DW Renewable Energy are walking 100km to raise funds for Sight Support Worthing

Two Blokes. One Cause. 100 Kilometres. 24 Hours. Let’s Go.

DW Renewable Energy Ltd are swapping kilowatts for kilometres when Simon and James attempt the near-impossible: walking 100km across the rugged South Downs Way—in just 24 hours, on September 6th, 2025.

Why? For Sight Support Worthing—a remarkable local charity that’s been helping people with visual impairments live independently, confidently, and with dignity for over 100 years.

Founded in 1910, Sight Support Worthing has supported generations of local residents with everything from mobility and technology support to emotional wellbeing, social connection, and essential daily living guidance. In a world that often isn’t designed for visual impairment, their work makes an enormous difference—every single day.

We first met Jackie and Kate from the charity at a local Clean Growth Sustainability course, and were blown away by both their warmth and their drive. They’d already created a printed carbon reduction plan and had begun implementing it. Their passion for creating a more sustainable future was genuinely inspiring, and we wanted to help however we could.

That led to this: a commitment to take on the South Coast Ultra Challenge—100km in under 24 hours—to help raise funds that support Sight Support Worthing’s ongoing work and future sustainability goals.

Whether the money raised goes toward energy-saving tech, community services, or simply keeping their doors open—we know they’ll put it to good use.

We’ll be sharing training updates, kit tests, and behind-the-scenes highs and lows in the run-up to the big day—so follow DW Renewable Energy on our social media pages to track our progress, cheer us on, and get a few laughs at our pain.

If you’re able to give, no matter how much, please support our journey. Every step is powered by your generosity—and probably a disturbing number of blister plasters.

Let’s help Sight Support Worthing see a brighter, greener future.

Donate now. Share the page. Then sit back, relax, and feel very smug about not walking 100km in a day.

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Phoenix Systems share - a Guide to Racking & Mezzanine Floors for Better Storage & Workspaces

Your space is valuable and how you use it has a massive impact on not just on storage, but also business productivity, efficiency and your bottom line.  Mezzanine floors and racking solutions are cost-effective and highly adaptable workspace solutions that help  you optimise your space and have enabled many businesses to expand while avoiding the substantial costs associated with moving to larger premises.

This quick guide outlines the benefits of both mezzanine and racking systems and some key considerations when planning a new fit-out.

Mezzanine Floors with Racking: Capitalise on Every Square Metre

Mezzanine floors create an intermediate floor between floors of the building or your roof.  The addition of this extra floor immediately expands your available building footprint.  Many businesses choose to combine a mezzanine system with racking storage systems to gain budget-friendly storage that can be configured to utilise every centimetre of available space, even up to apex roofs.  

The Benefits of Mezzanine Floors with Racking

●       Maximise Your Vertical Space
Vertical space is often dead space, but why not make the most of it when you’re already paying rent on it? Mezzanine floors unlock precious square metres, giving you the opportunity to expand with expanded office areas or increased storage. 

●       Flexible by Design - And Adds Value

Mezzanine platforms offer unparalleled adaptability for almost any space, as your layout is designed according to your specific needs and can be expanded and re-configured over time as your business evolves.  What’s more, if you own the property, adding to the building’s footprint and functionality will increase its sales or rental value.

●       Utilise Unused Space
Overhead areas are often overlooked because they are inaccessible.  Racking systems with mezzanines can help you transform unused ‘air’ space, meaning you can maximise your warehouse capacity without having to look for additional storage elsewhere.
 

●       Multi-functional
Mezzanine floors enable you to get creative with the space you have by creating functional areas within your existing building that you can use for offices, break-out areas, storage, production and even retail.

3 Key Considerations When Choosing Mezzanine Floors with Racking

1. Initial Investment
   Like anything in business, any change or improvement will require a budget.  Mezzanine installations do require a significant upfront investment, however this will be balanced over time against storage cost savings, additional rent costs for larger or additional sites and improved efficiency. To get an accurate insight on what you can do for your budget, speak to our experienced Interiors team.

1. Get Expert Installation
   Get an expert team to help you install mezzanine and racking systems as building upwards introduces complexity.  All mezzanine construction requires meticulous planning and engineering expertise to ensure your project complies with all safety regulations.
   
