Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Lisa and Graham served on the executive committee of the Chamber of Commerce from 2000 to 2017

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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Some thoughts in answer to some Melksham Campus questions

I was triggered into writing this article by a thread on "Melksham People" - link [here] to open and read that thread in a new frame. I'm answering independently of that thread as my answer may turn out to be a long one, easier to read in a wider format and with pictures.

Last Monday, Sasha Heseltine posted that Wiltshire Council had "completed the purchase of Melksham House from Cooper Tires. [snip] The campus could be completed by early 2014 and will be overseen by the Melksham Shadow Community Operations Board, which has been set up by the Melksham Area Board to develop plans for the development. [snip] Its chairman, Roy While said: "We will work closely with the community and the council to ensure we have the best facility for our town.""

Can I start off by echoing Roy While's words - "We will work closely with the community and the council to ensure we have the best facility for our town." Roy is the chair of the Shadow Campus Operations Board - and you'll note his words "OUR Town".

Until the completion of the purchase, Wiltshire Council were very limited in terms of any official contact they could have / make with the current users of the site, and with the people who work there. To users and to the council alike, I'm sure this was rather frustrating. Worrying about what's going on can (and probably has) grow from frustration.

With so many different potential users, it's now sensible to set down an overall strategy of what's to be achieved - a set of guidelines against which to lead and measure the design and build overall, and how the Campus fits in with the surrounding area and how people get to and from it. For example, the question needs to be asked "who is the Campus to serve?" Is it to primarily to provide facilities for existing service users? Is it also to provide facilities for people who would like to have used the existing services, but couldn't for some reason? How about "everyone who lives in the Community Area"? How about people who work here, people who visit the town to shop, as tourists or on business? That question's just the tip of the iceberg - I've taken just one of perhaps a dozen similar questions that need to be asked to set the strategy. And many, many of the answers are in the various consultation responses already, and with members of the SCOB - a majority of non-politicians who represent various broad tranches of interests.

Having set the overall strategy, it's vital to have some sort of feedback loop; the idea of simply pressing a big green button on Christmas Eve 2011 and seeing what turns up in a couple of years isn't sensible. Further inputs are required from the technical team - firstly, "is this what you mean / is this what you want" questions. Secondly, "We can't do that because of cost / legal / practical / other reasons. How about this instead". Thirdly, "Have you forgotten / considered xxxxxx" questions. Fourthly "xxxxx and yyyyy don't work together / won't both fit in budget. Which needs to take precedence?" Fifthly ... other elements. This is not intended to be a complete list of things that can go around the feedback loop. And there are going to be some tough decisions there, I'm sure.

The overall strategy / framework shouldn't come down to a level of individual service provision. That's what I'm calling the tactics. What / how things are need is often very clear from standards set elsewhere, or legally, from many of the specialist groups involved. And these are not necessarily "bigger is better" either. Taking the swimming pool as an example. The current pool is 33 metres. So - new pool at least 33 metres? Surprsingly, no! The competition standard is 25 metres, the Olympic standard would be 50 metres (and would that rule it our for local competition anyway?) and the most significant headline tactics relate to number of lanes and depth, I suspect. Who provides this vital sort of data, then? A good starting point is indeed the local users of existing services, and people who take an interest and volunteer information. But that can only be a starting point and must not take an undue weight. It would be very unwise of the team that's already hard at work behind the scenes with the SCOB not to see out far wider inputs and to help provide something that reaches out to provide to those who may be disenfranchised from current facilities for some reason (and there's at least one element coming to the Campus where the potential users massively outweight the users of present resources).

The SCOB is also aware of other unorganised groupings with an interest. Gypsy and I take a walk across the grounds of Melksham House from time to time, cyclists use the path, and there are other concerns that (until I started to get involved) I wasn't even aware of, such as the pond, how water gets there, and how it leaves - and the effect of how it leaves on other properties nearby. Being aware is the first step towards listening to these groupings (where they have not yet spoken) and seeking further inputs such that the Campus as its build and when it's completed is strengthened by their inputs and provides true value for every penny.





