Penzance Chamber of Commerce

Recognition for Festive Spirits

The presentation of awards for the Chamber's annual judging of the best-decorated businesses at Christmas was made by the Mayor of Penzance last month.

The winner of the Best Dressed Shop was Classic Cuts, and the runner-up was Party World. The following were also highly recommended: Albert's Cars, Oven Door, Sam's Prams, St Julia's Hospice and Warren's on the Terrace. Adams won the prize for the best multinational, and the winner of the best-decorated pub was the Mount's Bay Inn in Wherrytown, closely followed by Flanagan's and The Old Smithy.

All who made an effort this year are thanked and appreciated, as are Golowan who were brought in by the town council at the last minute to arrange street lighting.

Meanwhile, Wharfside Shopping Centre held a similar competition for its own tenants, and the winner of the prize for the Best Dressed Shop was Claws and Paws. Staff at the pet suppliers were dressed in Victorian style during the build up to Christmas and were especially commended for their efforts. Claws and Paws enjoyed a double success this year, as their sister store in Redruth also won a prize for being the Best Dressed Window in a competition run by Redruth Chamber of Commerce. Manageress Rose-Marie King said that she was thrilled to bits to have won and that it was wonderful to have won a prize for both shops in the same year.

Regent Rejected

The Regent in Chapel Street has expressed its desire to become a nightclub. The pub is a popular music orientated bar where many people meet and get into the party mood before going on to other late venues such as the Barn Club. Extending its hours and focus would allow The Regent to keep its weekend clientele in the centre of town, many of whom are keen to see the development which would save them making a late night journey.

The majority feeling of Chamber members and Chapel Street traders is that such would be detrimental to the area. A spokesperson for the Chamber said: "Penzance is looking up, becoming the popular shopping area it was for years - a night club in the middle of town is simply not a sensible idea."

In a Tough Job Market - The Value of Your Professional Network Shows

These are tough economic times and most businesses are cutting their workforce to the bone. Those who have already lost their job and those who are concerned that their turn is next are looking for alternative opportunities. This is the time where your professional network really shows its value. Many studies show that when it comes to finding a job, it's still all about "who you know". Knowing the right people remains a steady number one way to find a new job.

But, while you are sitting there flipping though the pages of your little blue address book you may find that you haven't kept that last New Year's resolution about extending your network. You haven't joined the new country club; at the cocktail parties you kept on talking to people you knew instead of making new, relevant acquaintances; or maybe you were just too caught up in your daily work to find time for networking.

Well, don't worry, because now there is a service that finds relevant additions to your professional network for you. Powermingle Ltd has launched a global matching service where career minded professionals are matched with other similar minded people. Via this matching you can find people to form alliances with, find colleagues around the world or set up professional peer groups.

The service - available for free at www.powermingle.com - enables you to describe your professional profile in the most detailed fashion. Once your profile is completed the service matches you with the type of people you would like to add to your network. The service will even do this while you are not online - and alert you via email when a good match is found.

"People are realizing from their own experience that having a good and extensive network is often the deciding factor in professional success" said Flemming Madsen, Managing Director of Powermingle Ltd. " And now there is a structured way of getting that network. Using our service nobody has to rely on chance to meet the right people".

Angered response over Easter rail closure

A year after the foot and mouth crisis hit Cornwall's essential tourism industry, a further disease is threatening to disrupt the local economy. The beleaguered rail company Railtrack plans to close the only rail line into Cornwall over Easter - the all-important beginning of the Duchy's tourist season.

Railtrack announced last week that the Royal Albert Bridge over the River Tamar at Plymouth would be shut over three days of the Easter weekend for "routine maintenance." A spokesman for Railtrack said: "We are planning to take possession of the bridge from Saturday 30, to Easter Monday to enable our engineers to lay timbers to support and protect the bridge which is a listed construction. There will be a further period of work two weeks later to complete the £1 million project, and we had to take possession of the bridge in block possession to do this.

