Present: Jan Bourne (Dartford Road Allotments), David Crowe (City of Westminster College), John Gunn (United Nations Association), Phil Kessel (Dartford Borough Council), Graeme Laidlaw (QED Allotments Group), Miriam Lewis (Community Relations Officer, Carillion), Thelma Mills (Health Education Authority), Richard Wiltshire (QED Website Manager: in the Chair for this meeting).

1) Apologies for Absence: Alan Cremer and Pat Still (Chair).

2) Notes from the Meeting of June 23, 1999: Accepted.

3) Matters Arising from the Notes.

a) Raised Cultivation Beds at Dartford Road Allotments: JB reported that efforts to obtain sleepers for this project have not born fruit so far. PK to provide JB with a contact address for John Steed of Railtrack, to see if they can help. The Group agreed in principle to support a request for funding for this project to be put to the QED Steering Group in due course. RW raised the issue of identifying users who would benefit from this project. ML agreed to provide JB with contact details of disabilities group working with the new hospital at Darenth Park, and TM offered to circulate a letter from JB about this to local doctors with her regular mailing. A copy should also go to Dr Alistair Thompson, Chair of the Primary Care Group.

b) "Gardens for People" Conference: This will take place on Saturday 11 September and 12 people from QED will be attending, with some also attending on the Sunday. RW to put together a report summarising the conference based on written comments of attendees.

c) Trip to Sutton/Reading: To visit horticultural therapy projects at the HQ of Thrive and in LB Sutton. Coach to be funded by QED. Date October 16/23: RW to contact all members of the Group with further details as soon as possible.

d) Follow-up to Local Government Association's "Advocacy Document" on Allotments: This remains on hold until the Document is published.

4) Dartford Festival:

RW reviewed the one question asked by a member of the public that was relevant to the Group. This was in relation to the lack of leaflets on herbs. RW had been able to locate a durable "Organic Herb Planner" produced by the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners, which could be obtained in bulk at £2 each, and which includes information on the health benefits of fresh herbs. Discussion followed on the possibility of organising a competition or promotion around the "Planner", including seeds or cuttings, and linked to next year's Dartford Festival. Herb retailers at the Festival could be invited to participate. It was agreed to refer the concept of a "Herbs Project" to the QED Allotments Group for further consideration. RW to send one "Planner" to the inquirer, with an invitation to get involved in any herb-centred promotion.

TM referred to the high use of free sun screen and children's hats by the public as provided by the Health Stand at the Festival.

5) Review and Priorities:

RW introduced this subject and outlined his views on the performance of the group as follows:

Successes:

i) Provision of information re food quality and diet, horticultural therapy projects and other joint initiatives with the QED Allotment Group, activities which were likely to continue and required no further discussion at this meeting,

ii) Facilitating seminars, mainly as organised by TM, and

iii) Promotion of health issues at the Dartford Festival.

Opportunities missed:

i) Health and mobility initiatives, including access for the disabled, road safety, cycling, walking,

ii) Input into consultation documents,

iii) Stress and stress management, including reduction through better environment,

iv) Mental health of children and young people, including safe places to play, and

v) Use of open evenings to cover specific topics.

This led to a general discussion on the performance of QED as a whole. ML made a number of suggestions which the Group discussed at length, including:

i) Consider holding QED meetings outside of DBC property,

ii) More involvement of Councillors,

iii) The need to more effectively market QED, and

iv) Forming stronger links with the business community.

The "Welcome Pack" was referred to and ML commented that Swindon had done something along those lines that she felt was very successful and worthwhile, with business sponsorship. This promoted discussion as to whether a representative from Swindon should be invited at QED's expense to come to Dartford and share their experiences with QED and DBC, so that we can learn from best practice. It was agreed that all of these issues should be referred to the Steering Group for more detailed consideration. JG commented that the Health Group should produce a Plan to identify priorities, and how and when these should be progressed. It was agreed that a Plan would be finalised at the next meeting.

6) Any Other Business:

i) The Group expressed the desire for each member to receive a copy of the DBC Strategic Consultation documents, it agreed to discuss the responses at a special meeting to be held in the next two weeks, and for Pat Still (or in her absence John Gunn) to compose a suitable response to send to DBC. PK to progress this issue.

ii) TM commented that the recent "50 NOT OUT" seminar celebrating older persons had been very successful. Also that the World Wide Walk (details attached) would be held on 2 October 1999 at 11pm local time in 70 countries.

iii) ML stated that she was organising an event known as "Trees of Time and Place" (TOTAP) that would involve gathering seeds from trees at Joyce Green Hospital on 29 October this year, and for the collectors to grow seedlings over the next 2 years. The seedlings (hopeful approx 2000 to link to the Millennium) would then be planted in the new hospital grounds, thus establishing a small forest of trees from the old hospital. RW suggested that Groundwork be contacted about this, particularly in respect of interviews conducted with Dr John Byrne.

iv) PK asked that the Group's involvement with HAT's be considered at a future meeting.

v) On behalf of the QED Allotment Group, RW asked for the QED Health Group's support in being nominated for a Presidential Award (offered by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health) for the Allotment Group's work with the disabled. The support was agreed.

7) Date of Next Meeting: November 10, 1999, from 7.00 pm at the Civic Centre.

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