As 2009 begins, every High Street in the UK has to deal with change, most notably the loss of the Woolworths stores.

Tenby Chamber of Trade and Tourism realise all businesses working together for the good of the town is vitally important and encourage those who are not members of the chamber to join now, in January, when memberships are due - the annual subscription is £50 (to download an application form visit http://www.visittenby.co.uk/members/form">www.visittenby.co.uk/members/form).

What does the chamber do for me?

• Promotes Tenby as a 'town for all seasons'

• Supports initiatives that extend and broaden the scope of the trading year or season

• Acts as a consultative body as requested by a variety of agencies

• Provides a voice as a representative of the traders of the town

• Provides a vehicle through which the traders of Tenby are able to reach - the public, a variety of bodies and organisations that may help their interests, government agencies, European agencies etc.

• Assists and supports, where appropriate, initiatives that will improve the quality of life of both residents and visitors, e.g. workable traffic management schemes

• Supports financially and otherwise events that both add to the cultural experience of the town and financially benefit various local charities and local organisations

• Liaises through meetings and press releases with other traders and to present a unified or at least informed membership who are working together

The chamber is regarded as a consultee for the business community in Tenby for both Pembrokeshire County Council and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. By increasing membership, to cover more extensively the business community in Tenby, the chamber can increase the authority of representation.

Over the years, the chamber has worked hard for the good of Tenby and has been involved in the organisation of many events, including Easter Parades (hopefully to reintroduce the crazy Easter Bonnet Parade over Easter Weekend 2009), Sealed Knot re-enactment, Winter Carnival, the street markets, café culture, promotional literature for Tenby, competitions, to name but a few.

The chamber is being proactive in the face of challenging times for Tenby.

The Chamber meets on the third Wednesday of every month.

The next meeting is at the Fourcroft Hotel on January 21 at 8 pm - members' input is always appreciated.

For further information please visit the contact page at http://www.visittenby.co.uk">www.visittenby.co.uk, or the secretary TCT&T, Rebleen Guest House, Southcliff Street, Tenby.