Holywood Chamber Board meetings
Board members meet to discuss issues affecting Holywood at lunchtime on the first Tuesday of every month. The Annual General Meeting takes place each May. All minutes appear in due course on the Bangor & Holywood Town Centres Ltd (TCM) website. All members are invited to attend the AGM and elect members to the Board. Members are also actively encouraged to contact Board members or TCM if there are any items they would like discussed at the Board meetings.
Since 1997 Holywood Chamber has worked closely with Bangor & Holywood Town Centre Management to lobby local agencies and government bodies on a wide range of issues, including traffic flow and car parking improvements and encouraging inward investment.
Charity Luncheons
Holywood Chamber of Commerce plays an active role in both the economic and social life of the town. The Chamber is particularly proud of its fundraising events for local charities. See events page for list of forthcoming functions.
The Chamber organises a number of very popular business luncheons throughout the year. Over the past three years speakers have included: Sir Reg Empey (Ulster Unionist Party), Mr Tony Kennedy (Co-operation Ireland), Mr Brian Ambrose (George Best City Airport), Mr Mike Smith (Titanic Quarter), Mr Trevor Polley (North Down Borough Council), Mr Stephen Farry (General Secretary of the Alliance Party) and Paul Reid (Manager of IKEA Belfast). Both members and their guests are welcome to attend and local charities benefit from the monies raised. For details on the next Charity Lunch please contact: Fiona McGarry on 028 9147 9651 or via email tcm at bangorholywoodtcm.co.uk
New Members Breakfast Meetings
The Chamber organises a number of Breakfast Meetings each year for new and prospective members. It provides an opportunity for business owners to voice any concerns to Board members and the Town Centre Management team.
Dennis Ogborn Reception
Holywood Chamber of Commerce together with Bangor & Holywood Town Centres and Holywood Residents Association recently held a reception at Holywood Library in honour of Dennis Ogborn MBE. Dennis is one of Holywood’s unsung heroes. An octogenarian, he has spent his lifetime devoted to the good of Holywood. He formed the Holywood Residents Association in the 1970s and was a prime instigator in the establishment of Holywood Citizens Advice Bureau in 1983.
First elected to North Down Borough Council as an independent councillor in 1989 Dennis spent the next 6 years representing the interests of Holywood residents at Bangor Town Hall. While he is no longer involved in local politics Dennis has continued to work tirelessly for the Borough. He is on the Board of Directors of Bangor & Holywood Town Centres Ltd and Holywood Arts Trust and is Trustee of North Down CAB.
Dennis is also an active member of Holywood Residents Association and is immensely proud of the town’s achievements in the annual Best Kept Town Awards. But Dennis doesn't stand idly by and let others take the strain. As many an observer will testify when spring comes, so does Dennis! He can be spotted out and about in the early hours of the morning removing weeds, fly posters and the like from Holywood’s streets to ensure that the town looks its best.
Dennis began his working career in the shipyard before moving into teaching. He taught engineering at Banbridge Tech, Bangor Tech and Belfast’s Millfield College of Technology before retiring in the 1980s.
Married for over 50 years, Dennis is the proud father of three children and grandfather of three.
Relationships with other organisations
Bangor & Holywood Town Centres Ltd
Bangor & Holywood Town Centres Ltd (TCM) is an independent, not for profit company, whose aim is to "develop Bangor and Holywood as vibrant towns for the 21st century, improving the retail, environmental, cultural and leisure facilities for residents and visitors alike." TCM project manages a number of urban regeneration projects and schemes in both Bangor and Holywood. It received the majority of its funding from North Down Borough Council, but it is also dependent on private sector funding to supplement its income. TCM provides an administrative service for both Holywood and Bangor Chambers of Commerce who have, in turn, two representatives on the Board of Town Centre Management. The full list of Board Members can be found by clicking here.
Representatives from Holywood Chamber of Commerce, Town Centre Management, Holywood Residents Association, Conservation Group and local government officials formed the Holywood Arts Trust in 2004. Its aim is to install public art in the town to act as an additional cultural and visitor resource. Lady Hermon MP unveiled the Trust's first commission the "Pillars of Holywood" by English stone sculptor Tim Shutter on 21st February 2008 at Holywood Library.
North Down Borough Council
Representatives from Holywood Chamber of Commerce are invited to sit on various committees of North Down Borough Council.
Overview
Holywood Chamber of Commerce has benefited from the hard work and dedication of local businesses people as serving Presidents, Chairpersons and Committee members.
Our strength lies in the size of our membership. By being a member of Holywood Chamber you will receive information, support and the contacts you need. In turn your membership will make us stronger, giving us a more powerful voice in the community.
