The incoming members from Stocksbridge will also mean the Chamber’s membership tops 2,200.

Sheffield Chamber’s head of business development Paul Reeves said: “Every Chamber must sit at the very heart of its business community, while ensuring they reach out across that entire community, providing services, information and guidance to all members.

“This partnership is designed to develop a valuable business support package for local organisations in Stocksbridge.

“In addition, affiliate membership means the SBDF members have access to a raft of Chamber products and services from international trade and recruitment to networking, events and training.”

SBDF is a not-for-profit company which provides a bespoke advice service to local businesses in the Stocksbridge area with the objective of creating employment and training opportunities within the business community and business support capacity.

Jointly funded by the government & local businesses, the SBDF supports and encourages growth in both existing and new business by offering practical help and advice.

SBDF Chairman Chris Ward said: “The fact that SBDF is now also the hub office of Sheffield Chamber in Stocksbridge is potentially the most important milestone for our business community in the past decade.

“In a local business survey conducted in 2005, 95 per cent of our membership asked for a local presence of the Chamber in Stocksbridge – with this agreement we have delivered just that, making our organisation the first point of contact for business support in Stocksbridge and the surrounding area. 

“The new partnership working between SBDF and Sheffield Chamber can only bode well for the future of the Stocksbridge business community.”

(L – R) The Chamber’s Charles Grayson and Paul Reeves with SBDF’s Chris Ward and Hilary Gay