Let's support one another in 2024

It’s the time of the year when we look back and reflect on the last twelve months and start to prepare for what the New Year has in store.

This year we saw a welcome return of face to face meetings, which have included social elements such as a friendly battle in the skittle alley to conversations over a meal.

Another meeting gave us the opportunity to hear from the new Cabinet member from Bath and North East Somerset Council who is responsible for economic development. Councillor Paul Roper said he was very pleased to have learned a lot about business activity in a rural area and members’ comments gave him much food for thought. We have also regularly made the case for more affordable housing and improved public transport which will be a benefit to all.

Those are just a few ways in which Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce helps our members and the wider business community as a whole – giving them a chance to meet up, make friends and useful contacts, share information and make their views known.

At the start of a New Year it’s worth making a point I have raised in the past and which was underlined recently by one of our members, Anthony McCormack, who runs Macstaff, his recruitment firm in Chew Stoke. He said that he regularly tells people if they want a thriving village it is vital to support local businesses, so that might mean attending events at the pub, buying from local suppliers, joining the Chamber of Commerce … and of course, using a local specialist recruiter to find the right people.

We certainly saw enthusiasm from visitors to this year’s Chew Valley Arts Trail, with many hundreds of people coming out to view and buy paintings and a vast array of creative work.

There is so much choice these days that it is sometimes tempting to just make a purchase online and have it delivered the next day. But we have such a wide variety of businesses in the Chew Valley that more often than not you can find what you want from a local supplier. That means you are doing your bit to support the local economy but you will also enjoy personal service and have the comfort of knowing who you are dealing with, not a faceless company on the internet.

Goods and services of all kinds are available in our villages so why not make a resolution this year to buy local, when you can. You will find some great service and help our businesses continue to thrive.

For more information about Chew Valley Chamber of Commerce please contact Sandy at 01275.333128, tintinna@aol.com or view the website: chewvalleychamber.co.uk