BUSINESS pride shone in York last night.

A gathering of more than 30 top city dignitaries met at York's Norwich Union Life headquarters to celebrate the raging success of York Business Pride.

Since its launch in November, this partnership between business community and the City of York Council to beautify the city has attracted £150,000 in corporate sponsorship and launched a number of imaginative projects.

Adam Sinclair, chairman of York Business Pride, used the occasion to announce that the improvement "pot" will swell by another £20,000 from a city centre church charity.

It is a mark of support for one of York Business Pride's many projects - to support organisations which take reforming drink and drug users off the streets and put them to use beautifying the city as part of their rehabilitation.

Mr Sinclair's audience included Coun Charles Hall, the Lord Mayor of York, Steve Galloway, council leader, Labour group leader Dave Merrett and Peter Hales, sales and marketing director of Norwich Union Life, one of the earliest and biggest endorsers of the project.

Mr Sinclair listed improvements so far, which include - a pre-Christmas gumbusting blitz now continuing because of a year's hire of council-owned equipment; tackling graffiti in Micklegate; improvement of Memorial Gardens in Leeman Road; improving street furniture and litter bins; launching a scheme whereby each business and property owner can acquire a hanging basket, fed, watered and maintained for the summer for only £45; and sprucing up the railway station "welcome". He said: "York Business Pride has spawned unprecedented co-operation between our business community and the Council. Leading York businesses such as Norwich Union, GNER, CPP, Shepherd Building Group, Jarvis, Nestl and many small and medium-sized businesses such as my own Mulberry Hall have joined in sponsoring it."

He praised the Evening Press for its support and called for new sponsors to join in.

Updated: 11:01 Friday, April 02, 2004