Penzance Chamber of Commerce

Penzance "Always a Market Town" - Chamber President

In a robust rebuttal of those who have called into question Penzance's status as a market town following the the failure of "Market Space", Chamber president Dennis Dowrick has declared that Penzance now enjoys more markets than at any other time in its history. "With the farmers market celebrating its tenth year and the Women's Institute market now going for more than forty years it's not true to say that Penzance isn't a market town. We are now and always have been a market town. One market closure doesn't change that fact," he says.

The Farmers' Market has had a regular home at the Wharfside Service Bay, with the support of General Manager and Chamber Treasurer John Bastow (Penzance 333124), for the last three of its ten years. Every Saturday, shoppers can fill their baskets with a colourful variety of fresh, local produce. Among the stallholders, Gerald Rose and Cornish Country Meats compete to provide the freshest and tastiest meats, bacon and sausages while Happy Dairy Maid provide a range of dairy produce. The Thomas's of Drym bring seasonal vegetables to market alongside fresh cut flowers and herbs from their garden. Homebaked breads, salads and other delicacies are available as well as non-food items such as A&J crafts whose furniture from Cornish driftwood is an attraction on its own. Gardeners can find a variety of plants from the Jelberts. If you haven't been recently, you really should check out the farmers' market - you might be surprised.

Regulars at St John's Hall since 1967, the Women's Institute Markets can actually claim to have been operating since 1960 when its first market was held in the British Legion room at the Market Hall. A glance through the old committee meeting notes has yielded some gems from Chamber council member and WI stalwart Hazel Trembath, such as the fact that the WI prepared to go metric in 1973 - quite a performance bearing in mind today's "metric martyr" controversies. In 1974 the WI market sold 58,116 eggs (or 4,843 dozen) which would be a very impressive omelette. It also records that the Institute bought its egg weighing scales in 1964 just before a surprise visit from a Weights and Measures Inspector although the name of the person who got the tip-off is not recorded!

"Add to these Tuesday, Thursday and markets at Causewayhead, since 1602 at the top of Market Jew street, regular farmers' markets at St John's hall, Bateman's Market, Prom days and markets in Penlee Park, craft fairs antiques and collectors, record and CD markets and the Golowan markets and I think you'll agree that markets are part of the heart and soul of this community," comments Dennis.

Back To Basics - Banking In Penwith

The demutualization of most building societies may not have been widely perceived as a scandal on the scale of those affecting their cousins among the American Savings and Loan movement, but it has left a gaping hole in the financial services sector. The credit union movement has grown up to fill this void with a viable alternative to the "shareholders-first" ethos of the banks.

Faced with its own challenges of low incomes and banking exclusion, our district is well placed to benefit from the approach of a credit union. It was with these factors in mind that the Penwith Credit Union came into being, registered in 1999 after two years of development work. With the assistance of a number of grants from local and national government - including extensive support from Penwith District Council - the Union continues to develop and grow.

For a credit union to work, its members must have some kind of common bond. In the case of Penwith this is a simple matter of geography - all members must live or work in the district. Other unions have come into being around such bonds as membership of an association or working for the same company.

The operating principles of a credit union are admirably simple: money in, money out. Members save regularly by buying "shares" in £1 units. After three months of saving, any member can apply for a low cost loan (a fixed APR that averages to just 6.25% overall) of up to three times their investment with repayments tailored to suit the member. Borrowers are encouraged to continue saving in parallel with loan repayments to ensure that the fund continues to grow. There are none of the bewildering array of financial "products" with their attendant costs (and often off-putting jargon) which litter the counters of banks.

Not that this simplicity should give rise to concern - credit unions are subject to the same regulation through the Financial Services Agency as high street banks and Penwith Credit Union is also a member of the Association of British Credit Unions which has its own code of practice.

Like most simple things, getting it to work properly requires a great deal of effort from staff and volunteers. There are only two part-time staff members - Penny Cumming, project manager and Ruth Browning, development worker.

Penny, who joined in October 2000 has fifteen years experience in the banking and financial services sector, most recently with the Rothschild Bank and Bank of Bermuda - both on that island. It is perhaps a far cry from those palm trees to our Cornish variety and from million-dollar deposits to the £1 and up of the credit union, but as Penny intimates, the principles remain the same.

