About us
In 2005, if you wanted to rent an allotment plot in Yeovil you simply approached the Council and they would offer you a choice of sites and a choice of plots. There were vacancies on all sites. You could even take on more than one plot. The reason for this was that there was no great demand for allotment plots in Yeovil. Everyone who wanted a plot could rent one at a reasonable cost.
At the time there were twelve allotment sites in the town. Most of these sites had a mixture of very well tended plots, and some unused plots. Take up of plots was probably running at about sixty to seventy percent in the town, which indicated that there was continued support for allotments generally, but there was also headroom should demand increase.
Although most sites continued to be worked productively by their tenants, unfortunately, there was one exception. The Goldcroft site was an extreme example where the number of tenants diminished rapidly and were not replaced. The problem was that the site was being regularly vandalised. It was a very open site with easy access for intruders and it became an unequal struggle between the remaining tenants and the vandals. Eventually, the site was completely abandoned and it was put up for sale by the Council.
By about 2007 the demand for allotments had increased dramatically. There was renewed interest in growing vegetables, fruit and various other plants and any vacant plots were quickly snapped up. The influx of tenants breathed new life into the remaining eleven sites and it was a real pleasure to see previously untenanted plots reinstated into productive areas once more.
Of course with the benefit of hindsight, many people would see the selling off of an allotment site in Yeovil as a mistake. However, the downturn in the popularity of allotments coupled with the pressure on Council coffers at the time would have contributed to the decision to sell the site.
By 2010 the demand for allotment plots increased to such an extent that there were insufficient plots available to meet the demand.
The sale of the Goldcroft site was a watershed moment. It raised concerns among tenants regarding the long term provision of allotment sites in the town.
It was this as much as anything else that created the momentum for tenants to form a collective body that would actively support and promote allotment gardening in the town
We were aware that there had already been initiatives at Sunningdale and Elizabeth Flats allotment sites where tenants had formed their own groupings, but we wanted to form a single inclusive association that every town council allotment tenant could join and benefit from.
So in February 2009 with the support of the Tenant Representatives we held a meeting at the Monmouth Hall to see if there was support for such a venture. On the night, over seventy tenants came along and gave their support.
Two key objectives that were proposed at the meeting were:
- -To support allotments in the town. To oppose any future closures of allotment sites and to lobby for additional sites to be provided, if demand increased.
- -To run the association as a non profit making business.
We also decided to explore ways of providing a decent return on the annual subscription, so that on a purely monetary level everyone could see a positive return on their investment in the association.
At that meeting we elected a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and formed a committee.
In March 2009 we held our first members' meeting at Brimsmore Gardens, Yeovil. We became corporate members of the Gardens Group Gold Club which provides members with a superb range of benefits. The Association also took out membership of National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners so that we could obtain expert advice, guidance and legal support as and when required.
As a relatively new association we are still developing the scope and range of our activities. Our meetings are well attended and we get very good feedback from members on allotment issues. The main event in 2010 was our first Show. This took place at Brimsmore Gardens, Yeovil, on 22nd August 2010. The event was open to all members.We attracted 130 entries and had a most enjoyable day.
This was repeated in 2011 and we have a full calendar of events in 2012.
Our membership has risen steadily since our beginnings but of course we are always pleased to welcome new members. Membership is open to allotment gardeners and costs £6 a year
(For a membership form, go to Downloads)
