The year 2007 has been a bumper year at the Chamber with around 80 new businesses joining. Throughout the year we have offered members an unrivalled schedule of 23 networking events. These range from Bigger Breakfasts to informative luncheons and just recently the Gala Ball, held in association with St Ann’s Hospice.

Earlier this year the quarterly Chamber magazine ‘Altruism’ was revamped and the circulation doubled which has proved to be hugely successful.  We are delighted that members see this as such a useful publication in which to advertise and many of our members now have regular adverts. The next magazine will be out mid January and is packed with news stories and advertising.  Do please keep sending those news stories for future publications and reserve advertising space well in advance to avoid any disappointment.

The new website has proved to be a big ‘hit’, keeping members fully up to date with what is happening at the Chamber and helping to generate more members.  For details on how to sponsor this regular e-news, do please contact the Chamber office.

With membership over the last 12 months increasing so significantly, we now have such a diverse selection of businesses all focused on promoting business within South Trafford.  At all of the events it is pleasing to see long standing members as well as new all networking together.

As we look ahead to 2008, we have already outlined the schedule of networking events.  The New Year lunch will be held on Friday 8 February at Mere Golf & Country Club.  The speaker will be Graham Brady MP, Vice Patron of the Chamber.  Graham has spoken at the New Year lunch since 1998 and always delivers an extremely informative speech.  The sponsor for the lunch is Milner Boardman.

The first Bigger Breakfast for 2008 will be held at Cresta Court on Wednesday 5 March and is being jointly sponsored by Cresta Court and PricewaterhouseCoopersLLP.  The topic is ‘What’s in it for me?’, tax and other issues for the family business owner.

For up-to-date details of all networking events, please look on the website www.altrinchamchamber.co.uk .  As a Chamber member if you have any specific topics that you would like covered at a future event, do please let us know.  The Chamber is only successful by listening and responding to the members. 

I would like remind members that we have the Christmas lunch coming up on Friday 7 December at the RadissonSAS at Manchester Airport.  The guest speaker will be celebrity Chef Simon Rimmer.  Many members have already confirmed their bookings – in fact we have over 100 guests planning to attend!  The Radisson does offer some car parking, however maybe some members might consider ‘car share’, taxi or for those members coming in from Manchester, the train.  The reception for the lunch is at the slightly earlier time of 11.45hrs.  (Please note that cut off date for final numbers for the lunch is midday on Weds 5 December!)

Finally I would like to sign off for 2007 by thanking members for their continued support and reminding you that the Chamber still has some fabulous sponsorship deals available for 2008!

A Merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year to you all from everybody at the Chamber Office!