THE formation of Kent Gateway Chamber is the latest move in the chamber movement's bid to restore credibility.

The hard-won reputation of chambers in the county was damaged by turmoil over the creation of a Kent Chamber of Commerce in the 1990s and its subsequent financial collapse in 1998 with debts of more than £100,000.

It left a legacy of bitterness from which the chamber movement has found it hard to recover. There were other blows too.

Kent Maritime chamber, an amalgamation of east Kent chambers, also went bust two years ago after just 18 months in business.

It cost participating chambers a lot of money because, unusually and dangerously, they had decided to pool their financial assets.

It was a route to disaster that Dover Chamber had wisely seen coming pulled out months before Kent Maritime collapsed.

Then there were the allegations of theft of around £30,000 from Maidstone and Mid Kent Chamber after the sudden disappearance of its high-profile chief executive Bill Alder.

There were rumours the money had gone through misuse of a company credit card.

Maidstone police have wanted to question Mr Alder about the allegation since his disappearance.

The dent to the chamber's reputation and the hole in its accounts led directly to the demise of the chamber two years ago, an humiliation for the county town with a proud chamber history.

Ashford chamber stepped in and took over the Maidstone chamber, but not before a row over the location of the presidential chain had captured the headlines. It was eventually agreed the chain should be placed in Maidstone Museum, but that was delayed by a dispute with the liquidators.

However, the situation is now improving, with the formation of Kent Invicta chamber to embrace Maidstone, Canterbury and Ashford chambers. New town centre premises in Maidstone are about to be confirmed, and there is hope for a bright new future.

Channel Chamber has signalled by a change of name - formerly Shepway Chamber - that it wants to go places. It would like Dover to join, and has links with smaller town chambers. It also has Tory leader and local MP Michael Howard as a president.

It was once said that there were more chambers in Kent than the whole of Germany. It is doubtful whether that is now true, although there are still a lot of smaller town chambers that do not want to get too involved with the bigger picture, preferring to focus on their own local needs and the interests of their town.

The British Chamber of Commerce is now a powerful lobbying force and only local chambers with critical mass are accredited.

The coming together of Kent chambers makes sense in terms of accreditation and influence.

Many contrast the British chamber movement unfavourably with the Continent where firms are obliged to join and where chambers have more clout than over here.

Just look at Lille Chamber of Commerce for example and you see a powerhouse of influence with ex-Prime Ministers involved and a multi-million euro turnover.

But most firms in the UK do not want compulsion. They would rather sign up to a movement they feel deserves their support than be compelled to join one that doesn't.

Kent's tortured chamber history, which frustrated national chamber chiefs, was of course noticed by the county's business community. Members left the movement, and many more declined to sign up.

In many places, on average barely 10 per cent are members, the faith of others dented by the history and the perception that chambers have little to offer. But in one or two hot spots, membership is picking up well.

Kent Gateway must now show it is worthy of increased support, and make a real difference to business across the county.