Following the successful launch of the Happy to Chat bench in April this year, a new pilot is being launched from this December across 4 cafes within Malvern to include Happy to Chat tables within their premises on certain days and times.

The Happy to Chat initiative started in Malvern in April 2024 with 3 benches lead by Councillor Julie MacLusky in aid of improving social connections and interactions which has been a great success.

The Malvern Happy to Chat initiative is now expanding into cafes in hopes of reaching a wider audience and getting people talking. Malvern is one of many locations across the UK taking part in the Happy to Chat table initiative with a lady from Bradford on Avon stating the Happy to Chat table at her local café “saved her life” after she suddenly becoming widowed.

Cllr Julie Maclusky “We are thrilled to be expanding the Happy to Chat initiative to include a wider more diverse audience of Malvern. The Happy to Chat tables will provide a space for people to strike up chats in more central locations across the town. As a Council it is important that we take the appropriate steps in pro-actively addressing the epidemic of loneliness, something the Happy to Chat initiative is critical in doing.”

As we come into Christmas there will be four cafes taking part in this first phase of the pilot including Faun, Abbey Road Café, Book and Cup café at Malvern Library and the Cube. All these cafés will have happy to chat tables located in their premises with a destinated place that people can go for a cuppa and a chat. This will be particularly beneficial at this time year when Christmas can be a lonely time for some.

All premises will be advertising when their Happy to Chat tables will be available.

This year, Malvern Town Council is organising the following annual Remembrance Commemorations and welcomes anyone who wishes to join us as an opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.

Remembrance Sunday 10 November, Great Malvern Priory Church & Malvern Library

  • Joint Remembrance Service with Great Malvern Priory Church at 10am
  • Remembrance Parade starts from Outside Great Malvern Post Office, between 10.45am – 10.50am and will parade down Church Street and into the grounds of Great Malvern Library.
  • A short service including a two-minute silence will be held at Great Malvern Library War Memorial at 10.57am.  This will be followed by the laying of wreaths.

Marilyn Birks, Mayor of Malvern, said “Remembrance Sunday is our chance as a nation to stand together to remember the millions of people from across the United Kingdom, and from across the world, who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe.” 

Armistice Day 11 November, Great Malvern Priory Church

A short service including the planting of crosses will be held in The Priory Church from 10.40am. Crosses are available on the day free of charge, however donations for the Poppy Appeal are appreciated.

Field of Remembrance from 7 – 14 November, Malvern Library

  • Children from three local schools will be joining local dignitaries and members of the public to plant crosses in a special dedicated field of remembrance on the 7 November from 10:40am.
  • Donations for the Poppy Appeal are appreciated.

For more information, please contact Malvern Town Council on Tel: 01684 566 667 or via our web pages https://www.malverntowncouncil.org/contact-us

Roll Up Roll Up as Christmas comes to Malvern Town Council!
 
The festive season begins in Malvern from 23 November with various activities and events taking place across Malvern throughout the end of November. Immersive yourself in the festivities taking place including Christmas Markets, Circus themed window display trail and don’t forget to be there for the switching on of Great Malvern’s Christmas lights.

Come along on the 23 November where everyone can immerse themselves into the festive fun with live performances on stages in the Priory Church Grounds, Bottom of Church Street and Belle Vue Terrace, circus-themed workshops from both The Coach House Theatre and Solo Circus, fairground style rides and stalls, local craft and food traders plus much more and don’t forget to visit Santa in his grotto at the Malvern Library. The Great Malvern Lights Switch On will also see the team at Malvern Theatre Players joining in the festive fun at The Coach House Theatre, bringing live circus performances and workshops between 1pm – 4pm. These performances & workshops have limited spaces and booking is essential with tickets at £5 per family (up to 2 adults and 3 children).

Book your Coach House Theatre circus workshop tickets at https://www.malverntowncouncil.org/event/circus-shows-at-coach-house-theatre/

The Great Malvern Lights Switch On will see Great Malvern’s Christmas lights turned on at 5:30pm with guest appearances from Mark James & Phillip Arran following the annual Christmas parade at 5:15pm, starting at the bottom of Church Street. This event is free to attend with some additional charges.