2. Plan & Budget for Maintenance
   Your annual operational budget will need to accommodate for periodic inspections, upkeep and safety compliance.

Racking Storage Only: A Practical, Long-Term Storage Solution

Racking isn’t just for warehouses and industrial applications.  Racking shelving systems provide a more robust, safer and more efficient alternative to traditional shelving in all types of work spaces. 

The Benefits of Racking Systems for Storage

●       Cost-Efficient Storage
Ground-level racking is a budget-friendly storage solution that maximises both floor space and storage for all types of inventory, from small boxes to pallets. By creating a more efficient storage layout, it allows more items to be stored in a given area than traditional shelving.

●       Ease-of-Access & Improved Safety

Ground-level racking is accessible, stable and robust. Designed to securely hold heavy loads, they not only make warehouse operations more efficient, they reduce the risk of accidents and injury.

●       Simple Installation
Racking systems are straightforward and fast to install meaning business disruption and mess is kept to the minimum.

●       Low Maintenance
Racking systems are simple structures but durable and designed for heavy use over many years. As a result, they have low maintenance requirements keeping ongoing costs to a minimum.

Key Considerations for Choosing Ground Level Racking Systems

 Utilising Available Vertical Space

1. Racking at ground level imposes height restrictions which can limit your storage capacity in your space. Vertical expansion options are limited by the space and type of racking, potentially hindering scalability as your inventory grows.
   
2. Making the Most of Your Footprint
   Storage systems that have grown organically over time can lead to horizontal sprawl and an inefficient use of space.  To optimise storage within a confined footprint needs planning and at times, creative solutions and very accurate measurements!  By using an experienced team of storage planners (like the team at Phoenix Systems) you’ll be able to save time while gaining the most efficient storage floor plan, maximum space usage and eliminate the head scratching!

1. Get the Right Layout From the Start
   Racking systems are a fixed structure, once they are up, the potential to adapt the system is limited. Re-configuration is possible as your inventory demands change but it will require effort and resources. To optimise your storage system for the long-term, it’s advisable to get an expert to plan your storage system for you, so that you can get the most from your space.

When planning your interiors and storage project, both mezzanine with racking and ground-level racking systems provide a huge opportunity to make the most of your existing space.  Whichever solution you choose, Phoenix System’s experienced team can help you plan to make the most of all your available space to maximise the return-on-investment for your budget.

Sussex LSIP invite you to attend Sussex Skills 25. 

This important event taking place on Tuesday 30 September at the Amex Stadium is an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come in addressing workforce skills needs across Sussex — and to look ahead at how we continue to shape the future of skills with your important input, insight, and involvement.

 Sussex Skills 25 is the area's key skills conference for employers. Whether you're recruiting now or planning ahead, this is your chance to influence and benefit from the changes happening through the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

 What to expect from the conference:

• Devolution in Sussex – what it means for employers
  Find out how the proposed devolution deal could give Sussex more control over key areas like skills, transport, and infrastructure — and what that means for your workforce and business decisions.
• Business-led sessions
  Hear from Sussex employers who’ve worked with the LSIP to shape training and strengthen talent pipelines. See how collaboration with colleges has brought real benefits for businesses, both now and for the future.
• Skills for the Future – AI, adaptability, and agentic thinking
  Discover the emerging skills your business will need to stay competitive — from AI and digital tools to creativity and adaptability. Learn how to start building a future-ready workforce today.
• Pitchside Chats
  Join dynamic, no-slides-needed conversations focused on what local employers really need. Honest, informal discussions that put your priorities at the heart of the skills system.

The event is free to attend and includes a buffet lunch. You can register your attendance via the Sussex Chamber's website here.

As a local business and employer, your presence on the day is hugely important. You’ve played a central role in guiding this work, and your visibility demonstrates our shared commitment to shaping a stronger skills system for Sussex.

We’d also be grateful if you could help spread the word through your networks — particularly to other businesses who would benefit from engaging with the LSIP, hearing from peers, and exploring the opportunities it presents.

Esteem are looking for a Chief Officer

If you’re excited by collaborative leadership, shared power and championing youth agency, we’d love to hear from you.

