A NETWORKING event at Huntingdon Racecourse raised more than £2,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).

The Ultimate Networking Event, set up by Flex-Able Group’s managing director Richard Vanbergen, attracted almost 80 businessmen from the area to the Brampton venue last Thursday (May 16).

Percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie spoke about tailoring her performances and working as part of a team and former Team GB blind footballer David Clarke talked about his life and desire to succeed in football.

Huntingdon MP Jonathon Djanogly also spoke about Huntingdonshire’s economy, and its benefits to the national outlook. He added that the future for businesses looked promising.

The event, sponsored by The Jockey Club and the Vindis Audi Group, was held in honour of EACH.

Mr Vanbergen said: “We were really pleased about how it went and raised more than a couple of thousands pounds for EACH through tickets, stand sales and auction on the day.

“At these events you find that if someone isn’t enjoying it then they’ll leave but no-one did. Afterwards people told me that they had been inspired by both our speakers which was a main thing.”

During the event, Steve Millward, general manager of Bentley Cambridge, part of the Vindis Group which has salesrooms in Huntingdon, was presented with an award for raising more than £10,000 for EACH.

Mr Vanbergen has already set up a PA event in Cambridge and is baulked by the success of his inaugural Ultimate Networking Event that he is working on a second.

“This event is going to be a hard act to follow,” he told The Hunts Post, which supported the event. “We have already been offered a space for it.

“The hard bit will be to find two more speakers who will be as good.”