Notice of EGM to Approve an Updated EWAA Constitution

All the Oxford Allotment Association on land owned by Oxford City Council are currently preparing to sign a new long-term lease with the City Council, as the old lease expired over two years ago.  The Oxford & District Federation of Allotment Associations (ODFAA) reports that negotiation of the details is progressing well, and agreement should be reached soon. To meet the requirements of the new lease we need to update our existing constitution (read it here) to make it more detailed.  The City Council has also confirmed that Oxford allotment associations must become incorporated entities, whereas previously they have been managed as unincorporated associations. This means that the EWAA will need to form some type of incorporated body to sign the lease, whereas previously individual trustees took on that responsibility.  The purpose of this change is to end the need for trustees to give personal unlimited financial guarantees when they signed the lease, and to improve the governance of associations across Oxford.

This is why we now need your support and help to approve a new constitution, which is the first step in preparation for incorporating the East Ward Allotment Association. Later this year we will need to decide what form of incorporation to choose, and the proposed constitution defines how the EWAA will take its decisions. It puts in place better Annual General Meeting procedures, provides a mechanism to wind up the current unincorporated allotment association and transfer its assets to a new body, and also introduces a new plot-holder licence agreement which all plot-holders must sign when they next pay their annual rent.

Please take time to read through the proposed constitution and the licence agreement (links below) and let us have any queries or comments no later than Sunday 25th February, so that we can respond to any questions well ahead of the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) which will be held at 12pm on Sunday 17th March in the allotment shop. This should be a short meeting to ratify the two new governance documents proposed here.

  1. NB – there is a “Translate” button in the top right-hand corner of the EWAA website pages.
  2. Proposed EWAA Constitution
  3. Proposed Plot-holder Licence
  4. Email any queries to contact@ewaa.org.uk

Many thanks for your time, and we hope to see you at the EGM!

EWAA Committee

Straw bales

  • We have been in touch with a local farmer who can deliver a load of barley straw bales to the EWAA site, providing we order at least 10.
  • Each bale measures approximately 100cm x 50cm x 40cm, and weighs around 18kg.
  • One bale costs £6.00
  • If you are definitely interested in buying one, or would like to find out more, please email the Shop

NB – because we cannot store bales, there won’t be another opportunity to get one this year.

Seed potatoes are on their way…

The EWAA supply of seed potatoes for sowing in spring 2024 will arrive later this month, and the shop will be open each Sunday between 25th February and 28th July until mid-day.

CategoryVariety
First EarliesArran Pilot
Foremost
Red Duke
Second EarliesCharlotte
Jazzy
Pink Fir Apple
Main CropDesire
Golden Wonder

We also have a comprehensive stock of seeds from Kings & Suffolk Herbs, a good supply of Muck and Mulch bags, potting compost, and a wide range of useful non-perishable items, such as netting, ground cover, etc.

During February and March you will be able to make purchases over a two-hour period, 10.00-12.00

If you have any questions, please email shop@ewaa.org.uk

IMPORTANT: Boundary Brook Nature Reserve

Happy Monday to all our plot holders! We hope all your plots are surviving Storm Isha.

Today’s communication regards the Nature Reserve which borders the site at the Boundary Brook end.

We urge all plot holders to be aware, particularly those who have a plot which borders the nature reserve, that the nature reserve, while ‘wild’ is also very deliberately tended as a space for plants, birds and animals, and a huge amount of work has gone into this space in the last 5 years. There is also a lot of work going on along the boundaries with our site, comprising hedge laying, grassland cutting, and rotation. 

Please could all plot holders:

  1. Refrain from cutting hedges and coppices along the boundary
  2. Not remove any wood from the nature reserve (as some are deliberate piles for wildlife, the wood isn’t ‘spare’)
  3. Not dump plot waste on nature reserve land. 

If you have any concerns about the boundaries of your please contact the Membership Secretary.

Thank you in advance for observing these rules so that we can continue to exist in harmony with our neighbours at the Nature Reserve, and benefit from the wonderful biodiversity and pollinators their work brings to our site.

EWAA committee

Only two more shopping Sundays in 2023!

REMINDER: the allotment Shop will be closed in December and January. It will re-open at some point in mid-Feb, date to be confirmed. Details here.

75% DISCOUNT on red onion sets, ready to plant immediately.

SPUDS: did you have any significant successes or failure this year? We are preparing our order for 2024 seed potatoes, so if you have any feedback on a particular variety please send it to shop@ewaa.org.uk before the end of the month.

Water supply

Please note that the mains water supply to all the tanks on the allotment site will be switched off at some point this coming weekend, November 18th-19th.

It will be turned on again in early spring, once the danger of a hard frost is past.

EWAA Committee

Pilfering from car park

If you ever use the gate in the “woodchip” car park you will know that the builders who are working at 66 Cricket Road are also using the space to access the construction project. We need to remind EWAA members that, apart from the woodchip, any materials stored in the car park belong to the builders, so please DO NOT help yourself to bricks, pallets, tools, or any other useful-looking objects you spot there.
Thank you!

_______________

EWAA Committee

Protect and improve your soil this winter

Have you considered planting a green manure now to improve the quality of the soil on your plot?

To learn more about how to use Green Manures there’s a helpful summary from Bob Flowerdew in the Banstead episode of Gardeners’ Question Time, recorded on18th November 2022. It starts at 14.30 mins.

Both Grazing Rye and Winter Tares (vetch) are in stock at the EWAA allotment shop, which will be open from 11-12 each Sunday morning until the end of November.

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