Chamber hosts International Organisation of Booktowns' reception
A CIVIC reception in honour of a visiting delegation
from the International Organisation of Booktowns was held by the District of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce in Wigtown's
County Buildings on November 18th.
Miep Van Duin, Secretary of the IOB and her husband, Jan Verhagen from
the Belgian booktown, Redu, along with Bernard and Cecile Coudray from the Swiss booktown of St. Pierre de Clages, were in
Wigtown for five days. Although the Chamber of Commerce represents businesses across Mid Galloway, it is also the successor
of the former Book Town Company and, as such, joined the IOB last year.
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| Cecile and Bernard Coudray, Mrs Terry Brewis, Peter Jeal, Miep Van Duin and Jan Verhagen |
The civic reception was attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Wigtownshire, Mrs Terry Brewis, who presented
gifts to the visiting delegation on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. More than 60 people attended the event including both
member and non-member book dealers, community council representatives and other business owners.
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| Peter Jeal, Robin Richmond, Miep Van Duin, Mike Russell, Bobbie Ingram, Cecile Coudray |
The Chamber of Commerce also organised a visit by Scottish Government Culture Minister, Mike Russell MSP,
on Friday, November 20th. The Minister met members of the IOB delegation at The Bookshop in Wigtown, courtesy of owner, Sean
Bythell.
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| Sean Bythell, Miep Van Duin and Cecile Coudray at The Bookshop in Wigtown |
Open invitation to Whithorn and District Business Association AGM
THE WHITHORN and District Business Association is holding its AGM on 15th January, 2010, at
7pm, Whithorn Trust Visitor Centre.
This year, the Business Association has decided to have an "Any
Questions?" session (after formal business) with local politicians, clergy and those in tourism. The panel
will consist of Russell Brown MP, Alasdair Morgan MSP, Peter Duncan PPC, Rev. Alex Currie, Father Ben Lodge, Fiona Colley
(Springboard Scotland) and Adrian Turpin, Wigtown Festival Company.
The Business Association would be delighted to welcome
any member businesses of the Chamber of Commerce. The meeting is open to business owners, members or future members.
For further information, please contact Julia Muir Watt on 01988 500469.
Wigtown is named Galloway's first Fairtrade town
Wigtown has been named as Galloway's first Fairtrade Town by the Fairtrade Foundation.
The Wigtown Fairtrade Steering Group's Chair Angela Everitt thanked the Chamber of Commerce for
its role in helping to achieve Fairtrade status for Wigtown.
The Chamber is now hoping to assist other communities across Mid Galloway to achieve Fairtrade status as part of Dumfries
and Galloway Council's aim to become a Fairtrade region.
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| The advertisement which will appear in the June edition. |
Chamber promotes Book Town
THE District of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce took a full-page advertisement in the June issue of The Bookdealer, a monthly trade publication, promoting Wigtown Book Town.
The publication date co-incided with the London Book Fair in June which is attended by publishers, domestic and overseas
booksellers and library and information professionals.
In recent years, the Book Town Company placed a 1/2 page advertisement in The Bookdealer.
With responsibility for the Book Town transferring to the Chamber, it was agreed that the advertisement should be run
again and the Chamber has funded an eyecatching full-page advertisement which also promotes this year’s Book Festival.
Chamber President Peter Jeal said that this was yet another example of the work the Chamber has been doing to support
Wigtown which is not always properly recognised.
“Although not every book business is a Chamber member, all will be benefiting from this promotion as the Chamber
is keen to support the town and attract more visitors for the benefit of every business.
“What is vitally important, however, is that everyone works positively together, not only within the town itself,
but across the Machars as no one group or community can possibly do this alone and succeed.
“Every sector is inter-dependent on each other - book shops, accommodation providers, gift shops, eating
places and visitor attractions. All are as important as each other for Wigtown’s economic prosperity.”
Don't call me a crook!
A Scotsman's tale of world travel, whisky and crime by Bob Moore
Dissident Books unveils a lost treasure:
Don’t Call Me a Crook! A Scotsman’s Tale of World Travel, Whisky, and Crime - the greatest book you've never read.
