It doesn’t matter what type of business you are running, it will do better if you create a strong team. It’s the same with operating as one of many businesses in a town like Axminster. Work together and you have a better overall chance of success.

Over the last year, we have re-established the Chamber as an organisation that makes a difference in a variety of ways: 

• Through Totally Locally Axminster, we have constantly pressed the case for shopping, eating, drinking and generally thinking ‘local’
• We have established a new business directory (www.axminsterbusinessdirectory.co.uk) that already has some 70 participants
• We have boosted the street scene with colourful banners and community-owned picnic tables
• We have worked alongside Axminster Town Council on several fronts, notably in campaigning for the town to have a shared banking hub following the closure of our last main bank. A hub has now been promised later this year
• We have surveyed landlords and agents to create a database of available commercial properties
• We have run workshops to help small business owners build personal resilience
• We have worked with with the Community Waffle House to run a Christmas grotto at Trinity House.

In 2023, we want to maintain all this momentum and also have plans to trial business breakfasts, and extend Totally Locally Axminster’s street banners to create an Axminster Trail covering other streets, We will also be exploring how we might assist with training needs.

We can, however, only maintain our work at this level if we now raise funds by asking businesses like yours to pay for membership.