£31,000 boost for local groups

MELKSHAM Area Board awarded a number of grants to local initiatives at their meeting last week.

£31,633 was awarded at the meeting held on Wednesday 4th March from the area board’s Community Area Grants scheme, its Health & Wellbeing fund, and its Youth Grants scheme. The recipients included 1st Bowerhill Scout Group, Melksham Cricket Club, Primrose Nature Area, Melksham Skatepark, Young Melksham, Wiltshire Youth Canoe Club, Transwilts CIC, Shaw & Whitley Community Emergency Group, Seend United Football Club and Carer Support Wiltshire.

£2,485 was awarded to Wiltshire Youth Canoe Club towards replacing the floor at the Melksham Adventure Centre. Their application said, “The upstairs floor is degrading it was laid in 1976 and contains one percent asbestos. The floor is uneven, has holes in it, is a possible health and safety hazard. Without the new floor the community will not be able to use this unique facility. Our community is suffering from lack of viable exercise space.”

Transwilts CIC was awarded £5,000 towards the construction of Melksham Railway Station’s new community hub café and car park. Their application said, “This grant application will be used for the café refurbishment and to match a GWR grant application.”

Shaw & Whitley Community Emergency Group was given £745 towards a new generator for use at the Whitley Reading Rooms. Their application said, “In the event of an emergency, the Reading Rooms Whitley becomes a muster station and control room for the community emergency group. In the event of a loss of electric power it would be beneficial to have the back up of a dual fuel LPG/petrol 1000w inverter generator. This type of generator provides a pure sign wave which can be used to power mobile phones walkie-talkies and lap tops. In addition, it would be used to power lights and boil a kettle. It could also be used to power our submersible water pumps to help remove water from any flooded properties in the two villages.”

Seend United Football Club was awarded £678 towards floodlights at Seend Lye Field. Their application said, “We have nowhere to train as the local school is booked up and nowhere else has outside lighting. The field has a few floodlights that no longer work but we would like to have them replaced so our team and others have a new space to do activities and train.”

Primrose Nature Area was given £4,000 towards an accessible pathway project. Their application said, “The aim is to create a permanent accessible-to-all pathway through Primrose Nature Area. Currently those less able are unable to access the nature area, they can only skirt the edges on two sides. During a community bulb-planting event, senior citizens and people in wheelchair/scooters turned up to help, but were unable to access the area due to the pathing.”

1st Bowerhill Scout Group were awarded £1,900 towards a new minibus. Their application said, “In 2014 the group successfully applied for a grant for a minibus. Thousands of miles and six years later, our bus is tired and needs replacing.”

Melksham Cricket Club was awarded £1,900 towards new nets. Their application said, “We wish to install a new cricket batting lane surface and nets cage and to reuse the previous fence from the net salvaged from King George V Playing Field. This will act as security to it and not make it subject to vandalism.”

£965 was awarded to Carer Support Wiltshire for creative writing workshops that will be targeted at Melksham carers as a break from their daily caring duties.

£5,000 was awarded to the Melksham Skatepark towards the construction of a new mini-ramp for skateboarding beginners.

Young Melksham was awarded £5,000 towards its new detached youth worker service that will offer advice, guidance and support to young people.

£2,000 was also awarded to Poulshot Cricket Club for help towards a new mower while Chippenham and District Sunday Football league was awarded £1,960 towards grassroots football for young people.