It’s a lost confession of a lawless youth that will be crowned a classic. Told in
sparse and saucy language, it’s a tribute to one man's triumph over the law, morals, and sobriety.
Originally published
in 1935, Don't Call Me a Crook! is a
mysterious and overlooked gem. To date, only five holders of the original edition have been identified.
Just a few seem to have known of the book. Dissident Books fortuitously stumbled upon it at the
New York Public Library.
The 1920s didn't roar for this Glaswegian:
they exploded. Sailing around the world seven times as a marine engineer (among other less honorable vocations),
author Bob Moore was in the thick of high-society orgies, ship disasters and pitched battles with bandits on the Yangtze.
Cheeky, charming and larcenous, Moore "swiped" whatever he wanted, drank like a fish and always kept one step ahead
of the cops, Prohibition and the women he conned. Clearly, he loved life.
The new edition
of Don't Call Me includes an insightful afterword by Booker Prize-winning author, James Kelman. "Self-confessed
thief, liar and gunrunner, Moore is above all things an extraordinary tale-teller with enough ammunition to provide a book
brimming with life from a bygone age", praises Nicholas Griffin.
To
request review copies of Don't Call Me a Crook!, contact the publisher: Nicholas Towasser, Dissident Books, PO
Box 20547, New York NY 10021-0070, USA.
Tel: 00-1 646-422-3100
Email: publisher@dissidentbooks.com
UK
and European Distribution: Gazelle Book Services. UK price £12.50
'Don't throw away tourism opportunities' plea to Council
BOTH WIGTOWNSHIRE Chambers of Commerce have again urged Dumfries and Galloway Council
to take seriously the opportunities created for inbound tourism presented by the Ayr to Stranraer railway.
The move follows the visit of a tourist train to Stranraer on Easter Sunday with passengers
visiting Portpatrick and Bladnoch before returning to Stranrarer for the train journey back to the south of England.
The Chambers have expressed continued concern that little appears to have been done
to include the railway as a key compenent of plans for the Stranraer Waterfront regeneration project despite the opportunities
being outlined to both the Council and transport parternship SWSTRANS more than two years ago.
In a letter to the Chamber, SWSTRANS have denied claiming that they had plans to demolish
the existing station at Stranraer, the oldest working harbour station in Britain.
SWSTRANS say they have no authority over the station or track which is owned by Network
Rail.
However, SWSTRANS were present at the original meeting to outline the tourist potential
the railway two years ago and insisted then that the existing station would be demolished as part of a proposals to build
a new transport interchange closer to the town.
Clarification is now being sought from SWSTRANS over their position on the station
and just how much influence and involvement they have in plans for it given their latest position.
At May’s meeting of the Wigtown Area Committee, District of Wigtown Chamber President,
Peter Jeal made a plea to all councillors to ensure that the railway’s potential is taken fully into account with regard
to the Waterfront.
“Easter Sunday’s tourist train demonstrates that there is a market for
such rail tours to Wigtownshire and we should be seeking to promote Stranraer as a destination for more visits like it in
future.
“It is estimated that in just a few hours, this particular visit brought around
£4,000 into the local economy.
“However, there are real concerns that if the existing station is demolished
rather than retained, the opportunity for accommodating such trains will be lost forever. There is also genuine concern that
the new interchange may never be built.
A more likely scenario is that the line will be shut south of Girvan once Stena relocates
from Stranraer and the rail link lost altogether.
“Both Chambers would oppose this as evidence shows that towns which have lost
their rail connections have seldom ever gone on to flourish.”
Chamber backs Whithorn's coat of arms bid
The District of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that
it is helping Whithorn Community Council in its bid to ratify their Royal Burgh Coat of Arms.
The Chamber was approached by the Community Council to support it with a financial contribution and this received
the unanimous backing of the Board. The Chamber has pledged £175 towards the £1200 needed to secure the coat of arms. A sub-committee has now been set up and Board member Jamie Nicholson will
represent the Chamber, along with three members of the Community Council and two members from the Whithorn Trust. The date
of the first meeting of the sub-committee is yet to be arranged.
Chamber
facilitates Royal visit
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| Our President Peter Jeal with HRH The Princess Royal |
The
District of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce was delighted to facilitate the visit of HRH The Princess Royal to Wigtown on Monday,
September 29th, 2008, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Wigtown Book Festival.
