Yesterday’s promotional event, co-hosted with Monmouthshire County Council (MCC), proved to be a great success!
About 40 people, business owners and representatives, councillors, rail industry officials, and council officers, gathered at MCC’s Innovation Laboratory to participate in this inventive way of promoting the Magor and Undy Walkway Station campaign. The event was also attended by Jessica Morden MP, Paul Matthews (CEO of MCC) and Dan Parker from Assembly Member John Griffiths’s Office.
Ted Hand gave an opening presentation explaining the history of the campaign, its progress and the ‘once in a generation opportunity’ that stood before us. This prompted some good questions, comments and excellent ideas to help take the initiative forward. People then mingled around the display material and put their thoughts and offers of support up on the ‘Ideas Board’ (all of which will be followed up). Paul Mathew (CEO of MCC) then addressed the group giving a ringing endorsement of the novel approach MAGOR was taking and promised to give the campaign as much support as possible. He also referred to the letter and presentation from the children of Magor Church in Wales school and the tremendous effect that they had had on him.
Further discussions took place over lunch and it became clear that everyone was very supportive, gave indications how they felt they could help open doors to financing the feasibility study and how they wanted to become more actively involved. This later point was particularly true of the business people who believed that getting more businesses behind the campaign and improving rail services generally in South Monmouthshire was the key to success.
Our thanks go to Kellie Beirne (Chief Officer Regeneration and Culture) and her staff for enabling this event. Tremendous effort all round!
Also our thanks to Aura Print who quickly supplied our new publicity banners on display yesterday.
Paul