I'm naturally one to try to address each point raised - in Sasha's initial article and also later in the thread - but it may simply be too early on some of those. But a couple of comments ... it would be perverse for something that's for the community to have negative effect on existing active community use; mention is made of Soccer and Rugby in Sasha's comments. I can't give individual answers, but I can say that every effort's being made to do everything positively - to work with opportunities for something that will be fit for purpose for everyone way into the future, be it exactly where it is now or not. And there's quite a few elements (Christie Miller is a prime example) which would certainly not be fit for purpose in 10 years time.

DMJ68 writes: "Nobody actually knows what this will look like and contain as yet, People are assuming its a good thing and hopefully it is, but there seems to be a collossal amount of idiots behind the planning of this, Does not give alot of faith in the project to me and many others I have spoken with in town." Hmmm ... I used to thinks in a similar vein too. But as I've got rather more involved, I've come to realise that almost everyone involved in projects such as this has the interests of the project at heart, and that they're very bright and thinking people - the exact opposite of "idiots". They may be constrained in what they can do for all sorts of reasons, they may not be able to share commercial information, and they may not be easily able to communicate the depth of complexities and balances. But we want the best people to do the job and not the best people to put a good spin on it in the Melksham Independent News.

Communications IS key, and you'll see much clearer communications fairly shortly. Yes - you're right DMJ68 - "Nobody actually knows what this will look like and contain as yet" so it's too early start throwing up drawings and models. But I do hope the text above gives you some re-assurances that at least things are being considered. When you look at it, we've come a darned long way already. As a community (and I'm very much a member of that community and also now a SCOB member), we've steered from an out of town single building to something that's much more in line with the way that local voices were raised, meeting the reasoning behind WHY the out of town site was put forward but on an in town site, and helping in the process to head in a direction that can sort out other issues too. You'll note the checks and balances described earlier, designed to ensure we stay in track. And - please - talk to us. Through the Community Area Partnership, through your group. And as more information comes forward and it there to talk about, other communication channels are already being prepared. Talk to me direct; I'm not sure if you consider me to be one of your "collossal amount of idiots", and I'm very much aware that I've got very big holes in my knowledge - so you can help me by filling me in on your own expertises and passions so that I'm less idiotic - for we really want there to be a pride and a passion in what comes out.

I have already written a great deal here - much of it in generalities because we simply don't have the answers or even the framework for decisions yet. To add more of substance to this post would simply dilute what's above already. But, please, MCAP is there for your inputs. I'm happy to listen. And so are others. I'll be at a wide range of public meetings (mostly as attendee rather than organiser, thank goodness) later this month; please approach me at the Blue Pool during the early morning swim next Wednesday, at Wiltshire Growth later in the day, at the Historical Society next Thursday, the Chamber of Commerce a week on Tuesday, the Area board the following evening, or the Melksham Independent Traders meeting on that Thursday. It may need to be initially brief at these meetings - but I'm happy to put time aside to listen and help me "learn in" further thereafter.
(written 2011-10-14)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
Z405 - Melksham Campus
  [3193] Melksham Campus - what, why, questions, concerns and how you can input - (2011-03-04)
  [3214] Melksham Campus - any last minute inputs from Melksham businesses? - (2011-03-26)
  [3224] Melksham Campus - a win / win opportunity, but a severely lacking decision process - (2011-03-31)
  [3225] Campus - answer to business questions - (2011-04-01)
  [3246] Melksham - the way forward. 26th April, Well House Manor - (2011-04-13)
  [3277] Between a rock and a hard place. - (2011-05-04)
  [3279] Letter to The Editor - (2011-05-06)
  [3325] The Olympic Torch, and Melksham House - (2011-06-14)
  [3500] Campus Shadow - a great responsibility - (2011-10-30)
  [3503] Melksham House - a community facility - (2011-10-31)
  [3518] Melksham House / Melksham Campus - Seniors Input Sought - (2011-11-12)
  [3520] Quintessentially English - scenes from our Wiltshire town - (2011-11-14)
  [3735] A walk around Melksham this morning. Can you place all of these? - (2012-05-17)
  [3736] Abstraction - (2012-05-19)
  [3741] Low carbon and other environmental lessons for the Melksham Campus? - (2012-05-23)
  [3748] Not everyone has a computer - 9 more ways to learn about the Melksham Campus - (2012-06-03)
  [3812] The Melksham News - July 2012 - Part 1, Campus and Chamber of Commerce - (2012-07-22)
  [3888] What a difference a year made - Melksham Campus - (2012-10-12)
  [3901] How much parking should there be at Melksham Campus? - (2012-10-21)
  [4048] Art, Catering, Transport - Melksham Campus Elements - reaching local experts - (2013-03-19)
  [4103] Questions from children about Melksham Campus - (2013-05-26)
  [4311] Melksham Campus - how is it going - October 2014 - (2014-10-06)
  [4399] The Campus in Melksham - name, logo, and livery choice - (2015-01-18)
  [4418] Melksham Community Campus - which of these potential signs do you like? - (2015-02-07)
  [4423] Campus - about the logos / way marks you have been choosing from - (2015-02-11)

