The SWCAA (South West Counties Allotment Association) was founded in 2008. We were formed out of concern for the lack of allotment protection and provision across the UK.

Although based in Barnstaple in South West of England we cover the whole of the UK, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. We promote the benefits of allotments, gardening and growing your own no matter how small your outside space.  We are a not for profit Community Interest Company run by gardeners for gardeners.  We have our own allotments and are part of our own local associations so are very aware and understanding of all the problems that unfortunately surround allotment sites.

We have thousands of members across the country from individual plot holders to associations/societies and community groups of all types, we also work with local councils and private landowners.  We hope to encourage good relations with the Councils and Private Landlords involved. Problems do arise; they range from banning the provision of huts, illegally banning chickens and rabbits, failure to allow water supplies, to the closure of allotment fields for development or a refusal to meet the obligations to provide them. Whatever the problem we are here to help.

We have helped many people to protect their existing allotment sites as well as helping to create new ones and we can provide you with a wealth of information, advice and guidance for all your allotment needs. We are the friendly, modern, voice for the allotment movement; we aspire to develop partnerships with like-minded organisations and to facilitate the working of good practice.

We offer a friendly, efficient service and we aim to be the first point of contact for all your allotment and gardening needs.  Becoming a member of SWCAA is easy and can offer you the chance to make contact with other groups, clubs and Associations around the country, share advice and experiences and when problems arise have the peace of mind to know that help is just a phone call away.

SWCAA is a Community Interest Company and this means we are a not for profit organisation and we rely on our membership fees and any donations we receive to keep SWCAA running, thus enabling us to provide allotment holders and gardeners with a much needed service. The fees you pay to us as an individual or as an association/group are to become members of SWCAA.

Our main function is as an information and support organisation. We try hard to be unbeaten of the quality of friendly support and service as well as on our prices. Nearly all allotment associations are affiliated to a larger organisation, by joining and being part of ours you are supporting and helping to promote what we do and helping us to spread the word. In return we offer FREE Public/Product Liability Insurance cover (£5 Million) and now FREE Employer’s Liability cover (£10 million) a quarterly newsletter, seed schemes, members area and we will also do our best to help with all types of allotment related issues.

No one knows what is around the corner or when you might need help, so by becoming a member you know that the support is there when you need it. Being part of a larger group also enables us to put you in touch with others that have achieved things like setting up a new site or association or that have been fighting eviction. There are many scenarios that can benefit from being able to talk to someone who has been through it. Your membership fees go towards helping with our admin and running costs and up keep of our website. They also go towards the costs involved in supporting other individuals and associations when they encounter problems.
Information on how to become a member of SWCAA can be found in our membership section here. The personal details you provide to SWCAA during the signup process are protected under the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Please make sure you complete the data protection form along with the registration form.

What it costs: Individual membership - £10 per year, groups joining through and association on an individual basis, up to 50 members £5 per year, groups of 51 plus members £3.50 per year. (All prices include the FREE public and product liability and employer’s liability insurance)