There's a difference between 'urgent' and 'important' ... and one of the things that we sometimes do is get bogged down in the urgent without looking ahead to the longer term important. Here is a piece I have just written for the "Party in the Park" program ...

A message from the Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Did you realise that there are over 400 businesses in Melksham - from the large companies such as Cooper Avon and Knorr-Bremse through to sole traders working from home? Did you know that if you phone to respond to a charity appeal for an international emergency you may be calling Melksham, or that if you want to learn how to program for computer games, you could end up on a course in the town? Whether you're shopping in the town centre or contacting a firm in one of the industrial areas ... whether you're shopping on line or in person ... whether you're buying a product or a service ... Melksham has a great deal to offer.

We live in changing times. The recession has dramatically changed the operating model of many businesses, but there are local factors too. Melksham is earmarked to grow, with 100 acres marked for probable development. Traffic on the A350 will surely increase if and when Westbury is bypassed and the route becomes more attractive for lorries that currently travel through Bath. Recent changes in local government mean that the old District Council's functions have been taken over by the new unitary Wiltshire Council, with an 'Area board' covering Melksham Town and the surrounding area having its first meetings this Spring.

I was elected as president of the Melksham Chamber of Commerce late last year. I'm passionate about the town, and its future. Melksham is a diverse, friendly town and I am proud to represent it, to advocate its case for the future, and to encourage and help its businesses for the present through advise and networking. And I am delighted to admit that by helping Melksham, I help my own business - customers who buy in Melksham don't do so just from a single source - with a wide ranging, attractive and friendly combination of shops and services, they make Melksham as a whole their destination.

Melksham Chamber of Commerce is organising the "Spot the Oddity" competition for local traders that's running until 31st July in parallel with the Carnival and Party in the Park. That brings more visitors to town centre shops. We will be representing the businesses of the town at the West Wilts show from 23rd to 25th July in Trowbridge. We are organising a new businesses competition - a prize of 1000 pounds is offered for the Melksham area, with the winner going forward to the Wessex Association of Chambers final for a possible further prize. And we put the case for the town's businesses at meetings as diverse as the police budget consultation, town centre improvement committees, and planning hearings. At times the process may feel slow, yet I can already look back having been the President for just a few months and say that we can and do make a difference.

If you're a local business that's not already a member of the Chamber, then please join us. We're looking at the future of the town - where we will be in a year, or five, or ten. Do we want Melksham to be a dormitory town for Greater Chippenham and Greater Trowbridge, or a town with its own heart? Do we want a town centre that's throttled by traffic trying to park, a town centre that's mouse-quiet while traffic clogs up the bypass, or something else? The direction we take things may not be urgent, this week or next - but it is important for our future and our children's future.

See Upcoming Melksham events including Chamber of Commerce ones!

---

Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry - founder member of the Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce.

Member services and benefits include:
* Regular networking with other local businesses
* Promotion and publicity for members
* Have a voice on local issues, and up to a national level with Wessex Association backing
* Regular training days on anything from Waste disposal to health and safety (often in association with other towns)
* Discounts and special deals for members from other members - 'worth hundreds'

We are open to all businesses no matter how small; membership fees are on a sliding scale based on the number of employees.

If you are reading this article ... email me if you are thinking of joining ... if you're a Melksham business, you should!
(written 2009-06-28 22:50:55)

 Z402 - Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry
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Forward to Tcl - nice and nasty

Learning about others private lives
Mysqldump fails as a cron job - a work around
History is not always pretty
Tcl - nice and nasty
Important - the future of Melksham / Chamber of Commerce
Grouping rows for a summary report - MySQL and PHP
Questions I have been asked on answering the phone
Ramblings on church and state linkage in Melksham
Is it Python past cheetah already?
Past PHP delegates / others - coding help needed for next 3 months