Today I have resigned as chairman of my breakfast group. It was with some reluctance and sadness, as I have enjoyed the position, but I felt it was time for fresh blood! There was also a feeling of relief as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

It’s an empowering experience being responsible for the smooth running of an organisation. I particularly enjoyed hosting the three Open Meetings which occurred whilst I was chair. As a group we got a lot of positive feedback from each event. My biggest compliment was from a serial networker who praised me for running the meeting efficiently and to a tight schedule. In fact he said it was the first meeting he had been to where all the participants kept to the allotted time!

It was difficult and frustrating at times, chairing through the recession as inevitably we lost members, however, we did recruit some new members as well.

I wish good luck to our new chair Robin Phelps, who I am sure will take the group forward with his vast business experience and wonderful sense of humour! Finally I would like to thank all the members for their help and assistance over the last 15 months.

What a fantastic meeting yesterday! Ed Stivala was a real hit with everyone, his knowledge of social media is stunning! His presentation was full of facts, humour and surprises. We received requests for him to return perhaps with more specific guidance.

Ed said next time it should be more of a workshop with participation in the shape of small groups, working together to get a fuller understanding of how it may benefit the small business.

The number attending exceeded our expectations and the feedback was very encouraging!