During her visit, Princess Anne planted a commemorative tree in the Wigtown
Gardens and met members of the Chamber Board, Festival Company and other community groups.
Chamber President Peter Jeal,
pictured showing Princess Anne into Wigtown's County Buildings, commented that the Chamber was pleased to have been able to
facilitate the visit, an example of the benefits of affilliation to the Scottish Chambers of Commerce of which HRH is President.
"High profile
visits such as this provide the opportunity of increased media exposure and that, in turn, helps to promote this area," said
Mr Jeal.
"Everyone was especially impressed that Princess Anne had
taken time to research something of Wigtown and its history and that she took time to speak to more than 50 people during
the reception which was held in the magnificent County Buildings.
"Despite a
tight schedule, she even took time to speak to people in the crowd which had gathered outside the County Buildings to greet
her during this milestone event in Wigtown's history as Scotland's National Book Town." Fire
regulations and small accommodation providers
On September 11th, 2008, the District of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce together
with the Stranraer and District Chamber of Commerce organised two public meetings, one in The County Buildings, Wigtown and
one in the Millennium Centre, Stranraer, on the impact of new fire regulations on small accommodation providers.
Both meetings were very well attended and allowed small accommodation
providers to express their concerns and worries about the regulations as well as seeking clarification from members of Dumfries
and Galloway Fire and Rescue Service who were also present.
The issue was raised with Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Minister, Jim
Mather, by President of the Chamber, Peter Jeal on Monday, October 6th. The Minister indicated that the Scottish Government
also had concerns about the impact of the regulations and are currently reviewing the issue to ensure that small accommodation
providers, essential to Scotland's tourism economy, are not forced out of business as a result of the cost of implementing
them.
Chapel Outon B&B earns its stripes!
Chamber member, Chapel Outon Farmhouse, a bed-and-breakfast property near Whithorn, has just
been given a 3-star grading by VisitScotland, as well as being accepted as participants in the Walkers and Cyclists Welcome
schemes.
Congratulations to Kath and Tim Annison for all their hard work in making sure that their guests are well
looked after.
Atlas Communications - Your local mobile phone specialist
A RECENT new member to the Chamber is Atlas Communications, a mobile phone services
provider.
Atlas Communications was founded in 1987 and is an independently-owned, single shareholder business. No mobile network
has a stake holding.
Atlas has grown to become one of the UK's leading independent mobile communications providers with its head office
in Dumfries. The firm provides airtime and equipment, handset and repair services as well as car kit installation.
"We are
delighted to be able to welcome Atlas Communications into the Chamber of Commerce", commented Chamber President, Peter
Jeal.
"Our
membership covers a wide range of industry sectors and the growth in our membership reflects the Chamber's profile in
delivering valuable representation, initiatives and support for local businesses and the local economy across Mid Galloway
and Wigtownshire."
For your mobile requirements, you will find contact details for Atlas on our Members' page. Please don't hesitate to ring Wendy or Gary and mention that you are a fellow member of
The District of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce or Stranraer & District Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber helps solve litter problem
THE CRIMINAL Justice Department of Dumfries and Galloway Council which administers work programmes for people on
Community Service Orders has undertaken a clean-up of the Riverside Walk, Newton Stewart, following a request from the District
of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber stepped in following ongoing
concern within the Newton Stewart business community, stretching back several years, about the potentially negative impact
on tourism that litter along the banks of the River Cree was creating.
The Chamber of Commerce met with Roy
Lewis of the Criminal Justice Department earlier this year after the issue was again discussed at a meeting of Cree Valley
Community Council, to ask whether those handed Community Service Orders by the courts might be deployed to assist in keeping
the riverbank area free of litter.
The result was that
the Criminal Justice Department agreed to undertake work on a regular basis along the Riverside Walk throughout the main tourist
season, subject to other commitments and sufficient numbers of those serving Community Service Orders being available.
The
first clean-up took place in June. Chamber President Peter Jeal, said: "The Chamber of Commerce is delighted that the
Criminal Justice Department has agreed to undertake this work at our request on a monthly basis throughout the main tourist
season, subject to other commitments and manpower.
