Written by David Hall, WCA Chair
October 2025
Last year I did a weekly blog and whilst some weeks it was more challenging to find a subject than others, I was generally never short of something to write about. As I am only doing an occasional blog this year alongside other members of the team, and as someone who rarely posts personally on social media, the biggest challenge this time was to find something apposite and timely with so much to choose from.
As you may have seen, we recently held our Annual General Meeting and this year we chose to hold it at lunchtime at the Morden Hall Park NT Stable Yard Exhibition Space. The event was attended by around 20 people from a range of different organisations. The draft minutes will be posted here: AGM – Wimbledon Community Association.
I have spoken previously about our mission with Wimblecomm and the work we have put in as trustees since Jackie Chapman and I got involved with the charity in 2012. We are proud as trustees of the work we have done setting up and developing the website and connecting with so many organisations, but unlike other charities our work is mainly as a facilitator to help others, so we struggle at times to quantify and see the social outcomes from our inputs.
The WCA is a membership organisation as defined by our present constitution, much of which was set out in 1946 when it was founded. We as trustees are essentially custodians or caretakers of the charity but rely on feedback from our members (the various registered venues and community groups) to help check on us and, at times, guide us on our activities.
At the AGM we discussed getting some wider feedback on the options we have as a charity and particularly, how we spend our funds. At present we mainly use the dividend (of around £26,000) from our investments and some reserves to support our work but there are other options which might perhaps create some more tangible benefits to the wider community.
One such idea which has been discussed recently is to revisit the idea of a Drama Festival, or something similar, which was a key event in the annual programme of the old Wimbledon Community Association back in the 1950s, even before the community centre was built. In my view theatre has the power to educate, engage, entertain, and improve the mental health and well-being of performers and audiences alike.
The borough already hosts various arts related festivals including the recently concluded Wimbledon Bookfest and the forthcoming International Music Festival (which starts on 1 November). There are also other similar fringe festivals held in other boroughs from which to learn. We are busy researching these to develop our own understanding of the position.
There are of course other options on what we do with our resources in future, and we will be shortly devising a survey for our members to give feedback on those ideas. Once we have received feedback we may, as appropriate, need to call an extraordinary meeting to decide how to progress, before we embark on any further actions – do look out for further details in due course.
Leading this organisation, alongside my other supportive team members, has at times been rewarding but nothing in life is ever achieved without overcoming challenges and hard work. I was reminded first hand last Friday (24 October) by the incredible efforts some people embark on with other charities. I was privileged to join Xavier Wiggins (a Founder of the Dons Local Action Group) who, over the last 3 months, has embarked on an epic walk visiting all 92 football league clubs to meet with their own charitable foundation representatives.
We were joined on the day by a fellow fan from AFC Wimbledon (and previous volunteer with Wimblecomm), Roger Hobkinson, and Izzy Papandronicou, an amputee footballer for Portsmouth and England, on the journey from Portsmouth FC to Southampton FC covering over 20 miles in the process. It was day 84 of Xavier’s Walk, which will have covered around 2500 miles by the time it concludes next Saturday (1 November) in Plymouth. Izzy, I would hasten to add, completed the walk last Friday with her prosthetic leg which is also no mean feat!
Xavier is raising funds for Sport Local Action CIC along with various other causes. Details can be found here: Walk92 | Fundraising for Football for Good. When you see what he has put himself through and the amazing support he has garnered along the way it is a reminder that good leadership comes in many forms. Sometimes, we must walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
We all take inspiration from different sources as we embark each day on life’s journey. Xavier (and Izzy) inspired me last week and this has hastened my resolve to engage with our members and wider community on the future of this venerable old institution. But I know there are many others doing fabulous work out there which is often unrecognised or rewarded properly. If you have a story to tell which you want to share with our ever-expanding community please do get in touch: general@wimbledoncommunity.org