I find myself with a great responsibility by being a member of the SCOB - the "Shadow Campus Operations Board" which is working with Wiltshire Council to bring the new community facilities to the drawing board, to physical construction, and into full use. There are 9 members of the SCOB - three of them are elected through the political system, and the other six of us represent users and associated organisations in the Melksham area; all of our names are published and we all welcome inputs. There are quite a few "don't know"s out there at the moment. On one hand, precise decisions can't be made until further planning is done - design principles to start with, to then be filled in with detail. And on a second and complimentary hand, there are things that we don't know, and we ourselves are in learning processes. After all, not one of the nine of us would profess to being all-knowing (and if we pretended to, we shouldn't be on the SCOB as it would impair our ability to listen and work for the community).

So - a two handed approach. Firstly, yes, we are listening to inputs. A few people have approached me, and we're providing other input routes too, and going out to solicit inputs from existing users of Council facilities, and existing users of Melksham House facilites, whether that's though a formal or informal group. But it's not limited to those groups - the Campus is for everyone and all inputs are welcomed; we're looking to help with a facility that's catering for an expanded user base. You'll find us actively following up comment to learn more; witness the comments on "Melksham People" from DMJ68 and my invite to him/her (alas, not taken up) to follow up further and help me to learn. And you can make inputs via the MCAP Campus page if you prefer not to approch any of us by phone / email / in person.

And, secondly, I'm making much more active use of the facilites. I've been to Christie Miller for various things more times in the last six months than in the previous six years. I've swum more times in the last six months than I had in the previous six years. I have renewed my membership of the library, borrowed books, used the IT facilities there. And where I had been very unfamiliar with the grounds of Melksham House, I've not got quite a library of photos backing up and reminding me of what I have learned. All this is good news - swimming pools have changed since I took my lifeguard exams, and the library is now quite unlike the libraries I knew of old, though the quietness (and many of the interesting old books) remain. And there is more to come.
(written 2011-10-30)

 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)
  [3481] Some thoughts in answer to some Melksham Campus questions - (2011-10-14)
  [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)

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Forward to Santa Claus - on the train from Melksham on 4th December 2011

Coaches from Trowbridge and Melksham to London
Sunday Evening ... newest and oldest Melksham pictures
Santa Claus - on the train from Melksham on 4th December 2011
Campus Shadow - a great responsibility
Images of Melksham
Which West Wilts Town? A picture quiz for you
Not the same language - but based on the same constructs
Melksham - Business to Business Speed Networking - build ahead for 2012
Looking forward - Chamber of Commerce has 2012 and beyond on the agenda