ONE of Basingstoke’s brightest business talents has been chosen to join a new business community being championed by former Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy.

Linda Cheung, above, chief executive of CubeSocial, which provides social media products and consultancy services to professionals and businesses, has been invited to join the ACCELERATE 250.

The new business community is being championed by Sir Terry, who until March 2011 was in charge of the UK’s largest retailer, and Lord Young, the former Conservative Cabinet member who served under Margaret Thatcher. ACCELERATE 250 is made up of members of the fastest growing companies in the UK.

The group will meet for the first time at ACCELERATE 2013, Britain’s first flagship festival dedicated to high-potential businesses in Liverpool on June 27.

The festival aims to raise the profile of the UK’s fastest growing businesses and their impact on the British economy, with the ACCELERATE 250 seen as key to mobilising wider support for entrepreneurs and start-ups.

Lord Young and Sir Terry have identified representatives from the UK’s fastest growing small and medium businesses – the ‘vital six per cent’ – of companies that are creating more than half of the country’s new jobs, calling on them to work together in identifying solutions to mutual obstacles.

Linda, based at Grove House, in Lutyens Close, Chineham, said: “We are thrilled that CubeSocial has been identified as one of the UK’s most high-potential small businesses – we can’t wait to join up with the other ACCELERATE 250 members in Liverpool for what promises to be the start of a fantastic partnership.

“Having our hard work recognised by the likes of Sir Terry Leahy and Lord Young is a huge achievement for us.

“More than anything, however, we’re excited by the prospect of joining up with the very best that Britain’s businesses have to offer.”