Chamber offers major boost to local businesses.

As businesses in and around Romsey start to come out of the Covid related restrictions, local business group Romsey & District Chamber of Commerce and Industry has announced a major new initiative designed to assist them back on the path to growth.

The Chamber has announced that it will be suspending subscription charges for its current members for the forthcoming year. This could save larger members who have more than 6 employees up to £115 a year. In addition, to help new businesses and make it easy for existing Romsey businesses to take advantage of the benefits of Chamber membership, it is offering free membership (currently worth at least £70 a year) for up to 150 new members who join during the new Chamber year, which starts on 1st July 2021.

At the same time, the Chamber is announcing plans to reactive its programme of activities during the second half of 2021 in line with the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown. The first significant event will be its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 23rd June at The White Horse Hotel. In July it plans to reintroduce its popular ‘First Friday’, informal networking meetings at La Parisienne, Bell Street, Romsey, and this year’s Presidents Reception is planned for November, also at The White Horse. In addition, the Chamber intends to re-start its monthly breakfast meetings previously run at the Town Hall and to reschedule some events which were postponed during lockdown, include a business themed quiz, which it has scheduled to run in October.

Commenting on these moves, Chamber President, Ieuan Wathen, who is Managing Director of Abbey Park based, Wathen Marine Catering Equipment Services said,

“We know our many of members have suffered tough times over the past 12 months and might continue to do so for some time, as have indeed many businesses in the area. The Chamber has decided to do what it can to help, by suspending subscriptions and offering membership without charge to a limited number of local organisations. At the same time, we have taken the opportunity to look again at what we offer our members and to refine and improve what we do and give local businesses that haven’t previously taken advantage of joining us, every reason to do so.”

Businesses that are not currently Chamber members and are interested in taking advantage of the free subscription scheme are asked to register their interest as soon as possible by email to the Chamber’s Secretary, Philippa Luckhurst at info@romseychamber.co.uk, as the offer is limited to a maximum of 150 new members and is expected to be very popular.