I WOULD like to give you a promotional "template" of the issues which I consider to be important for the Forest and which I believe to be of great concern to the majority of residents and visitors.

The disasters which have befallen us lately, FMD, BSE, together with the resistance to GM crops and the increasing dislike of the use of chemicals in food production, have made many people in this country reconsider their attitude to their nutrition.

This is giving us a clear message that the time is right to be promoting and revitalising the use of local growers and suppliers. There is the opportunity of creating a number of associated jobs, eg if the local organic farmers already in existence were encouraged and helped to expand to supply an increasing demand – local produce markets could be held and there would be additional work for many local people.

In order to effectively promote our area and businesses we need to get our own act together, become the leaders and revolutionise everything we do, putting into place a total holistic approach to life. To attain these objects we should first consider the population's expectations.

Due to greatly increased longevity, people are anxious to be fit and agile and live their working lives more healthily in order to spend their old age in comfort. This comfort relates as much to the condition of mind and body as to financial wellbeing.

There are three obvious ways to achieve this end:

1: We should have readily available sources of food and drink which are as pure and organic as possible and these should be within the financial reach of everyone. At the moment the various organic producers of our region are not particularly well supported. This could be for a variety of reasons – prices, ease of purchasing, availability of varied produce. The supermarkets have done us all a great disservice by their purchasing methods. They are able to source fruit and vegetables cheaply from all over the world, throughout the year. We have become accustomed to buying salads, vegetables and fruit all the year round, whether or not they are produced within our own seasons.

We should learn to buy locally produced food and bring back the seasons into our meals. As a result of that, we could patronise local farmers and growers and the greater the customer's demand, then the greater will be the supply.

2: People also deserve quality of life – we all seek enjoyable experiences which will make us feel good, make us laugh and also educate us in an ongoing learning process. It is a very sick society that provides drugs to clamp down fears and to provide false means of enjoyment. We are all responsible for our immediate environment and we must educate each other and provide alternatives to occupy leisure time.

3: There is funding currently being offered by the Countryside Agency who have been charged with helping to revitalise our area and hold it as a model for other regions. Existing business owners could, with the application of this funding, assist young people to set up "cottage" industries, using the natural resources of the Forest of Dean. The Three Choirs Vineyard at Newent is a prime example of success following hard work, foresight and planning.

On a smaller scale the Blaisdon Plum trees could be more widely planted and the crops harvested for wine, perry could be made from Blakeney Pears, mead could be produced with forest flavours. We already have the example of the Freeminer Brewery – even more important to our health is clean, clear water! There is an abundance of springs and bottled local water would be more than just a local benefit as the labels could be designed to promote and advertise the Forest tourist attractions.

Much of our milk is from dairies outside the region. Once FMD is over we should be looking at producing and bottling much more local milk.

The Forest of Dean is not just about mining in the past. We have wool, water, ochres, iron, coal, stone, salmon, trout and elvers, herbs, fruit and vegetables, venison and game. We are guilty of not promoting ourselves when sometimes it would only take a little thought and care in our own tourist establishments.

For the sake of common sense, please make sure that our local businesses, shops, hotels, pubs and tourist attractions display photographs and paintings of our own area – the May bluebells, local cave systems, Cannop Ponds, Speech House Woods, Mallard's Pike, Wenchford, the Dean Forest Railway, Lydney Docks – the list is endless. Make our visitors ask: "Where was that picture taken?" and keep the visitors in the Forest.

We should also help our many local artists, potters and sculptors by holding displays of their work in our own businesses – this would be to our mutual benefit, attracting visitors and encouraging cash flow which remains in the area. I would also like to see the Sculpture Trail providing a showcase for local artists.

Advertising is of primary importance – but there is such a thing as "low cost/no cost advertising" which we should aim to cultivate. We just need to re-think our habits. Ask local shops to provide a bit of window space to promote your business in return for your patronage and support.

Use the organically produced fruit and vegetables and meat in your menus and credit the supplier, giving him or her free advertising.

Get together to produce competitions for local schoolchildren. They could incorporate drawings, paintings, photography, facts and fables about the Dean. Ask the children to write a new story set in the Forest; set them puzzles and crosswords, word searches and treasure hunts.

Children are the future, teach them that history didn't end years ago; they are living history and are themselves the creators of that history, which is the foundation of the present.

Finally, estate agents agree that houses are sold on "location, location, location." I put it to you that our tourist industry will thrive and expand on "promotion, promotion, promotion" – our promotion. Every business and establishment in the Royal Forest of Dean must promote itself in a positive and well-planned way. We must project the image of a thriving community with numerous attractions and reasons to prolong the visitor's stay. It costs nothing to put "Royal Forest of Dean" in our address, followed by the GL postcode. Sometimes I wonder if we are ashamed of our area.

At some cost, it is possible to have Post Office franking which will also advertise our region – alone – not as part of Gloucestershire or "The Cotswolds." At the current time, Gloucestershire Tourism advertises the Cotswolds, a region which extends well outside the County area, but pays very little attention to the Forest of Dean. This is partially our own fault. We must stop hiding ourselves away and make our voices heard.

Many people have a misconception of the role of "tourist attractions" – apart from the obvious – they are extremely important educational facilities and are arguably the most important employers and creators of revenue within the Forest. They should be given recognition and credit for their contribution to the wealth of the Forest of Dean.

Multi-nationals may come and go – no-one would deny the employment created by firms such as SmithKline Beecham and Rank's. Unfortunately, jobs brought into the Forest are just as easily taken out again – true Forest industries and tourism features are never going to be taken away. SmithKline Beecham manufacture the famous Horlicks beverage which was originally developed by the Horlicks family from surplus malt produced at the maltings at the back of the Malt Shovel Inn in Ruardean. Perhaps an enterprising person or company could produce a malt liqueur similar to Bailey's. This could be labelled with a picture of the Malt Shovel, thus promoting Ruardean and the Forest of Dean.

I believe that if we start to employ even some of the policies which I have suggested, they will be self promoting and we will instantly create media interest. As soon as the media take up our cause, free advertising will follow.

What we now need is a Rural Renaissance to counteract the devastation created by the handling of the foot and mouth crisis.

Support for farmers affected by the crisis has been tremendous and we applaud the efforts which have been made to help them, financially, physically and psychologically. I am very hopeful that we can muster similar support to revitalise our region and would welcome any offers of help to implement any of the above ideas.

I would also be delighted if any readers would like to contact me on 832535 (Clearwell Caves) with ideas and plans of their own to promote the Forest and revive its economy.