Long-standing members of the region’s Chamber of Commerce were celebrated at a special event in their honour.

The evening reception, hosted by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) President Liz Fothergill, was held to thank loyal Chamber members for their support. It took place at the Mercure Newton Park hotel, in Burton upon Trent, on Tuesday.

Representatives from more than 50 Chamber members were present, all of which are this year celebrating “milestone” years of continuous Chamber membership of five years or longer.

Among them were Frank Simms, of Leicester-based insolvency practitioners FA Simms & Partners, a Chamber member for 35 years and Mike Sassi, Editor of the Nottingham Post newspaper, a member for 45 years.

Paul Broadhead from the Chamber’s longest-serving member, Rolls-Royce, was presented with a framed certificate in recognition of the company’s 107 years as a Chamber member, while architectural and engineering partnership Pick Everard was honoured for 87 years of continuous membership.

President Liz Fothergill said: “The President’s Summer Reception is an annual event aimed at thanking members celebrating milestone membership years for their loyal support of the Chamber.

“It was great to see so many companies, big and small and from all three of the cities and counties the Chamber represents, in attendance.

“Their support gives the Chamber the capacity and capability to develop its products and services to better support business, as well as to work tirelessly on behalf of its members and the wider business community.

“It’s only with sustained support, year-in, year-out, through good times and bad, that the Chamber can remain stable and provide the levels of service that members want, need and deserve.”

Wendy Hain, the Chamber’s Director of Membership, said: “I was delighted that the Chamber was able to honour so many of its loyal members in this way, at what proved to be a wonderful celebration of local business.

“People talk a lot about social responsibility but membership of the Chamber is a corporate responsibility which gives companies of all sizes the opportunity to give something back to their community.

“It makes businesses stronger, supports a sustainable economy, helps to preserve jobs, create employment opportunities and raise the skills of local people. It also enables business, as a whole, to clearly articulate to Government locally, nationally and even internationally what it wants and needs to keep driving the economy forward.”