WHY IS THE EVENT AT THE CIVIC CENTRE IN TROWBRIDGE? We are sometimes asked by parent carers why we hold our big information events in just one location. In the past, this has typically been Devizes. We recognise that holding our large information events in one location may mean some parent carers having to travel to attend and we apologise for any inconvenience. We take the decision to hold large information events in one location for a number of reasons:• • •
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it costs on average at least £2,500 to host one of these events and we simply don't have the financial resources to repeat these events across the county these events require the commitment from a large number of professionals and we would be unable to secure their time for several events we sometimes have to pay for external keynote speakers and facilitators who typically charge in the region of £350 to £450 per day; repeating these events would significantly increase these costs We try to find a venue that is as central in the county as possible. Devizes has a venue called The Corn Exchange. The Corn Exchange is a venue that is large enough for these types of events, and being in Devizes, it is the most central, suitable venue we have been able to find
We were unable to book the Corn Exchange for our December event because it was being used as a vaccination centre to deliver the COVID vaccination programme. After much searching for possible alternatives, we managed to secure the Civic Centre in Trowbridge. We realise this isn’t as central as The Corn Exchange but it was the best alternative we could find, as many venues have either stopped trading or are not taking bookings. The majority of people who attended our December event said they preferred the Civic Centre over the Corn Exchange and said that parking was better, the venue was brighter and more modern, and the layout of the venue meant it felt more accessible. The Civic Centre is a 10 minute walk from Trowbridge train station which has regular trains from towns including, Salisbury, Warminster, Westbury and Chippenham. There is a large multistory car park adjacent to The Civic Centre offering some free parking places. There is also a large long-stay pay and display car park which is two minutes from the venue. We thank you for your understanding, and as always, we will pay parent carers' travel, car parking and childcare expenses.
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