Indigo Bank Holiday Brunch

The tradition of Bank Holiday Brunch at Indigo has been a welcome custom for many families for years. Join us and reserve your table to enjoy a feast of breakfast treats. 

A leisurely breakfast is lovely but cooking it?!…very tiresome!..
So you Relax… We’ll do it all for you…. Bliss!!

A Complimentary Bloody Mary or Bucks Fizz on arrival

As much as you can eat from a buffet laden with every delicious Breakfast item imaginable!

Bank Holiday Monday 28th May 10:20 am - 12:00pm

Click here to book

Workplace news

The cost of failing to manage absence: an employment tribunal in Liverpool awarded a former employee £110,165 compensation for unfair dismissal and unlawful disability discrimination following their dismissal under the employers absence management policy. The tribunal concluded that, as a large organisation with significant resources...read more.

Managing staff absence - true or false?

Managing absence advice and guidance.

Know your procedures: a worker was unfairly dismissed because the employer failed to follow a fair procedure despite the conclusive allegations. The employment judge ruled that "the failure to offer or perhaps afford the employee a right of appeal means that the procedure followed by the employer was not a procedure that any reasonable employer"...read more.

Discipline and grievances at work: the Acas guide.

Discipline and grievance - Acas Code of Practice.  

The pitfalls of written notice: if an employee is dismissed by written notice posted to their home address, when does the notice period begin? Is it from the date the letter was delivered or from when the employee actually read it? The Supreme Court recently gave important guidance on when contractual notice of dismissal delivered in writing comes into effect...read more.

Terminating employment - notice periods and pay.

Contracts of employment.

St Barnabas House is encouraging people to hold a Big Get Together and raise vital funds to support local hospice care this summer.

The hospice has just launched The Big Get Together, its annual summer fundraising campaign which encourages people to get together with friends, family or colleagues, have fun and raise money for charity at the same time.

Wendy Bardsley, Community Fundraising Manager at St Barnabas House, said: “We are inviting you all to be part of The Big Get Together again this year.

“It’s really simple. Just get together with friends, family, neighbours or colleagues and hold a barbeque, coffee morning, garden party or try out your own unique ideas. It’s the perfect way to celebrate a loved one on a special date or anniversary.”

Last year, Steve and Debbie Brattle from Worthing hosted a Mexican-themed Big Get Together, decorating their garden with Mexican flags and cacti.

The party featured a cocktail bar serving tequila, a selection of Mexican food, a chilli eating competition and a Mexican-themed quiz.

Caption: Steve and Debbie Brattle held a Mexican themed Big Get Together in 2017

Steve said: “It was a really great night and we raised £3561.60 towards a great cause. Following last year’s Italian night which raised £2,650 we now intend for this to be an annual event with this year’s get together having an American theme.

“These events will raise money for St Barnabas House in memory of Debbie’s father, Spencer Rayment, and her sister, Dawn Madell, who both received fantastic care and support from St Barnabas.”

Mel Murrell, who volunteers in the St Barnabas House shop in Littlehampton, hosted a cream tea Big Get Together with friends and family last year.

She invited £20 guests and charged £5 entry which included cream tea, while there were party games including a tombola and ‘Play Your Cards Right’.

Mel said: “I wanted to support my local hospice for all the good work they do and to raise a good sum of money for them.”

To find out more about holding your own Big Get Together visit www.stbh.org.uk/tbgt or contact the St Barnabas House Fundraising Team 01903 254777.

Hill Barn Golf Club members recently presented a cheque for £7,841.29 to local hospice St Barnabas House.

Chris Smith, Hill Barn Golf Club Captain for 2017/18, decided to support St Barnabas House as his charity of the year because the hospice cared for a close friend of his.

His year of fundraising started off with his ‘driving in’ ceremony, followed by the club’s annual dinner. He also organised quizzes and fundraising activities during his Captain’s weekend, which were all well supported.

Chris said: “I am immensely proud of the amount of money I have raised with the help and support of all the members of Hill Barn Golf Club, the staff, my friends and family and, of course, my vice-Captain, Andrew.

