Development

The Gardening Club has realised ambitious plans to replace the 20+ year old allotment building with a new purpose built building. This development has brought much needed improvements to the facilities available at the allotments. which include:

* toilets;
* a dedicated mower store;
* a new shop;
* the construction of a secure bulk storage area for selling manure and soil improving material;
* a multipurpose space for refreshments and meetings;

No project of this kind comes cheaply and a lot of effort went into raising the £25,000 plus needed for construction.

In December 2006 a long serving member of the Gardening Club, Chris Smith, tragically died of cancer aged only 56. Chris started the whole process of building replacement, but never lived to see his visions realised. The Gardening Club has inaugurated the Chris Smith Memorial Fund, the proceeds from which were used to support this development. The new building is dedicated to his memeory and is called the Chris Smith Building. The old building was called the shed and the new building will continue always to be "The Shed".

Further developments are planned subject to the necessary finance being available.

These include the continuation of the Chris Smith Memorial Fund with other purposes such as providing resources for people who wish to further their knowledge of and interest in gardening, horticulture and plants. The Trustees are seeking to raise funds for this work by applying to the John Lewis Partnership for an opportunity to run Longstock Water Gardens for one Sunday in 2013. The Trustees are committed to promote an interest in gardening, especially amongst young people. This was a subject close to Chris Smith's heart.

It is important that "allotmenting" is made available to all. To this end the Trustees have provided additional raised beds for disabled people; mini beds for young people and those for whom a traditional 5 or 10 rod plot is too big. The Trustees will arrange other types of plot for specific need should those needs arise.

The Trustees will need to tackle the problems around parking and of course, health and safety.

Any organisation which stands still while all around it are making progress, is actually going in reverse!! This should never be true of the Gardening Club.