Affiliated Chambers

Dorchester Chamber for Business

www.dorchesterchamber.co.uk We play an active role helping to promote local business and enterprise, representing a wide range of businesses both large and small. Our priority is to help our members work together to boost trade. In addition, we are also working with community partners on our Retain & Retrain campaign to promote apprenticeships and similar initiatives to further enhance employability in Dorchester.

Bridport Chamber of Trade and Commerce - Bridport Business

www.bridportbusiness.org.uk A Voice and a Champion for businesses in Bridport.

Our mission is to ensure that Bridport provides the ideal environment for businesses to thrive and supply the goods and services the town and surrounding area need to remain economically vibrant.

Our vision is that the Chamber will represent and work with the business community and others to promote the town and increase prosperity for our members.

Membership provides access to networking events, email updates, free online promotion and the chance to raise the profile of your business.

Shaftesbury Chamber of Commerce

www.shaftesburychamber.co.uk The Shaftesbury Chamber has around 100 members from its two business parks and independent High Street businesses. They hold monthly networking meetings and are very active in the development of the town’s economy. Unlike many other towns, Christmas lights and activities are entirely run and paid for by Chamber members.

Sherborne Chamber of Trade and Commerce

www.sherbornechamber.co.uk The Sherborne Chamber of Commerce exists to promote its members’ businesses and the wider business community. It has a membership in excess of 150. The Chamber is involved in just about every event that takes place in the town, supporting the Sherborne community, attracting media interest and creating a memorable experience for visitors to the town.

SturBiz - Sturminster Newton Chamber of Commerce

www.facebook.com/SturBiz The Sturminster Newton Chamber of Commerce was set up in 2018 and named SturBiz for simplicity. Its Mission is to promote and enhance Sturminster Newton and surrounding area’s economy and its businesses and support a thriving and effective business community.

Swanage & District Chamber of Trade

www.swanagechamberoftrade.co.uk Swanage Information Centre won another award in the South West England Tourism Excellence Awards and now holds a Gold and Bronze Award for Visitor Information Service of the Year. Swanage Town Council has funded and refurbished the Information Centre and four of the twelve toilet blocks in the town. It is great to see in this current climate investment in facilities that give a better visitor experience for people visiting Swanage.

Weymouth & Portland Chamber of Commerce

www.wpchamber.co.uk The Chamber has been supporting firms in Weymouth and Portland for 100 years. We’ve helped many people to find their feet in the local business community, by providing an environment where they can connect with likeminded people. In recent years we’ve represented the concerns of businesses to the local councils, contributing to a significant cut in the cost of car parking charges.

#GetBusinessDone

Dorchester gets a ground-breaking new App!

Dorchester now has a great new resource for locals and visitors. Key Digital working with The Dorchester Business Improvement (DBID) in partnership with Dorchester Town Council has launched an exciting, feature-rich smartphone App which should prove to be a real hit with both visitors to Dorchester and the local community.

Phil Gordon, DBID Project Director told us “This is a fantastic tool to provide you with information about almost anything you might want to know to help make your visit to town an enjoyable one. With great innovation and a lot of hard work, especially by the team at Key Digital, I think we have produced something incredibly special for our County Town!

Dorset Council have now closed the TIC in the library and so, the timing of this project could not have been any better – You can think of it as a kind of……… TIC in your pocket! The DBID also set up a network of Tourist Information Points around town (TIP’s) in shops and attractions in town that will continue to stock some literature for visitors to town.”

The brand-new smart phone App for Dorchester, called ‘Discover Dorchester’, is designed and built in Dorchester.

The purpose of the ‘Discover Dorchester App’ is to promote the town, its heritage, attractions and the town’s businesses. Firstly, for visitors coming (or thinking of coming) to the South West, so that they can discover how much there is to see and do in Dorchester, plan an itinerary, or just navigate around town when they arrive.

Secondly, for the local population, to be informed about events and special offers in town, make a list of their favourite places/shops or just explore and discover new shops or other businesses around town centre.

David Lakins, Owner of Key Digital “As a local digital agency I am delighted the Key Digital Agency team were given the opportunity to deliver such an innovative solution to help the visitor economy of Dorchester bounce back after lockdown”.

Neil Strudwick DBID Chairman states “The Dorchester BID started discussing the idea with our digital partners (Poundbury-based Key Digital) some time before Christmas as they had already developed an App for a holiday park client and felt that with some further development, it could work well for Dorchester! DBID had discussions about the proposed App with Dorchester Town Council early this year and we were delighted to learn that they would like to partner with us and jointly fund the App project”.

Dr Jon Murden, newly appointed Chairman of the Dorchester Tourism Partnership and Director of the totally refurbished Dorset Museum that re-opens on the 28th May comments “The Discover Dorchester app is a fantastic innovation and gives you an instant connection in the palm of your hand with everything that Dorchester has to offer”.

Cllr Gareth Jones, Mayor of Dorchester said “The new Discover Dorchester app is an impressive resource for visitors to the town, helping them to get the most from their visit to the town. The wide range of town information will be equally valuable to residents. The Town Council is delighted to be partnering with the Dorchester BID in this exciting initiative”.

The ‘Discover Dorchester’ App officially launched during English Tourism Week in May and is now available to download from both the App Store and Play Stores. If you prefer you can simply scan the QR code on the attached image and this will take you to the right place to download your FREE copy of the ‘Discover Dorchester’ App. www.key.digital