Project summary
Biggin Wood Allotments is a self-managed allotment society in South London. Just off Beulah Hill, it’s the most northerly allotment site in Croydon, with just over 100 plots, an apiary and an active community of growers. A volunteer committee runs everything, and its members change as people stand down and new ones are elected at the AGM.
The society needed a website that does three jobs: answer questions from people hoping for a plot, keep members informed, and show the wider community what happens on the site. Just as important, whoever is on the committee had to be able to update it without technical knowledge or a developer.
Built for a volunteer committee
I built the site in WordPress on a lightweight theme, so it loads quickly on the phones most visitors use. Committee members post news and notices themselves, such as water-use notices during a hosepipe ban, open day announcements and AGM updates. When the committee changes, new members pick up the same simple editing tools with no handover headaches. More on websites for charities and community groups.
For future plot holders
Plots are let from a waiting list. The Join page explains how the list works, when it next opens, and how applicants’ personal details are handled under GDPR, which saves the membership secretary from answering the same questions by email. A Tips section, with articles such as “Why have an allotment?” and “15 top tips for your allotment”, helps newcomers understand the commitment before they apply.
For members and the local community
A members-only area holds committee contacts, meeting minutes and member documents. The public pages cover open days and events, the society’s terms of reference, and a seasonal photo gallery of the plots, flowers, community days and snow.
Hosting and support
I host the website and keep WordPress, the theme and plugins up to date and secure, so the committee never has to think about servers or security updates. When they need a change or a hand, they have one person to ask.
- Website: WordPress on a fast, lightweight theme, editable by the committee
- Content: news and notices, waiting list information, growing tips, documents and a gallery
- Members: a members-only area for minutes, contacts and documents
- Ongoing: hosting, updates and support
