WEYMOUTH and Portland Chamber of Commerce (WPCC) has officially joined forces with its countywide equivalent in the hope of boosting local business.

Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president Ian Girling and WPCC president Julie Cleaver signed an agreement to affiliate the two chambers at an executive meeting after months of discussions, and the chambers will now serve an estimated 850 local businesses.

It is now hoped the merger will result in a more powerful voice for local businesses to influence decision-makers, funding bodies, enterprise partnerships and the government.

Julie Cleaver, president of WPCC, said: “WPCC is very excited about this affiliation and is looking forward to a forging a close relationship with DCCI. We are one of the most vibrant town chambers in Dorset and this will give us a louder voice across the county.

“It won’t cost our members anything and will allow them to tap into the benefits that this affiliation will bring, such as the opportunity to network with a wider group of businesses across the whole county as well as such tangible benefits as access to training and support.”

Under the new partnership, the two organisations will now be able to work together in the development of further services to support and help businesses grow across the region, and members of WPCC will now be able to influence central Government’s business policies through the national chambers of commerce survey.

It is also hoped the closer links will mean greater business opportunities for members, more joint events and increased benefits in terms of wider services to support growth for members and the local economy.

Ian Girling, chief executive of DCCI, said: “This affiliation and exciting new relationship is a fundamental step forward for the chamber movement in Dorset.

“My view is that businesses need a clear voice. Working together in this way, we will start to develop a strong framework for both the delivery of services to support business growth and a platform for business engagement with stakeholders.

“This is an important day. Weymouth and Portland are the first to affiliate to DCCI in this way and have showed the vision to build a stronger voice for business. We will both retain our individuality and specific roles but standing together we are stronger.”