TravelWatch SouthWest general meeting - 3rd March 2018

[whole diary]

[grahame]

TravelWatch SouthWest took me to the recent RailFuture meeting!

Taunton, Saturday, 3rd March 2018. Representatives of user groups and other interested bodies, and also unaffiliated individual campaigners, welcome with prior invite, whether or not formal members of TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website).

More about TWSW at

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=18628

and from their website at http://travelwatchsouthwest.org

We recognise our membership as a powerful resource of expertise, and organise twice-yearly TravelWatch SouthWest General Meetings which keep everyone abreast of developments and ideas. Speakers are invited from government agencies, the transport industry, including bus and train companies, airports and ferry operators, providing insight into the key issues affecting passengers.

At these events, delegates may enter into the discussion, helping to locate and progress service improvements and to ensure that public transport is given the high profile that it deserves.

While general Meetings are a twice yearly fixture in the calendar, we ensure our members actively engage in the consultation process through seminars, meetings and workshops to tackle specific issues, as required.

and

Membership of the TravelWatch SouthWest CIC^▸ (Community Interest Company ) is open to every ‘not-for-profit’ organisation in the South West of England whose sole or principal purpose is to represent the users of any public transport service or to promote the development of public transport services – membership is also open to other ‘not-for-profit’ organisations’ in the South West England who represent the interests of special and potential classes of public transport users e.g. the disabled or the elderly. TWSW currently has over one hundred affiliated organisations.

TWSW, which is a social enterprise company, acts as an advocate for passengers to lobby for the improvement of public transport in the region and works closely with local authorities, business organisations, partnerships and other stakeholder groups – with the dissolution of the former Rail Passengers Committee for Western England in July 2005, TWSW is the representative body for public transport users throughout the South West of England.

[rogerw]

Now cancelled due to weather

[ChrisB]

Trying to ascertain whether this will be rearranged or completely cancelled. I suspect the latter, so next meeting early October.

[grahame]

Trying to ascertain whether this will be rearranged or completely cancelled. I suspect the latter, so next meeting early October.

First priority is to inform around 75 confirmed attendees, some of whom don't necessarily check their email very often or sometimes loose TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) messages in a blizzard of spam.

Then understand what this does to the TWSW finances - the meetings are free to attendees, but of course TWSW has to pay for venue, food, perhaps speaker's expenses, etc ... full accounts seen / discussed at AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting).   And then ask "what would TWSW board like to do" based on outcome and financial considerations.

[grahame]

Looking ahead ... readers / members of TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) affiliated organisations may have guessed that "what now" has been a subject under discussion.   Just received from the secretary of TWSW:

I am sending a note out to members mentioning that it on cancellation, the issues forefront in our mind the safety of our attendees and the quality event; the Board will be meeting on 11 April to take things forward.

 

Undoubtedly, the decision to cancel was the correct one and taken at the right time.  The board discussion planned for 11th April will be informed by the emails that have already been exchanged between us.

[ChrisB]

I'm assuming that the meeting will remain cancelled & that the next meeting will be the 'normal' October one.

[grahame]

I'm assuming that the meeting will remain cancelled & that the next meeting will be the 'normal' October one.

Remember that "Assume" makes an Ass out of U and me.

[ChrisB]

we'll see!