ANNUAL REPORT : 2024-2025
HEXHAM COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Welcome to our annual general meeting (AGM) 2025 of the Hexham Community Association (HCA) for 2025. Hexham Community Association brings together residents from the Hexham Estate and North Whitley area, charities, and the local authority to collaboratively work to improve education opportunities, and conduct activities for the health, wellbeing, leisure and recreation for the people living around the local communities. The local area is considered having multiple deprivations and needs. Volunteers entirely run the HCA through activities from the Hexham Community Centre. Your committee for the previous year was:
❖ Mr Sebora Kamara -Administrator and Treasurer
❖ Dr Simon J Maziku - Secretary
❖ Mr Edward Corriera -Trustee and Ag Chairperson
- ❖ Mrs Mariatu Bangura - Trustee
Achievements
During the past year HCA improved the wellbeing of residents through supporting the Windrush’s 76[th] anniversary celebration which took place on 21[st] June 2025. The celebration highlighted the importance of historical and cultural event to the Hexham local community. The event featured live music, traditional Caribbean foods, and storytelling. The local authority part-funded the event.
Hexham Health Expo Day
The HCA volunteers in collaboration with local groups, and the local authority raised awareness to the Hexham community residents and facilitated organisation and participated in making the event successful, this was useful for improving the health and wellbeing of people in the community.
Challenges
The Association is currently working under a reduced budget of £10,000 from the Council. The HCA experienced challenges in recruiting volunteers. This has had an impact on the efficiency and the effectiveness of the planned programmes that were earmarked to be extended to the wider community of residents in the local area. Furthermore, the Hexham Community Centre facility is no longer under HCA as the Reading Borough Council now manages it. Hence, the income that was realised from hall-hire is no longer available to the HCA compared to the previous year. Issues of parking and noise have been resolved. Residents also wanted more engagement and formed a new association which will work in collaboration with HCA. The trustees want to also take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers for the wonderful job they have done over the year.
Future plans
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Obtain a new physical address as HCA will no longer use Hexham Community centre address
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Recruit more volunteers to support in raising awareness, engaging the Hexham Community, and surrounding areas of HCA’s activities
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Getting residents to be more active through community sports between the estates Winter Warmth project for the elderly
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Work with the charities and the local authority in the area to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities by collaborating with the community to identify and address depravation and other priority needs
Signed Edward Corriera
Ag. Chairman