Sir, I write in response to the letter titled '2020 meeting a shambles' written by Fiona Fouracre in your April 14 edition. I apologise if this letter seems long, but there are facts that should be known. Let me enlighten Ms Fouracre about Tenby 2020. • November 1997 - public meeting organised by Tenby Town Council agreed that a community appraisal assisted by SPARC (South Pembrokeshire Partnership for Action with Rural Communities) should be undertaken to help identify needs and aspirations of the people of Tenby. • March 1998 - community appraisal questionnaires distributed to every household in Tenby. As a result of the responses, a 'Future Search' or 'Visioning Exercise'- a method of getting people together at a local level to have a say in the future of their community - was organised. A professional visioning team, JIGSO, funded by various bodies, including the Countryside Council for Wales, to facilitate the exercise. Tenby 2020 was the name chosen for this community group. • January 30/31, 1999 - 'Visioning Exercise' took place. Those taking part represented leisure and tourism, local councillors, public services, local authorities, education and training organisations, the community and the private sector. Greenhill School year 13 students took part in their own one day visioning event, the results of which would be incorporated into the action plan. • April 1999 - a summary report of the community appraisal sent to every household and a public meeting, advertised in the local press, held to discuss the appraisal document and to appoint a chairman and agree a constitution for the Tenby 2020 group. • As a result of the 'Future Search'/'Visioning' findings, five sub-groups were formed. Each sub- group would have a chairman and convener who would work on the information in the Future Search report and appraisal and report back to the whole group of Tenby 2020. • November 4, 1999 - the inaugural meeting of Tenby 2020 took place at the De Valence. An Action Plan, based on the reports from the subgroups, presented at the meeting - the Action Plan was unanimously adopted. The Tenby Observer to include updates of Tenby 2020's progress. • Page 10, paragraph 3, of the action plan states 'action on St Catherine's Island is strongly supported by all sectors of the community'. • Tenby 2020 has held at least two meetings a year since the inaugural meeting of 1999 until 2005. The minutes of the meeting on February 2, 2005, state 'that a review of the organisation is to be carried out with the assistance of PLANED (Pembrokeshire Local Action Network for Enterprise and Development, previously SPARC). On February 28 and March 14, the management committee felt strongly that there was a need for fresh blood/ renewal of the organisation'. Over the last six years, a handful of dedicated townspeople have been working tirelessly for the good of Tenby, with regular reports in the local papers. Some of their achievements include - the blue heritage plaques; the heritage leaflet; a town website; café culture events in Tudor Square; the street markets; the Tourism Growth Area status (resulting in the enhancement of some of the streets in the town); the successful opposition to the supermarket in New Hedges and the cockling on North Beach; securing Objective 1 funding for the project at the De Valence - a new director and administrator, a Tenby and District events co- ordinator and the setting up of the De Valence Trust, to name but a few! Perhaps Ms Fouracre can now have some understanding as to why the speaker at the meeting was 'amazed' she had not heard of 2020, and yes, I agree the meeting was a shambles, but only because some of those present seemed intent on damaging the reputation of an organisation that works hard for the good of Tenby.
Elaine Rowe, (resident 47 years and five generations), Tenby.