Minutes of the Meeting held at Corkers Wine Bar on Thursday August 2nd 2012 at 7.30am
Present:
Pauline Hedges – Chair
John Ashworth, Mark Fuller, Oliver Lodge , Christine Morrison, John Morrison, , Christine Osborne, Catherine Richardson, Noel Richardson, Rob von Tonder, Cllr Gary Elson, Matt Peachey, Woking BC
1. Welcome and apologies
Pauline welcomed everyone. Apologies had been received from several members. Matt Peachey introduced himself as the recently appointed Economic and Business Development Manager at Woking Borough Council. He asked for ideas on improvements to West Byfleet which the council could consider as he is shortly to attend a meeting of the British Council of Shopping Centres.
ACTION POINT
1. Everyone to email Matt with their ideas / comments : matt.peachey@woking.gov.uk
2. Minutes of Meeting July 5th 2012
3. Matters Arising
All Action Points formed Agenda items apart from the following:
• The Place To Eat – Joint leaflet with the RA, work will start on this in August.
• Christine suggested that we needed to tidy up the village if we wanted to encourage more visitors. She offered to deliver a letter to every business encouraging them to make the exterior of their premises as clean, tidy, litter free and welcoming as possible, particularly with regard to cigarette butts and other litter. She asked Pauline to draft the letter.
ACTION POINT
2. Pauline to write suitable letter to all businesses regarding litter etc.
3. Christine to deliver letter to businesses
4. Olympics
The meeting congratulated everyone on a WONDERFUL weekend. Pauline is collating comments from visitors and traders which can be used to add to the Legacy Wall and to improve any future event. In her absence, Riette Thomas was very warmly thanked for her hard work in making West Byfleet LI:VE event happen and thanks were also extended to Woking Borough Council for their work in making all the events throughout the year happen.
Christine Osborne was congratulated on the newly decorated railway underpass, completed on time and much admired by everyone. Christine Morrison offered to help with painting the underpass with anti-graffiti paint on a Sunday morning, date and time to be arranged. Corkers were thanked for their support for the artist whilst he was at work.
Praise was given to Serco for clearing rubbish and several people commented favourably on the state of the toilets.
Pauline had been approached by several people over the weekend asking ‘what are you going to do next year!’ The meeting was unanimously agreed that we will hold an event next year branded with the West Byfleet LI: VE brand.
ACTION POINT
4. Matt and Gary will confirm that we can use the branding in future West Byfleet events
Pauline suggested the following for West Byfleet LI:VE 2012 plus 1
Friday July 26th – evening only
Funfair on WB Recreation Ground – Charity Night with free rides for disabled children – courtesy Beach’s Funfair
Fast Food available at the Funfair
Saturday July 27th
Morning
Cycle Race – for all ages from West Byfleet to Byfleet, West Byfleet, Pyrford and ending at West Byfleet
Afternoon
Under 18s Kings & Queens Fancy Dress competition to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Coronation
Funfair open to all
All Day
Food Festival celebrating 5 continents with food, drink, art, music, dress, and culture reflecting the culture of each of the 5 continents (Europe would include special area for local arts and crafts and farmers)
Evening
Picnic in the Park with a family film on a giant screen
Fireworks to end the event – courtesy Beach’s Funfair
Programme of events including advertising sponsored by eZie-publishing.
It was suggested that live music would be desirable and subsequent to the meeting Steve Wall from Smart Cartridges rang to offer his expertise as a professional DJ with experience at running open air concerts and festivals.
This is just an outline of a suggested programme of events but please put the dates on your diary NOW.
A small working party is required to make this happen, so volunteers please!
ACTION POINT
5. Volunteers to help with planning next year’s event.
5. Website
Mark Fuller reported that the web site had received hundreds of hits looking for information about the cycle race weekend events. He asked for comments and stories from everyone which he could put on the web-site, in particular the economic impact made by the event; e.g. Waitrose had 20,000 shoppers and the expected number would have been 17,500 / Corkers Wine Bar used 7,000 plastic glasses and were pulling 300 pints pet hour / Heather Forster’s taking at the Saturday market equalled those takings in their shop.
Matt will send the West Byfleet LI:VE logo to him to put on the web-site.
ACTION POINT
6. Everyone to send contributions, stories, articles etc.
7. Matt to send Mark West Byfleet LI:VE logo
6. Village Signs
Pauline reported that the 3 new signs were in place in time for the LI:VE Event and were very smart. The Residents Association was thanked for their work in providing the 3 new notice boards.
Gary offered to ask Serco to include these in their cleaning programme. Gary reported that there might be some more SCC money available to provide more improvements in the village, such as to renew the signs at the outskirts of the village, provide big planters on the pavement outside Boots. It was suggested that this be an agenda item at the next meeting and Noel offered a Waitrose Community Fund box to help raise money; Pauline has £300 ring fenced from a previous Waitrose Community Collection for use in the village.
ACTION POINT
8. Pauline to set agenda item for next meeting.
7. Membership/Receipts
Pauline reported that Ron had started collecting outstanding memberships and she had recruited Kayaloram as a new member when they had been selling food at the LI:VE Event.
ACTION POINT
9. Ron to issue membership receipts.
8. Woking Chamber
Woking Chamber had been unable to attend but would make every effort to attend in future. Their committee had commended the work done by WBBA for the West Byfleet LI:VE Event. Catherine offered to talk to Paul Webster about a stand for WBBA at the Woking Means Business Exhibition on October 10th.
9. AOB
1. Catherine informed the meeting that Woking Chamber has arranged a meeting on September 12th at 8.00am; cost £10 + VAT to WBBA members at whom the main speaker will be the Chief Economist from Lloyds Bank – more details to follow.
2. Matt informed the meeting that Woking Borough Council would be holding another Business Rate Payers meeting on October 10th – more details to follow.
3. Trevi’s had a new manager and the French Restaurant in Station Approach had been sold and would become an Indian Restaurant.
4. Christine Morrison reminded everyone of the new plasma screen in the Health centre which offered another form of advertising for local businesses.
5. The telephone shop on Old Woking Road had closed down.
6. Pauline offered to invite Geoff McManus to the next WBBA meeting.
7. Matt informed the meeting of a new initiative in Woking – Business Start-up Woking; he will circulate details
ACTION POINT
10. Pauline to invite Geoff McManus to September meeting.
10. Dates of Next Meeting
7.30am Thursday September 6that Corkers Wine Bar.
The meeting closed at 8.35am with thanks to Corkers Wine Bar.