After 50 years, the Meliden Community Association is alive and well and has undergone a complete transformation since Lockdown. The Chairman for the evening was Association Trustee, Des Donnelly.

It had been so long since the last Annual General Meeting that he couldn’t do item 3 on the
agenda—to read and approve the minutes of the last AGM. Nobody could remember the last AGM! He handed over to the Association’s Chairman, Robert Jones who reported on the last year.

The Association survived because a few members formed an interim committee and spent
months campaigning and lobbying to regain control of the Community Centre. We had to prove our ability to the Town Council, the Charity Commission, and, if we wanted the money in the Association’s account, we had to prove it to the bank. The hard work paid off and we gained entry to Centre in the middle of August 2021. It was shabby, dirty, cluttered and had abandoned furniture all over the place. The toilets ….. ah yes, the toilets!

The transformation of the Centre was carried out by a handful of volunteers who cleared the building of junk and then meticulously deep-cleaned everything ready for a full paint job and ceiling repair. One of the first decisions was to make the Centre disabled friendly and with the provision of the completely new toilets, the Meliden Community Centre now creates the right impression—warm, welcoming, clean and and safe.

Restoring the Centre and making it fit for use was only the beginning—it was important to get the clubs and activities going again—restore confidence so that people could meet again. In November 2021, the clubs and activities resumed with just 9 bookings in that first month—we are now doing about 40 per month and growing.

The small room is now called the Community Room, and has become more welcoming and with the addition of a sink, which a valuable resource for craft and child care groups. There’s a book bank and displays of old Meliden photographs with more improvements planned.

The hall is now called the Village Hall—because that’s what is should be!

Since re-opening, Centre has been used by Vale of Clwyd Parkinson’s Support Group, regular children’s parties, dancing classes, bingo, private family bookings, Tai Chi, a footpath enquiry, Easter Rabbit Hunt, Warm Hub, Welsh Water Roadshow, art & craft, Jubilee Afternoon Tea, Association Fun Day, Puddleducks, Brownies, regular coffee mornings, Meliden Pensioners’ Christmas Dinner, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, the Historical Society, the Mindale Housing Appeal, Ladies Circle, Pilates, as a Local Election Polling Station, Christmas Craft Fair and the Children’s Christmas Party. There are some more new groups about to start up and we are looking forwards to a series of Craft Fairs.

Our online booking site works well now, it’s called meliden.org and so most payments are being made online. The site is still being built and has advertising for our events, a photo gallery and details about the Centre. The result is that it all works—the money’s there—it just needs developing, it needs people to develop it.

The Chairman spoke of the need to set up an events committee and requested anyone who might be interested to remain behind for a few minutes to make arrangements to meet as a sub-committee.

The next item on the agenda was the election of the officers. Each group in our association has to send a representative to the monthly committee meeting and we also elect a Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Booking Officer. After due consideration, the following officers were elected:

[Since the AGM, Kath has reluctantly decided that for reasons beyond her control, she will no longer be available and Carol Davies will take over at the end of February.

It was proposed that the charges will be £12.50 per hour for the Village Hall and £8 per hour for the Community Room with a kitchen surcharge of £5 and £2 respectively if required. It was also proposed that any regularly group that joins the Association be given a reduction of 20% provided they are:

• Non profit-making
• Are members of the Meliden Community Association
• Enter their names in the Members’ Book.
• Send a representative to the monthly management meeting
• Help with Association events

[Regularly meeting is monthly or more often.]

It was also proposed that the party hire charge remains the same at £45 for the Village Hall and £35 for the Community Room for a three-hour party with one hour before and after to permit setting up and setting down.

It was proposed that should a party wish to hire both rooms, they will be given a reduction of to£70 instead of £80.

It was proposed that a charge of £5 is made to cover the cost of electricity for a bouncy castle when used.

The new charging system was accepted after it was agreed that it would be applied to all hirers without exception.

The meeting ended and there was a short gathering of members who wanted to organise a new Events Committee.