Z402 - Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  [717] A customer service company - (2006-05-11)
  [1223] Asda opening large new store in Melksham - (2007-06-08)
  [1250] Business speed networking - a place tonight! - (2007-06-28)
  [1429] Remembrance day - inside a church and inside the day - (2007-11-11)
  [1432] Wiltshire County Council - Budget Consultation - (2007-11-15)
  [1476] Shopping for Christmas and looking forward - (2007-12-17)
  [1504] Flooding by Asda-s proposed new supermarket - (2008-01-12)
  [1507] Comments on proposed Asda Superstore for Melksham - (2008-01-14)
  [1633] Changing a screen saver from a web page (PHP, Perl, OSX) - (2008-05-06)
  [1642] Summer! - (2008-05-15)
  [1748] Hotel room prices - Melksham, Wiltshire - (2008-08-11)
  [1792] All the pieces fall into place - hotel and courses - (2008-09-10)
  [1880] Melksham Chamber of Commerce, or the FSB - (2008-11-12)
  [1881] Wiltshire Council says - part 1 - (2008-11-13)
  [1892] Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry - (2008-11-17)
  [1904] Ruby, Perl, Linux, MySQL - some training notes - (2008-11-23)
  [1934] Lidl opens in Melksham - (2008-12-11)
  [1979] Looking forward, in Melksham, in 2009 - (2009-01-05)
  [1987] One Cheer for Local Democracy - Asda in Melksham - (2009-01-11)
  [2043] Confidence, Customer Service and Tourism in Melksham - (2009-02-15)
  [2095] Blue Ridge and Melksham Chambers of Commerce - (2009-03-21)
  [2111] Business Networking for Melksham - 23rd April - (2009-04-01)
  [2119] Make your business a DESTINATION business - (2009-04-05)
  [2181] You cannot please all of the people all of the time - (2009-05-14)
  [2194] Melksham Business Map - Chamber of Commerce, Tourist Information and Town Council - (2009-05-21)
  [2220] Melksham Traders - where do we go? - (2009-06-05)
  [2260] Important - the future of Melksham / Chamber of Commerce - (2009-06-28)
  [2288] Wiltshire Community Area Partnerships - (2009-07-15)
  [2289] pre-Inaugural briefing - Melksham Community Area Partnership - (2009-07-15)
  [2328] Melksham - no trains, no southbound buses through the town - (2009-08-08)
  [2437] Wiltshire Unitary News - Chamber of Commerce Intelligence - (2009-10-04)
  [2459] New Web Site for Melksham Chamber of Commerce - (2009-10-18)
  [2465] Melksham Town - asleep or awake? - (2009-10-21)
  [2487] Melksham Forum - (2009-11-01)
  [2495] Planning the future of Wiltshire - (2009-11-07)
  [2508] Community Area Partnership - inaugural AGM - (2009-11-20)
  [2514] The road show has been - where now? - (2009-11-27)
  [2521] Melksham Market - Tuesdays, 09:00 to 14:00 - (2009-12-01)
  [2531] Melksham - new Tuesday Market - (2009-12-09)
  [2540] Rock and hard place .. and the relaxing right one won - (2009-12-18)
  [2544] Vision for Wiltshire - (2009-12-20)
  [2546] How well do you know Melksham - a quiz for Christmas - (2009-12-21)
  [2568] Forums for your Melksham and open source discussions - (2010-01-09)
  [2594] Melksham Area - your community view is sought - (2010-01-23)
  [2640] How is your tax pound spent? - (2010-02-18)
  [2666] Random thoughts on Melksham Town Planning and development - (2010-03-08)
  [2683] Car Parking in Melksham - (2010-03-18)
  [2725] How do our tactics help us meet the strategy, for the greater good? - (2010-04-16)
