TKBVOICE is being enabled by Towyn & Kinmel Bay Town Council thanks to funding from the UK Government Community Resilience Fund. Between now and the end of June, the Community Connections project is being supported by a team of consultants.
Chris Jones Studio is leading a team of place-based consultants and is the overall project manager and is leading the place plan process. Chris Gentle, Owen Davies and Fiona Bennett are supporting Chris with their insights and technical expertise.
Helen Wilkinson from Wilkinson Byes Consultancy is leading the project’s community engagement and is TKBVOICE’s Community Connector and Digital Project Manager. Sian Ellis-Thomas from SETDesign has worked with Helen to develop the brand identity and digital platform and provided her acute marketing eye.
As a team, we are here to enable the community to get involved and shape the development of the place plan, turning ideas into action.
Community Effort
From the outset, TKBVOICE has been powered by volunteers – people in the local community stepping up to make a difference. We have also received support from many groups, organisations and businesses. Thank you to everyone for your support – you are all part of the team that makes up TKBVOICE.
Following a community campaign and an open expression of interest process, the TKBVOICE Community Partnership has now formed.
We have seven amazing people joining us.
In no order of priority, meet the leadership team who will be collaborating with our consultants and Towyn & Kinmel Bay Town Council to amplify TKBVOICE and the voices of local people as, together we develop a place with the participation and involvement of local people, whilst also listening to and welcoming the views of visitors and holiday makers who contribute to the diversity and economy of the area.
Meet the Community Partnership members
Our Community Members are:
Stanley Barrows has been a Towyn & Kinmel Bay resident for almost 40 years. He has volunteered and been chairperson of two local groups, Chester Avenue Community group organising local events and trips for local residents and also the Green Fingers group looking after the local orchard and making the area more presentable. He has worked at Arriva for 33 years most of which has been as a Duty Manager and currently works in the Rhyl depot. With this management experience, and his volunteer community based activities in the area, Stan brings leadership, management, and grass roots community development experience and knowledge into the partnership.
Jenny Beswick is mum to a 21 year old and foster mum to two teenagers. She has lived in Kinmel Bay for 20 years and previously ran a gym business. She is involved in Kinmel Bay Church, volunteers for the monthly Clothes Share, organised by Home-Start Conwy and is currently helping to set up a voluntary group to support health and wellbeing inspired by a cooking and nutrition course hosted at Chester Avenue Community House. She wants to see better use of community assets, more activities for children and young people and greater sharing of information and resources. She loves where she lives and wants to make it a great place to live for her, her family, her neighbours and the community as a whole.
Bill Darwin chairs Kinmel Bay and Towyn Sports and Recreation Association which leases and manages Y Morfa Leisure Centre. The Association also has the lease for Kinmel Bay Bowling Green. Bill founded Kinmel Bay Football Club in 2002 which presently caters for 160 - 200 players (Girls, Boys, Women, Men, Disabled) and he founded the Adult Youth Club in 2010 which caters for 10-12 members 60 years plus. He chairs Kinmel Bay and Towyn Community Association which has the lease for and manages the football field on St. Asaph Avenue. The Sandy Cove estate roads are also the responsibility of the charity. Bill has been involved in a range of other voluntary groups and associations in the area and has previously been a governor at Ysgol Y Foryd and Ysgol Maes Owen.
Our Business members are:
Scott Griffin has lived in Kinmel Bay since he crossed the frontier of Y Foryd Bridge just before the pandemic having lived in Rhyl for 20 years. He has never looked back! He is a highly motivated Engineering manager and leader in LEAN management techniques. With over 20 years hands on experience in a manufacturing environment including automotive and communications, he has worked for businesses in North Wales and the North West. He is passionate about the role business can play supporting communities and champions change though engagement and mentoring. He believes in teamwork, and the power of people coming together to make a difference.
Denise Dale lives in Kinmel Bay and is the owner of Baysville Coffee and Grill, a business launched just before the pandemic. Prior to launching Baysville, Denise (or Nisey as she is best known) was a store manager for Wilko in Rhyl for 15 years. As a manager, she took on many projects, and managed over 40 team members. She learned various skills including people management, leadership and problem solving and was involved in setting up the Rhyl BID, which is now running very successfully. She is passionate about the role of independents, and the small business community in TKB to make a difference to the area.
Adam Williams has been Director of Tir Prince Leisure Group for three decades. The Group has been reported as the fastest growing company in North Wales for two years, and in the top 10 FastGrowth50 companies in Wales. He owns several businesses in Towyn including Tir Prince Market, the largest market in North Wales and Tir Prince Raceway, his main business in Towyn with over 2 million visitors a year. His businesses employ over 200 people through the Towyn sites alone. Adam is passionate about developing Towyn and Kinmel Bay in a way that works for local people and the visitor economy. His family has been involved in tourism in North Wales since 1956.
Our Young Person member is:
Alex Bytheway has lived in Towyn & Kinmel Bay all his life, except whilst completing his degree in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry at the University of York. He returned to his hometown after graduating and currently works as a Science Technician in education. With an interest in photography since he was a teenager, he started doing professional photo shoots, as a nightlife and events photographer whilst at University and maintains a freelance photography career. He also has skills in graphic design, and is keen to use these skills along with his photography on a voluntary basis to help raise the profile of TKB. Alex has views about the way the area can be improved and is keen to use his views and skills to help reach and appeal to young people, who live in the area, and who are visiting.
Each one of the members has been asked to write a short blog about what motivated them to step up, their hopes for the future, and how they plan on working with you and these will be published in the days and weeks ahead.
In May after the local elections and another open expression of interest process, the Community Partnership will be joined by four councillors – three from Towyn & Kinmel Bay and one County Councillor and another young person. If you are between 18-25 (or know someone who is) and have an interest in being one of our members, then please get in touch with Helen on info@tkbvoice.wales