Penzance Chamber of Commerce

Smiling is beneficial in so many ways. A smile releases endorphins - the brain's natural opiates - and so promotes a feeling of well being. It exercises the facial muscle and so can keep your features attractively lithe. Most of all, a smile is infectious: being greeted with a smile can have a serious and lasting effect on your sense of being welcome.

Just a little thing then, a smile, but with far-reaching effects. Contrast these benefits with a common experience of many visitors to our district. Surly, even hostile serving staff who do the barest minimum necessary to fulfil their "duties" and collect their pay. It was a situation highlighted by one pair of visitors in a recent letter to the Camilla House Hotel. While thanking Simon and Susan Chapman on their hospitality, these guests were less complementary about the overall standard of service in the area. "Do Cornish parents and schools not teach basic manners such as saying 'please' and 'thank-you'?" their letter asks.

The reputation of our area depends on the attitude of everyone who has direct contact with visitors. That includes those of us (and in this, your present correspondent must admit occasional guilt) who scowl from our cars at visitors who hesitate on unfamiliar roads or appear to be jay-walking. Every time one visitor is on the receiving end of a bad experience, their report of Penwith costs us valuable tourism revenue. As the writers of the letter to Simon and Susan Chapman put it "We'll be telling our friends not to go past Devon".

Ours may be an economically depressed area but it doesn't have to be depressing. A smile, a small courtesy, a willingness to help a little over and above the call of duty can lift the experience of contact with visitors and may even encourage more investment. In the words of a great man (Charlie Chaplin, no less), "Smile, and the world smiles with you!"

Floral Feature of Golowan's Church

One of the district's biggest visitor attractions and a reason for all locals to smile will be underway as you read this - the 2003 festival of St John the Baptist, Golowan. The Chamber of Commerce and the district's business community generally continues to support and play an active role in the festival and we wish all participants, revellers and visitors the very best for the best.

One of the Chamber's contributions this year is to the flower festival held alongside Golowan at St John's Church. Along with organisations from A to Y (the air training Corps to the YMCA, in fact) the Chamber has contributed a display to the church. As well as flowers, there are arts and crafts on display, demonstrations of woodworking, lace making and silk-screen printing and a raffle - among the prizes for which are limited edition signed prints by Noel Betowski and John Miller.

Billed as more community celebration than flower festival there are also concerts featuring John Hosking, Assistant Director of Music (organ) on Saturday 21st and from the Penzance Junior School and Newlyn Male Voice choirs on Wednesday 25th June.

The church will be open from Saturday 21st to Saturday 28th June from 10.30am until 3.30pm (except to allow for Sunday's civic service) and also from 5.30pm until 8.30pm on Thursday. Admission is by Ł1.50 programme.

Open for Business

While we're on the subject of disappointing visitor experiences, getting even surly service must be preferable to a locked door. Yet the same visitors who highlighted the lack of smiles pointed out that for one service they needed (bike hire) and at one picturesque fishing village just along the coast the Sabbath was being rigorously observed. Everything was closed on Sunday even though one trader had promised to be open at ten that morning, This is a visitor in May - not the depths of winter.

It has almost become a constant litany, the soundtrack to our lives, that there is no work, not enough money and insufficient investment in our district or in Cornwall as a whole. It is true that running a business in the region has its challenges but surely that's all the more reason why, when visitors arrive wanting to spend their money, we should be open for business. Let's renew a commitment to make the most of those limited opportunities we do get.

Gardening Goldsithney

The green-fingered of Goldsithney are flexing their verdant knuckles in preparation for a highlight of their horticultural calendar. Monday 30th June sees the ever popular BBC Radio 4 programme "Gardener's Question Time" recorded at the village hall.

Featuring Pippa Greenwood, Bunny Guinness and Anne Swithinbank under the chairmanship of Eric Robson, this is sure to be well attended. Doors open at 6pm and a limited number of tickets are available for garden lovers among Chamber members from the secretary, Yvonne Neale, who can be contacted on 01736-719222.

Licensing Controversy at July Meeting

Guest speaker for the Chamber's July meeting will be Bruce Morris, Licensing Officer from Penwith District Council. Under discussion will be the impact of the Licensing Act 2003. This highly contentious piece of legislation will totally transforms the way in which public entertainment and drinks licences are dealt with. With the Act likely to receive royal assent in July, this is a crucial forum for discussion at which all members (and the Hoteliers association) will have the opportunity to learn the truth about its far-reaching implications. Be there - at the Pirate's Rugby Club, Tuesday 1st July.

Health and Safety Training Offered

All employers have a legal obligation to provide suitable and sufficient health and safety training to their employees. Chamber member Safety UK is offering providing the cost-effective courses at its Penzance offices as follows:

Safety for Owners and Managers (Ł35)		3 July, 9am-5pm
Basic Health and Safety (Ł20)		25 June and 9 July, 9.30am-4pm
Basic Food Hygiene (Ł20)		26 June and 10 July, 9.30am-4pm
Manual Handling (Ł5)		16 July, 9-11am
Fire prevention (Ł5)		17 July - 9-11am

Courses can be arranged at other times or on customer premises if required. To book on the courses, to request an information pack or arrange a free audit of your current management arrangements phone Safety UK on 01736 361007.