"The Riverside Walk area is looking much tidier than previously and offenders on
Community Service Orders have also cut the grass along the walk.
"We are also grateful to Roy Lewis of the Criminal Justice Department for his commitment to this
project and the Chamber is delighted to have brought about a significant improvement to the ongoing problem of litter along
the banks of the River Cree for the benefit of Newton Stewart businesses and the wider community.
"This is just one of several practical initiatives being undertaken by the Chamber
of Commerce to help businesses across the Mid Galloway and wider Wigtownshire area in conjunction with our colleagues in Stranraer."
The Chamber of Commerce last year led a successful campaign at Scottish Government level
which brought about a moratorium and review of new fire regulations on small accommodation providers which Ministers accepted
posed a potential threat to the viability of many bed and breakfast businesses in the area and across Scotland.
Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards
Now in their eighth year, the Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards are a celebration
of the high standards being reached by many employees, employers and learning providers involved in Modern Apprenticeships.
For further information, please contact Lisa McDonald of Skills Development Scotland on 07810 507013 or visit the website.
National Business Skills Free Event
District of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce members can now apply for free visitor tickets to Scotland Skills 2009,
a new national event offering advice, information and guidance on the business benefits of training and skills development.
Staged on Thursday, October 1st, in central Glasgow, the event is supported by Scottish Chambers of Commerce
and other business representative organisations: Jobcentre Plus; STUC / Scottish Union Learning; Universities Scotland; Scotland's
Colleges Mean Business; SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority); SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework; Government
Skills; and the Scottish Social Services Council.
The event, to be formally opened by the Scottish Government Minister for Skills, Keith
Brown MSP, features a comprehensive series of drop-in seminars and an extensive exhibition.
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Chamber launches 'real' tourist route
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| Click on image to visit the Real Galloway Tourist Route website |
THE Chamber of Commerce has launched a major tourism initiative which aims to
encourage visitors into the Machars and Rhins rather than following the official Galloway Tourist Route which directs visitors
to leave Galloway for Ayrshire at Castle Douglas.
The
Board agreed at their July meeting to fund a new website - www.the-real-galloway-tourist-route.co.uk - which provides visitors
with an alternative to the official route. In line with Chamber policy, the website was put out to tender and two bids were
submitted by local web developers, one at nearly £3,000 and one for £160.
The Board voted to accept the £160 tender from local business,
Great-Value-Websites.Com and the site was developed within a week and went live two weeks ago.
The official launch on Monday, August 17th, 2009, allowed time
for the site to be picked up in Google and Yahoo. Press releases were sent to national and local press, radio and television
and the first interview featuring the Real Galloway Tourist Route went out on West Sound Radio on Tuesday, August 18th.
The official Galloway Tourist Route has long been a source of
discontent among Galloway tourist businesses and accommodation providers because it barely takes in the eastern fringe of
Galloway before directing visitors north into Ayrshire.
Chamber President Peter Jeal describes the official route as a 'tourism own goal.'
The Chamber had called on the National Signposting Working Group
to consider altering the existing route to take in Galloway, but despite sympathy, the Chamber was informed this would be
unlikely to happen. An alternative suggestion - creating an additional tourist trail - was ruled out by the Chamber on cost
grounds because more than £100,000 would be required to fund road side signage alone and more money would be needed
for promotional materials.
The Board agreed instead to create a website offering visitors an alternative to the official route.
The new website, which incorporates its own branding, outlines
an alternative route starting in Castle Douglas, but taking in Kirkcudbright, Gatehouse-of-Fleet, Creetown, Newton Stewart,
Wigtown, Garlieston, Whithorn, the Isle of Whithorn, Port William, Glenluce, Sandhead, Ardwell, Drummore, the Mull of Galloway,
Port Logan, Portpatrick and Stranraer.
The site features separate pages on The Stewartry, The Machars and The Rhins and outlines the extensive range of
places to visit along the route.
It is hoped that the media interest generated will encourage people to visit the site which appears on the first
page of Google and Yahoo under both the 'Galloway Tourist Route' and 'the real Galloway Tourist Route.'
