A chamber of commerce in a west Wiltshire town has relaunched as business leaders felt the former committee had lost its direction.

The new-look chamber in Bradford on Avon is hoping to drum up more members after more then 70 people gathered at its first social event at the Fat Fowl Restaurant in Silver Street last Wednesday.

Chairman Andrew Eberlin, a self-employed web designer, said: “A few of us have been getting involved in the last few months but felt there was no structure in place and it was not moving anywhere.

“We will hopefully encourage people to do business locally and to network and to use that as a springboard with the Wessex Association in Trowbridge.”

The new chamber, which comes under the umbrella of the Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce, was set up on March 2 and hopes to boost its membership to 100, from across the town and villages, such as Limpley Stoke, Winsley and Holt.

Mr Eberlin, who has been a member of the Bradford chamber for nearly two years, said: “ It’s a lot more lively and exciting.

“It’s still in the early days but if we can keep the momentum of the social going, then it will be very different.”

Membership also includes president John Upton, secretary David Allan, treasurer Mark Rendall, Jane Wragg in membership, Lee Orton in marketing, events co-ordinator Arleene Caddow, energy saving expert Mike Andrews, who deals with business-to-business relations and Peter Wragg, owner of the Widbrook Grange Hotel.

Mrs Wragg, who is co-owner of Widbrook Grange and sat on the former chamber committee, said: “We needed reforming because we lost our direction a bit.

“There is a new feeling about the chamber. It has opened its doors a bit and we now have to listen to businesses and see what they want us to do so that we can work together through this recession.”

There are currently 57 members with another ten expected to join after the social at the Fat Fowl. A spring ball has been organised for May.

Mr Orton, of Orton’s Jewellers in Market Street, said: “I think that, in this economic climate, it is better for businesses to have security in numbers.

“The chamber of commerce has put together a lot of people from all walks of life. It’s everything that makes a business really. It’s what the chamber of commerce should be about - information and support.

“The people who used to run it before were genuinely nice people but it was becoming a bit tired, that’s all.”

An annual general meeting will be held at the West Barn at 7pm on March 30.