MIGHTY oaks from little Rainhall Road School acorns grow! Self-made businessman Terry Hodgkinson has been appointed new chairman of multi-million pound development agency Yorkshire Forward.

Born in Skipton and educated at Rainhall Road and Barnoldswick Secondary Modern schools, Mr Hodgkinson will lead the prestigious organisation into a new era.

Yorkshire Forward is responsible for driving the region's £65 billion economy by providing strategies for economic growth.

"The message from me is that the rural economy is an extremely important part of the overall economy, and support for the rural agenda is equally important as the urban agenda," said Mr Hodgkinson.

He said Yorkshire Forward was keen to support inspirational work like the Skipton Renaissance Project. "The best way to encourage people is to get them involved," he added.

A proud Yorkshireman, Mr Hodgkinson said he was brought up in Barnoldswick, when it was still part of Yorkshire. His mum lives in Barlick, and sends her son his weekly Craven Herald.

His wife, Anne, ne Simpson, was brought up in Malham and her family still lives locally.

From humble beginnings as a bonus surveyor at BB Kirks in Skipton, Mr Hodgkinson completed a national diploma in building in Leeds and gained a 2:1 honours degree in building at Aston University.

He launched his own company Lemmeleg with partner Trevor Cooper in 1979, and founded Magna Holdings in 1998. The company now has an annual turnover of about £5 million.

He take over as chairman of Yorkshire Forward in December.

o Heather Hancock has left her post as one of Yorkshire Forward's directors to take up a new appointment with accountants Deloitte and Touche.

Mrs Hancock, who lives in Littondale, was previously chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and acting chief executive of the Millennium Commission.