MEDIA RELEASE(For Immediateuse)

MEDIA RELEASE(for immediateuse)

‘NEW CHAIR FOR PASSENGER GROUP’

TravelWatch SouthWest, the public transport passenger ‘watchdog’ for South West England, has a new Chair – Professor Frank Chambers who has been unanimously elected by the directors to succeed Christopher Irwin.

Frank Chambers has long experience in passenger advocacy, having been Deputy Chair of the former Rail Passengers’ Committee for Western England - earlier this year he was a joint recipient of the first runner-up prize in the Green Transport Awards2013.

Professor Chambers is Head of the Centre for Environmental Change and Quaternary Research at the University of Gloucestershire, and a Member of University Council (its governing body) - he researches and teaches in Geography and Biosciencesand also contributes to research training modules, delivered in Europe, in the University's taught Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA).

Frank is a Forum Member of Climate SouthWestand is a former director and trustee of the Stroud Valleys Project.

Christopher Irwin remains as a director of TravelWatch SouthWest after eleven highly successful years as Chair, in which the group has won wide respect for advocacy on behalf of public transport passengers in South West England based on evidence-led research. Chris has resigned as Chair owing to his increasing time commitments as Chair of the European Rail Agency, Vice-President of the European Passengers’ Federation and Head of the UK Delegation to the Channel Tunnel Inter-Governmental Commission.

Frank Chambers, the new Chair of TravelWatch SouthWest, said today (Tuesday 3 December):-

‘It is both an honour and a privilege to have been elected the new Chair of TravelWatch SouthWest. Chris Irwin has been a Colossus leading on rail and bus passenger advocacy in the South West for many years—he is not merely a hard act to follow, but impossible! So I am delighted that he is remaining on the Board to work with the other Directors to advance the aspirations of passengers and improve the provision of public transport throughout the whole of the SouthWest of England—from Bournemouth in the south east to Tewkesbury in the north and Penzance in the west'

Notes for Editors

1. TravelWatch SouthWest was established in 2001 as The South West Public Transport Users' Forum (SWPTUF) to promote the interests of public transport users in the South West of England (comprising the counties of Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset and the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cornwall, North Somerset, Plymouth, Poole, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Torbay and Wiltshire) - the Forum became a Community Interest Company, limited by guarantee, in August 2005. SWPTUF adopted the trading name of TravelWatch SouthWest in June 2006 and the Community Interest Company changed name to TravelWatch SouthWest CIC in November 2008.

Membership of the TravelWatch SouthWest CIC is open to every 'not-for-profit' organisation in the South West of England whose sole or principal purpose is to represent the users of any public transport service or to promote the development of public transport services - membership is also open to other 'not-for-profit' organisations' in the South West England who represent the interests of particular groups of public transport users e.g. the disabled or the elderly. TWSW currently has over one hundred affiliated organisations.

TWSW, which is a social enterprise company, acts as an advocate for passengers to lobby for the improvement of public transport in the region and works closely with local authorities, local enterprise partnerships, business organisations and other stakeholder groups - with the dissolution of the former Rail Passengers Committee for Western England in July 2005, TWSW is the representative body for public transport users throughout the South West of England.

2. Photograph of Frank Chambers (for use):-

3. Further information relating to this media release is available from:-

i) Frank Chambers, the chair of TravelWatch SouthWest (telephone number: 014-5273-1728)

or ii) Gordon Edwards, a director and the company secretary of TravelWatch SouthWest (telephone number: 012-2572-2269 or 079-6796-6929)

TravelWatch SouthWestCIC is a company limited by guarantee.

Registration Number: 5542697 Registered Office: 149 Polwithen Drive, Carbis Bay, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 2SW