ARI Mentor’s have been instrumental in setting up regional Allotments Officers’ Forums (AOFs) around the UK. Allotment Officers’ Forums aim to build supportive networks, and share good practice, for council staff responsible for managing allotments. The events are free, informal, and content is mutually arranged between the officers themselves and ARI.

AOFs are facilitated by ARI Mentors and the existing AOFs are extremely popular. ARI’s UK-wide partnership role ensures that national examples of good practice filter through to a local level and back again – helping officers to deliver an up-to-the-minute service to their plotholders. Recent events have focussed on allotment strategies, the use of starter packs for new plotholders, and managing health and safety on allotments which included a practical risk assessment on a site visit.

Each event aims to bring council allotment officers together to:

• Promote good practice in allotment management in the region
• Promote resources that can facilitate good practice
• Develop models of good practice from the event
• Facilitate the development of supportive networks
• Access organisations that can give help and support
• Offer constructive and productive delivery.