TravelWatch SouthWest, General Meeting 24th June 2022, Taunton

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Just come off the TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) board where my term ends at the December AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting). General meeting scheduled for 24th June, very strong confirmed speaker line up.

Looking to the future -
* How will travel patterns change in the future and what role will public transport play
* What supports the places and communities need to grow and change
* What are the community priorities and how can we work together to support them
* Where is the funding going to come from and how can we deliver more with less
* How can we collaborate to meet our shared objectives

[ChrisB]

Can you elucidate on the confirmed speakers please?

[infoman]

As we introduce ourselves and who we represent at the start of the meeting.

Could I suggest we have a number against who we are there to represent on the hand outs instead of having a badge,

we could then have a sticky label with a very large number on it to see who they are there to represent.

Hate straining my eyes(can't be the only one) to see peoples names on the name badges.

[ChrisB]

You are number 6…

[grahame]

Can you elucidate on the confirmed speakers please?

I will publish the list officially once I have it from Bryony

[grahame]

Can you elucidate on the confirmed speakers please?

I will publish the list officially once I have it from Bryony

About this event

The TravelWatch SouthWest meetings are back. These sessions provide a unique opportunity for passengers and communities to engage with operators, policy makers, and local transport authorities together.

Remarkable things happen when you get the right mix of people in the room.

This meeting revolves around the need to create a vision and discussing the key questions:
How will connectivity patterns change in the future and what role will public transport play?
What support do places/communities need to grow and change?
What are the community priorities and how can we work together to support them?
Where is the funding going to come from and how can we deliver more with less?
How can we collaborate to meet our shared objectives?

Professor Graham Parkhurst (University of West of England and TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) Director) is setting the socio/economic/environmental scene,

Nigel Blackler (Cornwall Council) will be inspiring the audience around unity of vision and delivering an outcome which improves journey experience quality across the region and supports communities.

Mark Hopwood, (Managing Director, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) considers the way in which rail operators can address passenger need in light of the emerging social, economic, and environmental themes.

Go South Coast examine the ways in which can adapt to meet the evolving scene and highlights the essentials steps to be taken now.

Further speakers are to be announced.

Registration - (here)

[grahame]

I'll be there ...

YOU'RE^▸ (Religious Education) GOING TO
TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) General Meeting: Your Vision for Getting Around by Public Transport

ORGANISER MESSAGE
Thank you for registering. Diversity and inclusion is very important. If we could make it easier for someone to attend, please let us know. This is a spacious venue and we encourage older members to bring younger people along.

DATE
Fri, 24 Jun 2022 10:30 - 15:45 BST

LOCATION
Taunton

[ChrisB]

Duly registered!

The venue is The Brewhouse Arts Centre, about a 15 minute walk from the station (according to Google)

[ChrisB]

Any initial reaction from TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) seeing as though this is in strike week on the trains and, although not a strike day, likely to see early trains out of position & possibly disrupted?

[grahame]

Any initial reaction from TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) seeing as though this is in strike week on the trains and, although not a strike day, likely to see early trains out of position & possibly disrupted?

No initial public reaction - with our secretariat

[grahame]

Any initial reaction from TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) seeing as though this is in strike week on the trains and, although not a strike day, likely to see early trains out of position & possibly disrupted?

No initial public reaction - with our secretariat

"Plan is to go ahead.  Thoughtful not to strike on a TWSW day"
-- Official

[grahame]

Very sadly, another update

TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) received a rather disappointing note from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) which gives early warning that train services on Friday will be significantly affected by the strikes on the days either side with as little as 50% of trains running. This would make it difficult to arrange around train times and expose everyone to the chaos of disrupted journeys and over-crowding.  We have also been told that it is unlikely senior railway people will attend.. We must therefore postpone the general meeting until the Autumn.  This is with great regret (especially as attendances looked to be strong).

[ChrisB]

Now confirmed in a message through Eventbrite (the booking engine)

There may be a webinar on a different topic announced, keep an eye on their Facebook page (it says)

[grahame]

Sadly, I think the right decision (to cancel) has been made.  It would have been somewhere in the impossible / impractical / worrisome / unforecastable / longwinded arena for some delegates to get there, with a significant risk of them having issues getting home later.  It would not be sensible for TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) to encourage people to come in those circumstances, and a dis-service to members to put them in a position where they had to chose between missing the meeting and taking uncomfortable risks to get there and back.

TWSW may run a short(er) online session that day. It would not be a direct replacement for the General Meeting, but the secretarial is mindful that many members have next Friday clear in their diaries and would benefit from a networking session talking around a key topic.  I will follow up with (probably) a separate thread within 48 hours.