The business community in Craven Arms requires effective and
accountable representation
Representation must be transparent and reflect the interests
of a wider business community
Every local business has a right to participate in the Network
The network believes in the growth and sustainable development
of Craven Arms
The network’s strength is in its informality and egalitarianism
Our Vision
“The
Craven Arms Business Network exists to work together to give local
businesses a platform to access useful information and feedback
on the developments occurring within their community and to build
strength through encouraging new business relations.”
Our Core Aims
To create an environment in which members of the local business
community can meet in a social context and build relationships.
To provide members with access to information that can have
a positive effect on their business.
To give local business a forum to feedback on activity around
Craven Arms.
To create an association with the minimum of formality necessary
to achieve recognition and to access financial support.
To encourage direct business and partnerships to develop between
members.
To feed the needs, ideas and energy of the local business
community into the decision making of the Craven Arms Partnership.
Our Objectives
To hold bi-monthly meetings in the early evenings in Craven
Arms
To theme these meetings around a specific subject, determined
at the Network level
To provide information about funding opportunities, training
opportunities and marketing
To offer Members the chance to promote their own business
To provide opportunities for the local business community
to feedback to the Craven Arms Partnership about developments
in their locality through Business Network Representatives
To maintain online services to local business including a
newsletter
To assist in the development of partnership projects generated
through the Network
To encourage the effective use of email between network members
To make contact with other similar networks and develop links
with organisations which may benefit the membership.
Membership and Representation
To ensure the informality of the Network, commitment
in the form of formal membership will not be required. Businesses
attending Network meetings will automatically qualify for membership
of the group. Businesses from outside the Hinterland [see map
below] are welcome to attend.
To ensure that the Network is sustained in the long term, a Steering
Group will be established. This will consist of a representative
from each of the following sectors…
Leisure & Tourism
Accommodation
E-commerce
Traders
SME’s
Large Employers
Local Produce
Professional
Manufacturing
Trainers
Creative
Care
These members will be elected annually through the website and
any business registered on the database from the Craven Arms Hinterland
is entitled to 1 vote per sector representative.
This group will also be able
to send representatives to the Craven Arms Partnership.
Understanding that places may be hard to fill, Quorum for this
group will be 3 people. Meetings will take place in between Network
Meetings.
This group will select a facilitator who will lead the steering
group meetings and a secretary who will take notes, post them
on the website and organise the Network invitations and a Treasurer.
Wherever possible the essential tasks of running the Network will
be shared by the group and any other members who wish to offer
support.
Once a year at one of the meetings a short agenda item will be
organised when feedback will be given on the steering group activity,
accounts and election results.
When consulted on issues, the steering group will open decisions
out via the website and newsletter to ensure that as wide a section
of the local business community has been canvassed as possible.
If any representative is adjudged to be acting against the common
interest of the local business community they may be voted off
the steering group by a 2/3 majority of steering group members.
Funding
A bank account will be established requiring 2 signatories from
the steering group to authorise withdrawals.
Following March ’05 attendees will be offered the opportunity
to make donations at Network events to ensure that the network
is able to sustain itself. This will be overseen by the treasurer.
The Steering Group may also organise fund raising events, sponsorship
and advertising.
