High profile speakers lined up for prestigious Uckfield meeting
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Two high profile speakers have been lined up for a prestigious business meeting to be held in Uckfield and attended by Chamber of Commerce members from across Sussex.
They are Nicholas Soames, MP for Mid Sussex and grandson of Winston Churchill, and Martin Perry, chief executive of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.
Plans for the event were announced at the annual meeting of Uckfield Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, March 31, which was attended by about 90 members and held at Uckfield Community Technology College.
President Peter Gale, from Swindells accountants and tax specialists, said the lunch-time networking event would take place on Friday, October 14, at Buxted Park Hotel.
“It should be a great day for members of our chamber and a super networking opportunity,” he added.
This will be the third annual gathering of Sussex chamber members following one in Crawley and another in Eastbourne.
During Thursday’s meeting Mr Gale was re-elected president of Uckfield Chamber of Commerce. Clive Pritchard and Richard Page were re-elected to share the position of treasurer and Ian Blackaller is to continue as secretary.
The chamber has more than 200 members and three new ones were welcomed on Thursday, Maria Cornwall of The Beauty Spot, Emma Flaherty of the Highlands Inn and Lynn Ascroft of Crockstead Farm Hotel. Maria and Emma gave introductory talks.
Presentations were given by Nick Holdcroft of Horlock Holdcroft Financial, Ceris Burns of Ceris Burns International, a PR company specialising in the cleaning industry, and Judy Bowen-Jones of the Holloway Acupuncture Clinic.
Host for the evening Uckfield Community Technology College principal Hugh Hennebry spoke of progress in raising funds for a “top of the range” all weather sports pitch at the college.
He said the pitch would cost between £440,000 and £480,000 and £350,000 was already available.
A further £100,000 was needed and he hoped the Uckfield community would get involved in raising the money.
Sports to be accommodated include football, rugby, hockey, cricket, tennis and athletics.
A full planning application should be submitted at the end of May with a decision known in July.
Mr Hennebry said: “We want to make this the Uckfield, and local area, legacy to run alongside the 2012 Olympic Games.
"This will be a community facility with the majority of use being for the community in terms of evenings and weekends and we hope everybody will get involved with the fund-raising."
Mr Hennebry said slices of turf would be sold, there would be opportunities for advertising on boards around the pitch and corporate sponsorship would be welcomed.
The next Uckfield Chamber of Commerce meeting is to be held on Thursday, May 5, at the Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Station.
See also:
Uckfield Mayor invites residents for coffee before meeting
(Added to site Tuesday, April 5th, 2011)
