Richard Harrington MP celebrated the one year anniversary of the Watford Community Exchange Programme last week.

Last year the programme saw more than 60 charities link up with local businesses and industry experts to see how they could work more closely together.

A year later it is still going strong and Link4Growth has taken up the mantle due to ongoing demand, and have set up a monthly meeting to help local businesses, residents and charities meet up and work more closely together.

For any business looking to expand their corporate social responsibility agenda or work more closely with local people, any charity looking for more help and support from the local community, or any local resident who may be interested, the monthly meetings are an opportunity to meet up and see what opportunities there are to get involved in the local area.

At a lunch held last Friday afternoon businesses, charities, and local residents interested in helping their community, came together to celebrate the one year anniversary celebration of the programme.

Richard Harrington MP said: "We are so lucky in Watford to have so many businesses and residents willing to help our local community, and so many incredible local charities who could benefit from it. What I have found most interesting is that so often since the Exchange was set up, businesses had really reaped the benefits from helping their local community and I would urge them to get involved."

The monthly meetings are held at the Scotsbridge Mill in Rickmansworth, and the next one will take place at 12pm on Friday, March 7.

For more information on the Community Exchange, go to www.watfordcommunityexchange.co.uk