situation to deal with but we still come back for more.

   We do it for the sense of satisfaction of a job well done, as well as the fact that we steward the site and keep it safe and viable for future generations of people in the South Norwood area who may look for an allotment.  We get satisfaction not only from having tidy and productive plots ourselves but also having a well run site. It is the pleasure of seeing those who are committed gardeners with well kept plots getting pleasure from their time on site. It is the satisfaction of articulating a standard and working towards maintaining that standard. Of seeing the turnaround of our small site from being unkempt and un-managed to being relatively well kept and well managed. Of having processes in place to ensure that plot holders are treated fairly (although it is usually the perception of someone losing their plot that they are being treated unfairly).  The satisfaction of moving people off whose intentions may be good, but in practice not followed through in action and bringing new people in to have the opportunity to grow their own.

   The pinnacle, then, of our achievement in terms of the hard work and dedication that comes with running our site, was in the attendance at the Croydon Federation AGM on the 17^th November to receive 1^st prize in the Amenity competition. This competition is a measure of how well managed a site is overall and it is the first time since 1976 that SNAHA won this award (although we did get 2^nd place last year).  Our site is considered to be the best managed in Croydon and that feels good and makes the hard work and aggravation worthwhile. Photo below of Tony, our secretary, collecting the cup from the Mayor and the committee with the first prize.

 

 

 

 

 

 Trevor, Tony, Gary and Anita