"We looked at the schedules available and decided there would be less traffic at Easter than in the summer months and the May and August bank holidays." Rail companies and schedules! For those who suffer the ongoing misery of a public sector industry that continues to fall short of its targets, while increasing fares for customers still patient or dependent enough to remain loyal, these words together roll off the tongue uncomfortably. Train timetables in themselves are often mythological in nature, and a joyous fantasy to behold while delayed once more on one's voyage. And clearly Railtrack's maintenance schedules are far from accurate. All involved with the tourism industry in Cornwall know that Easter is clearly one of the busiest weekends in the calendar, and such should seem obvious to anyone else. Up to 20,000 tourists travel to the county by rail at Easter, each spending an average of £90 per day - a contribution of £1.8 million to the local economy.

While it would have been more appropriate to have bothered to think in the first place, a "think again" campaign has been called for by Nick Howell, chairman of the Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions, in an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair. In his letter Mr Howell says there are encouraging signs that Cornwall's tourist industry can anticipate a significant recovery this year after the foot and mouth crisis, but stresses that the timing of Railtrack's "routine maintenance" could not have been worse. He writes: "It smacks of the most insensitivity towards the interests and needs of the largest sector of Cornwall's economy. The industry needs all the help it can get - not yet another massive setback that this measure promises to cause."

In the Commons last week, St Ives MP, Andrew George, reacted angrily to what he described as an "inadequate response from Transport Minister, Sally Keeble, who indicated that she would not intervene to force Railtrack to postpone the works to a less important time of the year. "We will keep trying to get the timing changed," said Mr George. An expression of public concern has been called for. Please write to Mr Andrew George MP c/o House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or email cooperu@parliament.uk

Cosmopolitan Penzance

The Cornishman's chief reporter, Joyce Channon, treated three Chamber members to a positive critique last week. Bar Coco's of Chapel Street, the Renaissance Café at the Wharfside Centre, and the Boatshed café-bar on Penzance harbour front each received positive recognition for their part in introducing Penzance to café-bar culture.

2002 - A year for young people

With a number of stories regarding education and job training reaching the news desk this week, a presentation at last week's Chamber meeting by the charity 'Penwith Pathways to Employment', and the Chamber's press officer being approached by Children In Need to take over as their media co-ordinator in Cornwall, it would appear that the needs of the young are forming the precedent for the new year.

At the same time, the Government has launched a new advice and guidance service for the young entitled 'Connexions'. Adopting a more holistic approach to the needs of teenagers, 'Connexions' sets out to improve and enhance a range of services, including modernising the way that young people get careers advice. Young people will be able to get the help and support they need to reach their full potential, and make an effective transition to work and adult life. Its key objective is to encourage more young people to stay in education or training, so that an increasing number have the qualifications they need for further education or the world of work. The fundamental resource of the Connexions Service is a network of personal advisers.

Connexions Cornwall and Devon, the partnership set up to deliver the new youth support service in the area, is currently working with the Employment Service and Packet Newspapers to organise 'What Now' conventions as one way to help people get the information they need to find work, education courses and training opportunities.

The Penzance convention will be held at Penwith College on 28 February. For full details of the Connexions project, 24-hour support is available at www.connexions-cd.org.uk. The Government's other employment initiative, New Deal, now offers practical help for people getting back to work via the Local Transport Subsidy Scheme. So far this has helped 700 young & long term unemployed to travel to work. Addressing the particular employment needs of West Cornwall, 'Penwith Pathways to Employment' is another useful resource for those who are finding it difficult to obtain work. Further details of this charity are available from Fergus Murray, Cornwall Neighbourhood for Change, on 01209 219246, or email fergus.murray@compuserve.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, and also a member of the Penzance Regeneration Steering Group that has been working for the last 18 months 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, February 5th 2002 at the Queens Hotel, The Promenade, Penzance at 7.30pm.

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PENZANCE - THE PLACE TO BE

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