In the heart of the Meriden neighbourhood is the Meriden Residents Association, which is more than just an association; it is a reflection of unity, synergy and the great community spirit of the people.
Founded in 1980, the Meriden Residents Association was established to represent the interests of, and promote more membership and increase community spirit across residents of the area.
Over the past few decades, the association has held numerous events, programs and campaigns for locals - from organising £10-a-person trips to Southend-on-Sea, to having litter-picking campaigns.
One of the association’s greatest impacts has been its role in improving the quality of life for the Meriden community; they have weekly and annual events which are all free - encouraging more membership into the association.
Some examples include the weekly Wednesday coffee mornings and annual Macmillan coffee mornings where the money raised here gets donated to Macmillan Cancer Support company.
The annual Easter, Halloween and Christmas events are times where the children always have an enjoyable day!
In addition, a couple of major events that they hosted in Meriden were the ( former Queen ) Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and King Charles III’s coronation in 2023.
These two events have been known to be a part of the most wholesome in the area and were celebrated massively with hundreds of people attending - including the Mayor ( Peter Taylor ) and MPs like Dean Russell ( now a former MP ).
Bhavika Badarshahi, a secretary of the Meriden Residents Association, stated:
"I believe that it’s important to have programmes where the community can gather and celebrate together. Although it’s just as important to give back to your community and that everyone plays a part in it."
Community involvement and collaboration plays an important role to the association’s success as it has 12 volunteers that contribute their time to help organise events, promote campaigns, notify locals about any upcoming events and much more.
Each year, as the calendar edges the months of winter, Christmas fairs and stalls take place, attracting families for a fun afternoon out. This year in 2024, they’ll be hosting one on 7th of December with all sorts of free and fun activities like face painting, balloon twisters, tombola for adults and Santa Claus giving out gifts!
As the Meriden Residents Association further proceeds its journey in its fourth decade, it continues to be a showcase and silver lining for the power of unity, synergy and community spirit. With each volunteer, campaign and fair, the sense of community between the people of Meriden strengthens even more.