“I had an amazing year with all the events, the quizzes, Captain’s weekend and the scavenger hunt being highlights.

“I chose to raise money for St Barnabas after my girlfriend Sam and I recently lost a very close friend, Sue, who received care during her last few months, and we saw the fantastic job that the hospice does.

“I wanted to do Sue and her husband Graham proud and raise as much as possible. I’d also like to thank Mary and the team at St Barnabas for the help and support given during my year, and for the fantastic work they do for the local community.”

Mary Bye, Community Fundraiser at St Barnabas House, said: “Thank you so much to Chris for choosing St Barnabas as his charity of the year. It has been a brilliant year and everyone at Hill Barn has been so friendly and welcoming.

“Chris has raised an amazing amount which will help us to provide vital care for our patients and their families.”

St Barnabas House Charity Golf Day

St Barnabas House is holding a charity golf day on Thursday 19 July at Ham Manor Golf Club in Angmering to celebrate 45 years since the hospice first opened.

The day will start at 9am with registration, bacon rolls, tea and coffee, followed by an 18-hole competition on Ham Manor’s beautiful parkland course, as well as nearest the pin and putting competitions.

Afterwards teams will enjoy a two-course meal in the Grade II listed manor house, as well as a raffle and auction.

Cost for the day is £340 per team of four. To reserve your team’s place, please call the hospice on 01903 254777, email fundraising@stbh.org.uk or visit www.stbh.org.uk/golf-day and to download a registration form.

The closing date for registrations will be at the end of June.

How SMEs can manage bigger wage bills

A key component of growth for any SME is the right employees. And talented employees expect to be rewarded – a new Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) study shows small business pay rises at a three-year high. How can these firms afford it? Alternative finance is part of the solution.

According to the FSB, the percentage of small companies that have given staff pay rises is at its highest level for three and a half years. Two thirds of the small businesses that took part in the research increased employee salaries in Q1 2018. Furthermore, almost 80% of small firms reported that they have either maintained the size of their workforce or added to it.

The figures are encouraging and show that small businesses are willing to nurture and reward talent. However, recruiting and retaining this talent require investment, the price of which places yet more pressure on under-pressure margins.

In addition, small businesses must also manage new national living wage legislation. While the law in its pursuit of fairer pay is a positive development – a new report by the Resolution Foundation shows that the proportion of workers classified as being “low paid” is smaller than at any time since the early 1980s thanks to the initiative – it is still an extra cost for small businesses owners to bear. Indeed, recently, there have been high-level calls to extend the national living wage to under-25s.

So, how can SMEs afford to attract and keep talented employees who are integral to growth? Alternative finance has a part to play. The non-bank finance sector has become an established presence in the SME finance arena, with firms taking advantage of the affordability, accessibility and flexibility of services.

Businesses are using the likes of invoice finance, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding to raise capital to invest in new resources, such as staff, and safeguard cashflow. This is how a business in Sussex used peer-to-peer lending, through a commercial finance broker that specialises in alternative finance, to raise funds for new resources.

It seems clear that for small businesses to successfully bear the many policy and non-policy costs, including those relating to employee recruitment and retention, they must make use of all the finance options available to them, including alternative finance.

To find out more about A&T Business Associates services, contact Tony on 01903 602211 or tony@atbusinessassociates.co.uk.

Pioneering companies NoFit State Circus and Motionhouse join forces to perform thrilling show BLOCK

On 27-28 June as part of Worthing Theatres’ Summer of Circus, leading UK companies NoFit State and Motionhouse will be joining forces at the Pavilion Theatre to perform their electrifying show BLOCK, revealing what happens when circus and dance collide.
 
BLOCK is about life in the city; its contradictions and challenges. Twenty oversized blocks are deconstructed and reformed to create different cityscapes for the performers to play on, move with and explore. The show encompasses daring physicality, split-second timing and thrilling feats with original music.
 
The constant shifts of forms echo the transitory nature of city centres, the changing landscapes of our environments and within this context, creates a platform on which the bodies talk about change, barriers, obstacles, repetition, failures and successes.
 
