Organisers of a new business network for Muslims and Jews in Manchester claim that it will change the image of interfaith work.

More than 50 business people from both communities are to attend an event at the Manchester Conference Centre on November 20, which will provide a master-class on networking together with stalls promoting businesses, from an Islamic finance group to a Jewish-owned IT firm and a coffee company.

The venture follows a conference last summer when 24 Jewish and Muslim entrepreneurs spent two weeks at Cambridge's Judge Business School under the aegis of the Ariane de Rothschild Fellowship programme.

Jonny Wineberg, co-chair of the Muslim Jewish Forum, which is organising the Manchester conference, said Jews and Muslims did already work together, but many did not recognise the social value in their relationships.

IT consultant Shahid Saleem, from Cheshire, has been planning the network for some months which he is promoting through the national Muslim business network, Emerald.

He said: "In business, I've experienced mistrust between members of our communities but this is an opportunity to get over that and build some positive relationships. I already have a business in mind, which could come out of this network, on which Jews and Muslims can work together."