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Rules and Policies The Keyworth Charity Allotments is a registered charity and is run by five Trustees who m anage the day-to-day operations of the allotment site and are bound by Charity Commission rules. Trustees manage collecting rents, weed control in communal areas, cutting of the outside of the hedge, and ensuring plot holders maintain their plots to the level required in the rules. There are several documents available for plot holders that explain the rules and policies related to how the Trustees manage the allotments. On renting a plot the new plot holder is provided with digital or printed version of the documents "Information for Plot Holders" and "General Health and Safety Guidance" , and a copy of the "Keyworth Charity Allotment Rules" . Other documents can be provided to plot holders as listed below. If a plot holder requires a copy of any of these documents please contact the Secretary using the Allotments email giving their name and plot number. GDPR policy - this document explains how we manage any information we hold about you Heath and Safety policy - this explains the health and safety rules and guidance Safeguarding policy - this relates to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults who use the allotments Keyworth Allotments Constitution - as provided to the Charity Commission

Keyworth Charity Allotments 2022 Winter Newsletter It’s been a strange year for growing! With record temperatures and almost drought conditions it hasn’t been the easiest of years on the plots. Some of our usually “dead cert” crops like runner beans were almost impossible to grow in the heat of July and August, but potatoes have been tremendous with no signs of blight or slugs. Welcome to all our new Plotholders I’m afraid that there have not been many new faces this year. In the early part of the year the large waiting list vanished into thin air as a lot of people who registered their interest during Covid restrictions suddenly decided that they really didn’t fancy the hard work associated with keeping a plot. Sadly very few new people have applied this year and there are currently two people on the waiting list and with 3 empty plots to view so we hope they will be taken soon. We’re currently not offering any new half plots – half plots really helped us during the pandemic, but it’s become like a tough game of chess trying to move people around to match everyone’s needs. Plot inspections The Trustees have continued with regular plot inspections, and aim to carry them on in future years. We have concerns that plots can very quickly get out of control and would request that if anyone is experiencing difficulties in maintaining their plot that they tell us sooner rather than later, and also tell us what provisions they’ve made so that their neighbours aren’t suddenly inundated with masses of weeds. There is an enforcement procedure in the rules – and the Enforcement notices are never lightly imposed – but the Trustees do have concerns that plot holders could just walk away leaving us with a mess to clear. To avoid this happening the allotment rules have been amended, and anyone who has received two Enforcement Notice Number 1’s in the past 12 months will be asked to pay a “Good Maintenance” deposit. We’ll be writing to the people involved shortly. Graham Raymond You’ll remember that Graham, our much-loved plotholder and Chairman of the Trustees, died tragically in September. Graham was a real “Action Man” who loved his mountains and his plots, and one of his actions during the lockdown was to totally revitalise the “big green metal shed”, giving it a total spring clean and adding lots of hanging hooks. In recognition of this we’d like to rename the shed as “Graham’s Bothy”. Graham’s family are delighted with the idea and a plaque has been organised which will shortly be fixed to the shed. It was Graham’s wish that his own rotavator should be donated to the Charity, and we recently collected the machine from his family. This very kind gesture should ensure that we will always havea rotavator on site in a good working condition. Communal Manure One of our empty plots is number 56, which is the first plot on the right just inside the Selby Lane gate. Tim Flint would be very happy to be able to drop manure on plot 56 if he has no one on his waiting list. If you would be interested in barrowing manure from 56 on to your plot would you please drop us an email, so that we can judge the likely level of interest. On the subject of manure, you may recall that we invested in a new stiff brush this year, stored underneath Graham’s Bothy – the central path does have lots of remnants of manure which will produce more weeds in the months to come, so would everyone with a front plot please use the brush and do their best to sweep away any droppings which are on their part of the path. Donations One of the objectives of the Charity is to give financial support to local good causes and this year the Charity has made donations to Keyworth Abundance, Keyworth Advice Centre, Keyworth and District Community Concern (the community bus), Rushcliffe Community Volunteer Scheme (a one-to-one car scheme for the frail and elderly in the area), Keyworth Community Projects (the Keyworth Food Bank), South Notts Riding for the Disabled, the new Keyworth Community Garden, Maggie’s Centre Nottingham and the Brain Tumour Charity (the last two in Graham’s memory). We’ve been asked by Keyworth Abundance to thank everyone who has donated produce to them this year, they’re very grateful for your help. The Trustees hope that you support these donations and are always eager to hear of any cases that are deserving of our support. Contacts with other allotment associations During the last year the trustees have contacted the West Bridgford and Rushcliffe Allotments, specifically Dick Crofts who is the manager/trustee of the Burleigh Road Allotment site, with a view to sharing best practice on our plots. We visited each other’s site to see how the sites are cultivated and managed. It was interesting to note that the rents are higher at Burleigh Road and they have to pay for their manure to be delivered. The sites are very different in layout, with high security fences, locked gates and mid-height hawthorn hedges around each plot at Burleigh Road. In comparison, KCA is a very open and accessible site – let’s hope we can keep it that way. Internet searches and personal visits to allotment sites in Northumberland and Derby indicate that KCA is probably the least expensive site in England, especially when water and manure are factored in – and we have a toilet! Dick runs a sales hut at Burleigh Road, but they do charge a small premium that goes to support the site. Again, our prices from Kings Seeds and Codnor are cheaper, so do please make use of this annual facility for your discounted seeds (Kings), and spuds, onions, canes and fertilisers etc. (Codnor). One outcome of our new link is a ‘Guide to Composts, Manures and Fertilizers’ reproduced courtesy of the West Bridgford and Rushcliffe Horticultural Society which we hope you will find of interest.