The festive celebrations don’t stop there, come and sing along with the Malvern Town Council team on the 18 December for Carols around the Tree at the Community Hub. As we bring in Christmas spirit with a live band at Victoria Park from 8pm there will be plenty of singing as well a small charity stall and refreshments.  This is event is free of charge – simply turn up and join in.

For more details about the festive offering for 2024 please visit our social media.

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone that join us for Restart a Heart day 2024 is was highly successful training over 80 people in lifesaving skills.

Malvern Town Council in partnership with Heartstart Malvern bring you Restart a Heart Day 2024. A day highlighting the importance of lifesaving skills like CPR while giving individuals and groups the opportunity to learn these skills.

So, join us at the Community Hub on the 16 October where Heartstart Malvern will be running free 90 minute bookable training sessions all day around the importance of CPR and defibrillators while teaching these life saving skills.

These session must be booked in advance with anyone over the age of 11 welcome to attend, no prior knowledge or training is required or needed and there is no assessment or examination at the end of the session. All the training is delivered by Heartstart Malvern’s friendly volunteers with practical elements throughout.

Sessions are running from 8:00am – 8:30pm and can be booked via Heartstart Malvern’s website at https://www.heartstartmalvern.org.uk/book_a_course.htm

Do you have a question about your local services? What is happening within your community? Come along and meet your Town Councillors at our bi-monthly surgeries.

The sessions running from 2pm-8pm on two Mondays a month will be held in the new Park View Community Room at the Community Hub, Victoria Park, Malvern Link. These are drop-in sessions, so the public are welcome to come at a time convenient to them and use the free onsite parking.

The session is organised by Malvern Town Council but run directly by the Councillors themselves for the community. This provides a unique opportunity to come and speak with a Town Councillor directly about local services, schemes and what is happening within your community.

The sessions are free to attend with further updates being provided via our social media channels.

Three “Happy to Chat” benches have been installed by Malvern Town Council, following an idea championed by Cllr Julie MacLusky and then supported by other town councillors at a meeting of Council.

A new initiative within Malvern, “Happy to Chat” benches have been introduced in Rose Bank Gardens, Victoria Park and in Station Gardens and follow an idea adopted not only across Britain but also in the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

The benches are identified by a colourful plaque which says, “Sit here if you don’t mind someone stopping to say hello”. How often do you see someone sat on their own in a park? Do they want to chat? Do they want to be left alone? Have they spoken to anyone else on that particular day? “Happy to Chat” benches provide a simple way of letting other people know that you are open to a chat and if the idea proves successful then the Council will consider adding benches on other town council land.

Cllr Julie Maclusky proposer of the motion said, “Councillors will be aware of publicity about the health risks of loneliness, and I believe that our “Happy to Chat” benches could play a small but very significant role in alleviating loneliness, and improving social connection and interaction, amongst the residents of Malvern, I believe that many people could benefit from a random hello and chat.

Cllrs Julie MacLusky (Upper Howsell ward) and Cllr David Watkins (Link ward) “having a chat”!

Malvern Town Council is pleased to announce that works to build the new community hub are now complete and we have a fabulous new building at Victoria Park. Thank you to everyone for bearing with us through the disruption, but we hope you agree it was worth waiting for. The public toilet in the foyer is available for use during office hours, and soon the café will be open, serving a variety of food and drink, (and will have a further toilet available).

The Park View Community Room is now also for hire for only £15+VAT per hour, 7 days a week from 8:30am – 9pm. This a community space suitable for parties, meetings, conferences, training sessions, low level exercise classes plus much more with a stunning view of the hills with space comes with free onsite parking, air conditioning, toilets and hot drink making facilities. For more information, simply call 01684 566667.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Why have there been changes to the play area?

The rearrangement of certain play equipment was required to allow the building works to take place safely. However, a new toddler swing set with an accessible seat has been installed and a full scale refurbishment of this key play area is planned for 2025/26.

What about the skateboard park?

Due to the positioning of the new building, the old skateboard park ramps were removed. Plans to refurbish and upgrade the skateboard park facilities are ongoing following a public consultation earlier this year. We will keep you updated with news on this via our social media platforms.

Is the new building just for the Town Council offices?

No, the Town Council offices occupy only a small part of the new building. We are currently trialling having someone on reception during the mornings every weekday but you are very welcome to call in and see us any time during office hours when we will try to help with any queries you have.