A celebrity visitor helped a business networking group celebrate a successful month.
 

Dancing on Ice runner up and A Place in the Sun presenter Laura Hamilton, from Reigate, was the guest of honour at a BNI Sutton meeting earlier this month where members celebrated a month in which members did more than £100,000-worth of business.
 

The 37 members of the group meet every Thursday to refer business to each other with the aim of helping themselves out during tough times. On average the group will do around £46,000 of business in a month but in November members struck deals worth £107,953 - a record for BNI Sutton.
 

Mrs Hamilton, who championed the group in the past and even referred business of her own to members, visited the group to find out more about how members have benefited.
 

Carolyn Reilly, owner of PrintInc printing services in Wallington which designed the stationary for Mrs Hamilton's recent wedding, said: "We are delighted to see such an amazing amount of money being passed around the room between members and visitors, especially during these tough economic times. 
 

"We have refused to let the recession affect us – BNI is helping to make businesses recession-proof."
 

Sutton BNI meets every Thursday from 6.30am to 8.30am at the Oak Parks Golf Club in Woodmansterne Road, Carshalton Beeches. For more information visit: http://www.bnisurrey.co.uk/index.html.