Town business groups looking to join forces
A BUSINESS group with dwindling membership is looking to join forces with a town centre partnership.
Oakham Chamber of Trade put out an appeal last month for businesses to come forward and work as a team to promote the town.
The chamber asked for businesses to attend to its annual meeting on July 7 but received a disappointing response with four committee members and two other businesses attending.
Now the committee is considering amalgamating with Oakham Town Partnership to form a business group as a sub committee of that body.
Both groups are due to hold discussions on a possible merger in the autumn.
Chairman Caroline Hodges had hope to re-launch the chamber at the meeting after it suffered dwindling membership and a list of members was lost due to computer problems.
She said: "It was very disappointing as it was something we hoped to kick start again and get people involved.
"We put quite a lot in the press that we were doing this. If people want our help they need to come forward.
"Both of us struggled to find members or people to help, we might as well pool our resources and do what we can between us.
"There is still in this day and age a position for a chamber of trade."
Rutland County Council's portfolio holder for market towns and town partnership vice-chairman Peter Jones is welcoming a merger with the chamber.
He said: "The town partnership is very keen to be representative of the businesses in the town and will be happy to facilitate any form of informal business group.
"We are keen to facilitate this as we consider there is a need for it.
"We would welcome it as it would make sense with big events like late night shopping rather than having two organisations to have one business group."
The partnership is due to discuss the move at its meeting in September.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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