Created in 2016, BLOCK is a collaboration between NoFit State Circus and Motionhouse. Created and directed by Kevin Finnan, with the original concept, design and production by Ali Williams, and circus direction by Paul Evans, BLOCK has astounded audiences across the world. This year the show will be taken as far as Australia, Germany, Budapest and Belgium.
 
Kevin Finnan and Ali Williams said “The modern city is a nest teeming with activity. Human life streams through it. BLOCK  is about living in the city, its contradictions and its challenges. Living large, living fast and sometimes living in the cracks, this extraordinary cast stay on their toes to thrive and survive in the world of blocks. The tower block, the urban block, danger, love and excitement streaming through the day. The fusion of house styles creates a new theatrical language mixing circus and dance in an extraordinary and seamless way. Fusing the fluidity of dance with spectacular circus to continually reshape the modular staging negates the need to perform “acts”, allowing the skills to be fully integrated in the movement vocabulary, creating a new and exciting form.”

NoFit State was founded in 1986 by five friends. During a politically charged time, in a recession, and as a creative reaction to the world around them, the circus was born. Today, NoFit State is the UK’s leading large-scale contemporary circus company, producing professional touring productions and a wide variety of community, training, and education projects for people of all ages. Over the last six years NoFit State's touring productions have visited 15 different countries, played to audiences of over 250,000, have been critically acclaimed and won numerous prestigious international arts awards. They last performed in Worthing with their critically acclaimed sold out show Noodles in 2014.
 
Motionhouse create and tour a wide range of inspiring and powerful dance-circus productions to theatres and festivals in the UK and across the globe. Their distinctive, highly physical style integrates elements of circus and acrobatics with breath-taking dance to surprise and delight audiences, using powerful narrative and incredible digital imagery; they are pioneers in the world of dance. Their previous hugely popular productions in Worthing include Charge, Scattered and Broken.

Tickets for BLOCK at the Pavilion Theatre are available from the Worthing Theatres box office on 01903 206 206 and online at worthingtheatres.co.uk.

BLOCK is commissioned by Without Walls, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Norfolk & Norwich Festival and Out There International Festival of Circus & Street Arts. Co-production Archaos, Pôle National des Arts du Cirque Méditerranée and Le Citron Jaune, Centre National des Arts de la Rue.

Adur District Council gives £10,000 boost to Wordfest

Shoreham’s literary charity, Wordfest has been awarded a £10,000 grant by Adur District Council to help boost its activities, bringing in more young people and different communities to celebrate the power of books and literature.

Wordfest, which has been running since 2011, attracts thousands of residents and visitors to a series of events showcasing literature, poetry and the written word in all forms.

To help Wordfest, a charitable organisation run by volunteers, continue its success in reaching out to communities the District Council has awarded the £10,000 grant with an additional £5,000 towards a children’s festival for Adur, organised in partnership with various arts groups.

With support from the Council, there will be summer evening performances of Shakespeare’s classic farce, Comedy of Errors, on Shoreham’s Coronation Green on 15 and 16 June.

Families and children will also be catered for in the special week-long Adur Children’s Arts Festival in August and a further weekend in November.

This year’s events will culminate in a week-long celebration in October at which journalists Kate Adie and Jenny Murray as well as renowned poet Ian Macmillan will be just some of the speakers and performers on show and performances of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet will be staged.

Using the grant Wordfest will also run pilot projects, such as all-ages creative workshops and will offer longer developmental opportunities to build links between children and people of all ages, and between different communities.

There will be creative writing workshops to increase educational achievements, skills and aspirations enabling people to shape their own future, maximising new economic and social opportunities.

Linking with schools, Skyway Gallery, Adur Arts Trail and others Wordfest will also build links across all the arts, with the support of community groups and businesses, to develop a programme of cultural events across the district.

The programme will contribute to community health and well-being, education, raising aspirations and will complement economic development in bringing others into the district, increasing its reputation as a centre for arts and innovation. Wordfest will work with the District Council’s Community and Wellbeing teams to develop the programme.

