More than 100 business leaders meet to hear about how they can make Portsmouth the UK's premier place to do business at Shaping Portsmouth's Business Leaders' Group

The event, which took place at the Queens Hotel in Southsea on Thursday, saw speeches from Shaping Portsmouth’s CEO Stef Nienaltowski, and Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure and economic development Cllr Ben Dowling.

Shaping Portsmouth’s two new co-directors, editor of The News Mark Waldron, and principal of City of Portsmouth College Simon Barrable, also gave speeches.

Shaping Portsmouth, a not-for-profit company, has been working in the city since 2010 to forge new partnerships and deliver change in the three key areas of business, education and the community.

It has a network of 803 businesses, 650 ambassadors and 175 active volunteers.

Mr Nienaltowski said: ‘This is the largest business leaders’ group meeting that we have ever done. I am delighted to hear the buzz and the hubbub in the room today.

‘We have 50 partners who support the work that we do and I want to thank everybody here for believing in us.’

Mr Nienaltowski spoke of Shaping Portsmouth’s initiatives such as its Explore Your Future videos that were created to inspire young people, its 100 in 100 campaign that it ran with The News in order to create job opportunities for young people and its projects to help care leavers, rough sleepers and to break down the digital divide, plus more.

Cllr Dowling spoke about plans such as Lennox Point, which will create 3,700 jobs as well as 3,000 new homes, the Solent Freeport and Dunsbury Park, plus many other projects.

He said: ‘Our ambition is to make Portsmouth Britain’s premier waterfront technology and innovation city – a great place to invest, learn, live, work and visit.’

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The event also heard from Catherine Austen, general manager of the Queens Hotel, as the venue has recently become a partner of Shaping Portsmouth.

The University of Portsmouth’s global team also spoke to encourage people to help with this year’s reverse advent calendar appeal that will support local charities Portsmouth Trussell Trust Food Bank at Kings Church and Pompey in the Community.

A date was set for Shaping Portsmouth’s People of our City conference, to take place at Portsmouth Guildhall on Friday, January 28.

For more go to shapingportsmouth.co.uk

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