The new Bolton and Bury Chamber is restructuring itself into a dedicated business support agency for the two towns.

It aims to focus totally on the needs of its members and the wider business community.

Chief Executive Richard Bindless said today: "From now on our emphasis will be to help develop local businesses to build a prosperous local economy and a workforce with world class skills.

"We intend to redouble our efforts on preparing people to work in local companies and also re-training and developing those people who are already in work."

He said recent consultations with Chamber members and employees had given a firm direction to a recent strategic review.

"As a consequence we will create a powerful new business support agency - responding to the needs of our local business customers.

"We expect to complete the restructuring by early summer."

He went on: "We recognise that some of our non-business activities deflect from this single purpose and we need to reassess our contributions in these areas."

The Chamber intends to spend the next few months exploring new arrangements with local partners.

Bolton and Bury Chamber was created last October through a merger between Bolton and Bury Chamber of Commerce and Bolton Bury Training and Enterprise Council, including Business Link.

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