Enjoy wine with networking group

Professional Oldham

A NEW networking group is launching in Oldham, aimed at local business-owners, consultants and professionals.

The group is called Professional Oldham and has been launched by representatives of firms including Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers, which is sponsoring the first event in July.

The aim is to provide quality, enjoyable networking opportunities for businesses based in the area without the pressure for referrals or sales. The group is being partnered by Oldham Business Edge magazine, published by the Oldham Chronicle.

The first event is a wine-tasting evening with Oldham wine writer Simon Woods, whose CV includes writing about wine for the Financial Times. The event will be held at the Naked Bean cafe, next to Oldham Library, Greaves Street, on Thursday, July 7, from 6pm to 8pm.

Professional Oldham has been launched by Robbie MacDonald of Oldham Business Edge and the Oldham Evening Chronicle, Suzanne Wright of Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers, Bridget Batty of Limetree Public Relations, Stephanie Doherty of Caremark Oldham and Angela Higham of Dr Kershaw's Hospice.

Robbie said: "Professional Oldham is a new, quarterly networking group of like-minded, business owners and professionals, alongside growing and bigger businesses. The focus will be on informal networking. Guests will have the chance to talk about wider issues of interest to all. We aim to establish a group where consistent networking will be done.

"The events are being held quarterly, so there will be no onerous commitments for anyone to attend weekly or monthly events. We will be keen to hear what other people want from networking in Oldham."

Oldham born and bred, Simon Woods is a former computer industry worker who now writes and talks about wine professionally. In addition to writing for the Financial Times, he has edited the award-winning annual Which? Wine Guide and contributed to numerous magazines. He has also written a number of books about wine. These include 'I Don't Know Much About Wine But I Know What I Like', which received the Gold Label Award for Wine Book of the Year at the Prix du Champagne Lanson; and 'Vine to Bottle', which was chosen as the Best Book on Wine in English at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Mr Woods also writes an online blog and has been co-coordinator of the annual International Wine Challenge. He was awarded the International Online Wine Columnist of the Year prize at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers' Awards 2010.

Despite his expertise, Mr Woods promotes an unpretentious attitude to wine, believing it should be enjoyed by everyone regardless of their knowledge of wine.

He hosts tastings throughout the year, ranging from small informal talks to major corporate events. The presentations offer something for everyone - from novices to experienced drinkers, from consumers to those in the hospitality sectors.

Tickets for the wine-tasting event are £15 per person. For details, email: professionaloldham@outlook.com. Alternatively call Angela Higham on 0161 624 9984.