Penzance Chamber of Commerce

West Cornwall Hospital

The "Consultation Road-Shows" are now underway with the main difficulty being booking a place at one of the meetings. It is reported that places at all roadshows were filled within the first 24 hours of their being advertised, such is the strength of feeling of the population of West Cornwall.

The Chamber is, in common with everyone else, extremely concerned at the possible downgrading of facilities at West Cornwall Hospital and has taken a pro-active approach in writing letters, supporting the recent march and so forth. We have been endeavouring to arrange for the roadshow panel to hold a separate meeting with the Chamber to no effect! It seems strange that the consultation process consists of a series of small meetings that are limited to 20 people at each. It has been reported that if people that have not booked try to get into meetings, the panel walk out and if they are put on the spot they take similar action!

If any reader has managed to attend a "Consultation Roadshow'"and has any comment to make please do so to the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce or to Editor of The Cornishman.

If any of the "Consultation Roadshow" panel read this item, please contact Penzance Chamber of Commerce on Penzance 719222 or 361007 to arrange a meeting. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss the potential decline in tourism and employment in the area as a result of the proposals, as well as the additional death, pain and suffering that will also result. We await your call!

Car Parks

A disturbing fact came to the attention of our Chairman at a recent West Cornwall Group of Chambers of Commence meeting that Kerrier District Council have made all town centre car parks short-stay with a maximum of three hours parking being allowed.

Rumour has it that this was done in accordance with a Government directive and that it will be extended to other authorities in the County. This was discussed at our last Chamber meeting and all present agreed that if the long-term parking currently available in St Erbyns, Wellfields and the Harbour car parks became short-term parking it would have a devastating effect upon those who drive to work in the town and also on trade.

In the event that this happens in Penwith, the Chamber will vehemently object and challenge any such proposals.

Member Profile - Surcutus Ltd

The Chamber welcomed its newest member to the last meeting. Surcutus Ltd is an independent publishing company based in Penzance. Their first magazine launch, CODE - a men's magazine - first graced the shelves in October 2001 and Issue 6 is scheduled for publication at the end of June. Following this, the company is now looking at a further launch in the men's sector aiming at the more mature man.

Surcutus' next launch will be of great interest to all residents in Penzance. The Guide is a free local magazine that will be produced on glossy paper in full colour packed with leisure, retail and consumer news and will be delivered to every household in the local area every fortnight by Royal Mail. The Guide will contain listings of events and happenings plus reviews and previews. The Guide will be a comprehensive guide to "what's on" in the district as well as a source of useful information on local services. The first issue of The Guide will drop through letterboxes on 2l May. Surcutus plan to launch different versions of The Guide throughout Cornwall over the next six months.

Surcutus is a young, go ahead company and is a welcome addition to our growing membership.

Objective One Bid

The West Cornwall Group of Chambers of Commerce, of which we are a founding member, are currently pursuing the idea of applying for Objective One funding in order that they can employ a Chamber Development Officer. The idea is that the person will work on behalf of all Chambers in West Cornwall to increase awareness, increase membership, investigate the formation of 'buying groups' and so forth.

Currently businesses that are members of Chambers of Commerce in West Cornwall have a combined turnover of around £3 billion. This gives us an extremely strong voice when representing the views and concerns of our membership both in local and national arenas.

Every business should support their local Chamber of Commerce to ensure that their voice is heard.

The Wharfside Creche

The staff of the Creche would like to thank all those who responded to the article on the last Chamber News page and who have used their services as a result. The squeals of delight... from the children... and the complementary comments from their accompanying adults were greatly appreciated.

Join the Chamber

The Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of local business with the County, District and Town Councils, Government agencies and public bodies. It actively campaigns on issues affecting the business community as well as issues affecting the community as a whole. This requires finances and direct involvement by committed people, and deserves the support of every business in the region.

Our Chairman is coordinator of the West Cornwall Group of Chambers and the Cornwall Business Partnership. He is a member of the Priority Management Group 3, which approves Objective One funding in the area of Learning and Skills development. He is also a member of the Penzance Regeneration Steering Group that has worked on the submission of an Objective One bid to greatly enhance the prosperity of the town and its inhabitants. Other members represent the Chamber on such bodies as the Police Consultative Committee and Tourism Committee.

All businesses have problems from time to time, and it has been proved that representation from a Chamber Officer on behalf of the member concerned can greatly enhance the prospect of a satisfactory conclusion. With major issues, such as the Penzance Regeneration Project, West Cornwall Hospital, Objective One and so on needing input from the business community there has never been a better reason for all businesses to become Chamber members - The greater our membership, the bigger our voice. JOIN NOW!

We invite membership applications from individuals and businesses large or small. For further information, visit the Membership Enquiry or Membership Application pages on this site or our membership site at www.penzancechamber.co.uk.

Contributions to Focus pages

These pages exist to promote the work of our members, and we invite participation from all involved with the Chamber. We are also happy to publish material from anyone else with an interest in the development of Penzance. Please send your articles no later than the first Thursday of the month to feature in the forthcoming issue, or contact the Press Officer, Penzance Chamber of Commerce, 16 Fore Street, Goldsithney, Cornwall TR20 9HD to arrange an interview or Email Press Officer.

Forthcoming Meetings

The next monthly Chamber Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 11th 2002 at the Queens Hotel, The Promenade, Penzance at 7.30pm.

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PENZANCE - THE PLACE TO BE

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