Business Network Goes From Strength To Strength

A powerful new Network, set up to boost business in Oxfordshire?s towns, is celebrating another big jump in its membership.
Witney & District Chamber of Commerce and The Henley Partnership Ltd have now agreed to join the Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network (www.otcn.co.uk), taking its total membership to 15 organisations across the county, including Thame Chamber of Commerce.
Between them, these 15 organisations have more than 1,200 business members.

The two newcomers join town Chambers or business groups in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Burford, Carterton, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Didcot, Faringdon, Oxford, Thame, Wantage, and Woodstock as members.

OTCN co-founder John Naish says: ?This is a real boost for what is becoming an increasingly powerful and active business network for Oxfordshire. We?re delighted to welcome Henley and Witney to the Network to add their expertise and experience of working for the benefit of their town and its businesses, to that of the 13 town chambers and business groups already playing an active role with us.?

Chairman of The Henley Partnership Ltd, Errol Facy says: ?The Henley Partnership is delighted to join the OTCN. We all do our best to support and develop our own towns, but there are matters that affect us all. The Network helps us prioritise and focus on the key issues with a collective voice. It also saves each of us re-inventing the wheel by exchanging what we’ve done and how we achieved things. ?

Chairman of Witney Chamber, Lesley Semaine, says: ?Witney & District Chamber has joined the Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network so that we can give our business community more commitment on their behalf. Joining the other fourteen town chambers and business groups makes us stronger and with their help, we can be more influential in dealing with our members? issues.?

The Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network aims to help its member organisations share ideas, best practice, and experience of common issues that they are tackling in their towns in Oxfordshire, and engage the groups in lobbying local authorities and other decision makers.

Three events networks: The Oxfordshire Womens Forum, The Late Breakfast and Wantage & District Business Breakfast Club have also joined, while three other town business groups in the county are discussing membership.

The Network has been launched with a web portal to promote its member groups and their websites at www.otcn.co.uk. It is encouraging its member groups to develop their online presence. Most recently Faringdon Chamber (www.faringdonchamber.com) and OX1 (www.ox1.uk.com) have new sites. OTCN has built a page for Charlbury and Witney Chambers on the Network?s own site.