Jane Scott, the leader of Wiltshire Council, will be among speakers at the meeting of the Marlborough Area Board being held in the Town Hall on Tuesday, September 25. The meeting will concentrate on volunteering and will showcase many of the area’s voluntary groups.
Wiltshire Council have announced they are forming a ‘legacy’ group to support towns planning community events like those surrounding the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics. According to Council estimates, those events in Wiltshire attracted 225,000 people and provided a considerable boost to local economies.
The new group will bring together experts from sports groups, NHS Wiltshire, arts and heritage organisations and community organisations. It will be pro-active in searching out events which it could support. Wiltshire Council spent £290,000 helping this summer’s events.
At the meeting, Councillor Scott will be looking back at the summer’s events and their lessons, and looking forward to show how the legacy of the those events can be carried on into 2013 and beyond.
The Area Board meeting will include a ‘market place’ with a number of small stands at the Town Hall for local groups to show the work they do and advertise their needs. The ‘market place’ will be open from 6 p.m. and the meeting itself will start at 7.00 p.m. Among those who have already booked space at the ‘market place’ are:
• Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
• GROW – providing support for the voluntary sector
• Home-Start Kennet – training volunteers to help vulnerable families in their homes
• Wiltshire Global Education Group (a partner of the Marlborough Brandt Group)
• The Friends of The Ridgeway
• Marlborough & District Embroiderers’ Guild
• Marlborough and District Dyslexia Association
• The Jubilee Centre
• Richmond Fellowship – offering help to people with mental health issues to find voluntary work, training and employment
• IT Can Help – providing free computer help for disabled people in their own homes
• Charities Information Bureau
• We Love Marlborough
• Ramsbury & Aldbourne Bowls Club
• Marlborough Brandt Group
• Marlborough: Our Community Matters Blogsite – new community area-wide blogsites for the community run by Wiltshire Council
• Victim Support Wiltshire
• Spice Time Credits – a new way of rewarding volunteers.
Joining Councillor Jane Scott at the meeting will be Councillor Stuart Wheeler, cabinet member for campus development and culture (a brief which includes leisure, sport and libraries) – on the value of volunteering within the library Service.
Sandie Lewis, head of Wiltshire Council’s Voluntary and Community Services Support Unit, and Simone Lord of the Wiltshire Volunteer Centre – will tell the meeting about the supports available to the county’s voluntary sector.
Elly Townsend of the organisation Spice will explain ‘Time Credits: a new way of rewarding volunteers’.
Sarah Cosentino of On-line Wiltshire will speak about the scheme for digital literacy champions.
Emma Cooper of Community Partnerships will speak about the Wiltshire Community Bank and credit unions.
And Andrew Jack, the Community Area Manager for the Marlborough area, will explain the ins and outs of the community area grants scheme.