Keyworth Charity Allotments 2023 Summer Newsletter Summer greetings to all our plotholders, old and new! As we pass the summer solstice it is good to see the plots so full of fruit, vegetables and flowers. Recent warm weather and rain in March/April seems to have produced an abundance of berry fruits, with beans, early potatoes, and sweet corn, among others, coming along well. The trustees have been busy dealing with the Charity Commission, carrying out plot inspections and dealing with any issues on the site. In this Newsletter we feature a number of articles to keep you up to date with recent events. Graham’s Bothy Plaque As many of you will know, we renamed the green storage shed – Graham’s Bothy in the New Year. This was in honour of Graham Raymond our former Chair who sadly passed away in September 2022. Graham was a keen mountain climber, who often took refuge in mountain bothy huts. One of his first tasks as Chair was to tidy up the Bothy and install new storage facilities. A group of plot holders and members of Graham’s family gathered in early January in ice cold conditions to remember Graham and his contributions to the KCA. We toasted Graham’s life with some wine and unveiled a brass commemorative plaque. As a reminder to newcomers, there is also a memorial bench dedicated to Tony Axford, our former, longtime manager who died in 2020. The bench is adjacent to Graham’s Bothy and is for all to use. Contacts with Local Schools In March, we presented a slide show and talk to all the pupils at Willow Brook School as part of their ‘Connections Project’ aimed at highlighting the links between the children and organisations in Keyworth. The presentation covered the history of the site since the Enclosure Act of 1758; the geology & fossils, soil and recent archaeological finds; growing vegetables and fruit, and of course, manure! The children asked many challenging questions including ‘the most difficult vegetable to grow’ – we concluded that for some of us it was carrots. After the talk we visited some of the classrooms where the main attractions were the manure worms, and a selection of clay tobacco pipes and fossils found on the site. The children produced some excellent project work based on the allotments. We also hosted a visit in May from Crossdale School, Year 5. Thirty children aged 9 and 10 had a fun time learning about the allotments, digging out weeds, planting peas and watering seedlings, as well as trying to identify various plants. We hope we inspired some future gardeners. The Plots Deposits: After much deliberation the Trustees have decided the new plotholders will be required to pay a deposit of £50 (for all plot sizes) from July 2023, which will be held in a Reserve Account for the period of their tenancy to ensure that money is available for any future potential remedial work on the plot. Repayment of the deposit will be at the sole discretion of the Trustees and will only be repaid if the plot is released in good condition. The deposit is in line with other allotment associations in England and is aimed at discouraging plotholders from walking away from an overgrown plot when relinquishing their tenancy. As you will know it takes a lot of work to get an overgrown plot back to a condition suitable for renting. Any monies not returned will be used to purchase weed suppressant membrane to prevent regrowth and/or to pay for the services of a gardener to tidy up the plot. Please note that this initial deposit is not retrospective; current plotholders (to 1st July 2023) are covered by the existing Rule 14.6 which may require £50 to be paid as a deposit should two Enforcement Notices to tidy up their plot be issued in any 12-month period. Keyworth Abundance Many plotholders donate surplus fruit and vegetables to the Keyworth Abundance box at plot 63 for distribution to Keyworth residents at the Exchanging Rooms. The trustees agreed to allow Keyworth Abundance to restore and plant up a poor-quality plot (no.4) in the corner with Selby Lane to provide additional produce for Keyworth residents. The plot was hard to rent out because the large ash tree, removed in 2021 due to ash dieback, took a lot of moisture and nutrients from the area. Happily, the area is gradually improving with a little TLC. Waiting List We currently have a small waiting list and hope to let out several plots when they have been renovated (see Deposits above). We will also be advertising KCA plots in the Keyworth News. The trustees have decided not to offer any new half plots at present. Many of these were taken on during Covid restrictions and some have not been well cared for. However, we do have some existing half plots that may become available soon. If you know of any keen gardeners who would like to take on an allotment, please get in touch by e-mail. Tobacco Clay Pipes Some of you may remember the article ‘The Answer Lies in the Soil’ circulated a few years ago, which covered topics as diverse as the geology, soil and archaeological findings of the site. Plotholders are still turning up fragments of Victorian clay tobacco pipes to add to the collection which now number over 150. The most interesting are the rare finds of parts of the delicate bowls and the stems of the better-quality pipes that have the makers’ mark stamped into the clay near the bowl end. By tracing the maker to the period of manufacture via the Nottingham trades gazette we can identify the approximate time when the ‘night soil’ was spread on the plots – generally about 1850-60, prior to mains sewerage in the area. Eventually, the Keyworth and District History and Conservation Group may take over the pipe archive. If you find any clay pipe fragments and do not wish to keep them, please pass them on to John on Plot 77, or drop them into the small plastic container on top of the metal storage box behind the grey toilet. In addition, if you find any Jurassic fossils such as ‘Devil’s Toenail’ bivalve shells deposited together with the clay subsoil during the ice-age please add them to the container if you don’t want to keep them. This helps to build up a picture of the movement of the icesheet over the bedrock in the UK about 420,000 years ago. Defibrillator We were very pleased to get substantial support from plotholders for the suggestion of buying a defibrillator for the allotments - almost 50% of plotholders replied to say they would be prepared to use a machine with only a couple of people saying they were unwilling to be involved. We are arranging for charities who supply the machines to visit us to look at their equipment, see what training they provide and to understand what maintenance and storage is required on the machines. Watch this space! Trustees The trustees jointly manage the site and deal with external affairs. We welcome Paul as a new trustee. Paul currently updates our digital map of the plots and co-presented the recent talk to Willow Brook School. We also welcome Carol who has also been a plot holder for many years. These appointments bring us up to five trustees with John covering the important roles of Secretary and Treasurer, Tim who looks after plot lettings (and the toilet!) and John (Chair) who covers the machinery. We hope you enjoy your plots over the summer and autumn months and have a productive year. Congratulations to our plot holder who won first prize in the raspberries category at the Keyworth Show KCA Trustees July 2023