  [2770] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - Presidents report to AGM - (2010-05-19)
  [2779] The history and future of Melksham Chamber of Commerce - (2010-05-25)
  [2782] Tell the Melksham Chamber or you only have yourself to blame - (2010-05-26)
  [2827] Melksham - a gem in Wiltshire - (2010-06-26)
  [2837] Lorry Parking in Melksham - (2010-06-29)
  [2853] Transport in Wessex - today and into the future - (2010-07-04)
  [2867] Cycling in Melksham, and looking forward - (2010-07-11)
  [2872] Moved - Melksham Lorry Park - (2010-07-15)
  [2883] Melksham Oak - photos of the new community school - (2010-07-22)
  [2891] Wiltshire Council ask how they can help businesses - (2010-07-27)
  [2932] Getting into and out of Wiltshire towns .. a.k.a. Car Parking? - (2010-08-23)
  [2957] Welcome to Countrywides new Melksham store - (2010-09-15)
  [2959] A Melksham news roundup - (2010-09-18)
  [2982] Travel, Transport and Tourism - A vision for Melksham, 2026 - (2010-10-03)
  [2995] A river in Melksham is not just for boaters. - (2010-10-11)
  [3088] Melksham - two many councils? - (2010-12-16)
  [3113] Trowbridge and Melksham to Chippenham - more roadworks, even slower journey over the winter - (2010-12-30)
  [3117] Opportunities for Melksham - new businesses in the town - (2011-01-01)
  [3141] Wiltshire Rail services - a golden opportunity - (2011-01-21)
  [3162] Keep your business customer-friendly! - (2011-02-09)
  [3172] On consultations, car parking, and Melksham town centre - (2011-02-17)
  [3173] What is the Melksham Chamber of Commerce? - (2011-02-18)
  [3188] What proportion of the British Workforce still works a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, week? - (2011-03-01)
  [3217] Vandalism and riot from the minority - the effect - (2011-03-28)
  [3249] Events - Spring and Early Summer 2011 in Melksham - (2011-04-17)
  [3272] Melksham Car Parking - current charges and limits - (2011-05-01)
  [3275] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - grows to appoint new Press Officer. Welcome. Sam - (2011-05-02)
  [3299] Presidents Report to Melksham Chamber of Commerce, 24.5.2011 - (2011-05-24)
  [3307] Melksham Community Radio launches - (2011-05-28)
  [3334] A lesson from the sporran market? - (2011-06-25)
  [3340] Summer Sunday Timetable - TransWilts Trains - (2011-06-30)
  [3343] Summer Sunday Train Service Starts - Swindon Chippenham and Melksham to Weymouth - (2011-07-03)
  [3380] Melksham Jelly - An Occasional Office for Home Workers - (2011-08-06)
  [3383] Are people who walk into Melksham being asked to subsidise parking? - (2011-08-09)
  [3420] Making best use of the new enthusiasm for Melksham - (2011-09-05)
  [3423] 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 12? - (2011-09-07)
  [3427] What is on the Melksham Agenda? - (2011-09-09)
  [3438] Melksham to become a part of Trowbridge? - (2011-09-13)
  [3470] Currently pictured in Melksham - (2011-10-09)
  [3475] Havant - Shop Frontages. - (2011-10-12)
  [3492] Upcoming events in and about Melksham - more dates for your diary - (2011-10-22)
  [3495] Looking forward - Chamber of Commerce has 2012 and beyond on the agenda - (2011-10-26)
  [3496] Melksham - Business to Business Speed Networking - build ahead for 2012 - (2011-10-26)
  [3527] Melksham - changing times, an opportunity for the future - (2011-11-23)