"The Chamber is committed to cost-effective and innovative
ways of raising the area's profile," comments Mr Jeal.
"We are also looking at ways to grow visitor numbers by targeting tour operators rather than attempting to target
the entire UK population with expensive marketing materials to little noticeable effect."
Tourist Trail proposals
welcomed
PLANS for a Galloway Tourist Trail have been keenly supported by the body which overseas toursist routes in Scotland.
The Wigtownshire Chambers of Commerce have been calling for a change to the existing Galloway Tourist Route on the
grounds that it misses out more than 90 per cent of Galloway, sending tourists north to Ayr.
Their views were put forward to members of the National Signposting Working Group, made up of local authority, highways
and VisitScotland representatives, which was held in Stirling on May 1st.
However, the Chambers have been told that the Scottish Government would be unlikely to grant permission for a 13th
National Tourist Route to be established, but a Tourist Trail would stand a far greater chance of support.
In order to establish a trail, evidence would be required to show it could be sustained (regularly promoted) and finance
was in place for signage. In addition, the areas taken in by the trail would need at least two VisitScotland member businesses
in each location.
At the April meeting of the Chamber Board held in Newton Stewart, suggestions for a website promoting the proposed
route were put forward and enthusiastically supported.
Chamber President, Peter Jeal said that although it was very unlikely that the existing Galloway Tourist Route would
be altered, a Galloway Tourist Trail would have many benefits to it not least because visitors are unlikely to know
the difference between a route and a trail and anything which encourages them to visit West Galloway is to be welcomed.
“In addition, it’s all about the marketing of the new route. The Chamber could easily finance a website
dedicated to promoting it and funding could potentially be sourced for leaflets which would be available at all Tourist Information
centres and outlets from Castle Douglas to Stranraer.
“The problem will be funding for signage, which is the major cost.
“The Chambers have been in touch with VisitScotland with regard to funding and other issues and further meetings
will take place in the coming months to explore this and the best way forward,” said Mr Jeal.
It is proposed that the route takes in Kirkcudbright, Creetown, Newton Sterwart, Wigtown, Garlieston, Whithorn, the
Isle, Port William, Glenluce, Drummore, Portpatrick and Stranraer before heading north to Ayr on the A77.
The District of Wigtown Chamber of Commerce is also exploring the possibilities of resurrecting the ‘Lose yourself
in the Machars Triangle’ tourism campaign which was also discussed at the April Board meeting.
Train tourism could hit the buffers
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| The special luxury Pullman tour train pictured at Stranraer Harbour Station. |
A WARM welcome was extended by the Wigtownshire Chambers of Commerce to more than 140 visitors who arrived at Stranraer
in style on a luxury Pullman train on Easter Sunday.
The passengers, on a special charter train from Devon,
visited the Bladnoch Distillery and Portpatrick by coach before re-boarding the train for the return journey home.
They were welcomed
to Wigtownshire by District of Wigtown President, Peter Jeal, who met the train at Stranraer on behalf of both Wigtownshire
Chambers of Commerce.
The four-day long charter, which also called at Oban, demonstrates the opportunity which exists for tourism trains
to come to Wigtownshire and deliver real economic benefit to local businesses.
Although only here for a matter of
hours, if each passenger spent just £20 in local businesses, that represents £2,800 into the local economy.
But the Chambers
remain concerned that SWSTRANS officials in Dumfries are still talking about demolishing the existing quayside station, the
oldest in Britain, which would effectively prevent future tourist trains such as this ever visiting Wigtownshire again.
With plans for
the regeneration of the Waterfront, it would be madness to destroy such a potentially lucrative form of tourism revenue, yet
this is a message local officials simply do not appear to be taking on board.
The Chambers have written to SWSTRANS
urging them to reconsider their plans to demolish the existing station rather than turn it into a railway heritage centre
and reception point for future tourist and charter trains.
The Chambers believe that the railway should form a
key part of the Waterfront regeneration with the original station renovated to its former Victorian glory.
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| Passengers arriving at Stranraer on a special train. The Chamber wants to see more such trains. |
First Board meeting held in Newton Stewart
THE APRIL meeting of the Board was held in Newton Stewart
for the first time in the Chamber's history.
