Event: A LEP Year: A Great Yarmouth Breakfast

Over 70 members attended our sold out Great Yarmouth Business Breakfast on the 3 April. Our host Ian Hacon, Norfolk Chamber President started the breakfast off by introducing our featured charity Great Yarmouth &Waveney Mind. An ice breaker activity ‘guess my CV’ followed. Delegates had to write down their most interesting job and place it in a bowl. There was much laughter across the room as delegates then had to each take a piece of paper and guess whose job was whose.

The Comfort Hotel supplied a fantastic venue for the event and networking carried on over a delicious full English breakfast. Safari Networking allowed delegates to move around the room and network with a new group of people. Business cards were exchanged and delegates made new connections.

Mark Pendlington, Chairman Designate of New Anglia LEP was set to speak but at the last moment had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister, David Cameron and has taken the opportunity to reinforce at the highest level the business case New Anglia LEP are making for growth funding, and to share a number of the challenges and opportunities facing New Anglia. We were pleased to have Chris Starkie, Managing Director, New Anglia LEP deliver an engaging speech on ‘Going for Growth.’

Chris Starkie shared the successes New Anglia LEP have experienced locally in the past year and his aims for the next 12 months. Chris Starkie said: ‘Our main focus being on key sectors who have the ability for quick growth.’ Chris encouraged all businesses to find out about the growing business grants available to them. A great example of Pasta Foods, represented at the breakfast, having just won a £500k grant.

There was a great atmosphere across the event as the event closed and delegates stayed to network with the contacts they had just made. With local delegates commenting on how great the breakfast was as they departed. Norwich delegates commented on how pleased they were to make the journey for such a fantastic morning.

Robert Ashton, Barefoot Entrepreneur said: ‘A bullish post-brekkie talk by New Anglia today. We hear it first theNorfolk Chamber. As ever!’

Photos from the event can be viewed on facebook.