Without volunteers like these and many more besides them, we would not be celebrating raising another Green Flag Community Award for another year.

We are honoured to be receive the award, the international quality mark for parks and green spaces, in the scheme’s Silver Jubilee year.

Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Ashbourne Road District Allotments worthy of a Green Flag Award. To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the volunteers who do so much to ensure that the site has high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management and is a place that supports people to live healthy lives.”

Thank you to everyone who contributes to our wonderful haven in Derby.

On October 30th we’re hosting something for the local kids (& bigger kids!) please see poster below.

We’ll be contacting those who have said they’ll help but, if you want to be involved, respond to this post in the comments below.

Members of the Association will soon be receiving an email but as a heads up, we’re looking for plot holders to carve their own pumpkin, create a spooky scare crow or go really mad and decorate the front of their plots so we can create a spooky trail around the site.

In the meantime, if anyone has any surplus pumpkins or squashes please place them on plot 31! Any questions, please email events [at] araa.org.uk 

All Members will have received your rent and/or membership renewal details.  It has been sent to you via email or Royal Mail dependant on the preferences you previously supplied.

IF YOU HAVEN’T RECEIVED YOUR RENEWAL, PLEASE LET THE SECRETARY KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

If you are unable to pay via BACS or online credit/debit card you need to make an appointment with the Secretary to pay on either Tuesday 21st September 2021 or Saturday 25th September 2021 between 11am-1pm.  Appointments are for payment only and are Covid safe.

If you are struggling with the size of your plot please contact the Secretary before you pay, we may be able to offer to halve your plot or relocate you.  If you intend to give up your plot please let us know as this helps with planning.

With the new online payment system, you can pay any time, day or night.  Rent payments after 1st October 2021 will now incur a £10 late payment fee.

Thank you.
ARDAA Committee

14th September 2021
 

It is with great sadness that we share with you the news that our wonderful friend Viv Croke passed away last Friday, 30th July.

Viv wasn’t able to get down the plot much since the start of the pandemic but she loved allotment life with her husband Martin who she worked and shared a plot with for many years. Viv liked to get involved with the allotment community and was always happy to participate in events and competitions.

Those who knew Viv will always remember her kindness, sense of fun and great humour.

Viv’s funeral will take place on Friday 20th August at 10am at Markeaton Crematorium.

NGS Open Day.

On Saturday 24th July, we held the second of our NGS Open Days – and what a great day it was!

Everything, from the moment visitors first arrived at the entrance, the flower stall, refreshments and cakes, tool sales down to the produce sales all ran like clockwork which can only be put down to all the effort and hard work by everyone who gave their time to make it such a successful event. My sincere thanks to all concerned.

Whilst the main object of the exercise, working alongside the NGS organization, is to raise money for various charities it was the comments from many of our visitors that lifted the spirits. These ranged from ‘we’ve had a lovely day’, ‘this is how all allotments should be’ to ‘what a fantastic place you have here’ (well, we know that anyway). It was good to see so many people leaving with armfuls of flowers and vegetables that had been kindly donated by many of our plotholders. None of the produce was priced, we merely asked for donations and it is worth remembering that an awful lot of work was done in the preceding days by so many people in preparing for the day such as making jellies, collecting and arranging flowers and generally making the site look as neat and tidy as it did.

If the reaction of our visitors was anything to go by, I feel confident that the NGS may well encourage us to repeat the events next year.

Once again, many thanks to all our brilliant volunteers and all of you that were kind enough to not only open up your plots but to engage so enthusiastically with the visitors and make them feel welcome on what was such a memorable day.

Eric Lindley

Chairman

A huge thank you to all of the plot holders who opened their plots on Saturday for our National Garden Scheme Open Day. The feedback we have received has been incredible and so complimentary. You should all be very proud.

I also want to thank all the volunteers who have worked so hard to put both NGS events together and to those who regularly maintain the site and ensure it is kept to a high standard for all to enjoy.

I’ve always thought Ashbourne Road District Allotments was a little bit special and it appears others think so too.  

Well done everyone!
Julia

We’re looking to create a small Events Team!

If you’re up for some extremely rewarding work that highlights everything wonderful about our little Lottie then please email events [at] araa.org.uk to express your interest!

Radio presenters need not apply!!

As we shut the gate on Saturday, as the last of our visitors left, and took a well earned sit down and suitable refreshment we realised that not one of us had had the time to take any photos during the the Open Day

We have already been sent a few photos but we are desperate to post pictures on our website, social media pages and our notice boards around site. They will also be a great support for our Green Flag Community Award Management Plan which we will be submitting in early 2022.

If you were able to take some photos on Saturday and are willing to have them shared by us then please email them to photos [at] araa.org.uk

Thank you