COUNCILLORS have said that a women-only business group in Wellington should pay for the use of facilities at the Kings Arms Community Hub.

The Wellington Women in Business (WWIB) networking group uses the community hub in the High Street, which is managed by Wellington Town Council, once a month for three hours.

The group asked the town council’s community committee on January 19 if it would subsidise the £360 a year charge for the hiring of the facilities at the Kings Arms.

But councillors were quick to turn down the request.

The mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, said: “I see there were 42 ladies at the group’s last meeting. If they each paid a £1 – that would cover the cost; surely they could all chip in for the rent? I think they can pay their own way.”

Cllr Mark Lithgow said: “I agree with the Mayor. They are a business organisation and with the numbers they get; £1 each would not break anybody’s bank.

“We are providing a valuable facility for people and we did agree when we first opened up the Kings Arms Community Hub that after a while we would be looking for groups to pay to use it.”

Cllr Justin Cole said: “I think they should pay. It seems as if we’d be setting a precedent if we let them have it for free.”

But Cllr Andrew Govier said: “This is a group that’s promoting businesses in the town and, to be honest, £360 is nothing. “We’ve often commented in the past about how disappointing it is that we haven’t got a Chamber of Trade in the town. So, on that basis, I’d support this.”

The council’s community development officer, Laura Batcha, said: “The Wellington Women in Business group recently formalised as a Community Interest Company and is looking to deliver its sessions from a neutral and accessible community space that reflects its inclusive values.

“The organisation supports local women through peer networking, skills development and enterprise support.

“While established, WWIB operates with limited resources and has requested support to enable continued delivery in a venue that is open and accessible to all members of the community.

“Subsidising room hire supports local enterprise, confidence building, and economic participation, while enabling the group to grow sustainably in its early CIC phase.”

The WWIB group is actively engaging in networking and professional development for women entrepreneurs. It hosts various events throughout the year including meetings, workshop and networking sessions to support and inspire its members.

The business group meets on the second Tuesday of each month and the first meeting of the year took place on January 13 with Rachel Sanders Debenham as guest speaker who gave a motivational presentation entitled ‘Starting 2026 with a Plan to Success’.

It cost £10 in advance or £15 on the night to attend the meeting.

Although councillors appreciated the efforts of the Wellington Women in Business group, they felt the council could not subsidise the room hire at the Kings Arms.