Gloucestershire Ambassadors recommit to helping county (From Cotswold Journal)

Gloucestershire Ambassadors recommit to helping county

12:18pm Thursday 6th December 2007 in News

MORE than 200 people from Gloucestershire's business community were guests at the Gloucestershire Ambassadors millennium dinner organised by Gloucestershire First.

In his first address as chairman of Gloucestershire First, Cllr Chas Fellows reminded guests that the main purpose of being a Gloucestershire ambassador was to support the county's economic wellbeing.

"We should use this occasion to recommit our actions to work for the benefit of the county," he said.

"For my part as chairman, I propose looking at how we can promote the county internally and to the wider community, here in the UK and abroad, to counter negative media coverage resulting from the summer flooding."

Cllr Fellows stressed: "The plan must be to ensure that we are better prepared for the unexpected.

"July floods resulted in lost business in excess of £50 million. It also produced many selfless acts and the resilience exhibited throughout the county was outstanding."

The chairman thanked all the essential services for their work during the crisis and welcomed two guests from the armed forces, Commander Ian Lower, the new captain of HMS Gloucester, and Lt Col David Brown, commanding officer of the First Battalion The Rifles, whose men worked to save the sub-station at Walham.

The Furniss Cup for larger enterprises went to the National Star College at Ullenwood and the BookCheck Cup for medium sized companies was won by Avon metals Ltd, of Gloucester. The Chargrove Trophy for companies employing between one and five people went to PPD Solutions, of Stroud, while green campaigner and Bisley businessman Roger Budgeon won the Willans Bowl.