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June 1996 |
> Dr Wiltshire attends QED Launch Event at Leigh CTC on behalf of Dartford Road Allotments Association. |
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September 1996 |
> Dr Wiltshire completes report "The Contribution of Allotment Gardening to the QED Initiative" explaining how allotments could contribute to QED's ten "action points". |
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> First Meeting of DASC attended by representatives from five local allotment associations. Accepts recommendations of Dr Wiltshire's report, and agrees to establish DASC, appoint Dr Wiltshire as Chair and Mr Johnson as Secretary, plus Research Officer to be appointed. Principles of participation established, and priorities to include leaflet advertising allotments and a newsletter. Agrees to seek recognition as a QED Issue Group and representation on the QED Steering Group. |
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> First Meeting of DASC attended by representatives from five local allotment associations. |
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October 1996 |
> Members of DASC and other allotment gardeners attend inaugural meetings of QED Youth, Waste Management, Transport and Pollution Groups and suggest initial projects including Community Composting Scheme at Wilmot Road Allotments proposed by Mr Ringrose (Wilmot Road AHA). |
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November 1996 |
> First press report on DASC's activities appears in Network 21, stimulating enquiries |
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December 1996 |
> QED Steering Group votes to admit DASC to QED and invite a representative to join the QED Steering Group. |
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January 1997 |
> Second Meeting of DASC. Dr Wiltshire appointed as representative to QED Steering Group. Mr Jaffray appointed Research Officer. |
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> Mr Laidlaw (Dartford Road AA) first proposes establishment of a QED Website at meeting of QED Pollution Group. At same meeting Dr Wiltshire first proposes that theme of 1998 Dartford Festival be "Quality Environment for Dartford" (subsequently transformed into "Quality Environment for All"). |
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> First reference to QED in national gardening press (Amateur Gardening), and report on 1997 Dartford Festival appears in Allotment and Leisure Gardener. |
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March 1997 |
> Issue #1 of QED Allotments Newsletter produced, with print run of 800. |
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> Third Meeting of DASC agrees to draft a rentals leaflet. |
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April 1997 |
> First pallet deliveries to local allotment sites organised by QED Waste Management Group. |
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> Wilmot Road Allotments and Marcet Road Allotments receive skips as part of "Tidy Britain Week". |
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May 1997 |
> Fourth Meeting of DASC agrees Terms of Reference and details of Dartford Festival Exhibit. |
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> Response submitted by QED Allotments Group to the Dartford Local Plan Review Main Issues Discussion Paper, advocating community horticulture/composting schemes in each of the major new developments in East Dartford. |
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June 1997 |
> Fifth Meeting of DASC approved "Grow it Yourself" leaflet drafted by Mr Johnson. Mrs Morey appointed Newsletter Editor. |
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> Dr Wiltshire and Andrea Lee (QED Youth Group) attend UNA's "Building Sustainable Communities" Conference at University of London. |
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July 1997 |
> Students from Dartford Grammar School for Girl complete project on "Recycling andthe Allotment Garden" at Dartford Road Allotments and publish report on the Internet. |
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> QED Allotments stand at the Dartford Festival has theme of "Allotment in Local Agenda 21", and features a composting display using materials supplied by HDRA Yalding. |
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August 1997 |
> Chair establishes first links with LB Bromley and visits Calthorpe Project. |
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September 1997 |
> Sixth Meeting of DASC considers allotment business plans on Bromley model, and agrees to organise Dartford Festival Allotment Competition from 1998. |
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> First Annual Report presented to Dartford Borough Council's Environment and Housing Committee. |
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> First QED Public Lecture organised at Dartford Grammar School for Girls (Alistair Chadwick of the Valley Trust on "Organic Food Production in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, with Dr Debbie Potts, SOAS, in the Chair). |
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> Issue #2 of QED Allotments Newsletter produced. |
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> Chair and Mike Pratt (DBC) attend seminar on Blackthorne Trust, Maidstone. |
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October 1997 |
> DASC offered the opportunity to develop a "model allotment" on land at Darenth Country Park. |
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> Dr Wiltshire and Mr Howard (Dartford East AGA) give presentation on QED Allotments to Kent Allotment and Gardens Council. KAGC awards Mr Howard the Grieveson Trophy, in recognition of his contribution to Local Agenda 21 activities in Dartford. |
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November 1997 |
> Seventh Meeting of DASC discusses initial plans for project at Darenth Country Park. |
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January 1998 |
> Formal proposal completed for model allotment/community composting project at Darenth Country Park. |
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> Allotment gardeners participate in launch of the QED Health Group. |
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> Written evidence submitted to House of Commons Inquiry into "The Future for Allotments". |
