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THE KINGSTON FEDERATION OF ALLOTMENT GARDENERS
WORKING TOGETHER FOR KINGSTON’S ALLOTMENTS
The Federation aims to:
Promote and encourage allotment gardening in the Borough.
Build relationships within and between sites so that ideas and experience can be shared.
Provide information, support and advice to sites considering an Allotment Association.
Provide information, support and advice to sites considering Voluntary Management.
The Federation was set up formally in July 2003; its members are from other voluntary organisations, each has a KFAG representative. It currently represents 11 voluntary managed sites (managed by 9 Associations), 4 horticultural societies and 1 Association at a Quadron managed site.
Some representatives have plots on Quadron managed sites, they are either co-opted members of the committee or represent a horticultural society or Plotholders Association at a Quadron managed site.
The Federation has run allotment promotion stalls at several events over the past years, including the Green Fair, Kingston May Merrie, Malden Fortnight and the Surbiton Festival. An allotment leaflet was produced in partnership with Kingston Council.
The Federation works closely with Kingston Council; we introduced the Site Liaison Volunteer scheme and were involved in setting it up. We hold an annual meeting for all SLVs along with Quadron and Council representatives.
We were involved in discussions prior to the publication of the Council’s ‘Allotment Strategy’ document and attend regular meetings at Guildhall.
In 2008 we successfully negotiated with the Council a ‘model’ lease for new voluntary managed sites and for lease renewals at existing V.M. sites.
Last year, following discussions with Kingston Road Allotment Association (a Quadron managed site), we negotiated a “revised new tenancy agreement” with the Council for Quadron’s plotholders.
A newsletter is produced and distributed to our members, it is also sent to the Site Liaison Volunteers at Quadron sites to forward to their plotholders where possible and for display on site.
The Federation is in direct contact with most allotment sites in the Borough, both V.M. and Quadron managed. This network has proved beneficial to all.
Membership of the federation is currently free and open to any organisation in agreement with our objectives.
We have information sheets about setting up a Plotholders’ Association and Voluntary Management of allotment sites. We can supply examples of constitutions for Plotholders Associations and details of the main terms to be included in a lease which are available to anyone on request. Please contact the secretary:
Gloria Wallis, email gloriawallis@hotmail.co.uk. Tel: 020 8942 9686
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