Written by Sarah Carroll, Communications Executive – Wimbledon Community Association
At Wimbledon Community Association, outreach and participation forms an important part of what we do.
Pre 2012, Wimbledon Community Association provided a physical place to go – a community centre on St George’s Rd in Wimbledon. When the doors to the centre unfortunately closed, due to the building falling into a state of disrepair and with insufficient funds to maintain it, the Board of Trustees rallied together to divest WCA’s 1/3 share to Merton council who already owned a 2/3 share. With many other community spaces being available in Wimbledon and the surrounding areas by that time, it was decided that rather than invest into a new dedicated space, investment would instead be made into creating the ‘Wimblecomm’ online hub and directory, with the purpose of Connecting People, Places and Passions.
Today, over 125 community groups, and over 60 venues with more than 115 active spaces, are featured on Wimblecomm and benefit from the free exposure to members, subscribers and visitors to the site. The hub also features a Noticeboard with News and a Blog section, a monthly Events Calendar, and a Jobs section, amongst other content. Each month, the Wimblecomm Newsletter is received on email by over 500 members and subscribers, alongside consistent social media activity across Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky and LinkedIn channels to over 1.2k followers, and with over 4k reach.
Whilst Wimblecomm’s purpose is about Connecting People, Places and Passions, primarily driven through the free online hub ‘Wimblecomm’, our mission extends beyond this. Merton Borough is organised into 20 areas known as wards, and Wimblecomm covers every ward. Beyond the online hub and regular comms, through our persistent outreach efforts – by actively listening, collaborating, and staying closely connected to what’s happening across Merton – we are able to support other charities, non-profit organisations, local businesses, and public services, to deliver better outcomes for our whole community.
Our Board of Trustees (a team of 4) and staff (one part-time employee – that’s me! – with the support of a web developer) play an important role in this outreach by regularly attending local forums, partnership meetings, and community group meetings & events to ensure we remain informed and engaged. This includes connecting with neighbourhood networks, voluntary organisations, and other charities & not-for-profit groups working to support residents across the borough. Through this involvement, we stay up to date with council strategies, emerging local initiatives, funding opportunities, and wider borough priorities. It allows us to understand where the needs are greatest, where partnerships can make a difference, and how we can best align our work to support the community.
Here are some of the events and sessions we attended as part of our outreach efforts over the past 3 months:
- Sustainable Merton’s AGM and panel discussion at the Merton Arts Space in Wimbledon Library
- Open Day and subsequent Strategy workshop a the new Citizen Hub Wimbledon at 267 The Tunnel
- Merton Faith In Action AGM at the Salvation Army, Kingston Road
- NCVO online workshop on the government’s earned settlement proposals
- Cannon Hill Ward Residents Association meeting
- Merton Connected AGM
- Merton Chamber of Commerce SME Networking Event at Sai Restaurant, Raynes Park
- Wimbledon Community Forum at the Mansel Road Centre
- Merton Community Champions monthly online meeting with Merton Health
- AELTC Community Day at the All England Club
- Merton School Sport Activate Multi-skills Festival at the Raynes Park AELTC Community Tennis Centre
- National Youth Strategy Workshop with Merton Connected and Merton Youth Partnership at Tooting & Mitcham FC grounds
Outreach is a two-way conversation, and we are able to use the Wimblecomm online hub, our multiple social channels, and direct communications, as well as the important ‘word of mouth’ to share what’s happening across the borough and highlight the work of other community groups and entities – to create opportunities for involvement and collaboration. By building strong relationships across the voluntary and statutory sectors, we help strengthen the network that supports Merton residents every day.
Staying connected ensures that we remain responsive, relevant, and rooted in the community we serve – working together to make Merton a place where everyone has the chance to thrive.
If you are part of a community group and not yet active on Wimblecomm, please do reach out to me at sarah.carroll@wimbledoncommunity.org
- Here are some photos from the events: Sustainable Merton AGM, Citizen Hub Wimbledon Open Day, Wimbledon Community Forum, and Merton School Sport Partnership Activate Multi-skills Festival
Be sure to check the Events page on Wimblecomm for details of upcoming events that you can get involved in: Events 24 – Wimbledon Community Association