Allotment officer job now advertised

[low_carbon 10]

As many of you have allotments and are keen for a good service from the Council, I thought I'd let you know that an Allotment Officer post has just been advertised by Sheffield City Council following retirement of the current officer. Follow the link below for details:

 

https://jobs.sheffield.gov.uk/job_details.asp?VacancyID=12111&NAV=G

 

The closing date is 09/12/2009 so not much time. Please spread work far and wide. We want this to reach as many people as possible so that we have a communicative and forward-thinking allotment officer for the next 30/40 years.

 

Kevin

[craigpugh 10]

yes because we certainly havent had a communicative, forward thinking or even competent service in recent times as far as I have been able tell. Change can only be good!

Edited November 26, 2009 by craigpugh
seemed a bit personal and wasn't intended to be

[Lederhose 10]

yes because we certainly havent had a communicative, forward thinking or even competent service in recent times as far as I have been able tell. Thank heavens, change can only be good!

 

 

Very easy to be critical by people who don't fully appreciate the constraints by which the service is run under. Upward "change" in the budget is what's needed.

Edited November 26, 2009 by Lederhose
Missing apostrophe.

[general_head 10]

yes because we certainly havent had a communicative, forward thinking or even competent service in recent times as far as I have been able tell. Change can only be good!

 

 

For the information of this person, and anyone else who shares this view, Sheffield's outgoing Allotments Officer has been one of the most respected in the country and has worked well with the Federation and Societies for many years. I have heard stories from certain people that they cannot get any help from the Department, but that has not always been the fault of the Officer.

 

I, for one, will be sad to see John leave as without his help and encouragement our Society would never have reformed and there would be no upward trend in tenancy on my site.

 

Ever heard the phrase "better the devil you know"?

[Becky B 31]

For the information of this person, and anyone else who shares this view, Sheffield's outgoing Allotments Officer has been one of the most respected in the country and has worked well with the Federation and Societies for many years. I have heard stories from certain people that they cannot get any help from the Department, but that has not always been the fault of the Officer.

 

I, for one, will be sad to see John leave as without his help and encouragement our Society would never have reformed and there would be no upward trend in tenancy on my site.

 

Ever heard the phrase "better the devil you know"?

 

Yes and I await the new person with due trepidation...

 

However, maybe I won't be hounded off my plot for not turning it around completely within 12 months

[Lederhose 10]

It is totally obvious when a plot has not been worked for a considerable time and does not have to be turned over completely. Allotments are hard work. More evictions are needed and the only way to get the waiting lists down.

[PCInfield 11]

For the information of this person, and anyone else who shares this view, Sheffield's outgoing Allotments Officer has been one of the most respected in the country and has worked well with the Federation and Societies for many years. I have heard stories from certain people that they cannot get any help from the Department, but that has not always been the fault of the Officer.

 

I, for one, will be sad to see John leave as without his help and encouragement our Society would never have reformed and there would be no upward trend in tenancy on my site.

 

Ever heard the phrase "better the devil you know"?

 

Well said Paul.Although I'm on a private site and therefore don't deal officially with John,he's given me lots of helpful advice over the years.

[sanman 10]

Very easy to be critical by people who don't fully appreciate the constraints by which the service is run under. Upward "change" in the budget is what's needed.

 

I support that, I think John has done a brilliant job under difficult conditions.

 

It does make me laugh how councillors keeping banging on about Sheffield being the 'greenest' city in the country. The councils lack of funding on environmental issues is appalling. Parks, Woodlands & Countryside seem to have no cash, well that's their excuse everytime I ask about them doing something in my area.

 

One person to look after 3000 allotments is ludicrous.

[kim69 10]

as an ex president of the sheffield allotment federation i can say hand on heart that i wont be sorry to see john go. He was the cause of the majority of complaints that i had to deal with during my time with the federation. However on a personal note i had a reasonable working relationship with John and wish him well in his retirement

[craigpugh 10]

as an ex president of the sheffield allotment federation i can say hand on heart that i wont be sorry to see john go. He was the cause of the majority of complaints that i had to deal with during my time with the federation. However on a personal note i had a reasonable working relationship with John and wish him well in his retirement

 

Here here to that Kim, my experience of the service has been poor, with new blood there will have to be a shakeup, no personal attack intended.

[Oldfoge 10]

Fresh blood may be welcome but unless the Council's Allotment function is allocated more staff resources the problems of derelict plots/waiting lists will continue. As Sanman says for one person to look after 3000 plots is ludicrous. The underlying problem is not the ability of an individul officer but the system of management and funding of the service. It is simply inadequate and unable to cope. To demonstarte this point I did a survey of the allotments at Rivelin [where my own allotment is surrounded by derelict plots] and counted;-

 

only 38 allotments in use against 172 derelict [defined as having a min of one year's overgrowth and no crops]. Some of these are too far gone to be returned but I estimate about 100 are capable of immediate reuse.

The Council's official waiting list for Rivelin is 170.

 

The figures speak for themselves and whilst the circumstances at other sites will not be as extremethe disparity between derelict plots and waiting lists seems to apply to most sites.

As managing and resourcing the Allotment Service is a management function [not the individual allotment officer] I submitted a formal complaint to the Head of Service and lobbied key Councillors. If anyone else shares my view as to where the heart of the problem lies can I suggest you press their own Councillors as the more earache Councillors and managers get the sooner the Allotment Service will be properly managed.

[balifield 10]

I think that would be a great job to go for especially for someone who likes working outdoors either by themselves or as part of a team