It struck me as I was updating the
Melksham Chamber of Commerce Web site after last night's meeting as to just how
FORWARD LOOKING our Melksham Agenda has become.
We're looking at exciting times for the town and the area. The recession is, for sure, hitting some businesses but others are asking "recession - what recession?". And not only are we driving things forward, but we're seeing much more public input into that drive. We were delighted that Alan Byrne of Melksham Community Radio came along and was able to tell us about how he's gathering stories and interviews and will be launching live shows - initially at the weekend - in just a couple of months. This is a really useful initiative as it help reach everyone, including many groups that don't traditionally have much of a voice ... alas, all too often local things are driven forward by retired and semi-retired old men, when the services and the future are going to be used much more in the fullness of time by the younger generations.
Co-operation and co-ordination are the keywords. Alan was telling us about how he's working with the Melksham Independent News (
[link]) and Melksham TV (
[link]). And it was good to have Miriam Zacarelli of the Melksham Community Area Partnership
[link] - who have provided assistance to Melksham Radio with licensing fees - at our meeting. And Steve Gray, the Town Clerk took. The Chamber also welcomes the positive activity of the Melksham Independent Traders, recently established, and is already working with them in feeding information / intelligence back and forth for our mutual and overlapping memberships and interests. Discussions followed on the Campus, with a report from the Chamber's representative on the Shadow Campus Operations board which is now meeting at least twice a month. At this point, it's very much a question of laying down strategies as I commented in a previous article - slightly frustrating for the people who want to talk about the specifics / tactics for their potential / current use, but (IMHO) a sensible way to do it to avoid all sorts of disjoint decisions.
Tonight, it's on to Seend Community Centre (for me) to update the Area Board of Wiltshire Council on the TransWilts Rail project, and tomorrow it's the Independent Trader's meeting. Another busy week looking forward in Melksham.
(written 2011-10-26)
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
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)
[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)
[3217] Vandalism and riot from the minority - the effect - (2011-03-28)
[3246] Melksham - the way forward. 26th April, Well House Manor - (2011-04-13)
[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)
[3279] Letter to The Editor - (2011-05-06)
[3299] Presidents Report to Melksham Chamber of Commerce, 24.5.2011 - (2011-05-24)
[3307] Melksham Community Radio launches - (2011-05-28)
[3325] The Olympic Torch, and Melksham House - (2011-06-14)
[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)
[3481] Some thoughts in answer to some Melksham Campus questions - (2011-10-14)
[3492] Upcoming events in and about Melksham - more dates for your diary - (2011-10-22)
[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)
[3748] Not everyone has a computer - 9 more ways to learn about the Melksham Campus - (2012-06-03)
[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)
[3812] The Melksham News - July 2012 - Part 1, Campus and Chamber of Commerce - (2012-07-22)
[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)
[4103] Questions from children about Melksham Campus - (2013-05-26)
[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)
[4399] The Campus in Melksham - name, logo, and livery choice - (2015-01-18)
[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)
Some other Articles
Images of MelkshamWhich West Wilts Town? A picture quiz for youNot the same language - but based on the same constructsLooking forward - Chamber of Commerce has 2012 and beyond on the agendaDatabases - when to treat the rules as guidelinesWest Wilts Rail User Group - Walk yesterday from Bradford-on-Avon to TrowbridgeWho is knocking at your web site door? Are you well set up to deal with allcomers?How not to call when job seeking ...