The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 170th year, marking nearly two centuries of dedicated service and advocacy for Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield’s business communities.
The remarkable milestone will be celebrated with the Mid Yorkshire Chamber’s annual dinner event, which will be held on 19th September at The Arches, Dean Clough and also include the presentation of the 2024 MY Award winners.
The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce was established in the 1850s by a group of local merchants at the Commissioners’ Rooms in South Parade, Huddersfield. Early meeting minutes reveal that members discussed issues such as the Factory Bill, partnership laws, British India affairs, and the need for a new town hall—establishing much of the foundations of Huddersfield as we know it today.
The Chamber’s legacy includes significant contributions during the Second World War, raising over £10,000 to fund three spitfires for the war effort, named Huddersfield One, Two and Three. The Chamber has also had significant international trade links with Canada, Venezuela and Columbia, supporting local firms to trade overseas and build strong connections abroad.
Over the decades, the Mid Yorkshire Chamber has evolved, starting as the Huddersfield Incorporated Chamber of Commerce in 1875 then becoming the Huddersfield and Spen Valley Incorporated Chamber of Commerce in 1967. In 1975 it changed again to the Kirklees Chamber of Commerce for a short time before widening scope to the Kirklees and Wakefield Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1977.
In 1992 there was a resolution to take in Calderdale Chamber of Commerce and Industry and change the name of the organisation to Mid Yorkshire. There were 2,800 members at that time. Finally in 1993, it became the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, as it is known today.
Today, it represents hundreds of firms across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, operating from premises at Pennine Business Park in Huddersfield and Bond Street in Wakefield.
Members are welcome to join the Chamber team on the 19 September 2024 to celebrate the anniversary with a three-course meal, the annual awards prizegiving and entertainment hosted by award-winning voice artist Paul Dela Ross at The Arches, Dean Clough.
Martin Hathaway, managing director of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “170 years is a major milestone, and I am proud of our current amazing team and all those before us for continuing the legacy of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. Connecting, supporting and representing the needs of local businesses has always been at the heart of our chamber and we are driven to continue this work for a long time to come.
“Our focus remains on providing an exceptional service to our members and attracting new ones in order to boost the local business network across our areas. I hope that you can join us this September to celebrate this incredible achievement.”
The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is one of 52 chambers nationally accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce, an organisation that unites UK Chambers to help firms of all sizes to achieve more than they could alone.
To book tickets for the annual dinner event, please visit: https://my-chamber.co.uk/event/my-awards-2024-and-chamber-celebration-dinner/
