EVENTS

THE PLAY AND BONFIRE NIGHT

Some of you may know that originally we'd had letters from the Council prohibiting us from holding either the play or our bonfire night party on the site.

Thanks to the intervention of our Ward Councillors Cllrs Swarbrick and Radlett, (Cllr Hayes was on holiday but he's since sent a message of support) who contacted the Director of Environmental Services with great force and speed, these decisions have now been reversed, and the Play is going ahead on October 13th and the Bonfire Night Party can go ahead on November 3rd.

We've had some clarification from the Allotments / Horticultural Officer about Barbecues - it would appear that you can have an individual barbecue on your own plot (providing this is not during an event when the public have free access to the site). If we want communal barbecues then we have to apply for individual permission to hold each such event.

Cllr Radlett is trying to get similar clarification about fires on plots. He has pointed out to the Council that our tenancy agreements require us to 'burn or remove from the site' all waste. he's also pointed out that both we and Rawlyn Rd. have problems with Japanese Knotweed and that by law any such material MUST be burnt on site, it is illegal to transport it. We await the Council's response with interest.

OPEN DAY

Work on the Wishing Well and on the Wizard of Oz tableau is moving at pace - just a bit of work on the cowardly lion now

Here are some pictures

EGM July 8th 2012

At the EGM held on Sunday July 8th 2012, the meeting by a clear majority on a show of hands decided that:

Motion One:

The Self-Management Steering Group should work with the Co-operative Enterprise Hub to re-format the existing Harpers Lane Allotments Society (an unincorporated association) into an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS) - a co-operative

Motion Two:

The Self-Management Steering Group should press on with negotiations with Bolton MBC with a view to defining the terms of a suitable agreement for the devolution of the management of the site to the above co-operative.

Given successful negotiations the Steering Group will bring forward a set of proposals to the membership at a specially convened EGM for approval, before any agreement with the Council is ratified or signed.

Saturday June 24th 10:30-4:00pm - Community owned energy coops, Incredible Edible Todmorden, Cooperative farming and Landshare projects.

 

Free one day event, lunch and refreshments.

A thought provoking day of cooperative initiatives, helping local communities meet some of the social, economic and environmental challenges they are facing.
10.30am - 4:00pm
10.30 registration and refreshments
11:15 Community renewable energy generation coops, how they work and how to set them up.
12:30 Lunch break - free buffet lunch, tea coffee and refreshments
1:00pm : Incredible Edible Todmorden, how it started and how to get an incredible edible town going
2:15 Refreshments
2:30pm - Landshare, cooperative farming, gardening and other projects.
3:30pm A presentation by people who can help you establish some of the above.
St Georges Church
Water Street
Off Standish gate
Wigan
Circulated by Transition Town Bolton
Community solutions - designed by everyone
http://www.transitionlinks.org
http://www.twitter.com/ttbolton
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Transition-Town-Bolton/222284704464582?sk=wall

SMITHILLS FARMERS' MARKET

It's been suggested (by those running the market) that the Society might operate a stall at the Smithills Farmers' Market which is held on the second Saturday of each month at Smithills School.

Stall rentals from the market go towards funding the Smithills School Senior Band.

Typical products that would be welcomed would be jams and chutneys and any surplus veg / fruit that plot-holders may wish to sell. Proceeds from sales would go to the plotholder supplying the produce, less a small commission from the Society to cover the stall rental. We may be able to start by sharing a stall with an existing stall-holder.

This stall would be in addition to the annual 'market' that we hold on Open Day.

If any plot-holders are interested then please contact either Margaret or David at harperslaneallotmentssociety@yahoo.co.uk

The 10^th FeedingManchester networking & training event,

Bringing together sustainable food projects in Greater Manchester will be held at:

The Yard, Work For Change, Hulme, M15 5RE

on Thurs 5^th July 3pm til 7pm

with a BBQ held over the road at Hulme Community Garden Centre afterwards.

We are very happy to announce that we shall have Jade Bashford from England Community Land Advisory Service (CLAS)

there to share her knowledge on accessing land for community use.

Concentrating on-

• Community gardener’s introduction to planning permission
• Communities buying land: how communities can buy land for food growing and community use, particularly as community land trusts.

There will be a 'Wanted and Offered' board available for individuals to share their needs and expertise.

Plus an update on ‘Manchester Food and Drink Festival’ 2012 and the chance to devise the 'Sustainable Fringe'.

Please book before 30th June 2012.

Please contact beth@feedingmanchester.org.uk

or call 07833 774775 for more info or to book your place asap.

£5 for individuals/community groups.

£30 for public sector organizations.

Don't forget the EGM - it's important

A REMINDER ABOUT THE

EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

OF THE

HARPERS LANE ALLOTMENTS SOCIETY

Sunday July 8^th 2.00 p.m.

At the request of the Devolved Management Steering Group, there will be an EGM on the 8^th July 2012 at 2.00 p.m. at the Amenities Hut.

There are two motions for discussion:

Discussions with the Council about Self-management (Devolved management) of the site by the Society, have been on-going for nearly two years now. An action plan (covering the period April 2012 to October 2015) was submitted by the Society (at the Council’s request) at the end of January. There has been no response to that action plan. Some services formerly provided by the Council (e.g. provision of skips, management of the waiting list, minor site maintenance works) are already being carried out (and paid for) by the Society (i.e. from members’ funds).

1. Does the Membership wish the Steering Group to continue its negotiations with the Council with a view to clarifying the Society’s future role and gaining proper funding for it?

2. Does the membership support the Steering Group’s suggestion that the Society (currently an unincorporated association) becomes a legally constituted Industrial and Provident Society (a co-operative)?

It is expected that advisors from the Co-operative Enterprise Hub will attend the meeting to explain the benefits, costs and implications of such a move.