MELKSHAM Area Board has launched a new age-friendly project to increase the number of benches in the town to support people who need to take regular breaks when walking.
The project is part of the larger initiative to achieve age-friendly status for Melksham and to be recognised by the World Health Organisation and join the global network of age-friendly communities, after already becoming the first rural town in the country to join the UK Network of Age-friendly Communities earlier this year.
More benches in the town is one of many ideas suggested by residents at the special ‘age-friendly’ area board meeting in April to help improve the town to ensure that people of all ages can actively participate in the community.
In response the area board has ringfenced £3,000 and will match fund the cost of purchasing and installing benches. Melksham Town Council and Melksham Without Parish Council have been invited to propose locations that are in need of a bench, with the expectation that they will provide the other half of the funding needed.
At last month’s area board meeting, cllr Jon Hubbard, said, “There was quite a lot of support for benches, people wanting to walk but needing somewhere to sit and take a break for a few minutes and it was pointed out that there was a lack of benches in certain areas.
“When it comes to identifying where the benches should go, that shouldn’t sit with the area board, local communities are best.
“So what we’re suggesting is that we will ringfence a fund of up to £3,000 that will be available until December. If the town or parish council identifies an area where they think should be a bench and they can provide justification for it and are willing to match fund the cost of putting that in, then we’ll pay 50% of it.
The Melksham ag-friendly initiative has been spearheaded by Brian Warwick, president of Melksham Seniors.
“I’d like to pay tribute to Brian Warwick,” said cllr Hubbard, “Where we have got to so far with this project would never have happened if it wasn’t for the hard work he has put in. We are grateful to him for getting us to where we are and we now need to take the work that Brian has done and take it to the next level.”
