ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <meta name="Generator" content="" /> <meta name="Author" content="" /> <meta name="Keywords" content="Harrow,Leaf,Allotment,Horticultural,Society,Association" /> <meta name="Description" content="About Harrow in LEAF" /> <meta http-equiv="Page-Enter" content="blendTrans(Duration=1.0)" /> <title>Harrow in LEAF - About us</title> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" /> <link rel="icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" /> <style type="text/css"> body { background: url(images/grass-natural.jpg); margin: 20px; } #content { margin: 0 auto; padding: 25px; text-align: left; width: 700px; background-color: White; font: normal 11px verdana; } a { font: normal 11px verdana; color: #663300; } a:hover { color: #99bd80; } #menu { width: 700px; color: #663300; } #menu td { padding: 2px 4px 4px 4px; font: normal 11px verdana; text-decoration: none; border: 1px solid #663300; text-align: center; background-color: #bbdba0; } #menu td a { display: block; margin: 0px; color: #663300; text-decoration: none; } #menu td:hover { background-color: #99bb80; } #menu td a:hover { color: White; } </style> <style> .MyLink { TEXT-DECORATION: none; } .MyLink:hover { TEXT-DECORATION: underline; } </style> </head> <body> <div id="content"> <table width="700" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="32%"> <img src="images/logo1.gif" width="224" height="56" alt=""> </td> <td width="68%" align="right" style="font-family: Verdana; color: #99bb80"> <br> <br> <br> <b>Allotment Associations & Horticultural Groups in Harrow, Middlesex</b> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <img src="images/top_image.jpg" width="700" height="150" alt=""> </td> </tr> </table> <table id="menu"> <tr> <td> <a href="index.html" title="Home Page">home</a> </td> <td> <a href="#" title="Who are we"><strong>about us</strong></a> </td> <td> <a href="groups.html" title="Associations & Societies">member groups</a> </td> <td> <a href="signup.html" title="Sign up">how to join</a> </td> <td> <a href="map.html" title="Allotment site map">map</a> </td> <td> <a href="howto.html" title="How to get an allotment">getting an allotment</a> </td> <td> <a href="contact.html" title="Contact Harrow in LEAF">contact us</a> </td> </tr> </table> <!-- start menu 2 --> <table id="menu"> <tr> <td> <a href="allotmentvacantplots.html" title="Vacant Plot Hunt in Harrow">vacant plot hunt</a> </td> <td> <a href="sites.html" title="Sites in Harrow">allotment sites</a> </td> <td> <a href="allotmentstrategy.html" title="Allotment Strategy in Harrow">allotment strategy in harrow</a> </td> <td> <a href="annualshow.html" title="our annual show">our annual show</a> </td> <td> <a href="recipes_index.html" title="our recipes">our recipes</a> </td> <td> <a href="events.html" title="events">2012 events</a> </td> </tr> </table> <!-- end menu 2 --> <a name="HQ"></a> <br> <table width="700" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 500px; padding-right: 20px; border-right: solid 1px #99B380"> <img src="images/aboutus_header.gif" alt=""><br> <h3> Harrow In Leaf HQ, <a href='http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=ha1+4he&hl=en&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.009394,28.081055&hnear=Harrow+HA1+4HE,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=15' class="MyLink" target="_blank"><b>HA1 4HE </b></a></h3> <p> Our Headquarters building can be found on the West Harrow large allotment site, entrance in The Gardens, beside <a href='http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=ha1+4he&hl=en&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.009394,28.081055&hnear=Harrow+HA1+4HE,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=15' class="MyLink" target="_blank">West Harrow tube station, HA1 4HE;</a> our HQ building is at the end of the roadway; parking is available. The approach roadway is a bit bumpy, be warned, especially in the dark!</p> <h3> What are we about?</h3> <p> We are an independant voluntary umbrella organisation for <a href="sites.html" title="list of allotment sites" class="MyLink">allotment</a> and <a href="members.html" title="list of HiL member groups" class="MyLink">Horticultural Groups</a> in Harrow, Middlesex whose aim is to encourage allotment use and protect open space in the Borough. Harrow In Leaf is a registered charity.</p> <h3> Under New Management - 2011 and onwards</h3> <p> At a well attended Special General Meeting on June 29th 2011 a new Management Committee was elected in order to ensure the continuation of the Harrow In Leaf organisation: <br /><br> Chairman - Gordon Cox, West Harrow <br /> Vice Chairman - Terry Frisch, Marshalls <br /> Secretary - Frances Goldingay <br /> Treasurer - Judy Walker, West Harrow <br /> Membership Secretary - Victoria Widenka, Marshalls <br /><br> At the Annual General Meeting on May 11th 2011 the chairmen of the following sub-committees were elected as follows: <br /><br> Harrow In Leaf Show committee chairman - Derek Osborne, Belmont Horticultural Society rep. <br /> Maintenance committee chairman - John Hillier, Newton Park East rep. </p> <h3> Who's who?</h3> <img src="images/hil2011committee.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="HiL 2011 committee"> <p>Back row: Derek Osborne, Judy Walker, Terry Frisch, Frances Goldingay, John Hillier<br> Front row: Victoria Widenka and Gordon Cox</p> <h3> History</h3> <p> Prior to 1997, Harrow Council invited two "allotment advisors" from the allotment societies, to represent the allotment holders at the relevant Council committee meetings. Similarly other  advisors represented other interests such as Friends of the Earth.<br /> <br /> Following their 1997 landslide victories in both national and local elections, the new government radically reorganised Harrow Council to "cabinet style" working, thus eliminating the role for these advisors. Hence our two allotment advisors - namely Ron Dickens of Newton Park and Sue Green of West Harrow - became redundant.