A NEW chairman of Tavistock Chamber of Commerce was appointed this week, as the chamber puts troubled times behind it.
Following an emergency meeting last month to rally support for the struggling chamber, new members have joined and an executive committee has been formed to take the chamber forward.
New chairman Barry Highfield said: 'I was delighted, the increase in new members was encouraging to see — they are more than welcome.
'We clearly need to be a listening chamber, particularly listening to the traders.'
Mr Highfield said the chamber 'discussed at some length' measures to help traders in the town, including 'inter-trading meetings'.
Lyn Roberts, who is continuing as the chamber's treasurer, said: 'We have got 29 paid up members at the moment and 16 of them are new.
We have 31 members from last year who haven't yet renewed — effectively it's 60 members in all. That drive was definitely worth it.'
The other members of the executive committee are Dave McDowall, Robbie Valmarana, Philip Clarke, Philip Hartnoll and Roger James — Neil Woolcock remains president.
The chamber was officially suspended at the beginning of the year after no-one stepped forward to take the place of last year's chairman Ian Taylor.
The organisation had been running on a depleted committee of just four by the end of last year.