Joining Us The Keyworth Charity Allotments welcomes applications from anyone over the age of 18 and currently resident in the villages of Keyworth and Stanton-on-the-Wolds. As at October 2025 there are 104 full size plots. On average, the size of each plot is 20 metres by 6 metres but, due to historical creep, some are slightly larger and some slightly smaller. At present, 12 of the plots are split in half for plot holders who want to start with a smaller plot. There are also four concrete raised beds for the less abled which are 8 metres long by 1.5 metres wide and 1 metre high. If you are interested in renting a plot, please go to the Contact page and complete the form telling us what size plot you prefer and whether you have any allotment experience. If there are plots available, we will contact you by phone to arrange a walk around the site with one of the Trustees. This walk round is a great opportunity to find out more about the allotments and decide whether or not you still wish to apply for a plot. We operate a waiting list (as of October 2025 this is very short) and when a plot becomes available you will be contacted to arrange a viewing date and decide if that plot is suitable for your needs. Contact will be by telephone so please ensure that you provide your number as well as your email. A word of advice Plots take time and hard, physical work to maintain, requiring all year-round sustained effort, particularly in summer, and especially when you are first starting out. The benefits of gardening though, both for physical and mental well-being, are well documented. Ask our plot holders. So, before taking on a plot it is worth asking yourself, “How much time do I have to devote to it?” We ask that you consider this when applying and deciding on the size of plot to rent. There is a one-year probation period for new members. These are all things we are happy to discuss when you come to view the plots. Fees and deposits There is a one off returnable deposit of £50 payable on a new plot. The plot will be free from any large items of rubbish, but not necessarily weed free when you take it on. Providing that the plot is in the same or better state should you leave then the deposit will be returned to you. The deposit will not be refunded if the plot has to be cleared by the association prior to re-letting. Our rental period is one year from 1st November to 31st October. The annual rent for a full plot is £20, for half plots it is £15 and for one of the raised beds it is £17.50. There is a discount of £5 for early payment on all plots).

