At the start of June, Her Majesty the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of tireless and dedicated service to our country. I hope you and your family are able to make the most of the long weekend. 

To celebrate such a remarkable occasion, a small army of local volunteers have truly done our community proud, organising an enormous range of events, including everything from BBQs, to live music to street parties!  

I would like to say a huge thank you to all of those who have given up their time in recent months to help organise these events. I will be aiming to get to as many as I can, and I have attached a full list below of all the events locally which I can find. I hope you are able to enjoy as many as possible! 

To kick off the celebrations, I visited Chippenham Museum this month, and the team there have put together a very special collection to mark the Jubilee, including items from the area’s past which are rarely displayed to the public. It was a fascinating visit, and I particularly enjoyed seeing archive footage from the Queen’s visit to Chippenham in 2001. The area turned out in force for the occasion, and I’m sure many of you remember it well! 

Earlier this month, I also took part in the ‘It’s A Knock Out’ fundraising event organised by our wonderful Wiltshire Air Ambulance, along with my brilliant team. The sun was shining at Melksham Rugby Club, and it was a fantastic day. I can report that my team and I raised over £1,600 for the Air Ambulance, received a respectful 108 points, and finished in the middle of the pack. Stonewell Builders finished in first place and were very deserving of doing so!   

I am very grateful for the kind donations from our local community, and to all of those who made the event such a success. It costs £11,000 a day to keep our Air Ambulance in the air, and the money raised will help to keep our vital and beloved community asset flying. I look forward to returning next year and hopefully taking the crown from Stonewell!   

Other work this month included opening what is not just Wiltshire’s first Business Cyber Centre, but in fact the first business-led Cyber Centre in the UK, over at Greenways Business Park. This is a fantastic new facility which will work closely with the Ministry of Defence site in Corsham.   

The £3.7 million of Government investment will create a whopping 250 new jobs and 1,700 training opportunities, and I was delighted to have been able to support the bid which made the centre possible. It will also attract further investment into the area, creating high paid and high skilled jobs for local people, which is something I am always keen to champion.

This month we also announced an additional package of support to help people with rising costs, and I understand how much worry this is causing across the constituency. I have put information on my website which outlines the support we are introducing, as well as ways you can get help locally: https://www.michelledonelan.co.uk/campaigns/support-rising-costs

Thank you for taking the time to read my e-news. If you have a problem I may be able to help with, or if you would like to speak to me at my next surgery, do not hesitate to get in touch by email: [email protected] or by phone: 01249 704465. 
 

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Across the Constituency
 

30 April – 12 June 2022 

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacon trail, Corsham.  
 

Thursday 2 June 2022 

10-12:00- Trooping the Colour, live stream in the Neeld. 

All Day- Jubilee Market, Chippenham High Street. 

14:00- Proclamation and Toast in Lacock. 20:45-21:15 people arrive at Bowden Hill Common. 21.35pm – Piper to play Dio Reynare, 21.40 Bugle Call, 21.45 – Lighting of the Bowden Hill Beacon as part of the National Beacon Chain. Sing “Song for Commonwealth”, 22:00 – All leave common. 

14:00 – The Corsham Club, Charity Cake Sale in aid of Dorothy House, Hospice Care. 

15:00 – 18:00 Fun in East Melksham, Jubilee Party Skylark Road on the Green. 

14:00 – 16:00 The Queen’s Jubilee at Christ Church 

19:00- Boogie Wonderland,70/80s Soul and Disco Dance, Melksham Assembly Hall. 

19:30- Jubilee Organ concert, St Michael's Church, Melksham. 

21:15-22:15: Beacon Lighting w/Town Crier at Melksham Town Hall. 

19:30 Jubilee Organ Concert at St Michaels’ Church, Melksham. 
 

Friday 3 June 2022  

All Day- Market in Chippenham High Street (Friday/Saturday) 

11:00 – 16:30- Lions Club Jubilee Fun Day, Bradford on Avon 

12:00 – 16:00 Craft & Creative Fair, Selwyn Hall, Corsham, Box. 

13:00 – 15:00- Jubilee Afternoon Tea with the Mayor, the Neeld Chippenham 

14:00 – 17:00- The Broughton Gifford Platinum Jubilee Fete. 

14:00 – Jubilee Tea Party, Meet at Gastard Village Hall. 

Timing TBC (AM) Wood Lane Community Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, Chippenham Christian Fellowship Church, Wood Lane 

14:30 – Children’s Fancy Dress competition; Dog Fancy Dress; Winners of Best Decorated House; Children’s games Rounders Match, Tug of War, Tea Tent. (Gastard). 

16:00 – 18:00- Tea Party, Ice cream and live music (Gastard). 

16:00 – Late- Jubilee Jamboree, Live Music Night, Queens Head, Corsham, Box. 

18:00 – 21:00- Party in the Hop Pole Garden, Limpley Stoke 

18:00 – 19:00- Market Place Street Food, Melksham 

Saturday 4 June 2022 

All Day- Royal Photo Exhibition, Melksham Town Hall. All day on Sunday as well. 

All Day- English Civil War Society entertainment. Chippenham Museum and walk about the town. 

Sat + Sunday – Lacock Art Group, Lacock Village Hall, East Street, Lacock, SN15 2LF, 10 – 17:00 

11:00 – 15:00 – Corsham Creative Jubilee Market, Corsham Community Campus. 

13:00 – 17:00- Fayre with stall and street party Melksham Town Centre. 

13:00 – 15:00 – Village Fate, Shaw. 

13:00 – 14:00- Hilperton Jubilee Fete, Hilperton Village Hall. 

13:00 – 17:00 – Afternoon Tea Party Royal British Legion Corsham Main Hall 

15:00 – 16:00- Afternoon tea and cake w/screening of original coronation, Melksham Town Hall. 

15:00 – 17:30- Village Street Party in Middle Stoke, Limpley Stoke. 

15:00 – 19:00 – Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at Monkton Park Gold Course. 

15:00 – Platinum Jubilee Garden Party at the Pheasant Carvery, Chippenham   

20:00 – 21:00, Royal Silent Disco, Melksham Assembly Hall. 

Sunday 5 June 2022 

11:00 – 17:00- Bring a Picnic to John Coles Park, Chippenham. 

12:00 – 16:00- Picnic in the Park, King George V Park, Melksham. 

12:00 – 16:30- Revels Traditional Fete, Upper Rec, Corsham, Box. 

14:00 – 17:00- Limpley Stoke and Freshford Open Gardens and Studios. 

14:00 – 18:30- Jubilee at The Hall, Bradford on Avon, St Margaret’s Hall. 

15:30 – 16:30- Big Lunar Lunch, Lacock. Presentation of Jubilee mugs and prizes from 15:30- 16:00. 

14:00 – 19:00- Choir and Open Mic, Melksham Assembly Hall. 

12:00 – 14:00- Melksham Community meals, Assembly Hall.

17:00 – 18:00- Morris Dancing, Melksham Assembly Hall. 

15:00 – 17:00 – Jubilee Cream Tea Neston Church 

Tuesday 7 June 2022 

14:00 – Jubilee Concert at the Riverside Club. 

Saturday 9 June 2022 

12:00 – 16:00- Corsham Summer Fete, Springfield Rec. 

Sunday 19 June 2022 

12:00 – 16:00- Platinum Jubilee Fete, Staverton Sports Field. 
 

Best wishes,