Cambridge Network ‘Connect’ meetup took place at the Museum of Technology

Cambridge Network’s ‘Connect’ event at the Museum of Technology proved to be an enjoyable couple of hours of networking for a few dozen of the organisation’s 1,000 corporate and 300 individual members.

No speeches, just tea, coffee, cakes plus fruit from Cambridge Fruit Company fuelled a 3-5pm session of catching up and meeting new people in the Pye Building at the back of the museum by the side of the River Cam.

Many of the Cambridge Network team were at the gathering, providing information about the many benefits of being part of the membership organisation founded in 1997 by Nigel Brown, David Cleevely, Fred Hallsworth, Hermann Hauser, Anthony Ross and Alec Broers. They include events including job fairs, training, a busy website with news and jobs advertising.

Louise Rushworth, Cambridge Network’s events manager, said: “It was great to see many of our members and ‘yet-to-be’ members at our latest networking event.

“These sessions have become really popular since we honed our regular membership session into pure networking with minimal presentations. This time we were delighted to be hosted by the Museum of Technology; the Pye Building exhibits provided many conversation starters. We were also joined by Cambridge Corporate Gifts, showcasing eco gifts, while Cambridge Fruit Company plied us with excellent British strawberries.

“Our next event is in October at Fora in Station Road – details are on our website – join us!”

Cambridge Museum of Technology is an independent museum, open since 1971, based in the city’s Victorian sewage pumping station. The Museum helps people to explore, enjoy, and learn about their industrial heritage by celebrating the achievements of local industries and the people who worked in them.

Collections range from 19th-century steam engines to 20th-century scientific instruments and telecommunications equipment, all with a strong local connection.

On hand to reply to any enquiries were museum volunteer Gordon Davies and trustee Amy Hooker.

Gordon said: "Cambridge Museum of Technology explores the city's industrial heritage, preserving a link between the past, present and future of local industries and the people who worked in them, so it's a perfect location for Cambridge Network Connect.

“The Museum's Riverside location and on-site hospitality partners offer a unique networking hub. Do contact the Museum If you are a local enterprise in search of a venue space with unique Cambridge character!"

Neil Bharadwa, founder of Cambridge Fruit Company, said: “It was a thoroughly enjoyable event with new connections being made and I’m pleased our delicious Norfolk strawberries were so popular.

“There’ll be more at the second David Lloyd Cambridge Business Breakfast Club Networking Club on Friday (31 May) 7.30-9.30am.”