Allotment Advice We encourage plot holders to garden organically and there are many websites with advice on how to do so. Here are links to a few of them. Getting started on a new plot The Royal Horticultural Society website has an excellent introduction about finding an allotment and getting it ready for cultivation using non-chemical weed control. Beginners guide to organic gardening The Smiling Gardener explains how to be optimally healthy, by growing and eating nutritious home-grown organic food. Organic gardening The Garden Organic website has a basic introduction to organic gardening principles and methods. The Organic Gardener website blog is full of useful tips. The National Allotment Society website has lots of good allotment advice.

Information Allotment News Joining Us Allotment map Rules and Policies Allotment Advice Allotment History

Keyworth Charity Allotments in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, UK. Allotment gardens for rent to members of the public from the village of Keyworth. Welcome The Keyworth Charity Allotments site on the corner of Selby Lane and Willow Brook has been in place since the 1798 Enclosure Act. Created as the Poor's Land to allow those without their own land to grow enough food to feed a family for a year, the plots are still being tended in much the same way as they have been over the last 220 years. The people of Keyworth (although nowadays, not just the poor) have been cultivating their own fruit, vegetables and flowers throughout that time and the site is still a vibrant community space dedicated to fostering a love for growing your own fresh produce. We have three sizes of plot for individuals to tend and harvest which are available for a rent of less than £20 a year. At a time when keeping fit and active, eating healthily, and being outdoors have been shown to improve physical and mental health, why not come and join us in our mission to promote the good life of growing your own. Explore our allotments Allotment drone photo A drone photo looking west over Keyworth to the with the allotments at the bottom of the picture The allotment plot map This is the layout of the plots in January 2025. Some plots are split in half for plot holders who do not want a full plot Bluebells Around the edge of the plots there are spaces for wildlife Allotment drone photo A drone photo looking west over Keyworth to the with the allotments at the bottom of the picture 1/41

Contact The Keyworth Charity Allotments are at the corner of Selby Lane and Willow Brook, with entrances to the site from both roads. Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5AQ keyworthallotments@hotmail.co.uk What3Words location: stored.journey.additives If you would like to find out more about renting an allotment then please contact us using the form below, or email us with all your details as required below. All fields are required. First Name Last Name Email Phone Message Send Thank you for contacting us