About Chinbrook Meadows Horticultural Society

What is Chinbrook Meadows Horticultural Society?

We are a constituted Society whose core purpose is the encouragement of the cultivation of the allotments and management of the Chinbrook Meadows allotment site. We have a constitution that sets out how the Society works. The rules of the Society and the constitution can only be changed at an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Everyone with a plot on our site automatically becomes a member of the Society and is invited to the AGM.

We manage the site on behalf of the London Borough of Lewisham (the Council), which owns the site, but we are not part of the Council ourselves. We are not a charity nor a business or corporate organisation.

The allotments sit around a small area of land that the Council has designated as a community orchard, but the Society and allotments are not themselves a community orchard.

Entrance sign

The site

The Chinbrook Meadows allotment site has 73 plots. Our member community is a wonderfully diverse group of people from all over the London Borough of Lewisham.

You must live in the borough of Lewisham to apply for an allotment. Households that already have an allotment are not eligible to apply. The Council may offer discretionary discounts from time to time. Contact the Council using the details below to check if you qualify — for example, if you are over 60, disabled, or part of the Be Active scheme.

You can view current wait times for the site on the Lewisham Council website. The council's allotments and community gardens team can also be contacted directly at allotments@lewisham.gov.uk.

The committee

The Chinbrook Meadows committee members and officers are all unpaid volunteers who play an important role in how the site is organised today and what it will look like in the future.

At present, the committee is made up of three officers: a chair, secretary, and treasurer, as well as six additional committee members.

Chair

Leads and manages all meetings, including Committee, Annual General, and Extraordinary General Meetings. Holds the deciding vote in the event of a tie and is responsible for recording and distributing meeting minutes.

Secretary

Represents the Society externally and maintains its historical records. May call an Extraordinary General Meeting upon request and delivers the annual report at the AGM. Acts as Chair in their absence.

Treasurer

Manages tenancies and the Society’s finances, including rent collection and preparation of annual accounts. Ensures the accounts are audited and presented to members each year.

The committee can be contacted by email at chinbrookmeadowsallotments@gmail.com.