About The Society
Shepherd Way is a member-run site. This means that the society takes responsibility for everything that happens within our perimeter. We rent the site from Sunderland City Council who hold responsibility for the site’s exterior, maintaining the access road and the external fences, supplying our water and keeping the site safe.
All allotment holders are members of the society and agree to abide by the society’s regulations.
The site is managed by a committee consisting of three elected officers: chairman, secretary and treasurer as well as up to six other members.
Meetings
The society’s AGM, which all members are encouraged to attend, is held in April and includes the election of all committee members.
Committee meetings are held regularly throughout the growing season. Any member with an issue, query or request can bring it to any member of the committee to be raised at the next meeting.
Community Life
We consider ourselves to be a community with members who are ready and willing to help each other and to share advice, expertise and occasionally muscle. Members are often to be found enjoying a cup of tea and a chat in the central area or pitching in on a project for the general benefit.
Twice a year we have a more organised social get-together where everyone brings a small contribution of food: once after the AGM and once at harvest time.
We are also a part of the wider community -
Our members have improved the appearance of the area outside our gate by planting it up with shrubs and flowers.
We regularly donate surplus crops to Mickey’s Place in Sulgrave where it is gratefully received and distributed to local residents or used to provide meals for anyone in need.
The Shop
As a convenience to plot holders we run a shop in a recently refurbished shipping container on site.
The shop stocks such items as Fish, Blood and Bone Meal; agricultural lime; vermiculite; and similar every-day supplies.
Opening hours vary with the season but are well advertised.
Association Membership
Allotment Associations join as a group, with a small charge per signed up plot-holder (known as affiliates). They will receive:
• 1 magazine every quarter per 10 NAS affiliates and the quarterly e-news. Access to digital magazine in the members are of the website for all affiliates.
• Affiliate subscription to the magazine available for £10 per annum.
• Access to initial legal advice on a range of issues e.g. tenancy agreements, leases, land disputes, rent rises, health and safety, environmental, contract and company law and data protection*.
• Template documents
• Support to develop sites or move to devolved management
• Advice and support if your site is under threat
• Associations can also enrol their members on to the free individual Allotmenteers’ Liability Insurance
• Retail offers- exclusive discounts at reputable garden, allotment and horticultural retailers
• Discounted allotment association insurance from Chris Knott Insurance
• Association affiliates can also access the gardening advice
• Kings Seed Scheme, which offers further discounts for bulk orders from the already discounted catalogue; facility to order on-line.
Early Bird Discount (November closing date) - 7.5%
Society Discount - 10%
Large order discount - 5%
Carriage FREE on Association orders over £75.00
*Where affiliate members contact NAS regarding legal issues relating to their Association, we would explain our conflict of interest, however- with their agreement, it would be possible to speak to the Association on their behalf.