Analyst Ton Thuis

Action, not just paper - Ton Thuis, congress analyst

Both people and organisations have a picture of how they see themselves: a self-image. At the same time, others also form a picture of how they see you, also known as your (external) image. The same applies to the allotment sector. It too has a self-image and an external image. Our Conference in 2014 will be the culmination of a discussion of these two related phenomena, and the way in which we can achieve a better match between our external image and our self-image through presentation and promotion. The theme of the Conference is: Focus on allotments.

We will start by analysing the nature of our self-image as national and international organisations and investigating the nature of the desired external image. We will lay the foundations for this analysis in study sessions in 2012 in Switzerland and in 2013 in Germany. My role as central analyst is to keep a firm hold of the common thread that emerges during these meetings, in the run-up to our 2014 Conference. The role of central analyst is a new position introduced by the Dutch organisation AVVN to ensure that over the next three years, continuity is maintained in elaborating the Conference theme while working towards a tangible final outcome.

Modern allotment owners are convinced that our hobby, our gardens and our garden parks are both embedded in their surroundings, and anchored in society. We believe that we have earned our place, and that thanks to our social, recreational and natural contributions we represent clear added value for towns and villages. We feel we are an integral part of daily life. It is of course possible that our self-image is somewhat overblown. Does it match with how other people see us? Is it in line with our external image or our ‘reputation’? Does the outside world – the world of politics, media and the general public – share our view? In other words, how does the outside world (in the many different countries in which we have members) view our hobby? This is the question we will be focusing on from 2012 onwards.