Leader of Adur District Council, Cllr Neil Parkin said, “We recognise that Shoreham has a thriving cultural scene and we recognise the fantastic efforts put in over the years by trustees and volunteers to build Wordfest into the success it is.

“Now our contribution will allow the festival to reach out beyond both Shoreham and traditional audiences to inspire whole new groups in the delight in the written word.”

On behalf of Wordfest trustees Rosalind Turner said, “We are thrilled to receive this support from Adur District Council, which will help to boost the range of cultural activities we are able to organise in the coming year.

“We have been growing as a voluntary organisation over the last seven years, and with the Council’s support we can now expand, with a particular emphasis on work with children and young people, schools and extending activities within the community. With the Council’s support, Wordfest will be organising creative workshops with children and older people in schools, and arts activities in Lancing and Fishersgate.  

“The charity trustees are grateful for the Council’s recognition of the considerable amount of voluntary effort generated into the arts in Shoreham and beyond over the past seven years.  There are over 30 people actively involved with Wordfest, and we also rely on support from many other partners in the area. The Council’s commitment will help us all to flourish and reach the parts we haven’t reached before.”

For the full programme of Wordfest events go to www.shorehamwordfest.com

New Senior Manager Appointed at MHA Carpenter Box

To support their growing client base, MHA Carpenter Box has appointed Sarah Baker as a Senior Manager within the Business Services Group.

Sarah qualified as a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) in 2005, before moving on to become a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in 2009; she became a fellow of the ACCA in 2014.

Sarah has gained a vast experience in audit and accounting work since joining the profession over 15 years ago, having worked for both Kreston Reeves and Haines Watts Chartered Accountants in Brighton.

In her new role with MHA Carpenter Box, Sarah will focus on working with sole traders and owner-managed businesses of all sizes, helping them to increase their profitability and improve their tax efficiency. On a day-to-day basis, this can mean dealing with anything from VAT returns to Corporation Tax, in addition to accounting and tax planning activities.

Sarah is thrilled with her new appointment, commenting: “I’m delighted to be appointed as a Senior Manager at MHA Carpenter Box, which has an excellent reputation in the industry. I enjoy keeping busy and the Business Services Group is certainly thriving acting for a lot of clients from a wide range of business sectors. There is also a good buzz in the office with great teamwork, making it a very enjoyable place to work.”

Sarah lives in Worthing so she no longer has a lengthy commute to work each day, which is important to her as she keeps busy with her four-year-old son. In her spare time, she is a fitness fanatic, attending classes and enjoying running on a regular basis. 

New Mayor of Worthing is set to be elected

The next Mayor of Worthing is pledging to support the building of communities during his year in office.

Councillor Paul Baker will don the Borough’s century-old robes and chain for the first time on Friday (May 18, 2018) when he set to be elected to post at Worthing Borough Council’s annual meeting.

In the next 12 months, the avid singer and rugby fan will be the town’s first citizen, combining attending hundreds of events with his full-time job as an engineer.

He will also raise money for three local charities: Guild Care Haviland House dementia care home, Ferring Country Centre and Love Your Hospital, which is the the dedicated charity for Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

After putting on the century-old robes for the first time on Friday, Cllr Baker will waste no time getting on to business - with the mayor’s inaugural dinner that evening followed by a picnic for the Royal Wedding on Saturday in Broadwater. A civic service at St George’s church will take place on Sunday.

Cllr Baker, who was elected to represent Broadwater ward on Worthing Borough Council in 2016, said: “I’m looking forward to meeting as many people as possible and doing my best to make the year beneficial to our town.”

Cllr Baker was born and bred in the town and follows his father and grandfather in serving the local community as both were employed by the council.

He will be accompanied throughout the year by his wife Sandra, who works as a local estate agent. They recently celebrated their Pearl wedding anniversary.

Speaking on the eve of the annual meeting, Cllr Baker said he was looking forward to a busy and productive year ahead.

Cllr Baker said: “I became a Councillor, as most people do, to try and help people and make positive changes for the good of Worthing.

