Business leaders celebrated the start of the Christmas season at the annual East Midlands Chamber Christmas lunch, which took place at the Athena, in Leicester.
The event attracted almost 400 guests, who enjoyed an afternoon of good food, fine company and entertainment.
There were opening addresses from recently-installed chamber president Dawn Edwards, while Professor David Mba, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise) and Dean of Computing, Engineering and Media at De Montfort University, spoke about its work helping tackle the threat of cyber crime.
Guests were also treated to songs from the Musical Village Choir and comedy from former Britain’s Got Talent finalist Micky P. Kerr.
The 2019 recipients of the chamber’s charitable fund, CHICKS and Twenty Twenty, both received an equal share of £2,429, raised by guests on the day.
The fund, which was set up in 2015, is administered by chamber member Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation.
Three new charities for 2020 were announced – with Chesterfield Canal Trust, The Mighty Creatives and the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association – which will all benefit from next year’s event.
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Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “The annual Christmas lunch is always an eagerly-anticipated occasion and the 2019 event certainly lived up to its billing.
“Businesses in this region work incredibly hard throughout the year so to be able to welcome so many guests from the business community to celebrate successes and usher in the festive period is great and to be able to make a meaningful difference to local charities in the process is the icing on the cake.”