Fears for future of Oswestry Chamber of Commerce
Thursday 6th January 2011, 6:00PM GMT.
Fears are growing Oswestry Chamber of Commerce could fold because nobody has come forward to lead the group after its chairman stepped down.
Former chairman Yossi Gliksman quit the post nearly a month ago and says nobody has so far shown an interest in replacing him.
Mr Gliksman today said he feared nobody would be willing to take on the role and the chamber would eventually disappear.
He said: “There has been no interest in it and nobody at all has come up to me in the past month and asked about it.
“Nobody seems interested in filling the role and to be honest I don’t think it will be filled.
“I will be very sad but not too surprised if the chamber disappears because the chamber should be an effective and important body.
“The chairman’s role is time consuming and difficult. You have to have the time to dedicate to the role and nobody seems able to do that.
“The way things are at the moment business people are too busy focusing on ensuring their business survives.”
Mr Gliksman resigned from the post after eight years’ service.
He said Oswestry Town Council’s decision to refuse his plea for a week of free parking to help Christmas trade was “the final straw”.
Mr Gliksman said he was also frustrated by Shropshire Councillors’ decision to give the go-ahead to a new supermarket on the town’s Smithfield livestock site, a move he says which will damage town centre traders.
He added: “I just felt our views had not been taken on board over various issues and therefore we were an ineffective body.”
Oswestry Town Clerk David Preston denied the authority was failing to support the efforts of the town’s traders.
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I am a bit dismayed by the comments from Mr Gliksman, Why should people have to go up to him asking about the position, he`s left the group, they should go to the vice chairperson or secretary.
I do know several members of the Oswestry chamber of trade,and after listening to their take on things, I Feel the chamber should call a urgent meeting, elect a tempory chair and then put it out for nomimations.
In regards to both shropshire and town council, I feel that they should listen more to them, may be have a councillour who attends the chamber meetings.
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Oswestry Chamber of Commerce has not been a proactive chamber for at least the past three years maybe more. Members were rarely consulted, copies of the constitution were requested never supplied, meetings were only called when a developers wished to talk to members.
There are many traders keen to work together for the town however have never had the chance due to lack of meetings and communications from the chamber committee.
Mr Gliksman should have stepped down gracefully at the last AGM when his chair was challenged. To resign ahead of the next AGM is nothing but a publicity stunt.
There are a number of potential traders who would more than happily work together to move the Chamber forward and make it an effective body, however it is the current committee’s responsibility to call an emergency meeting so a fair election can take place.
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A fair election just like the last one when the current committee were voted in. Unfortunately some people are bad losers!
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Unfortunately I disagree, the last election process did not even give prospective candidates an opportunity to speak and state how they wished to carry the chamber forward.
Perhaps if that had happened a more proactive and committed committee would have been in place and this current situation would not have arisen.
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You didn’t say this at the meeting! At the end of the election I asked if everyone was happy that the election had been carried out fairly and no one spoke up any said otherwise, I did this deliberately because I knew someone would moan afterwards (there’s always one)!
Copies of the Constitution were available on the top table of every meeting along with the agenda and handouts.
Anyway this is all history now because that fairly elected committee have ALL resigned now, so the moaning minority can take over!
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Mr Gliksman’s resignation was received a month ago today via email, right at the start of our busiest trading period. Hardly an appropriate time for anyone to consider the role of Chamber Chairperson. Not only that with the sub zero temperatures and treacherous weather conditions many of us were concentrating on just getting to work in one piece, it is really hardly a wonder nobody has reacted to the resignation.
However now we move into a New Year maybe it would be reasonable to call a meeting inviting members, other business owners, and local authorities and discuss how to make the Chamber a more effective, and influential body.
Working together as a business community is the only way we can create a vibrant market town. Mr Gliksman, John Waine (Best of Oswestry), Honeysuckle etc… do a fabulous job organising the food festival, and I hope this years Traders Day organised by town traders will improve on the success of last years. Things are happening in Oswestry, but an influential, active Chamber could do so much more, let’s not let this organisation die after all there is now over 50 members!
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I have read all of the comments with dismay. For a Chamber of Trade to be effective it must be totally transparent, truly democratic with everything subject to a democratic vote and engage fully with both the local council and County Council
The reason for the success in both Llangallen and Wrexham is that we have monthly meetings and everything that arises between them is immediately communicated to all members by e-mail with a response facility
Both Chambers also sponsor and control the towns website
We engage with public bodies and cooperate with them providing it is in the interests of members to do so, but as with the proposed supermarket we also fight vigourously against any issue which disadvantages the members
You need to attract about 100 members to make it a really powerful force that press and authorities will listen to.
Providing that it is still going I will apply to join as we will start trading in the town from Easter
Basically forget being a talking shop and actively work for traders interests even to the extent that you stage events in town to attract customers from a wider area.
It can be done. It has worked spectacularly well in Llangollen where overall our members reported a 11% increase in trade last year. Wrexham is still work in progress but in just a few months we have secured concessions from WCBC and staged 2 events that brought in thousands to a normally dead town centre on Bank Holidays. It can be done but you have to be fully united before you start
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I was concerned to read of the Chambers problems as qwhen we start trading in spring it was my intention to join
The success in Llangollen was hard won but it is now seen as a force for good with 112 members who have banded together to stop a supermarket being built outside of the town, produced a highly valuable town website and staged many events to attract people to Llangollen.
The same is gradually happening in Wrexham where is just a few months has staged 2 large events to attract thousands in to the town centre on normally deserted Bank Holidays.
You need to be united, focused, democratic and totally transparent. I just hope you survive so that we can join
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I have taken it upon myself to break the dead lock of inertia regarding the demise of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Aintree Suite at the Wynnstay Hotel has been booked to hold a meeting on Wed 2nd Feb. It will start at 6pm.It is open to both members and non members. If you have a business in or around Oswestry please come to the meeting. We need to talk about what direction the Chamber needs to go in and elect a temporary committee to represent the Chamber until its AGM. The latter being due by the end of April. At a time when memberships are up for renewal we need to see what the members both currant and future want of the Chamber or else members will leave. So lets end all this unrest and meet up, sort out any issues and move on. This town needs a voice for the Traders etc more than ever.The out of town developement is a real and massive threat to the future of Oswestry town centre and independent traders. We need to unite and work to maintain and develope Oswestry’s uniqueness. Remember the 2nd of feb at 6pm, a meeting that really matters.
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