IN aid of improving business networks and inter-trading in the Marlborough Community Area, Marlborough Area Development Trust hosted a business networking breakfast on Tuesday at Kennet Valley Hall in Lockeridge.

The 7.30am event was well attended, with 30 people involved in small businesses in the area enjoying a full English breakfast, a stall on which to display marketing material, and the chance to network with other business people.

Similar events have been organised before, with a guest speaker giving a talk, but a new format was brought in, with two of the attendees drawn from a hat to give five-minute presentations about their businesses.

This gave them a chance to promote their organisation to other businesses and to build up local contacts.

The speakers at Tuesday's business breakfast were Katharine Graves and David Sloan.

Ms Graves is a practitioner of kinesiology, an alternative therapy that combines Chinese acupuncture with Western physiology to aid natural healing.

Mr Sloan was representing Marathon Mail and Duplication, a company which deals with photocopying, printing and distribution.

Caroline Brailey, from Kennet District Council, who organised the event along with MADT co-ordinator Caggy Canning, said of the breakfast meeting: "It went down well and we had some very positive feedback".

She said there was lots of networking both before and after the presentations.