Topic: Planned Open Day

[Crusher]

All,

I attended a meeting this morning about our site's "Open Day" planned for the 10th Sept... We are based in Sidcup in Kent, and currently running at about 45% occupancy. The people we have on are site range from ther young to the old, and all occupied plots are kept to a very high standard.

Our site is a council run site, and as such there is no fincial funding for the site. We are suppllied with the mains water (excellent) and a couple of storge units that the council have now said we can use as long as we have 3rd Party insurance. The council have also kindly produced a leaflet for us highlighting the open day which we will be distributing the week porior t the event. One thing we have negotiated is thatg the the council will come in and trim all of the unused plots so that they do not look unsightly and "scary"....

The reason for my post is to ask if any of you have any advice on how best to run our open day, and any lessons learnt you may have if you have run something similar.

Thank you very much for your time...

Mark...

[busy_lizzie]

I would like to join you on that topic Mark, as our site is considering having an open day in 2007, and we are trying to get some ideas put together.   We will present the ideas to the AGM in February to see what the membership think, so it would be good to hear what everyone else has planned.  :) busy_lizzie 

[MrsKP]

So if I moved back to Mum's i could get a plot tomorrow then Mark ???

 :P

Shame I'm not visiting "darn sarf" until the following weekend, otherwise i'd definitely pop in.

Where abouts in Sidcup is your lottie ??  Mum lives in Footscray Lane.

Good luck with your open day. 

[Crusher]

MrsKP,

if you moved back you could indeed get a plot straight away, in fact you could have quite a few. I'd even help you dig it over...

We are in the top end of Sidcup, moving towards New Eltham direction. If you know the pub system in Sidcup, the Charcoal Burner is the closest to the site, where you can often find me supping on a light ale after a hard few hours on the allotment...

[saddad]

Hi Mark, have replied to your pm this morning, you could forward it to busy lizzie. If doing an early open try doing a "potato day" which lots of sites have done successfully... if I was proposing an OD to the committee I would choose a later date... we usually old one right at the start of June.. avoiding late May BHol... and sell plants.. have raised several £000's some years..., check prices with GC/Hombase types and under cut a bit... Cabbages and Runners are always in demand then.. we sell a lot of flowers and Herbs...
You can trade price buy plug plants... but to keep down costs ask members to prick out extras and bring them along... it can be a great excuse for a site social event afterwards!

Good Luck David   ;D

[MrsKP]

MrsKP,

if you moved back you could indeed get a plot straight away, in fact you could have quite a few. I'd even help you dig it over...

We are in the top end of Sidcup, moving towards New Eltham direction. If you know the pub system in Sidcup, the Charcoal Burner is the closest to the site, where you can often find me supping on a light ale after a hard few hours on the allotment...

VERY tempting, especially with what i had to put up with during the world cup  :P

the only time i've been drinking in Sidcup in the last 20 years is the pub by Sidcup Station - very handy !  when we down and "out"  :P we're usually in the South Bermondsey area  ??? :P

not sure if i could move back now tbh.  was in croydon for 17 years before moving up here and i "escaped".  had we spent a bit more time with our new Bermondsey pals before i left, we may well be in Sidcup as we speak.  Funny old world !

if mum were more able, i'd get her involved, but as she's just said, she's got the garden to sort and that's enough for her to be carrying on with !

 ;D

[lorna]

Hey Mrs KP Next time you visit Mum maybe I can manage to get down to Sidcup (sister) and we can drop in on Crusher!!!!!
Lorna (Crusher born and bred Eltham!)

[MrsKP]

do you think that's wise Lorna.  he's probably got friends, family and neighbours, none of who(m) are ready for the likes of us.

 :P

[prink13]

Lorna and KP, can I come too? I met my OH in Sidcup, and was brought up just down the road in Orpington........................ooh and my brother went to Kemnal Manor School in Sidcup......mind you I'd better not mention him, they might not let me back!  ;D

[lorna]

Wow A great meet up for A4A members. :o :o :o

[MrsKP]

who'd have thought it.  Sidcup, centre of growing excellence.

Anymore for any more ??

[Crusher]

I'll have my Marrow Jam, and Marrow Rum at the ready for the Great Sidcup Reunion.. Let the good days roll....

heh heh.... :D

[jeanaustin]

Having an open day is a great way to get more people interested in allotments.  Two and a half years ago our site was very run down with almost half the plots empty but with a new committee we started to turn things around and held a very successful open day in June last year from which we got lots of new plot holders - we now have a full field and a waiting list

We are having an open day on our allotments this Saturday, 12 August (for national allotments week, which is next week) -
Castle Hill Allotments, off Dales Road, Ipswich from 2-4pm, free admission, an 'interesting load in a wheelbarrow' competition for plot holders, plant and produce stall, raffles, games

In hindsight, we think that probably late June or early July is the best time to hold an allotment open day, as everything is then 'green' rather than as now and dried up.  Also its more a time when produce (especially soft fruit) is available and people more likely to buy plants

Some tips:  get as much publicity as you can from your local newspaper in advance, also try your local radio station, especially if they have a gardening programme.

Serve 'teas' if you can - we do tea, coffee, ice-cold squash and cakes - we get the 'ice-cold' water by the  helpers bringing along 4 litre milk containers filled with water and frozen; produce a 'welcome to' leaflet to hand out to those attending which gives includes details of how they can get an allotment on your site and what they can see.   

Does your County Council / town council run an offer on cut price compost bins (many do) - if so, they may be able to offer a composting exhibition.  Do you have any contacts with bee keepers associations - they may be able to bring along a demonstration hive.    Run a competition - last year we did 'scarecrows', this year we are doing an interesting load in a wheel barrow and we have several fun entries expected.  This is something children can enter too if you allow them to use children's wheelbarrows - one child is planning doing a scene with leggo, another a jungle scene, with soil put into the barrow, and grass grown on it.