Member Article

Royal visit for the 'Queen of Networking'

One of the biggest names in networking in the North East was this week feted by royalty in honour of her tireless work promoting business growth in the region. Caroline Theobald, managing director of the Bridge Club, was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive her Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion – the highest personal accolade for services to enterprise.

Ms Theobald started the Bridge Club in 2000 specialising in bringing early-stage firms together to help them grow into established companies. This year alone the Bridge Club is expected to attract more than 7,000 people to a range of events in Tyneside and the Tees Valley. Kate Partridge, Bridge Club director, nominated Ms Theobald for the award. The pair attended the formal Queen’s Awards ceremony along with Ms Theobald’s father, Peter. His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, the Duke of York was on hand in the Queen’s Gallery to present an official scroll to mark the occasion before award winners were introduced to the Queen.

Ms Theobald said: “It truly was an extraordinary experience. I didn’t realise until I got there what an honour it really was but as I was walking through the gates to the palace we were welling up. If business people haven’t thought about nominating their companies or individuals they really should because it is a fantastic experience – a once in a lifetime experience.”

The Bridge Club started as an opportunity for dot.com entrepreneurs to meet one another informally. It has since grown into a limited company comprising the Bridge Club providing networking services for early-stage companies and Giant Minds which promotes enterprise education for schools.

Ms Theobald’s Queen’s Award also recognised her efforts to support start-up businesses through her numerous board positions and her role as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Newcastle University.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .