The famed go-getting drive and creative talents of the Colne Valley are no secret to many lucky enough to live in between the breathtaking moors and stunning countryside of south west Huddersfield.

And now their successes are to be sung far and wide thanks to the re-establishment of the Colne Valley Business Network, which has bounded back on to the scene after an 18-month break.

All local businesses, big or small, are now being invited to join to showcase their skills and have the opportunity to join forces with ventures completely different to their own.

It is fronted by Pennine Business Partners founder, Steve Bradley. He and other veteran members decided to try to breathe new life into the network after former head, Alan Archer, hung up his boots.

Steve said: “There are so many great businesses in the Colne Valley, over 1,000. That needs championing as much as possible so we thought it would be a good idea to give it another go.

“We were getting senior people from Kirklees Council and other business heads to present at our meetings, who taught other members new skills and gave them new insights into parts of business and commerce from a totally different perspective to their own.

“It had an effect on local commerce and business and we’d like that to become the case once more. It’s certainly not just a place to have a glass of beer and throw cards at each other.”

The network held its relaunch event on October 20 at the Rose and Crown in Golcar, where the 21 representatives present committed to making the network events a quarterly occurrence, a plan which will give greater structure to the group, which previously only met sporadically.

One of his other aims is to introduce diverse businesses to each other.

Steve said: “There is fabulous talent on display and it would be great if we could help facilitate connections between the area’s creative sector and those who work in building trades — imagine, for example, if sculptors worked with builders and plumbers to create art in their projects.

“We’re comer-inners who I think see the talent and quality of the valley sometimes more than those who’ve lived there, although everyone is proud of the area, and we just want to share that with others.

The network will next meet on January 20 at the Rose and Crown in Golcar.

To get in touch, contact Steve at steve@penninebusinesspartners.com