2019 Centenary City Allotments Competition
2019 List of Final Points and Awards
Competition information Paperwork and JUDGING CRITERIA
The judges were due to be Mike Kent, who has judged on many occasions in the past years, and Tina Mould, who was Parks Operational Manager at the City Council. Unfortunately Tina hurt her back shortly beforehand and Tim Treacher stepped in to replace her at the last minute. We hope Tina is now well recovered and as active as always.
To enter the competition your Association must first ask for entries from your members and decide on the best plots in each category. Associations must then enter the site and individual plots in 3 or more of the 5 categories. They may enter a second plot each category.
The age categories are: over 75 years of age, 65-74 years, 35-64 years, and under 35 years. In addition there is a class for plots of less than 5 poles (127 m2) kept by a plotholder of any age. All individual entrants compete for the Challenge Trophy for the best plot.
As in previous years the Judges will be looking for plots that grow a wide range of vegetables all year round, together with seasonal soft fruit. The emphasis is on the quality of the crops and the productivity of the plot.
The prize for the Challenge Trophy will be £100. For the 5 categories of plots there will be a winner and runner-up with prizes of £50 and £30 respectively. Entries for the Alderman Knight award for the best kept allotment site are restricted to associations that are members of the Oxford and District Federation of Allotment Associations. The prizes for the best kept allotment site will be £300 and £100 for the runner-up.
The sites will be judged in both June and September. On the day of the first judging the site committee may recommend a new plot holder, who has started on the site in the last 2 years, to receive a certificate for special effort. The timetable for the competition is:
Final date for entries to Tim Treacher is Friday 17 May.First round of judging: Week beginning 17 June. Second round of judging: Week beginning 16 September.
Presentation of the Awards 7pm -9.30pm
at West Oxford Community Centre, Botley Road.
Awards lists 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
There was no competition in 2017 or 2018. O&DFAA has managed the city allotment competition since 2009. OCC has a dedicated budget for the competition which covers postage, some prizes, an allowance for the award evening and an honorarium for the judges. The Federation funds the site prize, the certificates and expenses as well as a small honoraria to cover transport.
The Competition Subcommittee 2019
was managed by Tim Treacher who works with Ian Sheppard. Tim organised the paperwork and information to associations, judges, judging days, compost marking, timetables and the presentation evening. The sub committee members are co-opted and report to the executive committee. They meet with the judges before and after the 4 days spent on sites. Wendy usually does the photos, the slide show, poster and the certificates.
The judges in 2019 were Mike Kent and Tim Treacher.Presentation evening
The cups and shields are long standing. The Challenge Trophy winner has an engraved spot on the main shield. We are delighted to see that these go back to 1970. The criteria have changed and presently focus on encouraging diversity and good allotment use and practice and the monetary prizes are very modest (£10 to £25) but the standard at the top is very high! The judges make the decisions on awards. The allotment award evening enables plot holders from across the city to meet, share, celebrate and encourage each other. We understand that generally plot holders want to get on and do their plot. Here at the award evening they share plot successes and failures, good seed varieties and composting secrets. The participants go back to their associations rewarded and, whether actively or passively, pass on good practice.