The incoming Chief Officer will be joining Esteem at a pivotal time of consolidation and potential growth, with opportunities and challenges that require both visionary and pragmatic leadership. 

What success looks like

1. Dynamic, inspiring, and truly participatory leadership, nurturing Esteem's unique ethos and facilitating young adults and staff as co-creators in the organisation's mission and future, while upholding the strategic and governance frameworks set by the board of trustees.

2. Together with the chair, enable the board of trustees to fulfil its duties and responsibilities for the proper governance of Esteem and to ensure that the board receives timely advice and appropriate information on all relevant matters

How you’ll make it happen

To provide facilitative leadership to Esteem, working collaboratively with the Senior Leadership Team, and to be responsible for the management and administration of Esteem within the strategic and accountability frameworks laid down by the board of trustees and the Charity Commission.

View the Recruitment Pack here

View the Job Description here

View the Person Specification here

View the Application Form here

Carpenter Box announces further merger in the South East

The growth strategy of Sussex and South East accountancy firm Carpenter Box, part of Sumer Group, the fastest-growing mid-market accountancy practice, continues apace, with news that it is merging with Hove-based Boormans Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers.

The agreement follows the firm’s merger in April with Lewes-based Clark Brownscombe and will see Boormans’ staff join the Carpenter Box team in Brighton, with Matt Virgo, Director at Boormans, joining as a Partner, Mike Herriott taking on the role of Associate Director and Sally Virgo joining in Operations and Compliance. The firm’s team of professionals will join Sumer Group’s growing network of over 2,300 colleagues across more than 50 offices nationwide.

Commented Alan Edwards, Managing Partner at Carpenter Box: “I’m delighted to announce the merger with Boormans and to welcome the Directors and staff into the Carpenter Box family.  Boormans specialises in the media, construction/property and retail sectors, working with SMEs, families and private clients, and will be a perfect addition to our service provision across the South East.”

Matt Virgo added: “This merger is a significant step forward for our business as well as our client base. We already offer a full range of accountancy, tax and cloud accounting services and this merger will provide us with additional resources and specialist knowledge to enhance our client relationships.”

Carpenter Box, part of the Sumer Group of regional accountancy practices, is an award-winning firm of chartered accountants, tax specialists and business advisers with a reputation for innovation and excellence. The firm, which now has 28 Partners and over 270 members of staff, operates across the South East and in London, with specialist teams helping businesses and entrepreneurs succeed in a profitable, sustainable and tax-efficient way.

Photo L-R: Mike Herriot, Alan Edwards, Sally Virgo, Mike Virgo

www.carpenterbox.com

Bird & Blend Tea Co. Unveils World’s Cutest Hello Kitty Tea & Matcha Collection

Global lifestyle icon Hello Kitty, beloved by fans of all ages since the 1970s, has teamed up with independent tea company Bird & Blend Tea Co. to launch the cutest tea collection ever.

If you love Hello Kitty’s world of friendship and fun you can now sip it too, and share a cup of Pink Apple Pie Tea and Pink Apple Pie Matcha with loved ones. A magical treat for Hello Kitty fans across the country.

Tea company Bird & Blend are leading the way with tea innovation in the UK, creating exciting flavours by blending a range of ingredients including flowers, chocolate and fruit. Sanrio GmbH have worked closely with the tea experts at Bird & Blend to create the new Hello Kitty inspired teas. The collection also includes limited edition Rainbow tea spoons, a pink cold brew bottle and Hello Kitty mug, so fans can create their own perfectly pink tea party at home.

Launching as part of this exclusive collection are four products that bring Hello Kitty’s magic to tea time:

● Hello Kitty Pink Apple Pie Tea & Tin - A caffeine free, sweet pink tea inspired by Hello Kitty’s beloved apple pie! Packed full of comforting apple & cinnamon with cute candy sprinkles, this loose leaf tea comes in a collectable pink Hello Kitty tin.

● Hello Kitty Pink Apple Pie Matcha - A pink matcha in a 30g limited edition pouch featuring Hello Kitty! The cutest matcha around; sweet, comforting and pink.

● Rainbow Perfect Spoon - Part spoon, part unicorn, this limited edition spoon is a whole mood, perfect for every scoop of Hello Kitty tea and matcha.

