A celebration of partnership, community organisations, and local business brought organisations together on 19th March as the North Manchester Business Network hosted their annual celebration at the home of their network at Arbeta in Central Park.

The evening gathered businesses, and community-focussed organisations to reflect on shared achievements, with highlights including an insightful panel discussion chaired by Nick Shepherd, Partnerships Manager at GM BGH. Bringing together representatives from Sisk, Navigators, Winning Hearts and Minds, and Manchester Chamber of Commerce,  and the presentation of this year’s award to the large business of the year.

Sponsored by GM Business Growth Hub, HMG Paints, and Sisk, the event showcased the collective spirit that underpins the network’s mission. As a community of mutually supportive and meaning driven businesses, everyone in attendance was committed to making North Manchester a more prosperous, inclusive, healthy, and sustainable place to live, learn, and work.

Guests were welcomed with relaxed networking, complementary glasses of bubbly and delicious food in the warm, modern surroundings of Arbeta—an ideal setting for building new relationships and celebrating local partnership.

Beckie Kirkland of FEC, chair of the network, opened with introductions and set the tone for an evening focussed on community on opportunity and shared purpose. Hosting duties were carried out with great energy by Rob Brown, Stakeholder Engagement Officer at Manchester City Council, who guided his audience through an agenda with that was full of insights.

The evening then moved into a panel discussion. Discussions explored the real-world benefits of being part of the North Manchester Business Network. Speakers shared examples of cross-sector collaboration, community-led initiatives, and the unique value that comes from businesses working alongside public and voluntary sector partners. 

The conversations were followed by the celebration’s key moment, the presentation of the Large Business of the Year Award, sponsored by the Hub. The network recognised Casey Group Construction for for their outstanding commitment to embedding social value into their operations. The Casey Group stood out for their dedication to North Manchester. They are role models in supporting local employment, training opportunities, volunteering initiatives and community projects 

The network also recognised other standout organisations, including End2End Talent Solutions, Equans, and Navigators, celebrating their contributions to the community and their active role in strengthening the collective mission.

Overall, the celebration reflected the core values that makes the North Manchester Business Network so valuable: connection, collaboration, and a shared commitment to making a positive difference.

If you'd like to know more about the work that North Manchester Business Network do, click the link below and see what great projects they support

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