  [3560] Melksham, Month by month through 2011 - (2011-12-23)
  [3598] Melksham Civic Awards - report and pictures - (2012-01-29)
  [3627] Meeting Report - Tuesday 21st Feb - to Melksham Chamber of Commerce from Shadow Community Operations Board - (2012-02-27)
  [3663] Changing shops and organisations - Melksham, the last and next five years - (2012-03-21)
  [3672] Melksham Train Service - please support the TransWilts case for regular trains - (2012-03-25)
  [3677] Some advise for guest speakers at meetings - (2012-03-31)
  [3682] Melksham Business Newsreel - (2012-04-03)
  [3693] Wiltshire Business Support Service - (2012-04-11)
  [3696] Melksham government and business organisations - (2012-04-14)
  [3697] Events in Melksham - read all about them, and tell us about yours - (2012-04-15)
  [3700] Why do people use chains rather than independent traders? - (2012-04-18)
  [3706] An exciting Chamber of Commerce AGM - sound like an Oxymoron? - (2012-04-25)
  [3710] Encouraging business in Melksham and its neighbourhood - keep business local?? - (2012-04-27)
  [3714] Just 12 winners? Or 371 or more? Town Centres. - (2012-04-30)
  [3732] Ten more visitors to your premises every day? - (2012-05-14)
  [3739] Go green - business seminar in Melksham - (2012-05-21)
  [3751] Public transport for international arrivals into Melksham - (2012-06-04)
  [3752] Melksham Visitors Map - Bus routes and train lines to and from the town - (2012-06-04)
  [3767] How well do you know Melksham? - (2012-06-17)
  [3768] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - looking to our future shape. Pivotal meeting next Tuesday - (2012-06-19)
  [3787] Melksham Pride - the Chamber of Commerce, and the future - (2012-06-29)
  [3818] Making things happen - litter and ASB and lost dogs in Melksham - (2012-07-25)
  [3850] Bus times - Chippenham Station to Melksham, with London connections - (2012-08-25)
  [3867] The difficult interface between the business, council and voluntary sectors - (2012-09-19)
  [3880] Chamber of Commerce - looking forward in Melksham and in Wessex - (2012-10-04)
  [3889] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - whence in 2013 and beyond? - (2012-10-12)
  [3948] Quiet little town? Advanced Technology Centre? - (2012-12-08)
  [3987] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - join us in our future - (2013-01-21)
  [4002] Images of Melksham you havent seen before - (2013-02-13)
  [4014] Costa Coffee in Melksham - is it a good idea? - (2013-02-22)
  [4041] Report on the last year - Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Melksham Without Parish Council - (2013-03-11)
  [4046] Over a hundred welcoming businesses - Melksham Town Centre - (2013-03-17)
  [4097] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - Report for AGM, 21st May 2013 - (2013-05-21)
  [4151] Tell me a bit about Melksham - (2013-08-10)
  [4164] Melksham Market - every Tuesday - (2013-09-03)
  [4170] Herman Miller coming to Melksham - the Chamber of Commerce is briefed - (2013-09-10)
  [4278] Future Swindon - Westbury train services. At current level into the future? - (2014-05-25)
  [4672] Annual review of Melksham Matters for Chamber of Commerce AGM - (2016-05-15)
  [4738] Melksham Chamber of Commerce - my final Presidents report - (2017-05-10)


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