<br /> <br /> To redress this, in March 1998 a meeting of six allotment societies' officers was convened by Sue Green (West Harrow AGA) - these were Ron Dickens (Newton Park HS), Derek Osborne (Belmont HS), Gordon Cox (Harrow Horticultural and Rose S), Ralph Prior (Roxbourne HS), and Pinner Society - and Harrow in LEAF (HiL) was born with the objective to preserve, protect, promote, and improve allotments across the Borough.<br /> <br /> HiL has successfully attracted members from the remaining sites, and nowadays almost all are involved via their society's affiliation, and/or through their site representative; additionally many allotment holders have become individual members. We have also attracted other compatible groups such as other horticultural associations, park user groups, and the beekeepers, and have established a successful working partnership with Harrow Council.<br /> <br /> The committee of twenty-five dedicated volunteers meets bimonthly to progress HiL s aims, namely to improve sites, and protect sites from threats: the latter being crucial to allotments at a time when they are vulnerable to development.</p> <h3> LEAF Headquaters</h3> <p> In 1999 a local community group donated a building to use as headquarters which was erected at the far end of West Harrow allotment site. A donation of paint from Dulux enabled us to refurbish the building and provide a focal point where committee meetings, plant sales, barbeques and open days are held during the year. Funding from the Brent &amp Harrow Joint Consultative Committee provided a raised bed and disabled toilet facility nearby.</p> <h3> Grants</h3> <p> A funding application to the Allotments Regeneration Initiative (<a href="http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/">ARI</a>) Scheme, the Social, Economic and Environmental Development (<a href="http://seed.rswt.org/">SEED</a>) Programme along with British Airways and <a href="http://www.harrow.gov.uk">Harrow Council</a> provided funds to erect secure storage facilities and recycling bays on 13 sites in the borough</p> <h3> Allotments Regeneration Initiative</h3> <p> <a href="http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/">ARI</a> is a partnership between the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (<a href="http://www.nsalg.org.uk/">NSALG</a>), the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (<a href="http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/">FCFCG</a>) and <a href="http://www.richard.wiltshire.btinternet.co.uk/allot1.htm">QED Allotments Group</a> and is funded by the <a href="http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/">Esmée Fairbairn Foundation</a>. It aims to stimulate more people to get growing on urban allotments, both as individual plot holders and through community projects. A total of 60 organisations submitted bids for grants but only 7 were successful and of those, 4 were local authorities, so the result was a terrific achievement for Harrow in Leaf who were awarded a total of £36,132 over two years</p> <h3> SEED</h3> <p> A further £49,558 was Lottery funded by the £15.3 million <a href="http://seed.rswt.org/"> SEED</a> Programme, which is managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (<a href="http://www.rswt.org/">RSWT</a>) and 11 consortium partners. The <a href="http://seed.rswt.org/"> SEED</a> programme distributes National Lottery money on behalf of the <a href="http://www.nof.org.uk/"> New Opportunities Fund</a> under its Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities funding programme. This programme aims to stimulate local economic development and support community enterprise, promoting sustainability and helping disadvantaged communities improve the quality of their environment. Over the coming months Harrow in Leaf will be speaking to local community groups about The &quot;Benefits of Allotment Gardening&quot; and would like to hear from any groups who are interested in holding a talk</p> <br> </td> <td align="center" valign="top"> <a href="http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/"> <img style="border: none" src="images/ARI.gif" alt="link to ARI website" title="Allotments Regeneration Initiative" width="158" height="74"></a> <a href="http://www.nsalg.org.uk/"> <img style="border: none" src="images/NSALG.gif" alt="link to NSALG website" title="National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners" width="108" height="113"></a> <a href="http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/"> <img style="border: none" src="images/FCFCG.gif" alt="link to FCFCG website" title="Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens" width="112" height="76"></a> <a href="http://www.richard.wiltshire.btinternet.co.uk/allot1.htm"> <img style="border: none" src="images/QED.gif" alt="link to QED Allotments website" title="QED Allotments Group" width="125" height="74"></a> <a href="http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/"> <img style="border: none" src="images/EFF.gif" alt="link to Esmée Fairbairn Foundation website" title="Esmee Fairbairn Foundation" width="164" height="86"></a> <a href="http://seed.rswt.org/"> <img style="border: none" src="images/SEED.gif" alt="link to SEED website" title="Social, Economic and Environmental Development Programme" width="100" height="103"></a> <a href="http://www.nof.org.uk/"> <img style="border: none" src="images/NOF.gif" alt="link to NOF website" title="New Opportunities Fund" width="133" height="80"></a> </td> </tr> </table> <br> <table width="700" style="border-top: 1px solid #99bb80"> <tr> <td valign="top" align="center"> © 2012 Harrow in LEAF. 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