● Hello Kitty Mug - Hello Kitty tea should be sipped in the cutest mug around, this one is embossed with Hello Kitty’s face.

Bird & Blend Co-Founder, Mike Turner, commented, “Creating a Hello Kitty tea collection with Sanrio has been an incredible experience. We loved infusing the playful spirit of Hello Kitty into every aspect of the teas and accessories. The teas are full of flavour, fun, and a little bit of magic.”

The tea will be sold online at Bird & Blend and in all Bird & Blend stores across the UK from 11th July. The Hello Kitty range will be priced from £3.85.

Whether you’re a lifelong Hello Kitty fan or simply love a good cuppa with a twist, this limited edition collection is a tea party not to be missed.

Off-the-shelf AI vs. Custom AI: Choosing the right fit

As AI adoption accelerates, organisations must decide how to incorporate AI into their strategy. This guide explores considerations such as cost, speed, and data privacy for selecting off-the-shelf or custom AI.

Off-the-shelf AI These are pre-built tools designed by third-party vendors to solve common problems. They’re quick to deploy, cost-effective, and user-friendly, especially for teams without deep expertise.

Example: Microsoft 365 Copilot Copilot integrates AI across Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams, and more. It helps users write emails, create presentations, and summarise meetings, all within Microsoft's secure environment. For instance, in Teams, it can attend meetings, transcribe conversations, and create searchable summaries.

Still, businesses must manage file access to avoid unintentional data exposure.

Agentic AI: The next step Agentic AI is emerging as a powerful tool: autonomous systems trained for specific tasks. These AI agents can operate independently, drawing on internal data systems to complete their tasks.

Platforms like Copilot Studio enable businesses to build agents themselves offering a blend of off-the-shelf simplicity and custom capabilities. Agents can be trained to handle licensing, support, or data integration across HR, finance, and CRM systems.

Custom AI Custom AI involves building or fine-tuning models of your own. It offers control and strategic advantage but demands more time, budget, and knowledge.

It’s ideal for businesses with unique workflows or compliance needs. For example, a company needing AI that accesses multiple internal systems securely might opt for custom-built solutions.

How to choose Ask yourself:

• Are your needs generic or highly specific?
• What’s your budget and timeline?
• Do you handle regulated or confidential data?
• Will your needs grow over time?

Best practices Regardless of the path you choose:

• Secure leadership buy-in.
• Start with proof of concept, then pilot and scale.
• Use cross-functional teams.
• Offer training and change support.
• Track success through KPIs.

Conclusion Off-the-shelf AI offers speed and simplicity; custom AI delivers depth and differentiation. The choice depends on your goals, data, and resources. As a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, we support Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption and offer in-house custom AI development through our Data & AI team – supporting you no matter your needs.

For more information, you can reach us through https://www.fluidone.com/contact, call us at 01273 384100 or email us at brighton@fluidone.com to get in touch with our experts today to find out how we can help empower your business.

Build your confidence in supporting people with sight loss.

Join Sight Support Worthing's lively, CPD-certified Visual Impairment Awareness workshop and gain the skills, confidence, and understanding to better support people living with sight loss. This interactive session is designed to challenge common myths, break down barriers and leave you feeling empowered to offer support in a respectful, inclusive way.

Led by our fantastic in-house trainers, James and Alison — who bring a wealth of lived experience and expert knowledge — this fun, friendly workshop offers practical tools, real-world insights and a fresh perspective through the social model of disability and beyond.

You'll learn how to:

- Safely and confidently guide someone with a visual impairment

- Communicate effectively and creatively to support accessibility

- Champion equality, diversity and inclusion in your community or workplace

- Understand the social, legal, and everyday realities of sight loss

Who’s it for?

This workshop is perfect for anyone keen to build awareness and inclusive skills both in the workplace and life in general.

When: Wednesday 13th August, 10am–1pm  

Where: Sight Support Worthing Centre, 48 Rowlands Road, Worthing, BN11 3JT  

Cost: £30 per person  

Book your place here

Have questions or need more info? Call us on 01903 235782 or send us a message; we’d love to hear from you!