June Meeting Report

As well as inspiring lively discussion, the June meeting of the chamber was a gastronomic inspiration too, thanks to the catering hospitality of The Pirates Rugby Club.

Business began with matters arising - and the controversy over The Times newspaper's weather reports (in case you missed it, Penzance's figures have been blank recently). Letters have been exchanged and the paper is said to be investigating.

The meeting was pleased to hear that Cllr Axford continues to be the Chamber's Town Council representative.

With some sadness the meeting learned that Penwith Neighbourhood Watch Trust is to be wound up following the withdrawal of funding from the District Council. The Chairman thanked Mr & Mrs Garrison for all their hard work for the Trust since setting it up.

The Secretary reported that letters had been sent to all members seeking support for the Festival of the Book Arts scheduled for 12th to 20th May 2004.

Vice-chairman Nicky Dowrick reported that twice yearly meetings of the West Cornwall Group of Chambers of Commerce were being considered but with backup for individual Chambers when needed. A request to share minutes among the group members was seen as a good idea the consensus being that the region's businesses have a better chance of being heard if speaking with one voice.

With dismay the meeting heard that "Penzance Business Forum" met at the Acorn Theatre on 22nd May and that the Chamber was not invited! The secretary will send a letter insisting that our representative be included at the next meeting.

David Andrewartha asked why the dropping off point for coaches was opposite the Wharfside and suggested that St John's Hall would be better. The Chamber agreed to consider this in detail in July.

The meeting ended in record time in order that the members and distinguished guests could move on to the serious business of the evening, a buffet supper in celebration of the chamber's centenary. This was a relatively low-key marking of the milestone, somewhat in keeping with the chamber's "behind the scenes" role.

The buffet was attending by a number of visiting dignitaries, including the mayor of Penzance, Cllr Simon Reed and the Chairman of Penwith District Council, Cllr Malcolm Pilcher. The chamber is thankful for their support and recognition of our (first) hundred years of campaigning, supporting, informing and educating on behalf of the business community of Penzance and environs.

The Serious Business of Play

No one disputes the importance of allowing children to learn through play. Early interaction with others is an essential part of developing the child's social skills and most child psychologists now agree that taking a child from a family-only environment and dumping them into a full-time school environment at the age of five, without any preparation, is a bad idea.

Pre-school playgroups have a role in providing the best environment for the early development of a child's "learning muscles". It is an easy introduction to toe concepts of being with others (and away from the parent) as well as allowing them the opportunity to expand their individuality.

Alongside the benefits to the child there are serious economic benefits to the promotion of pre-school learning. Allowing parents time off from caring for young children allows them to be economically active - whether that takes the form of part-time or full time work ore simply making a shopping trip. In the longer term, well-rounded, socially capable children might grow up into more socially adept young adults - who knows, they might even smile at customers once in a while!

Carbis Bay Pre-School has been providing this valuable resource to the district's families for around thirty years. Although operating under a variety of names and in various premises over that period (the current group came into being with the merger of its two precursors in Lelant and Carbis Bay in 1999) what remains unchanged is a commitment to providing a secure and stimulating environment for the very young to play, learn, interact and grow.

Angela Vinnac has been the group's administrator for the past three years. "We have five sessions each week," she reports "and up to twenty children at each session. Most children do two or three sessions and we have about thirty children on the books." Sessions run from 9.30am to noon on weekdays except Wednesday when the times are 1.00pm to 3.30. The venue every day is the Carbis Bay Memorial Hall.

Government funding is available for three-year-olds and up, while the group will cater for two-year-old children for which parents pay Ł4 per session.

The group follows the Footsteps curriculum for the under fives and is very proud of its top-marks OFSTED report. The group is able to (and does) work with children with special learning needs including offering speech therapy. Because the process cannot begin too soon, the group also runs a weekly mother and toddler group on Tuesday morning at St Anta's church. "These sessions help children under the age of two to develop skills from the earliest age," reports Angela.

Underlining the benefit to business of having this facility in the region, about half of the parents placing children at the group are working mothers who might not be able to work without this important additional childcare resource. The five staff -and the children - are currently looking forward to the group's annual outing - to Dairy Land on Tuesday 15th July.

Angela is keen to expand the enrolment for the next school year. "Our government funding depends on the enrolment levels for September, so we need to attract more children from the area if we are to continue in our present form."

So it's over to the mothers of the district if this important resource is to be maintained in its present form. Carbis Bay Pre-School is now accepting enrolments for September 2003. Parents should contact Susan Perry on 01736-799937 or Angela Vinnac on 01736-798862

New Members

The Chamber was pleased to welcome as a new member Ian Fraser of Penzance Computer Centre/Celtic Connection - 76 Market Jew Street, Penzance TR18 2LG. Tel/Fax 01736-333386. E-mail: pzcomputers@yahoo.co.uk Web: www.celtic-connection.co.uk The company is engaged in IT retail/manufacturing and has been in business for three years.

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, July 1st at 7.30pm at the Pirates Rugby Club, Alexandra Road, Penzance.

The Voice of Business in West Cornwall

Chamber Monthly News - June 2003

Why Not Smile?