Declarations of interest - knowing where you stand with people
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2010-05-22 18:40:42 - Graham Ellis"I wonder what HIS agenda is ..." - a question asked at the Steering Group meeting for the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership, when we met earlier today. And the question - about someone else who's a good ear-bender in the railway campaigning arena - is a good one. If someone's on the payroll of X or Y organization, or stands to make a profit if scheme Z falls through, then that someone's view and push may be coloured by wanting to make their paymaster happy.
One of our number (you know who you are) suggested that we should ask members for a declaration of interests - not to disenfranchise them from the community rail partnership, but rather to understand their strengths, and learn about the area where we should not cause them a potential conflict of interest by pushing for their views and participation.
What a great idea ... and I'm starting the ball rolling. There's nothing here that regular readers won't know (if they've had the stamina to be THAT regular!), but I'm putting it all in one place and will refer groups here via a link.
Declaration of Interest ... (and lack of interest) - Graham Ellis
Co-owner, Director and employee of "Well House Consultants". Well House Consultants [link] runs a training centre offering niche IT courses at their training centre in Melksham, Wiltshire (just over a mile from Melksham Station), and the training centre also offers accommodation to delegate and other business visitors to Melksham who wish to stay overnight at "Well House Manor" [link]
Member of the steering group of the Melksham Community Area Partnership [link], where my role is to help bring the voice of the business community to the partnership and thus on to the area board. This is an unpaid role. Update - no longer a member - see below
Vice Chairman of the Melksham Railway Development Group [link], who strive to improve Melksham's station, the area around it, the experience for rail passengers, and the services. This is an unpaid role.
President of Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry [link]. Melksham Chamber of Commerce exists to improve the business turnover and efficiency of its members. It provides a platform for members to talk and work with each other, distribute information, advice and represent their views on the issues affecting the commercial life of Melksham. This is an unpaid role. Also member of the Federation of Small Businesses, and former member of local branch committee - another unpaid role.
Member of the steering group currently setting up the TransWilts Community Area Partnership [link]. The partnership aims to bring together the rail industry, government, finance amd the communities served by the TransWilts line, with a view to improving the experience and use of the current service and working for an amendment of service so that it's more appropriate for the current and future traffic flows. This is an unpaid role. I have also been (and remain) actively associated with the "Save the Train" [link] and "First Great Western Coffee Shop" [link] forums.
I am not a member of any political party, nor or any trades union or other workers association. I have never been employed by any company or other organisation in the travel industry, and I am not a shareholder in any travel related business (including railway, road, waterborn) although I do have a keen personal interest in such subjects.
No family members are associated (to my knowledge) with any transport related business, other IT business, political party, trade union, etc. though they do share an interest in Well House Consultants. Neither I nor my family have any financial or business interest in any land except that on which our homes and business run. Our homes and businesses are all at least half a mile from the nearest road, waterway and proposed waterway sites, and none of us would stand to make any gain beyond the gain that each person who lives in Melksham would make were a canal to be built, the river to be made navigable, and the railway line to be provided with an enhanced service.
An Update - December 2011
1. I am no longer a member of the Steering Group of the Melksham Community Area Partnership. Membership of the steering group requires that members take an impartial view - but I'm passionate in my views on many topics and found it hard to dettach myself. So I didn't stand again when it came time for annual elections to the group
2. I am now a member of the Shadow Campus Operations Board - the local group of about 10 people helping the area board to steer the strategy, design, build and operation of the new Melksham Campus forward by adding in the local cmmunity perspective to the mix. This is an unpaid role.