Exciting future for Oswestry
A 'big, little town' has an exciting future ahead of it, according to the new chairman of its Chamber of Commerce.
Mark Derham says a multi-million pound road improvement scheme and the chance to become a Business Improvement District will help Oswestry to attract more residents and more businesses.
A meeting of Oswestry's Chamber of Commerce will be held at the town's Wynnstay Hotel at 6pm tonight and Mr Derham says he would like to hear from members and non-members on what they would like from the organisation.
An Oswestry resident for the last decade, Mr Derham runs Bridge Coffee, a coffee wholesaler and vending company.
"Oswestry is well placed to grow and develop," he said.
"It is a big, little town with an exciting future."
"We had news of a £9 million government grant for road improvements last week and the ballot on Oswestry becoming a BID town is underway.
"The chamber is not part of BID, we purely helped facilitate it in the early stages. I believe it would be good for Oswestry and I sincerely hope it goes ahead."
Mr Derham said he would like to see the Chamber of Commerce attract more members, not only those with town centre businesses but the bigger firms and those on Oswestry's industrial estate and business parks.
"We want to hear from members and non-members on what they would like from the chamber. Do we continue with regular monthly meetings or look at other ways of getting people together."
He said the organisation had had some real successes in the past 12 months, particularly working with Oswestry Town Council to bring free parking to the town each afternoon in December.
"Talking to businesses they definitely noticed that the town and shops were busier," he said.
"We also held some excellent workshops including a very well attended one on using social media and a presentation by West Mercia police on cyber crime."
More information on the chamber is available from its website http://oswestrychamber.org.uk/