Ruth's marketing and promotions background includes working with her husband - a paper engineering designer. She is also well connected in the district and uses her network to proselytise the work of the Union.

A key part of the work of the credit union is in combating financial exclusion. Initiatives such as basic bank accounts only go part of the way as these often restrict access to borrowing. The Union addresses this need, reducing the scope for loan sharks, while in parallel offering education and advice on sound financial management for those in whom traditional banks have little interest. Part of this educational role can be seen in the Union's primary schools initiatives - whereby youngsters operate as tellers receiving their classmates' savings, all learning valuable lessons on the mechanics of finance.

As part of the Union's relationship with the business community, "save as you earn" schemes can be offered to larger employers. These allow regular savings to be deducted from wages at source. Few employers would question the value of encouraging good financial management among the workforce.

Recruiting more members is a key growth factor but active members are the backbone of the operation. The Union is most keen to hear from those with a little time on their hands who would be willing to offer some of that resource as volunteers whether as collectors or in other areas. All volunteers must be members in keeping with the principles of the Credit Union - owned by, run by and for the benefit of members alone.

Here, in the shape of Penwith Credit Union, is another example of how a simple, community-based initiative can help local people to help themselves.

Penwith Credit Union can be contacted on 01736-366200. Website: www.penwithcreditunion.co.uk. Collections are made at St John's Hall on Tuesdays (10am-2pm) and Saturdays (10am-12pm) Pendeen Parish rooms on Thursday (11.30am-3.30pm) Lescudjack Sure Start on Wednesday (11.30am to 1.30pm) and Hayle Community Centre on Tuesday (10am-12noon)

Official Solutions - Passing the Buck

The forced closure of the Penwith Neighbourhood Watch Trust highlights an important issue for all communities, one which relates not only to crime but to the general environment and civic pride, to interpersonal relationships and local spirit.

Just to reiterate what has happened to the neighbourhood watch trust, despite being still viable in terms of finance and community support, the police and political supporters decided to withdraw in favour of new, "official" structure which could, no doubt, be more controlled. This left the trust without a direct line to those policymakers. This lack of p[artnership led the garrison's to the reluctant decision to wind up the trust - but not before their considerable "war-chest" had been redistributed in the shape of one hundred bags of security items at a cost of around £30 per bag to co-ordinators across the district. Through these pages, Jan and John Garrison would like to thank Bill Semmens, Glyn White and Bryan Marshall for their support.

Since the trust went, the mobile community police van which came into being thanks to their efforts has been stationary at Hayle while the police station is refurbished. The new policing plan lumps Penwith in with Kerrier, failing utterly to reflect the marked differences in need and nature between the districts. This is alleged to be progress.

Memories of golden ages tend to be victims of selective memory syndrome, but didn't it used to be the case that, in communities like ours, crime was controlled by the sure and certain knowledge that word of who the culprits were would quickly spread? This unofficial, close-knit network meant that those would steal from or damage the property of their neighbours would be swiftly brought to book - usually, in the case of unruly youngsters, within the home.

Today we expect these miscreants to be dealt with by faceless officialdom. And rather than deal with officials and all the discomfort, we leave it to someone else. Result? Petty criminals believe - with some justification - that they can diminish the quality of life for their neighbours with impunity.

There is an increasing tendency for what begin as community initiatives to be sidelined in favour of bodies who claim to be able to do the job better and with more authority. Giving official oversight serves only to snatch away the sense of responsibility from those most closely in touch with their community. This applies not only to crime - picking up litter is "not our job" any more than repairing a public fence or pushing a Roadsign back into position. We wait for things to be fixed and then complain when they aren't. It's what we pay taxes for.

When someone like Jan and John Garrison try to put care back into their community, they are sidelined by "official" measures. And to our cost, we fail to kick up a stink about it or to reclaim our responsibilities.

No August Meeting

If you come to The Pirates' Rugby Club next month, you'll be an audience of one because we're taking a break in August.

Not only do many members need every hour of every day this time of year but we're denied the use of the venue so we'll next convene at Westholme on Tuesday 2nd September, at the usual time 7.30pm.

