The Farnham Chamber of Commerce has been in existence for decades, originally as an independent body and then, with the establishment of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce, joined forces with that body. Surrey Chambers of Commerce were forced, at the end of the 20th Century, to make changes to its constitution to stay part of the British Chambers of Commerce. These changes would have brought our Chamber into a marginalized element within Surrey Chambers including the forfeiture of our own bank account.

Overwhelmingly our membership of the day rejected this proposal and Farnham Chamber reverted to independence in 2000.

As an independent Chamber it works specifically for businesses in the Farnham area. Our members include retailers, companies in the manufacturing sector, service providers, non-commercial organizations, local educational establishments and charities.

These are challenging times for all business, big or small. Whether your business is purely local to the Farnham area or is international, your business will benefit from you being connected to your local business community and with the area generally. The Chamber of Commerce can provide you with this vital link.

Businesses do not have any votes and do not elect members to any part of local or central government. Membership of the Chamber gives you this representation. The Chamber provides a channel of communication for businesses with local authorities and other organisations. We have regular meetings with Farnham Town Council, Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council as well as representation on Waverley Business Forum.

We have been at the forefront of debate on the proposed East Street Development. The Chamber also co-operates with other bodies running and supporting local events, such as Farnham in Bloom and the Farnham Carnival, which are important for the local community.

In addition to this the Chamber runs a series of events specifically for members. These include educational seminars and talks, networking meetings and purely social events. All members are encouraged to include all staff to participate in Chamber events as membership is not confined to one specified person but applies to everyone employed by the member firm or organisation.

The Chamber has a regular advertising slot in the Farnham Herald with priority rates for members. Our website, including our Business Briefings, keeps members informed and the Chamber encourages members to promote their businesses to each other as well as to non-members.

Membership also gives you a say on local issues such as parking, traffic management, regeneration, public transport and planning through representation at meetings held by Waverley Borough Council, Farnham Town Council and local pressure groups.