A NORTH Yorkshire business network group celebrated its fourth birthday in style with prosecco and cupcakes.

The award-winning Thirsty Thursday group has been bringing Stokesley businesses together now for four years.

Sue Thompson, Stokesley business owner set up the networking group with her colleague Anna Addison in 2014. Since December 2017, Sue has been running it single handedly, continuing to expand the group with both Stokesley and surrounding village businesses.

The monthly event launched in November 2014 at The Mill in Stokesley and has maintained the vital link with the pub over the last four years. Having the support the successful businesses in Stokesley to provide a superb venue and delicious canapes for the networking event, has enabled Thirsty Thursday to remain free to all of its members and plan to stay that way in the future.

Over the last four years the network group has been shortlisted multiple times and won a Hambleton Business award as well as being successful in applying for funding from Hambleton District Council and York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership to help support the thriving network group.

Sue Thompson, Thirsty Thursday founder said: “I am always delighted to see lots of local Stokesley businesses continuing to support Thirsty Thursday, we will continue to help local businesses to get together for as long as there is an interest. We know many businesses have benefitted from meeting, networking and talking together to help grow, support and improve their businesses. Hear’s to the next four years.”

The next Thirsty Thursday event will be in 2019 after a Christmas break and will continue with a variety of speakers to the group speaking on a wide range of business-related topics.

For more information and to register your interest visit www.thirstythursdaystokesley.co.uk