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> QED Allotments assists Swanscombe Community Youth Association install hanging baskets outside the Swanscombe Action Station. |
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February 1998 |
> Eighth Meeting of DASC (and the first held at Princes Sport and Leisure Centre) appoints Julia Marshall Research Officer. Subsequent Extraordinary Meeting considers Darenth Country Park plans in detail. |
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> Chair gives presentation on QED Allotments to Bromley Allotments Consultative Panel. |
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> Allotment gardeners participate in launch of the QED Biodiversity Group. |
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> QED Website launched. |
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March 1998 |
> Ninth Meeting of DASC agrees to prepare leaflet on Safe Disposal of Garden Chemicals with QED Waste Management Group. |
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> Issue #3 of QED Allotments Newsletter produced, with print run of 1300. |
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> Chair attends NFCF Community Gardens Conference in Bristol. |
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> Professor Azuma (Mie University, Japan) gives talk on QED Allotments in Kunitachi City, Tokyo. |
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> Professor Aoki (Higashi Nippon University, Japan) and students visit Dartford to study sustainable development in practice, including tours of Dartford Road and Gore Road Allotments. |
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> First QED Coach Trip organised to Kent House Leisure Gardens, in cooperation with the Kent Beekeepers Association (Dartford Branch). |
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April 1998 |
> Bean Allotments receive skip as part of Tidy Britain Group's "National Spring Clean". |
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> Chair attends "Gathering for Change" Conference organised London 21 Sustainability Network. |
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> Chair gives presentations on QED Allotments to Ashford Allotment Holders' Forum and Bromley Allotments and Leisure Gardens Federation. |
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May 1998 |
> Tenth Meeting of DASC agrees to apply for B&Q "Quest" grant to support horticultural therapy projects on allotments in Dartford. |
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> Response submitted by QED Allotments Group to the DETR's "Opportunities for Change" Consultation Document. |
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> Participation in Shell Better Britain Campaign's "Spring into Action": Said Gousy visits Uplands Allotments in Handsworth, and Pat Still (QED Health Group) visits "Gardening for Health" project in Bradford. |
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June 1998 |
> Eleventh Meeting of DASC informed that Dartford Road AA has suspended participation in Darenth Country Park project pending security improvements. |
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> Open day at Dartford Road Allotments for University of the Third Age. |
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> Report of the Inquiry into "The Future for Allotments" published". QED's evidence cited three times. |
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> Chair gives talk to Dulwich Horticultural and Chrysanthemum Society. |
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> QED Virtual Potting Shed Project launched. |
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July 1998 |
> QED Allotments stand at the Dartford Festival has theme "We are ... The Future for Allotments". |
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> Responses submitted by QED Allotments Group to the DETR's "Making Biodiversity Happen" and SERPLAN's "Sustainable Development Strategy for the South East" Consultation Documents. |
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> Dr Howard Stoate MP tables EDM 1598 (Allotment Gardening). |
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> Gardening Which? holds photoshoot at Dartford Road Allotments. |
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August 1998 |
> Second QED Coach Trip to "Bloom '98" at Uplands Allotments, Birmingham. Poets from Dartford Road Allotments read their work as part of the event. |
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September 1998 | |
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> Issue #4 of QED Allotments Newsletter produced. |
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> Chair participates in Gardening Which? Think Tank on future trends in gardening. Other participants include the HDRA Curator, Bob Sherman. |
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> Thirteenth Meeting of DASC agrees to contribute to "QED Welcome Pack". |
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October 1998 |
> Chair participates in Second Meeting of the Local Government Association's Working Group on a Best Practice Regime for Allotments and SAFE Alliance Seminar on a "Food Measures Toolkit". |
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> Third QED Coach Trip to "Apple Day" at Brogdale Horticultural Trust and Stonebridge Pond Allotments, Faversham. |
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> QED Great Dartford Pumpkin Competition launched in partnership with Kent County Council and Uplands Allotments Association. |
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November 1998 |
> Richard Stone (Swanscombe) attends TLIO-hosted Meeting in Bristol establishing a national allotments network. |
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> Mayor of Dartford, Councillor Ivor Jones, hands over tools from B&Q to gardeners from North West Kent College on a horticultural therapy project at Dartford Road Allotments. |
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> EDM 1598 expires after collecting 68 signatures from all three major parties. |
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December 1998 |
> Fourteenth Meeting of DASC ratifies Briefs for LGA on "Allotments in Local Agenda 21" and "Devolved Management for Allotments". |
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> Dartford Borough Council receives Chartered Institute of Environmental Health's Silver "Green Apple Award" in recognition of the success of the QED Initiative. |