The Mayor of Kingston and Consort paid a visit to local businesses in the borough this month for their fortnightly breakfast meeting.

Councillor Julie Pickering attended the Kingston and Surbiton Omni Local Business Network Meeting on July 6 at Antoinette Hotel.

In a presentation to members, she discussed her aims for her year in office, a brief history of Kingston and what she wants to achieve with local businesses, charities and organisations.

A one-to-one meeting followed between members with a brainstorming session of how local businesses in the borough could work with the mayor this year.

Started last year, the Omni Local Business Networking Meeting was founded by John Gower and aims to assist local businesses and charities in a variety of ways.

Organisations are helped by being given advertising opportunities, social media promotion, leafletting and marketing advice.

It also provides awareness to the local people of Kingston, Surbiton and New Malden of events within their community with which they could get involved in.