The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 4 June 2025, at The Riverside Centre, Melksham. The agenda includes updates from partners and community representatives, a discussion of community area priorities, and consideration of grant funding applications. The board will also discuss appointments to outside bodies and working groups, and receive an update on the Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG).

Community Area Funding

The Melksham Area Board is expected to consider grant applications for community projects. The report pack indicates the remaining budgets for the following:

• Community Area Grants: £22,732.00
• Older & Vulnerable People Grants: £7,700.00
• Young People Grants: £18,616.00

Two Community Area Grant applications are listed for consideration:

• Steeple Ashton Recreation and Community Development Group is requesting £5,000.00 towards Steeple Ashton Village Pond Creation. According to the report pack, a village survey showed support for improvements to St Mary's playing field, including additional planting and a nature area with a village pond.
• Melksham Cricket Club is requesting £5,000.00 for protective fencing to the pathway. The report pack states that the existing fencing is old and deteriorated, posing a risk to the public.

Community Engagement and Partnerships

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive a report on the work of the Engagement and Partnerships Service. The report pack states that the service aims to connect the community with the council, strengthen joint working, and support the delivery of the Wiltshire Council Business Plan.

The report pack highlights several key workstreams for the Engagement and Partnerships service, including:

• Older and Vulnerable Adults: The team is focusing on preventative work, care in the community, and partnership initiatives to reduce demand for adult social care. The Melksham health and wellbeing group has been focusing on mental health support, particularly for men.
• Food Poverty: The team is supporting foodbanks and working to help communities move from food poverty relief to community resilience, working with the Melksham Foodbank, the larder and other partners.
• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector Framework: The team will be engaging with local and countywide VCSE organisations to understand their challenges and how they would like to work with the council.
• Employment Opportunities for Residents with SEND: The team is working with the SEND transformation, Wiltshire Employment Support Team (WEST) to develop new local employment and work experience for residents with SEND¹.
• Wiltshire Youth Framework Action: The team is working to ensure there is an up-to-date asset map of the local youth offer and undertaking a youth needs assessment in Spring 2026.
• Social Value Opportunities: The team is looking at maximising resources and bringing in additional funding, matching opportunities with promises made in major contracts with Wiltshire Council.
• Environment: This includes work with communities to develop renewable energy community profiles through the Future Energy Landscapes (FEL) programme.

Appointments

The Melksham Area Board is expected to appoint Councillor representatives to outside bodies and working groups. According to the report pack, Councillor Mike Sankey is the representative for the CCTV and Community Safety Working Group and the Melksham Joint Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group. Councillor Jonathon Seed is the representative for the Environment and Climate Working Group.

The Area Board will also discuss the reinstatement of a Local Youth Network and consider appointing a lead member to the Local Youth Network if reinstated, as well as consider appointing lead members to the role of Area Board Environment Lead and Youth Lead.

Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG)

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to note that the most recent LHFIG meeting took place on 29 May 2025, with the notes of the meeting and any recommendations to be brought to the September meeting of the Area Board. The board will also discuss the funding of LHFIG projects.

Wiltshire Community Air Network

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive a briefing note regarding the Wiltshire Community Air Network. According to the report pack, the Environmental Control & Protection team are preparing to launch a citizen science air quality monitoring project that will place more than one hundred low-cost air quality sensors in communities across Wiltshire for one year. The sensors will measure PM2.5 air pollution², helping to identify trends and potential hotspots.

The report pack states that volunteers will need to place sensors outdoors, plugged in to a mains power supply and connected to a stable internet connection. The data from the sensors will be publicly available online.

Age UK Wiltshire Newsletter

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive the April 2025 newsletter from Age UK Wiltshire. The newsletter includes a message from Sarah Cardy, CEO of Age UK Wiltshire & Age UK Southampton, discussing the challenges faced by older people, including changes to the Winter Fuel Payment and proposed changes within the NHS. The newsletter also highlights the Wiltshire Connect bus service as a positive initiative.

Other items in the newsletter include:

• A new partnership with KFR offering house clearance services.
• An update on the Padwell Road Day Centre.
• An update on Wellbeing Checks with Meals in Southampton.
• Information on a new project to support older people in Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon.
• An update on the Big Knit tiny hat campaign.

Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Framework

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive a briefing note on the new strategic partnership framework between Wiltshire Council and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. According to the report pack, the framework aims to further develop the strategic relationship between the VCSE and Wiltshire Council.

The objectives of the framework include:

• Facilitating open communication between the VCSE and Wiltshire Council.
• Increasing awareness and understanding of respective roles and contributions.
• Identifying areas for improvement and building on strengths.

The report pack includes a table outlining the engagement plan for 2025, including a partnership survey, WCF Funders Network Event, Black and Minority Ethnic Listening Events, Area Board meetings, Wiltshire Connecting People meeting, VCSE Leadership Alliance presentation, and Voice it, Hear it engagement events.

Understanding Dementia Sessions

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive information on Understanding Dementia one-hour workshops across Wiltshire. According to the report pack, Alzheimer’s Support is rolling out its dementia awareness programme across Wiltshire, thanks to a grant from the National Lottery. The sessions are designed to help people find out more about dementia, how it can affect people, and the small things people can do to help.

BSW Together (Integrated Care System) Update

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive an update from BSW Together (Integrated Care System). According to the report pack, the update includes information on the Covid-19 spring booster vaccinations and drop-in sessions for people to find out more about the new Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre.

The report pack also includes an update on responses to the ICB’s Big A&E Survey, which was launched to understand what had driven a 5.6 per cent increase in patients visiting A&E departments across Bath, Swindon and Salisbury during 2024.

Community First Briefing

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive a briefing from Community First. According to the report pack, Wiltshire Young Carers recently performed with Bath Philharmonia at the Bath Forum. Youth Action Wiltshire also had another week-long sail with Tall Ships Youth Trust over the Easter break.

Other items in the briefing include:

• Oxenwood Outdoor Education Centre is now offering holiday clubs.
• Carers Together Wiltshire partnership supported 352 unpaid Carers in Q4.
• The Community Organising team have been working on a Neighbourhood Collaborative project.
• WALC has organised a series of online networking sessions for Council Officers.
• Community First helped Hills Waste Solutions award £136,737.50 and Crapper & Sons award £367,684.00 to projects throughout Wiltshire in 2024/2025.
• Community First has secured continuation funding for Building Bridges in Wiltshire through to the end of March 2026.

Wiltshire Police VAWG Quarterly Update

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive a quarterly update from Wiltshire Police on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). According to the report pack, Wiltshire Police continues to work with the Ending VAWG Coalition Wiltshire (E-VAWG) and has started offering domestic abuse perpetrators who are in custody at Swindon’s Gablecross police station the opportunity to work with Open to Change.

Other items in the update include:

• Wiltshire Police supported the national campaign to raise awareness of stalking.
• Project Vigilant continues to keep people safe in the nighttime economy.
• Wiltshire Police has invested in further training and awareness with all officers and staff to improve their understanding of how a victim of stalking can be best supported.
• Walk and Talk events invite women aged 18 and over to share locations where they feel unsafe.
• Thames Valley Police joined Wiltshire Police for Project Vigilant deployments in Salisbury and Swindon in March.
• Swindon will soon be replicating a scheme run in Gloucester where businesses sign up to be designated safe spaces.

Melksham Neighbourhood Policing Team Report

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive a report from the Melksham Neighbourhood Policing Team. The report pack includes crime data for Melksham from March-May 2024 compared to March-May 2025, as well as information on recent police activity in the area.

The report pack states that the team's focus will be on ASB in hotspot areas, retail crime, youth engagement, and tackling drug abuse. The team is also planning an event to promote safer streets for Melksham women and girls and another Families in Melksham multi-agency event for parents and guardians.

Melksham Without Parish Council Newsletter

The Melksham Area Board is scheduled to receive the Spring 2025 newsletter from Melksham Without Parish Council. The newsletter includes information on the new councillors, objectives and priorities for 2025/26, and upcoming council meetings.

The newsletter also includes information on grants, the Joint Melksham Neighbourhood Plan, village halls, and allotments.