I have now ran 8 sessions at the allotment and its been lovely. I find the sessions challenging due to how busy I am, but very enjoyable. The set ups and pack up are taking a long time, but I am hoping that as I develop strategies it will get easier. I also need to start being OK with asking the group members to help more! I wrote a maintainance plan in April and have just updated it with progress made to date. I have tried to keep it just for activity directly on site, rather than getting too bogged down in the detail of the day-to-day running of the group, however the two things are so interlinked that this is not easy.
MAINTAINANCE PLAN
| MONTH | TASKS | PROGRESS |
| April | Complete all tasks on the implementation plan ready for session 1 on April 15th | Done on time |
| Run Spring season sessions on 15,22, 29 April and complete all prep and admin associated with these sessions. | Done | |
| Reflect and review how the free-play activities are working. Do I need to make any changes? | Sandpit will need refilling every season, so get another few bags of sand over half term. Mud kitchen may need some introducing to the group, plan some activities around this. Loose parts materials are going down well. | |
| May | Run sessions on 6, 13, 20, 27 May and complete all prep and admin associated with these sessions. | In progress |
| Mid May take summer bookings from group members then offer any spare places to waiting list then do publicity via website and FB if required. | In progress | |
| Build in weeding, watering and planting activities to my sessions. Aim to plant peas, potatoes, radish, sunflowers and flowers with the groups during May | All planned in and some planting already achieved | |
| Visit the site during half term to tidy mud kitchen, weed, water and tidy shed and refill sandpit | ||
| June | Summer season begins, run sessions on 10, 17, 24 June | |
| Harvesting strawberries, currants, salads etc | ||
| Weeding and watering | ||
| July | Run sessions on 1, 8, 15 July | |
| Harvesting beans, peas, grapes | ||
| Weeding and watering | ||
| Take autumn bookings before the end of term. Will probably need to advertise for autumn, as MB will lose quite a few members when they start school in September. | ||
| Evaluations and reflections with people leaving the group. | ||
| August | Summer break- need to go regularly to the allotment to keep on top of the weeding, watering and harvesting. Maybe invite group members to join me for a gardening day towards the end of the summer? Share the workload of prepping for autumn season | |
| MB involvement in the Allotment open day? 6th Aug? Date TBC, will I be on holiday then? | ||
| Septembe | Autumn term begins, Run sessions on 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Sept | |
| Harvest blackberries, potatoes, | ||
| October | Run sessions on 7, 14 Sept | |
| Autumn celebration event | ||
| Planting spring bulbs | ||
| Stock check the shed and tidy up ready for autumn-winter closed season. | ||
| Documentation, reflection, planned tweaks for next year |
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