The chamber and more than 110 business representatives celebrated the 2023 year at the historic Turnbull’s Building.
Chamber chief executive Wendy Smith said time was spent networking and hearing about the fascinating past of the historic building from Roselyn Fauth, and the exciting plans for its future from Turnbull’s board chairman John Rolleston.
"To top it off we asked our members to bring vouchers for the Christmas Angels appeal and they donated over $3000 worth of local vouchers. What good sorts they all are."
The South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce has been serving the business community of South Canterbury for 117 years, offering its 520 member businesses training, networking, advocacy and a range of business support services and advice.
The chamber itself was a not-for-profit funded through modest membership fees and often relying on the larger businesses within the community to understand and value the importance of a strong ecosystem, Mrs Smith said.
"It is often when times are tough that businesses realise they need support, be it the challenging Covid times or when the economy becomes tight or simply a challenging HR or health and safety issue. It is at these times when the chamber’s support becomes critical."