Guest speaker will be Charles Amory of CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner City Kids) - a charity which works with business to provide youngsters from Cornwall as well as more urban areas to enjoy a break.

Goldsithney Charter Fair

Our secretary, Yvonne Neale, reports that she will be taking the edge off her disappointment that there is no Chamber meeting in August by partaking of the delights of Goldsithney Charter Fair on Saturday 2nd of that month.

Among the featured attractions will be a wide variety of stalls and activities, fun and games plus a novelty dog show and Molly Jago's "world-famous" cake stall! Entry is from from 1.30pm at St Perran's Hall Goldsithney - all welcome.

Evidence on Low Cost Housing Shortage

The National Housing Federation South West has published an investigation under the title "The Evidence" which outlines the challenges of low-cost housing provision in the region.

Shortage of low cost housing is of major concern to businesses in the district. It is already difficult to recruit and retain good people on the salaries on offer in our region. The shortage of accommodation within the price range of most families can only exacerbate the skills drain which is bleeding our economic life.

If you don't want the district to become one enormous retirement village for affluent emmetts you should read "The Evidence" and make a determined effort to support the work of housing associations and other bodies that are trying to redress the balance. The Evidence is irrefutable. The results are as much up to you as any other body

Copies are available from the National Housing Federation, South West Regional Office, 97 Wilder Street, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8QU Tel: 0117-907-5333 web: www.housing.org.uk.

Penwith Avoids a Pickle

The July meeting of the Chamber heard that Penwith District Council had narrowly avoided getting in a right pickle over HMS Pickle and that the Chairman has been trying to keep our roads out of Sir Humphrey's hands.

As the town prepares to join the nation in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in two years time, the meeting was astonished to learn that the District Council had initially refused permission for HMS Pickle to dock in Penzance. Pickle was the ship which first brought ashore news of the victory tempered by the accompanying account of Nelson's death. Since ours was the first part of the world to be aware of both facts, it would be fitting for HMS Pickle to mark the celebration with a visit to our port. Subsequently this bizarre decision was reversed so HMS Pickle will be coming after all although perhaps the person responsible for the initial gaffe could benefit from the application of a little period naval discipline? Just the cat; keel-hauling would be excessive.

The avoidance of maddening bureaucracy also prompted our Chairman, Mike Waters to write to the Dept of Transport on our behalf arguing against an enquiry on the Goss Moor A30 dualling. As fans of "Yes Minister" will recall, it was an important tenet of Sir Humphrey that an enquiry is among the best ways of deferring action, sometimes indefinitely. WE NEED THIS ROAD!

Transport issues were also addressed in the shape of the amazing disappearing bus services. Eleven busses have been reported as no shows in the preceding months. The bus company claims that all these services ran - which is only to say that they departed and then arrived at their ultimate destinations. Could it be that drivers, under pressure to run on time, have found that skipping the occasional village is good for the bonus package?

On the subject of mysterious disappearances, the question of Penzance's weather got another airing. The met office dismissed our representations, appearing to think that we just wanted to add our name to the listings. That's not the case. We're on the list. Missing from the Times newspaper are any data alongside our name. Can anyone shed any light on who or what is responsible for forwarding this information?

An Appeal to the Ghost of Chambers Past

Since there will be no Chamber meeting next month and to mark the quiet celebration of what might be the chamber's centenary, August's "Chamber of Commerce Focus" pages will be given over to the history, campaigning record and future of the Chamber itself. We're sure you'll forgive this gently introspective edition to mark such an auspicious occasion.

To make the pages as comprehensive and accurate as possible we would like to appeal to members past and present for any historic records of the Chamber's activities - especially photographs. We have tracked down the minute books to the 1930s and have a good deal of other documentary evidence but some living testimony and visual records would be invaluable. Anyone who can place the precise date of the Chamber's inception would have the most valuable information!

Let us know if you have anything to contribute - call the Chamber Press Officer Mark Curtis on Penzance 731277 or e-mail markjcurtis@emandemltd.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 2nd at 7.30pm at the Pirates Rugby Club, Alexandra Road, Penzance.

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