Shropshire Chamber of Commerce has spelled out its vision for 2025, promising to help businesses of all sizes to ‘navigate challenges and seize opportunities’ in the months ahead.
Chief executive Ruth Ross spoke to members at the Chamber’s annual general meeting and Christmas lunch, held at Hawkstone Hall near Wem.
She said: “My vision for the coming year is clear – I want to deepen our connection with members, and ensure their needs remain at the heart of everything we do.
“We know that businesses thrive when they feel supported, valued, and empowered, and our commitment is to ‘love our members more’ by delivering even greater value, fostering meaningful engagement, and promoting their success across Shropshire and beyond.
“The next 12 months will see us strengthening our core services, investing in the right people and processes, and working tirelessly to stabilise and grow our membership base.
“We will focus on being a partner you can rely on – not just to navigate challenges, but to seize opportunities.
“By amplifying your voices and demonstrating the tangible impact of your contributions, we aim to inspire confidence and build a community where businesses of all sizes feel they belong.”
The Chamber racked up over 343,000 member engagements this year, with more than 1,600 attendees at its breakfast clubs – where numbers were 21% up on the previous year. It has also held 93 training courses, supporting nearly 750 delegates.
Ruth revealed the Chamber had big plans to mark the 25th anniversary of its annual business awards in 2025, and urged companies to sign up for the launch event on January 23 at Hatfields in Shrewsbury to be among the first to find out what is in store.
She told the meeting: “This is an important time for Shropshire Chamber, and together we will lay the foundation for a future where our Chamber is not just bigger, but bolder – recognised for leading positive change and delivering real results.
“Let’s move forward united, with a shared purpose to make Shropshire a place where businesses and communities flourish together.”
Shropshire Chamber president Piran Littleton thanked the Chamber’s members, patrons, directors and stakeholders for their support during ‘a busy and packed year’ – and the Chamber team for consistently delivering quality events.
“With everything that is happening in the world right now, the importance of a membership organisation like the Chamber is more prevalent. It’s not just about what you can get out of the membership, but what members give back as well.”
Ruth Ross, alongside Matt Small of Aico in Oswestry, were re-elected at the meeting to serve further three-year terms as Chamber directors, and a special thanks was given to Chris Pallett of Bespoke Computing who has stepped down from the board after a six-year term.
The annual meeting was followed by a Christmas lunch for members and supporters, where a raffle raised more than £1,000 for local children’s respite charity Hope House.
Ruth said the choice reflected the Chamber’s commitment to supporting causes that resonated with our members, the community, and the values of compassion and care that are especially significant during the festive season.
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