I was chatting to someone from TT Wimbledon the other day about trying to get in touch with people looking for an allotment in Brent to tell them about all the options we now have coming onstream. We wondered about asking the council to put an ad on their web page about allotments. Anyone think this is a good idea?

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Yes, that does seem like a good idea. There must be loads of cross over out there with people who have space to grow but no time and people who have time and enthusiasm but no space.

Cheers Miko and Molly.

 

I guess you're right that Landshare already help people connect people with land so we could possibly put our plots up on there too. That said, I think some people might not know about Landshare and for them, advertising directly via the council would capture them too, don't you think?

miko adam-kando said:

Yes would be more local!
Landshare seems good but not local enough if you have to go water and weed all the time, it has to be within 1/2 a mile of your house I would have thought.

Hi all

I know Michael did a lot on this last year getting together a list of names of people with gardens and people looking to garden but it didn't really take off. I've had a look at what other TT groups do and there seems to be a mix of some groups using Landshare and some setting up their own groups.  In the food group that I have just attended we talked about tapping into the huge number of people in the allotment waiting lists to see if they'd like to help out with the food growing projects we have in the area - William Dunbar House, Queens Park Allotment etc.  Perhaps doing this through the council is a good place to start though I know they've not been keen to make contact with the allotment waiting list.

You "know they've not been keep to make contact with the allotment waiting list"?

Do you know why they're not keen? Is it too much work for them or are they just not bothered?

 

I think it's a FAB idea!

 

Good times.

 

Shea Shea

 

Yes, it's a good idea, in theory but My experience of getting allotments is, the waiting lists never move because everyone always just passes it on to someone they know, if they get fed up with it. So I think going down to allotments in person, as a TT group and chatting might be more effective.

Great idea, though getting Brent to do anything requires an awful lot of persistence and sometimes even then nothing comes of it. It's true that Brent more or less refused to contact people on the allotment waiting list. At my first Food Group meeting someone (anyone remember who?) had put loads of time into this and kept being fobbed off and passed from one person to another, only to be told by Brent eventually that they couldn't do it because it would be a breach of confidentiality. I've tried myself as well, as I'm a Brent allotment holder, and have received the same response. It's nonsense of course because we're not asking for email addresses, just for an email to be sent out. They might be more prepared to put something on the website, so hope you have better luck than we had!    Maggie

Hello,  I'm new and tried this before but not sure if I was successful, so if I'm repeating myself, please excuse.  Regards Brent allotments.  They have had a shuffle in staff and people are not replaced.  Consequetly there is no allotments manager to regularly check sites for vacancies.  I was told a few yrs ago by the then manager in Brent that there is a 10yr waiting in Brent.  It would be better to get a list from Brent of all sites.  Some are managed by a lot holder on their own site who speaks for the site and has up todate info on vacancies and waiting lists.  The prices went up considerably to 15.00 per pole (usually 5 poles per lot).  People not really wanting their lots but just keeping them,  may be thinking twice due to price changes.  Pensioners have to pay 1/2 now too.  Brent rule is if you don't cultivate your lot they can take it from you.  This can take 2 yrs.  If you don't work it in the 1st yr, Brent will warn you with a letter.  If you turn the soil a few feet this will be considered cultivation and most do just to keep the lot.  Even at the best of times, it's not good.  Also to be considered, if Brent decide to close a site for housing, etc., they are obliged to give those people first choice of another site.   I gave up 2 lots officially and they are still sitting vacant after a yr.
Sorry for the bad news but I hope it is helpful to some.
Pearl

Hi Pearl,

we've been in contact with Brent recently with some positive feelings of change in the air, maybe you would like to come along to the next food group meeting ? see you Sunday!

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