A new series of multicultural business networking events specially designed for women have been launched.

The first of these will be held at the Shahi Qila restaurant in Blackburn on Thursday 21 June and it will run from 4.30pm to 7.00pm.

The new women’s events will run alongside the company’s existing programme of general business networking sessions, which have been operating since 2010.

The key difference will be that the format, timings and topics will all be chosen to suit female delegates and to encourage the sharing of ideas, contacts and information.

Called Simply Networking for Women, the events are being organised by 1EM’s Women’s Outreach Officer Rosemina Mohamed. She said: “The company’s existing programme of networking events has always been popular and attendances seem to be growing with every session but we have to acknowledge that the guest list has tended to be quite male-dominated.

"That could be a bit off-putting for some female entrepreneurs so we wanted to create an environment in which they would feel more relaxed and better prepared to engage with other organisations.

“There are many women in the North West who are running businesses very successfully and there are many more with great business ideas who might just need a little help to get themselves started.

"It’s for people like these that the new sessions are being organised. Networking can be a very effective way for business owners and managers to spread the word and make new contacts, so we feel it’s really important that female entrepreneurs are able to take advantage of it in the same way as men.

"Women can and do attend our regular networking events but by setting up a programme that responds specifically to their needs, we hope to attract many more businesswomen who might not otherwise attend.”

The principal speaker at the inaugural event will be Wendy Bowers, the President of Chamber of Commerce East Lancashire, who will be giving a 15 minute masterclass entitled ‘The Secrets of Business Growth’. There will also be a short presentation by 1 Events Media director Mubarak Chati.

Free informal advice and information about the help that is available to anyone starting a business can be obtained by calling the company’s offices on 01254 790786.