DEVIZES Chamber of Commerce looks like being more of a fun organisation to belong to after bookshop owner Jo Edwards was elected chairman at its annual meeting on Monday evening.

Mrs Edwards, 38, formerly Jo Batchelor until she married Peter Edwards in March this year, is also chairman of the Wharf Theatre and is a stalwart of Devizes Carnival, the Devizes Development Partnership, Devizes Film Club and the committee looking at how Devizes is going to celebrate the Queen's golden jubilee next year.

She has been involved with the Chamber of Commerce for about four years and agreed to take over as chairman when the last holder of the post, Maurice Came, decided to retire.

Mrs Edwards said: "The chamber has drifted a little recently and people don't really understand what it does. We are now embarking on a big recruitment drive to get more local businesses to join up and get those who are already members to take a more active part."

The chamber has been undertaking more fundraising recently, including a massively successful fashion show, organised by member Judy Podger, which raised more than £600.

Mrs Edwards said: "I would like the chamber to be less serious and stodgy and to start arranging some fundraising events that will be fun to take part in as well as raising money for local good causes.

"I hope these groups will continue to approach us for financial assistance."

The first of the fun fund-raising events will take place on January 23 when chamber members will be asked to take part in a Jail and Bail event.

They will be arrested and taken to a "prison" probably a local pub where refreshments and entertainment will be laid on) and given use of a phone to call up their friends to try to arrange "bail" of £500, which will go to cancer research.

The formerly regular skittles league between Devizes, Marlborough and Pewsey chambers of commerce will be re-established and chamber members will be urged to attend regular lunchtime meetings to discuss matters both serious and social.