“My priorities are assisting in building communities, working with community associations and neighbourhood groups, and promoting volunteering for the good of everyone in the town.”

Cllr Baker’s Deputy Mayor will be Councillor Hazel Thorpe, who represents Tarring ward.

He succeeds Councillor Alex Harman, who was the youngest ever borough mayor in the country. In the last year, Cllr Harman raised £17,556.69 for his chosen local charities - the Ashdown Centre, Worthing ‪Mencap and Worthing Alzheimer’s Society.

Read the Q&A below to find out more about the new mayor Paul Baker.

What is your background?

Born and bred in Worthing, I was brought up in Durrington and attended Durrington Primary School, West Tarring County Secondary School, Northbrook College and Brighton Technical College where I obtained an HNC in Electrical Engineering.

I follow in a long family tradition with the the Borough Council as my father worked for the authority for more than 40 years in street lighting and highways; as did his grandfather before him, who was a street light lense cleaner on a bike with ladder and bucket - there was no health and safety those days!

I served an Electrical Engineering apprenticeship at Beecham Pharmaceuticals and went on to be a hospital field service engineer and area sales manager. In 2000 myself and my wife Sandra purchased a small hotel in Worthing which we ran for ten years. I have since moved back into electrical sales and now work as a technical support engineer for ABB UK Ltd in both solar energy and electric vehicle charging.

I’m looking forward to meeting as many people as possible and doing my best to make the year beneficial to our town.

What are your interests away from being a councillor?

Singing - I have sung with many local choirs and performing varied pieces from Handel’s Messiah to Guns n Roses.I have a passion for rugby too - I played 1st XV rugby for Worthing RFC during the 1980’s and was President for three years.

Why did you become a councillor?

I became a Councillor, as most people do, to try and help people and make positive changes for the good of Worthing.

What are your priorities for the coming year as Mayor?

My priorities are assisting in building communities, working with community associations and neighbourhood groups, and promoting volunteering for the good of everyone in the town.

Which charities will you be supporting as Mayor?

My charities are Guild Care Haviland House dementia care home, Ferring Country Centre and Love Your Hospital, which is the the dedicated charity for Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

What are your three favourite things about Worthing?

My three favourite things about Worthing are: the people who live here, their friendliness and positive attitude; Worthing’s location with the sea to the south and the Downs to the north; and the variety of things to do, the theatres, museum, restaurants and amenities.

Tell us something about the mayoralty we didn’t know?

The Mayoral Chain weighs in at 32oz and was paid for by public subscription in 1891.

Worthing Beach receives top national award

Worthing Beach has been recognised as one of the best in the country after winning the coveted Seaside Award for the second year running.

Overseen by Keep Britain Tidy, the honour recognises and rewards beaches that achieve the highest standards of beach management and, in the case of bathing beaches, meet the required standards for water quality.

Worthing Beach, a seven mile stretch of shingle, soft sand and rock pools, was one of those to be awarded, meaning it joins the ranks of the best in England.

The announcement will be officially made today (Thursday, May 17) at a special ceremony at Cromer Pier in Norfolk.

Councillor Kevin Jenkins, Deputy Leader of Worthing Borough Council, said: “The seafront really is the lifeblood of the any coastal town and it is no different in Worthing.

“From a wide expansive prom to a host of independent traders to world-class water sports, our seafront is a tremendous asset to all ages which is why I’m delighted we have won this award again.

“With the weather warming up, it is a real stamp of approval that Worthing and it’s seafront is ready for summer.”

Keep Britain Tidy is presenting 190 awards to England’s very best beaches, including 65 international Blue Flags and 125 Seaside Awards - ranging from popular holiday spots to quiet, more hidden-away spots.

What unites them all is knowing that they are clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as the tough international bathing water quality standards.

Allison Ogden-Newton, Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, said: “The success of the beaches in reaching the very high standards demanded is testament to all those who have worked so hard to protect and improve our beaches – from beach managers and volunteers to local people and businesses.

“When you enjoy a trip to a beach flying a Seaside Award, you know you are on one of the safest, cleanest and very best in the country.”