LEADERS of village and community halls in the Melksham area have joined forces to network, connect and share best practice.
Their first meeting was held in late February, with the next due to take place in April.
The halls in attendance were Forest Community Centre, Atworth Village Hall, Berryfield Village Hall, Melksham Riverside Centre and Bowerhill Village Hall.
Clerk of Melksham Without Parish Council, Teresa Strange said, “’Let’s not reinvent the wheel’ was the opening statement of the first meeting of the village halls and community centres in the Melksham area. There were lots of problems and issues shared and hopefully some solutions found including discussions about the cost of utilities, particularly energy bills and how to better insulate buildings.
“The group is meeting again in April and is setting up a good network for asking questions; everything from types of ovens to utility suppliers.
“If you are involved in running a community building and want to join this informal group, primarily set up just to share information, then please get in touch with Melksham Without Parish Council or the Riverside Centre in the first instance. There won’t be lots of meetings, more a chance to meet others doing the same thing, and a whatsapp group for quick queries.”
To mark its first birthday, Berryfield Village Hall held a celebration event for the community on Saturday 16th March. This was just before Village Halls Week which ran from 18th to 20th March – a campaign that shines a spotlight on the contribution England’s 10,000+ village halls make to rural communities
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The focus of this year’s campaign was ‘go green’, looking at how buildings can be made more energy efficient, and how management committees can support sustainable and environmentally friendly behaviours in their community.
Following a survey undertaken by Action with Communities in Rural England, that explored the economic and social benefits of village halls, 80% of respondents knew someone whose lives have changed for the better as a result of joining activities at their local hall.