Board members
met at the Bruce Hotel on Thursday, April 30th.
The Board
took the decision earlier this year to rotate their monthly meetings, which are always held on the last Thursday of every
month, across the entire area covered by the chamber in order to allow member businesses the opportunity of coming along and
raising questions if they wish to.
The March meeting of the Chamber was held in Whithorn and the May meeting
will be returning to Wigtown where they had always been held since the Chamber's formation three years ago.
President, Peter Jeal said that with members spread out across the Machars and Cree Valley areas,
it seemed only right that the Chamber should rotate its meetings to make them more accessible to Chamber businesses.
Chambers discuss tourism development
Wigtownshire's Chambers of Commerce
have called on the Dumfries and Galloway Area Tourism Partnership to ensure that Wigtownshire is not overshadowed by other
parts of the region in the development of a Destination Development Organisation (DDO).
District of Wigtown President Peter Jeal has met with Joan
Mitchell of the Area Tourism Partnership and Caroline Robertson of VisitScotland to discuss the issue.
DDOs are seen
as the best way for individual areas to pull together to create sustainable tourism by engaging with all stakeholders. A report
by consultants appointed by the Area Tourism Partnership is due to be published shortly.
Mr Jeal pointed
out that Wigtownshire has attractions of national significance within its boundaries including Scotland's National Book Town,
the cradle of Christianity in Scotland, the largest forest park in Britain, the largest local nature reserve in Britain, the
world renowned 7Stanes biking trails and Scotland's most southerly point, to name just a few.
Wigtownshire
was also named among the top 50 most authentic visitor destinations in the world by travel experts for Highlife Magazine.
Enterprise Minister visits Wigtownshire
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| Chamber President, Peter Jeal; Minister, Jim Mather, and Stranraer Chamber Chairman, David Taylor. |
The President of the District of Wigtown Chamber
of Commerce, Peter Jeal met with the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, Jim Mather on Monday, October 6th, 2008,
to discuss a range of issues related to the economy of the area.
Of particular concern was support for the small business sector, the Stranraer
Waterfront Development and infrastructure issues.
The Stranraer and District Chamber of Commerce was invited by the
District of Wigtown Chamber to attend the meeting as part of a closer working relationship between the two Chambers. Both
Chambers were pleased to note that the Minister indicated that new measures encouraging Councils to support the small business
sector in their areas by ensuring SMEs are not excluded from bidding on Council contracts valued at £75,000 or under, are
to be brought forward shortly.
Chambers call for change to Galloway Tourist Route
Both Wigtownshire
Chambers of Commerce have called for a change to the existing Galloway Tourist Route and are due to make a presentation to
the National Signposting Working Group on May 1st in Stirling.
The Group, made up of representatives of all Scotland's local authorities, VisitScotland and TransportScotland, is
responsible for all 12 of Scotland's Tourist Routes and meets twice a year. At present, The Galloway Tourist Route
misses out most of Galloway, sending tourists up to Ayr from Castle Douglas. District of Wigtown President Peter
Jeal has described this as a tourism own goal, especially when so much is being done to promote tourism in west Galloway. It is hoped
that the Chambers can secure a re-routing to take in Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright, Creetown, Newton Stewart, Wigtown, Garlieston,
Whithorn, Port William, Glenluce, Sandhead, Drummore, Portpatrick and Stranraer, before heading north to Ayr along the A77
coast road via Ballantrae. The Chambers will suggest that the existing Galloway Tourist Route be renamed the Ayrshire Tourist
Route.
Procurement Workshop with Jim Mather, Enterprise Minister
More than 30 business representatives from Wick to Wigtown met with Enterprise, Energy
and Tourism Minister Jim Mather at a special event in early August to discuss issues relating to public procurement. Public procurement
contracts in Scotland are worth in the region of £8billion each year and represent 25% of public sector spend.
The event, led by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce
(SCC), provided businesses of all sizes and across all sectors with the opportunity to discuss issues of concern regarding
the procurement process directly with the Minister and his team. It
also gave the Government team the chance to outline progress, which has been made over the past two years in opening up the
process and making opportunities for supplying the public sector more accessible, particularly to the SME sector.
