A BODY set up to promote women in business has broken away from its parent group - the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.

The Unique business networking group was set up by the chamber about four years ago to promote and support women in business.

But now the group has grown so much that it has been decided it can sustain itself, with its own board and own bids for sponsorship.

And its leaders hope the move will let it grow even larger.

Claire Gibson, managing director of recruitment firm Claire Gibson Associates Ltd, based in Chorley, and chamber member, will become the new chair of Unique.

She said: "We are going to have more responsibility. Unique has now got to be self funded, the difference being that up until last year we had a lot of grant money available for putting on events etc.

"At the moment there isn't any money available so we have to be self funded. We have had, and still have, the chamber to help out with sending out emails and that sort of thing.

"But as a separate board it's our job to go out and get sponsorship, look at putting on our events and the speakers we are going to organise."

Unique will also change its entry procedures, with any member company of the chamber of commerce able to nominate two of its female staff to join.

To help the group move into its new status, it has elected a committee which contains current chamber members and Unique board members including Claire Gibson as chair, and Shelagh McIntosh, a self- employed business consultant, as secretary.

The chamber of commerce - which has award winning business woman Helen Colley as its current president - will help support the four major events Unique holds every year, and in return Unique will work towards encouraging more business-woman to join the chamber.

Claire added: "The membership has grown from strength to strength and the most satisfying thing has been watching people develop."

To find out more about Unique events visit www.chamberelancs.co.uk/event