Lightning Fibre’s Customer Numbers Soar as Local Internet Service Provider Scoops two National Awards

Full Fibre broadband network operator and Internet Service Provider (ISP) Lightning Fibre has won two UK Fibre Awards reflecting their recent growth across the South East. More and more households and businesses are making the switch to Lightning Fibre, to access affordable, reliable full fibre broadband. Using the latest full fibre optic technology, the new infrastructure provides lightning fast, rock solid broadband with symmetric speeds from 100Mbps to 10,000Mbps.

At the UK Fibre Awards 2025, Lightning Fibre was recognised as the sector’s ‘Take-Up Champion’ and was also awarded ‘Sales/Commercial Team of the Year’, standing out among national providers for its impressive growth, high retention and customer-first approach.

With UK households feeling the pinch from rising bills, Lightning Fibre has introduced a brand new 100Mbps package for just £22 per month, fixed for two years. This is in addition to the Summer Sale, which has seen the price of the 500Mbps package reduced from £32 per month to £25 per month, fixed for two years. This offer ends on 30^th September.

Rob Reaks, Chief Commercial Officer said, “An increasing number of people are making the switch from old copper technology to full fibre; in many cases this means moving away from a large, national ISP.  Typically, these mainstream providers impose annual inflationary price rises, mid-contract, which is unpopular with consumers. With Lightning Fibre, the price today is the price you pay for a full two years.”

The company is now used to winning prestigious awards, having scooped the Internet Service Providers’ Association ‘Best Consumer ISP’ award two years running. Customers rate the company ‘excellent’ on Trustpilot, with 95% of reviews having either 4 or 5 stars. Lightning Fibre has a local customer service team available on the phone every day from 8am – 8 pm.

As a local company, Lightning Fibre also supports the local community through charity support and event sponsorship. This year, Lightning Fibre is the headline sponsor of the Hastings Comedy Festival (June) and Hailsham Festival (Sept), and was a major financial supporter of the Eastbourne Carnival and Hastings Pirate Day.

Event organisers of Hastings Comedy Festival said, “This year, with over 90 events across Hastings and St. Leonards, we’re excited to report an improvement in our attendance goal, reaching 77%. A huge thank you to our main sponsor, Lightning Fibre for their continued support in making this community event a success. We also appreciate all the venues and their teams for generously hosting us.”

Lightning Fibre has a shop inside the Enterprise Shopping Centre, Eastbourne open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. Check availability online at www.LightningFibre.co.uk

Allica Bank cuts commercial mortgage rates and eases affordability in major product enhancement

Allica Bank, the challenger bank for established businesses, has announced a raft of enhancements to its commercial mortgage and specialist buy-to-let proposition. The changes will mean it’s able to support an even wider pool of established businesses, alongside providing a pricing discount for businesses that also open a bank account with it.

The bank has cut all its owner-occupied and semi-commercial investment mortgage rates by 0.25% from 16th June, following an earlier reduction in February this year across its lending products.

It has also announced a 0.10% cut to its specialist buy-to-let offering, which was launched earlier this year with an aim to have made £100 million in offers by the end of the year.

Allica has revealed it will also offer a special 0.25% discount for any business that opens a business current account alongside a commercial owner-occupied mortgage, as it looks to ramp up the number of customers that also use it for day-to-day banking.

This adds to Allica’s existing range of discounts, which include offering a 0.25% for properties with an EPC rating of A to C, for loans over £750,000, or for businesses which demonstrate 2x repayment cover.

Rounding off the enhancements, Allica has also improved its affordability criteria, reducing the stress rate it uses to assess base rate linked loans to just 1%, and debt service cover (DSC) requirements for semi-commercial mortgages to 120%.

Allica Bank has seen its lending grow rapidly of late, with it announcing that its loan book had grown to over £3 billion in 2024 and it has made a range of enhancements to its asset finance and bridging propositions in the last few months, too.

John Harrison, Head of Relationship Management at Allica Bank, said, "The market is changing fast and it's important that Allica is changing with it. We're in close contact with our SME clients and the wider market in Cambridgeshire, and this range of changes to our proposition reflects what we're hearing from them.

“By reducing our pricing and affordability requirements, we hope we can support even more businesses to achieve their growth plans with the speed and human expertise Allica has become known for.

“I’m pleased, too, to introduce this discount for business owners that also open a bank account with Allica, as we look to support established businesses in even more ways than just lending.”