Penzance Chamber of Commerce

Businesses in the Penzance area are being asked to be on the lookout for possible fraudsters. Several businesses have been hit locally and the Penzance Chamber of Commerce is asking people to be aware of the following scenarios that have been reported:

Respectable looking lady asks to use your telephone in an emergency but finds it hard to get hold of the person she needs to speak to. The call takes around five minutes and the lady keeps apologising. The call then finishes and she offers to make a payment along with lots of thanks. The lady then leaves the premises. When the telephone bill arrives, there is a call billed to a discontinued number for anything up to &300. The lady has called her own premium rate line.
Females in particular receive a call saying it's from the Post Office asking for the post code claiming that the person has won a prize. An address to send the prize to is then requested. Ninety per cent of houses have been burgled when this takes place. At present the Post Office say they are not running any kind of prize draw.
A call is received from a service engineer who asks you to dial nine, then zero and then the hash (#) key. This gives the person on the other end of the line full access to your phone line. Do not ever press 90 then hash!

Health roadshow for businesses in the south west

How much sickness absence was there in your company last year? How much did it cost? How healthy is your business financially?

The Government has funded a roadshow in the South West for local employers to get the latest free Information and practical advice on Improving the health of their business: employer's health, employees health and the financial health of their businesses - all under one roof.

Topics covered in the roadshow include: how to improve profit by reducing sickness absence costs, increasing business effectiveness, how to offset occupational health services for against tax, how to manage and reduce back pain (yours and your employees), how to manage and reduce stress and assessing whether you meet disability discrimination act requirements.

The next nearest South West Healthy Business Roadshow takes place at the Falmouth Beach Resort Hotel on Thursday, September 26 from 10am to 4pm. The roadshow Is free of charge.

For more information on the roadshow please contact Michelle Griffiths, Rowanmast Ltd, 65 Cleeve Hill, Downend, Bristol B516 6EU - phone: 0117-956-8683 email: michelle@rowanmast.co.uk

Shopping Guide

The Penzance Shopping Guide is being distributed this week and the chamber would like to thank Penwith District Council and Penzance Town Council for their financial contributions without which the guide would not be possible.

'The Guide'

Penwith's own publishing house Surcutus has spread it wings. "The Guide" is now being distributed by Dash and is now available in 300 newsagents across the county. The print run is now 25,000 copies.

Managing director Mark Guthrie said: "Thanks to all the support from all the local advertisers, the magazine has gone from strength to strength and we are now stretching out as far as Truro and Newquay and all points in between.

Moonshine's new premises a boost for artistic community

Moonshine Framing is on the move after securing new premises just off Market Jew Street, Penzance. This follows a departure from their former premises in Causewayhead. The new premises will dramatically Increase the retail gallery space In order to show a wider variety of works by a larger number of artists.

The artistic community in Penwith contributes a very significant part to the local economy, and Moonshine is quick to point out that they are a Penzance firm. But as well as a strong local customer base, they also count among their customers Royal Academy artists, national organisations, councils, museums, pub chains and galleries which emphasises the quality and value available to their local customers.

The bulk of their work is carried out for retail customers and artists who have individual items framed as well as orders for artists who fit their own prints and pictures to the frames. Efficient and well-Informed staff is the key to making sure the customer gets what they want, when they need It, and at a sensible price. They can also offer appropriate advice, and a relevant 'expert' can be cajoled from the workshops to suggest practical solutions to tricky framing problems.

Moonshine purchase frame mouldings and mounting board In bulk, some exclusive, and some made specially for them and pass on these savings to customers. The huge choice of framing available will be evident as soon you walk in the doors of the new premises. Not only are there factory fitted mouldings and natural timbers, but hand-finished, limed, waxed and colour-washed framing is done on the premises so the choice is virtually unlimited.

Refurbishment work has been taking place for a number of weeks and the gallery and workshops are due to open on schedule on Sunday, September 1. The finishing touches to an open evening and exhibition are just being added.

Moonshine Framing can now be found at 36a Market Jew Street (Wood Street/Bread Street), Penzance - phone: 01736-330887, webslte: www.frames.uk.com, email: info@frames.uk.com

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.

Forthcoming Meetings

The next monthly Chamber Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 3rd 2002 at the Queens Hotel, The Promenade, Penzance at 7.30pm.

The Voice of Business in West Cornwall

Chamber Monthly News - August 2002

Beware of fraudsters!