Mike Salter, Chairman of the SCC said: “Local and central government procurement is a major issue for businesses
of all sizes and if we can collectively get this right then it will deliver not only significant benefits to Scottish Government
and to local authorities in Scotland, but will develop a robust supply chain which in itself will be competitive in an international
scene. We had a very productive meeting and look forward to working more closely with government to ensure that the
procurement lever is being pulled in the right direction to help support economic development throughout Scotland”.
But District of Wigtown Chamber President pointed
out that the current definition of SMEs meant that small and micro businesses such as those found in Wigtownshire were being
missed out alogether from being able to tender for public contracts and support.
Small enterprises are regarded as businesses
with 50 or less employers. Businesses with 10 or less simply do not even register for help or support, let alone any chance
of being able to bid for public sector contracts.
Given that the majority of Dumfries and Galloway businesses are
micro-businesses, this is a real issue which needs to be addressed, Mr Jeal told the Minister, a fact which the Chamber has
been assured has now been taken on board by both the Scottish Government and Scottish Chambers.
Mr Mather welcomed the debate. “My discussions with the Scottish Chambers
of Commerce were constructive, practical and highly productive in terms of the ideas and energy committed to working together
and getting better outcomes. There was a total recognition of the importance of procurement issues and how they can impact
positively on economic growth.”
Key points raised by the
business community related to the pre-qualification process and there were calls to the Government to provide clearer guidelines
and to take steps to reduce duplication and the often high cost associated with the process.
The Government team outlined
a number of initiatives including a new website, www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk which gives suppliers access to contracts across the entire Scottish public sector.
Mr Mather
also talked about the possibility of arranging a series of public sector forums across the country to help improve working
relationships between the public and private sectors. Scottish Retail Excellence
Awards 2009
To nominate a Machars town or city centre or to find out more
information about these awards, sponsored by the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, visit the website at : www.scottishretailawards.com
- or alternatively, if you have any questions, call Louisa Beveridge at Daily Record and Sunday Mail Events on 0141
309 1402 (One Central Quay, Glasgow G3 8DA). Dumfries Fair Trade Group
Fairer
World Fair - October 31st, 2009
The Dumfries Fair Trade Group is organising its Fairer World Fair in St George's Church Hall, George
Street, Dumfries, on Saturday, October 31st, between 10.30am and 3.00pm.
The Fair will be opened at 11am by Bruce
Crowther MBE, the Fairtrade Foundation's Towns' Co-ordinator, who visited Wigtown in 2008 to help launch the county
town's bid for Fairtrade status.
Over and above numerous Fair Trade stalls and a cafe, the event will see the
launch of the Dumfries Fair Trade Directory.
For further information, please email dumfriesfairtrade@yahoo.co.uk or phone 01387 262878.
Swine flu update
As of December 18th, 2009, Scottish Government figures on the swine flu
outbreak are as follows:
- total number of H1N1 deaths is 56;
- 1,409 patients have been hospitalised
in Scotland;
- it is estimated that the number of people having contracted H1N1 in the last week is 7,970.
Scotland remains amongst the best prepared countries in the world to deal with pandemic flu and the vast majority
of people contracting the virus are experiencing relatively mild symptoms with a small number of people developing complications.
There now seems to be a clear downward trend in the numbers of new cases and the scientific opinion is that we have
passed the peak of the second wave of the virus. In the circumstances, Scottish Chambers have suspended issuing updates until
such time as swine flu re-emerges as a significant factor for the conduct of business.
Waste Awareness Week
Waste Aware
Scotland recently organised the European Week for Waste Reduction in Scotland. WAS wanted businesses and organisations
to get involved and highlight Scotland's efforts towards zero waste.
Participating businesses
were given access to a communications toolkit and their efforts will be publicised via Waste Aware Scotland. WAS is
still keen to hear from businesses who held waste reduction events and activities during EWWR and/or
who want to share recent success stories with
regards to waste reduction. The best activity
could win an international award (http://www.ewwr.eu/awards).
Any business or
organisation interested in knowing more is welcome to contact WAS directly to discuss how they can
play their part. In these tricky times, it
could be a useful way for a green
thinking business to gain valuable exposure.
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