New group wants ‘vibrant’ future for Assembly Hall

THERE has been a surge of support for the new group set up to support Melksham’s Assembly Hall.

Just 10 days after its launch, the ‘Friends of Melksham Assembly Hall’ has nearly 200 members. The group was set up in response to the public outcry when the town council proposed a number of options for the future use of the Assembly Hall, including ‘mothballing’ it. 

The town council has since promised that the Assembly Hall will not be closed. 

However, town councillors will soon meet in September to discuss other options still on the table for the hall, including using the Assembly Hall more like a ‘village hall’, available to hire for community groups; or operating the hall as a ‘hosting venue’, taking bookings from outside promoters, private hirers and community organisations, rather than the town council organising events itself.

‘Friends of Melksham Assembly Hall’ have said that they want to help the hall have a “vibrant and sustainable future”; and want to work in partnership with and support the town council. 

Member of Friends of Melksham Assembly Hall, Graham Ellis, who is also a town councillor said, “We’re open for everyone who loves the Assembly Hall and wants to help it have a vibrant and sustainable future for them and in the Melksham community.   

“We note that the town council has removed the option of closing or mothballing the hall at their September meeting – but we’re looking forward for a positive outcome for the hall alongside other event and meeting venues across Melksham, right through this decade and beyond. 

“If you are ready, willing and able to take an active role in formulating and managing options to suggest, and then helping see those through, please send a personal message or email to Geoff Mitcham or myself – we are having a Friends of Melksham Assembly Hall admin meeting at 7pm on 2nd September – both online via Zoom and in real life. 

“We don’t know what the outcome of that meeting will be and we are not pre-judging the meeting on 2nd September, but can promise that we’ll publish the outcome and next steps; that we want to work in partnership with and support the town council, users and businesses in Melksham; that we don’t ‘want’ to run the hall – but we can really really help, and perhaps we could manage it if that’s the right solution. 

“What we don’t want to see is a rundown, with the hall closed once all the benefits have seeped away, to be replaced by a block of flats. An unlikely outcome, but a possibility to be mindful of.

“If you are a hall user or supporter, please sign up to the group. Please see the website. We are sharing news of events and groups on the Facebook page. Please suggest ideas and please tell us your stories about the hall.  

“It’s early days, but yet we already have magnificent support and informed input from halls in other towns.” 

To join the Friends of Melksham Assembly Hall group, visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ groups/fomah; or email: info@fomah.org.uk