A champagne breakfast was held to celebrate the launch of a networking and support group for women in the media industry.

Dozens of people gathered at Ha Ha Bar in Castle Square, Brighton, to hear how the group, called Women in Media (WiM), aimed to increase the number of women in the sector.

It will confront common "barriers" to women joining the industry such as the paucity of female role-models, low self-confidence and problems accessing training.

WiM will hold bimonthly breakfast workshops delivered by experienced women in the media industry alongside quarterly training sessions across Sussex.

A web site providing an event-booking facility, a forum for feedback and access to guidance and mentoring will be the central focus for the project.

WiM will also hold workshops in schools to encourage young women to enter the profession.

Wired Sussex, the group behind WiM, said it hoped the group would create a "legacy" for the industry by "building a collaborative network" and a "sustainable online resource".

Organiser Tara Solesbury said: "This initiative will be the first of it's kind in the UK and we hope the final outcome will be there will be a greater number of women in the media and technology industry, especially in high-profile positions, who will help to shape and influence it's future."

For more information, contact tara@wiredsussex.com