Committee Meeting

Item

Discussion

1.       Apologies

Mike Gill

2.       Point of order

A point of order made that according to the constitution an observer at a committee meeting should be silent and make no comments.

MI noted we have a major problem that if Sandy gives up her plot she wouldn’t be an honorary member and then be able to carry on being treasurer under the current constitution rules.

MI

MI

3.       Minutes of previous meeting

Initial suggestion for ‘Thank you with flowers’ suggestion came from Tich and carried out by Sandy.

JG

4.       Financial Report

Monthly financial print out of the figures given to members.

Shop takings dropping off.

Raffle is reasonably profitable.

Plot holders already paying rent online direct into the bank account and also at the shop using the ‘Sumup’ machine.

Shop stock take needs to be correlated to last year’s stock take to find how much the shop has made this last year.

Sandy noted that there were no outstanding bills.

Well done to MG & PG for producing the stock on a spreadsheet.

SR

5.       Shop Report

Volume of takings going down in line with the seasons. Compost is currently out of stock. The shop will stock ‘peat free’ compost and this is currently being researched.

PG suggested ordering potatoes and SR to inform PG of which types of potatoes we sold earlier this year. Prices of potatoes will be similar to last year.

Shop is to provide a service to plot holders but should not operate at a loss. Mark up is approximately  20%.

A discussion was had about out of date seeds and what we could do with them. Several suggestions put forward.

Some liquids held in bulk form ‘Tomorite & Jeyes fluid’ need to be decanted into bottles with ‘child proof’ tops and properly labelled.  Plot holders to be asked to save their empty ‘Tomerite’ containers.  To be mentioned in a newsletter.

JG will contact other local allotments with a view to having closer ties and promoting the CAGA shop and increasing the number of associates.

Some shop items are not selling well and we should consider how to promote them.

Broad beans seeds currently out of stock and more to be ordered.

PG

SR

MI

JG

PG

6.       Shop Rota

 5/11 PG, 12/11 JG

7.       Plot Lettings

5 people on the waiting list, 3 vacant plots ready to go ready to rent out and another 3 to be available soon.  Tich has managed to rotavate a couple of plots which have been let.

RL

Midweek working parties

The working party went very well with approximately 6 helpers on the day.  Thanks to all who turned up to help.

RL

Chinnor Pump

Article for October issue which mentions AGM and composting workshop.

RL

Website & Facebook report, incl newsletter u

October newsletter went out, appx 30% of plot holders haven’t opened it. 

RL

S106 Monies

MI received a letter from CPC asking if the plans at the bottom car would improve accessibility to the allotments for people with mobility problems and would the car park include a disabled parking space.  MI’s response to them was that the new surface would be an improvement on the current surface and that we would be happy to have a disabled parking space at both ends.

MI

Policies in progress.

MI stated that no one had emailed him any comments about any of the policies.

Environmental Policy: JG had mentioned at the last meeting that the word ‘herbicides’ should be included in the environmental policy which MI has now been done. 

 Some items in the shop are split and sold in smaller bags; information about using these products are given at point of sale.

 Both compost with peat and peat free will be stocked until it’s no longer legally possible to provide peat based compost.

MI to circulate updated policy.

 Data Protection policy which MI read out to all. RL is to compile a form for current plot holders who will come in to the DC to sign the policy.

Safeguarding which includes Code of Conduct  We’ve been given a copy of CPC’s policy but MI thinks a lot of it is inappropriate for CAGA  and needs more discussion and research.

MI read out the proposed code of conduct policy to all.

All procedures to do with ‘safeguarding’ require us to have a designated safeguarding officer who in principal should not be a committee member.

  Risk Assessment policy is on the ‘to do’ list

SR stated that we should sign the policies before the AGM as the CPC were requesting this.

It was decided to sign the GDPR, The environmental policy and code of conduct before the AGM and review them after the AGM.

MI

All

MI

Composting

Workshop

Allotment insurance doesn’t cover 3^rd party attendance at the workshop. SR has communicated with CAGA insurers for information about requirements regarding cover for the workshop.

 JG to check with ‘Replenish’ who are giving the workshop talk what insurance they have.

JG

AGM

JG to print copies of 2022 AGM minutes (appx 25) to hand out.

SR to read a resume of the year and treasurer’s report plus print copies of the finance report for the meeting.

JG

SR

AOB

SR Liz Folley has emailed information of places to apply to for grants for capital schemes. SR said she is happy to explore these grant schemes. Some members thought that getting a grant would be difficult because we don’t own the land, haven’t a 10 year lease or haven’t a postcode.

JG mentioned that Gleeson’s of the proposed housing site on Thame Road intend to provide allotments on the site.

BC Meat raffle to continue with 3 weekly prizes as it is currently well supported.

Plot holders can use some equipment but must be under supervision.

An electrician is coming to check and quote for a replacement fuse board.

BC Should we get a new battery for the heart defibrillator machine.  Suggestion was to find out the cost of a replacement battery.  

Suggestion was made to turn heating on 30 minutes before next meeting.

RL Has now got the plaques for the memorial trees and will put them up in the next few days.

End of meeting 9.30 pm

SR

SR

Date of next meeting

15^th November in DC @ 7pm.