WHO WE ARE
We are a group of local business owners who volunteer to support businesses in Shaftesbury and the surrounding area. We are predominantly made up of retail shop owners, but also accountants, a surveyor, lawyers, event organisers, designers ….we have a variety of skills and backgrounds!
As Shaftesbury’s Chamber of Commerce, which is a formal way of saying Shaftesbury’s Business Community, we are associated with Dorset Chamber of Commerce with all their services and networking opportunities.
THE CHAMBER POT
And as we’re always looking to find new ways to support local business, we’ve started The Chamber Pot, which is a one-off fund of £250 every quarter to help a small business grow and innovate. Click here to find out more: https://www.shaftesburychamber.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Shaftesbury-Chamber-Pot-Applications.pdf
WHAT WE DO
We support local business by:
- lobbying our county council and town council on matters that affect business in the town.
- we do joint initiatives with the Town Council to support the local economy
- we liaise with market organisers and act as a coordinator with High Street businesses
- we organise a Christmas Late Night Shopping event and the Christmas Market
- we give financial support to smaller, emerging ventures and new events
- we advise and help people wanting to open a business in town
- we liaise with landlords to keep up to date with their plans
- we attend local business forums and support business awards
- we respond to calls of help from the business community
- we support each other!
WE MEET ON THE FIRST THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH AT THE GROSVENOR ARMS!
TOWN CALENDAR
Sunday 4th May – Shaftesbury Feastival. All things foodie, over 80 stalls, talks by cookery writers, demonstrations top chefs and The Cheese Race returns!! Hosted by the Chamber, fun for young and older, where intrepid participants run up our famous Gold Hill with truckles of cheese! Held on the High Street, Park Walk and Gold Hill. The High Street from The Commons to Angel Square, together with Gold Hill will be closed to traffic all day.
Also, the Byzant Walk will take place at 2pm, where Shaftesbury celebrates the ancient custom of thanking the people of Enmore Green for allowing Shaftesbury access to their wells for the provision of water. Meet outside the Town Hall.
Monday 23rd June – Sunday 29th June – Chalke History Festival, Broad Chalke, Wiltshire. www.chalkefestival.com
Friday 18th July – Sunday 20th July – Shaftesbury Fringe. Street theatre, comedy, live music and artistic endeavours galore will be celebrated in a myriad venues, both expected and unexpected! The High Street will be closed over the weekend, see website for details. www.shaftesburyfringe.co.uk
Sunday August 3rd – Eat:Shaftesbury. The very popular Eat series of food festivals returns to Shaftesbury for its second year. Park Walk only.
MEMBERS’ AREA
You will be asked for your members password to access the following pages.
Latest news and info
Latest news and info
Minutes of the last four meetings
Agenda for next meeting
Forthcoming networking events
Looking to start a business in Shaftesbury?
AGENTS:
Wooley & Wallis:
Myddelton & Major
Goadsby
Lawyers:
Farnfields
Rutters
Blanchards Bailey
Maclachlan
Trethowan
Accountants:
Hub Accountants
Ward Goodman
Andrews & Palmer
Town Information
First Sunday market: 13th April 2025, then 2nd Sunday of the month until October, no market in November (Remembrance Sunday)
Shaftesbury Feastival: 4th May
Shaftesbury Fringe: 25th – 27th July
Eat: Shaftesbury: 3rd August
Shaftesbury Carnival: 27th September
Christmas Lights Switch-on Event: 24th November
Christmas Late Night Shopping: 11th December
Christmas Market: 14th December
Expert Tips
- How does your website fare in searches and how you can boost its chances of being seen?
- 1. Any words in your search query need to be on the front page for them to appear.
2. If your site hasn’t been updated in a while, think what you could refresh as Google favours sites that have recent updates.
3. Searching and scrolling through search results until you find your company and clicking on it regularly helps as Google favours sites that have been visited recently.
4. Go to more than one page on your site and don’t click on any competitors after your search or you will boost them instead.
5. Links from trusted sites to your company’s site are the best way to get to the top but obviously difficult to achieve.
6. So, taking a look at the wording on the front page is a quick win. Putting contact info on the front page also helps boost visibility.
Off The High Street
- If you have a business on one of our estates or at a nearby commercial centre in one of our surrounding villages and have info you’d like to share with your business community, let us know – we’ll put it up here and start a local network noticeboard.
Business Reports and Surveys
We are an Associated Town Chamber of Dorset Chamber, accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce.