World War One links honoured as French town of Richebourg receives the Freedom of Worthing

“Civic pride at its best” was on display this weekend when the Freedom of Worthing was bestowed on the Mayor of Richebourg.

The two places formed links after a World War One battle known as “The Day Sussex Died” took place near the northern French settlement in 1916.

More than a century on, that relationship has been cemented as the Mayor of Worthing Councillor Alex Harman gave the freedom of the borough to the office of his counterpart Gerard Delahaye.

Among those present for the ceremony in Worthing Town Hall on Saturday (12 May, 2018) were schoolchildren and officials from Pas-de-Calais, as well as local dignitaries.

Cllr Harman said: “The whole event went really well. It really was civic pride at its best.

“The support from both sides of the Channel was fantastic and I was delighted to welcome Mayor Delahaye, who was the first Mayor of Richebourg to visit Worthing since 1921.

“I was so pleased to see school children from both town take part in the event too as it shows that the young people of our towns are committed to seeing the link grow and continue in future years.”

The Day Sussex Died, which is officially known as the Battle of Boar's Head, took place on June 30, 1916. In less than five hours more than 1,300 soldiers from the three South Downs Battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment were either killed, wounded, captured or missing. Of the 366 who died, 22 were from Worthing.

Former Worthing Mayor Ellen Chapman first formed connections with Richebourg back in the 1920s.

Cllr Harman gained approval from Worthing’s Full Council in February to award the freedom honour, which comes in the same year as the centenary of the end of World War One.

As well as receiving the award, the French delegation attended a short commemoration service at the Battle of Boar’s Head memorial in Worthing's Beach House Park. That was followed by an unveiling of a piece of collaboratively-designed stained glass on Worthing Pier.

The glass was jointly designed by the students from Worthing's Chatsmore Catholic High School, Ecole Marcel Lejosne and Ecole du Sacré Cœur in Richebourg. A duplicate piece of glass was presented to the town of Richebourg.

The visit by the French delegation was arranged by Chatsmore Catholic High School, who forged links with Richebourg through their Legacy 110 programme which encourages schoolchildren to become involved in projects to pass on the legacy of remembering World War One.

How SMEs can afford GDPR compliance and protect their brands

A new study showing that consumers are losing faith in brands over data use is a wake-up call for small businesses dealing with GDPR compliance. Alternative finance can help owners manage cashflow to meet the costs of compliance.

The results of the survey by Databoxer showed that over 80% of those questioned do not trust social media companies with their data. A further two thirds said that they do not trust the brands that supply the products they buy. This is a damning insight into the relationship between consumers and brands, and has serious ramifications for SMEs.

While big brands have the resources and scope to bounce back from data privacy breaches, it is much harder for smaller businesses to win back trust and sales. The impact of a loss of consumers and contracts can have a much more serious impact. Hence, is it vital that small business owners prioritise GDPR compliance and give their customers the peace of mind that comes from knowing their data are being handled properly and are fully protected.

However, a significant amount of small businesses are struggling to meet the May 25th deadline (when the GDPR data-protection laws come into force). Recent research from the Institute of Directors claims that many businesses are still not ready. According to the data, 40% of directors are not confident that they will be fully compliant in time. A similar amount reported that they are unsure how the new rules will affect their firms.

So, what’s stopping them? One of the biggest barriers to compliance is cost. The extra pressure on company finances comes at a time when most small businesses are already straining under the weight of a long list of other policy and non-policy related costs. These include costs relating to cybersecurity and late payment and compliance with pension auto-enrolment and living wage- and apprenticeship-related legislation.

Capital is being spread increasingly thinly and, with traditional lenders welded to their cautiousness, this puts pressure on cashflow. Hence the go-slow approach to GDPR compliance. However, alternative finance can help small business owners access cash and invest in the resources that they need to protect themselves and their customers.

With trust in big bank small business lending remaining low, alternative finance is going from strength to strength. More and more SMEs are using the likes of invoice finance, asset finance, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding to fund investment and safeguard cash flow.

This is how a Sussex business used peer-to-peer lending, through a commercial finance broker that specialises in alternative finance, to raise money to buy new equipment.

GDPR compliance is proving tougher than expected for many businesses and it seems clear that cost is a key contributory factor. While it is easy to understand why some firms are taking longer to prepare, there is no escaping the fact that they cannot afford not to. This is why alternative finance is so important.

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

Notification of major gas works: High Street and Lyndhurst Road, Worthing

The project involves the essential replacement of old metal gas mains with new plastic pipe to ensure we continue to provide a safe and reliable gas supply to the local area. Our contractor KLT will undertake this work on our behalf.

So, that we can minimise the impact of our essential work, we have carefully consulted and planned our works in partnership with West Sussex County Council, our project will start on Monday 14 May 2018 and is expected to last approximately seven weeks.

Phase one – approximately seven weeks

We’ll start our project in High Street between its junction with A259 North Street and Little High Street. We’ll be replacing our gas main and service pipes along the western side on the road in sections. Majority of our work will be carried out in the footpath; however, we may need to access our network from the road at times. We will agree this with West Sussex County Council in advance and install advance notice signs to keep residents informed.

Phase two – approximately four weeks

On Monday 4 June, our second team of engineers will begin upgrading our network in Lyndhurst Road. To ensure everyone’s safety around our work area, we will need to close Lyndhurst Road from 10am on Monday 4 June between the A259 North Street roundabout and Providence Terrace.

Lyndhurst Road is expected to be closed for approximately four weeks, until Friday 29 June. Signed diversions via the A259 Brighton Road and Brougham Road will be in place throughout. Access to Providence Terrace will be maintained for residents travelling westbound on Lyndhurst Road.

Access to Worthing Hospital and A&E will be maintained from the eastern approach of Lyndhurst Road throughout our work.

Worthing honours MasterChef 2018 winner Kenny Tutt

MasterChef 2018 champion Kenny Tutt was the toast of the town after the Worthing resident was invited to a special civic reception by the Mayor. 

The dad-of-two shot to fame when more than five million viewers tuned in to watch him win BBC One's flagship cookery programme.

In taking the crown, bank manager Kenny beat out more than 25,000 competitors - and to thank him for putting the town on the map, Kenny and his family were invited into the mayor's parlour for a special civic ceremony.

Mayor of Worthing Alex Harman also took the opportunity to present the 36-year-old with a framed certificate and other civic gifts.

After being presentation, Kenny joked: "Do I get a free parking space too?"

Speaking afterwards, Cllr Harman said: "As a borough, we are extremely proud of what Kenny has achieved so it was a pleasure to invite him and his family into the parlour for a special reception.

"He has really helped put Worthing on the map and this reception is a small way of saying thank you to him."

The MasterChef winner also met members of the Council's food safety team and heard about the Eat Out Eat Well scheme, which rewards restaurants, takeaways and other food businesses that make it easier for their customers to make healthy choices.

In sharing a few stories about his time on the show, Kenny and his wife Lucy revealed they watched the final on an iPhone on the train after an appearance on BBC's The One Show.

Since lifting the crown, he has been appeared at a number of food festival and cookery events.

Kenny, who has lived in the town for nearly 20 years, said: "I absolutely love the town I think it's brilliant and lot of the inspiration for Masterchef came from living beside the sea.

"It has been incredible meeting the mayor and learn about the history of the town and town hall.

"Being able to represent the town on the show was just another feather in Worthing's cap."

This is how to combat B2B late payment

New financial year, same old problem. Just a month into 2018-19 and B2B late payment is making the headlines again. The government is making the right noises but needs to practise what it preaches. So, what can SMEs do? Invoice finance is one solution.

New research from accounting software firm Xero claims that over 50% of small businesses were not paid on time in 2017 and that this delay caused a similar amount of SMEs to begin the year with negative cashflow. The impact of such financial pressure on a company’s ability to maintain forward momentum and invest in growth is clear. How can SMEs be expected to drive economic growth in such conditions?

At the same time, the Small Business Commissioner, Paul Uppal, has called on the government to issue fines to companies guilty of paying their suppliers late. That such a move has been publically demanded underlines both the seriousness of the problem and exasperation over the impact of existing measures. Let’s not forget that the government only recently introduced new legislation intended to combat late payment by naming those that do not settle invoices on time. Uppal’s call suggests that this law does not go far enough.

Indeed, the government has recently announced that it will launch tough new measures to improve conditions for small businesses, including plans to crack down on unfair payment practices and give companies more scope to report poor payment performance. This is all well and good, but there has to be a big question mark against the effectiveness of such action, especially as it seems that the public sector has its own issues as a serial late payer.

According to new research from the Federation of Small Businesses, 90% of public sector suppliers have been paid late. This is an eye-watering figure. If the government is serious about tackling B2B late payment, it would seem it needs to get its own house in order first. In the past, the organisation has claimed that late payment causes 50,000 companies to cease trading every year.

As such, it’s easy to understand why small business owners put little faith in efforts to combat late payment. There is no lack of initiatives and schemes, and even legislation, but there is little evidence to suggest that anything is working. So, what can SMEs do, besides trying to remain optimistic about government plans?

Invoice finance is one answer. Alternative finance is transforming the small business finance landscape and invoice finance is very much a driving force of this growth. Its affordability, accessibility and flexibility are proving a timely antidote to the continued caution of traditional lenders. Invoice finance alone is worth billions of pounds to the UK business sector. With regard to late payment, it is a means of ensuring that payment deadlines are met, and vital cashflow is safeguarded, without jeopardising key business relationships.

Late payment is making challenging conditions even harder for small business owners, so it’s imperative that a solution is found. However, recent developments suggest that this won’t happen anytime soon. That’s why alternative finance, and invoice finance in particular, is so important for SMEs.

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

Five Women from Five Countries perform high energy family circus show in Worthing this July

This summer Worthing Theatres welcome Compania Vavel Circus to the Pavilion Theatre with their family fun show Garbuix on the 23-24 July. The company, based in Barcelona, Spain, are travelling to Worthing to perform exclusively as part of their Summer of Circus festival.
 
Five women from five countries come together to present a delightful, high energy circus show jam-packed full of acrobatics, music, game playing, comedy, bicycles, shouting, a giant bear and pure mayhem.

The show is performed by international artists Lola Ruiz, Juana Beltrán, Serena Vione, Jessica Arpin and Jessica Martin.
 
Lola Ruiz specialises in trapeze and Chinese pole. Discovering circus at the age of seven years, she studied at the circus school of Châtellerault, France and ESAC, Brussels. She went on tour with Monti Circus for a year in Switzerland, before creating the Belgium company Lady Cocktail in which she toured around the world.
 
Juana Beltrán specialises in hand balancing and knife throwing, from the age of four she studied sports artistic gymnastics in Argentina, with her professional training moving her towards circus arts, where she studied different disciplines and developed a very personal and unique approach to the art form.
 
Serena Vione is a circus artist and a professional instructor, who is extensively trained in Chinese pole. She arrived in Catalonia in 2006 coming from Turin, Italy, where she founded "El Circ Petit" company, with which she created various shows that tour Europe. Her last creation ITER premiered in August 2014 at the Aurillac international street festival in France, and was performed in 2015 at Fira Trapezi and FiraTàrrega, in Spain.
 
Jessica Arpin is a world animal, polyglot and nomad. She trained at the Montreal circus school in acrobatic bike and clown. Her solo street show “Kalabazi” has been performed 600 times in 24 countries. Jessica has worked with various companies such as the Nau de Ícaros in São Paulo, Théâtre AmStramGram and the Théâtre du Loup in Geneva and the DuoRoccoco with Luca Regina. She speaks 6 languages fluently... and the best part is that she is able to speak every of them backwards.
 
Jessica Martin is the comical character who brings a lot of madness. In 2013, she finished the Fratellini Academy in Paris, where she specialised as a clown acrobat. Then she joined the Théâtre de l’Incendie in France to perform in “Richard the III”. While performing in different productions, she goes on training as a hospital clown and at the Campus Universo Cascadas (Stunt University Campus).

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

Olivier and Total Theatre award winners Gandini Juggling present 8 Songs

Olivier and Total Theatre award winners Gandini Juggling present 8 Songs - a series of choreographed juggling vignettes set to 8 classic rock and roll songs, as part of Worthing Theatres Summer of Circus festival at the Pavilion Theatre on Friday 22 June.
 
The fast-paced show is a tribute to the mythical landscape of popular music; from Dylan’s stream of consciousness realms to the Velvet Underground troubling landscapes, from David Bowie’s soulful escapades to the rocking Rolling Stone’s anthemic joy de vivre. Each song has its own atmosphere and its own micro universe.
 
Creating a sense of ritual, celebration, and primal tribal energy the piece builds crescendo style from solos and duets to a full cast finale. Meanings will be alluded to, with semi-literal references to the songs themselves.

For anyone looking to practice and develop their skills whilst having fun, the company will also be running a beginner’s juggling workshop on the day.
 
Gandini Juggling have for over two decades been one of the world's most prolific and adventurous circus companies. Founded with the aim of fusing Juggling and dance, they have pushed the artistic and technical boundaries of juggling, resulting in performances that delight, astound, and defy easy categorisation. Iconic and iconoclastic in equal measure Gandini Juggling have changed the perception of what juggling is and can be - transforming what might be considered a parlour-trick into a rich and distinctive art form in its own right.
 
Formed by world-renowned jugglers Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä­Hokkala the award winning Gandini Juggling have been at the forefront of contemporary circus for over 25 years. During that time the company have produced over 30 productions, performing 5000 shows (and counting) around the world. Gandini are trailblazers in their field and have developed a reputation as promiscuous collaborators who continue to reinvent and reinvigorate juggling for the 21st century.
 
8 Songs is performed by Christopher Patfield, Francesca Mari, Frederike Gerstner Inaki Sastre, Jose Triguero, Lynn Scott & Helena Berry. The creative team includes company director Sean Gandini and lighting designer Guy Dickens and the show was co-commissioned by Without Walls Consortium, Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival Greenwich & Docklands International Festival.

Tickets for 8 Songs and the jugging workshop at the Pavilion Theatre are available from the Worthing Theatres box office on 01903 206 206 and online at worthingtheatres.co.uk.

An invitation to the Royal Wedding at the Ardington Hotel

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales K G KT

Has requested the presence of his 

Loyal subjects 

To view the marriage of

His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales

With

Ms Meghan Markle
 

At the Ardington hotel
(on an 8ft screen)

On Saturday 19^th May 2018 at 12 Noon

Including 3-course wedding breakfast with accompanying wines.

Followed by a Reception in the Eden room

Dress:

as you deem appropriate to attend a Royal Wedding

order of service:

 guests are requested to arrive for refreshments by 11:30am 

Freshly ground coffee, Tea infusions, Coca cola and Budweiser

Fortnum and Mason biscuits

Cookies

11:50

 Please be seated by the ushers

 Midday

 Commencement of the service

 1:00pm

 The wedding breakfast will be served

 __________________________________________________

Menu

Poached Sussex Asparagus

Hollondaise sauce

English Sparkling wine

….

Tian of

Handpicked crab and locally smoked salmon, Quail egg

 Chablis

….

 A duo of loin and shoulder of Southdown lamb

Rosemary and honey gravy

Roasted new potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli cauliflower mornay

Chianti or Sancerre

….

Elderflower and lemon posset

Orange muscat

 Sussex cheese  plate, bath olives, apple pickle

Freshly ground coffee

Fotnum and Mason violet creams and truffles

 __________________________________________________

 £49:00 Including accompanying wine

Numbers will be limited to 40

 The wedding will be projected on to an 8 feet screen

 Full payment when booking, please.

http://indigorestaurant.info/event/1893/

Freedom of Worthing honour for Richebourg

A First World War battle known as ‘The Day Sussex Died’ will be honoured on Saturday (May 12) when the Mayor of Richebourg is granted the freedom of the borough of Worthing.

The Mayor, Gerard Delahaye, and schoolchildren and officials from Pas-de-Calais, will visit Worthing to receive the award from the Mayor of Worthing Councillor Alex Harman.

Cllr Harman said: "Honouring the town of Richebourg by bestowing the the freedom of the borough of Worthing upon the Mayor’s office is long overdue. It's important to not only remember the past, but also look to the future.

"I'm very proud that this has been brought forward during my year as Mayor."

Officially known as the Battle of Boar's Head, the battle which so affected the county took place on June 30, 1916. In less than five hours more than 1,300 soldiers from the three South Downs Battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment were either killed, wounded, captured or missing. Of the 366 who died, 22 were from Worthing.

The freedom will officially be bestowed during a ceremony in Worthing Town Hall. It will be proceeded by a short commemoration service at the Battle of Boar's Head memorial in Beach House Park.

During the visit, a Royal Sussex Regiment flag, paid for by Chris Coopey, president of Worthing Adur Chamber of Commerce, will fly outside Worthing Town Hall.

The weekend will also see an unveiling of a piece of collaboratively-designed stained glass on Worthing Pier.

The glass was jointly designed by the students from Chatsmore Catholic High School, Worthing, Ecole Marcel Lejosne and Ecole du Sacré Cœur in Richebourg. A duplicate piece of glass will also be presented to the town of Richebourg.

The visit by the French delegation has been arranged by Chatsmore Catholic High School, who forged links with Richebourg through their Legacy 110 programme which encourages schoolchildren to become involved in projects to pass on the legacy of remembering World War One.  The school also unveiled the permanent memorial to the battle in Beach House Park in 2016.

Julian Morgan, assistant headteacher at Chatsmore, said "We are very excited about the visit. It's not only a chance for our pupils to appreciate how close to home events of the First War were felt, but also to engage with children from Richebourg in a cultural exchange while exploring our shared history.”

"It's incredible that this is happening as it is building on the long-lasting friendship between the two areas built nearly a century ago” added Councillor Harman.

The events also builds on the links created by former Worthing Mayor Ellen Chapman, who first formed connections with the town back in the 1920s.

Through rain, wind and not much shine - Worthing’s Brooklands Lake is brought back to life

They battled driving rain, gale-force winds, the darkest, smelliest black silt and even a terrifying creature from the deep but at last they’ve put a much-loved landmark on the road to recovery.

Engineers at Five Rivers Environmental Contracting have now completed the first stage of the major works on Brooklands Lake which has been funded by Worthing Borough Council.

If you visit the lake today you will see fast flowing, clear water and an abundance of wildlife but that was not always the case.

When Five Rivers took on the contract in 2017, the lake was stagnant due to a build up of silt which was having an impact on the environment and wildlife. In October the company set out to remove 15,000 cubic metres of silt and create new margins on the edge without reducing the footprint of the lake.

Even though they faced cold, wet and windy working conditions they ended up redistributing

19,000 cubic metres of silt, 4000 more than expected, the equivalent of almost eight Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The Teville Stream which flows into the lake has also been completely transformed. The former sluggish four metre wide stream has been reduced to a one and a half metre stream of fast, flowing water which stops silt building up.

Apart from removing the silt, works have been carried out to create a new and thriving habitat for a diverse range of wildlife:

·         Thick mats of coconut fibres and UK plant species have been planted to provide a diverse habitat around the lake & up the river.

·         By the stream, the paths have been ripped out and recycled. Coir - coconut husk - carpets have been laid to bed in marginal plants and encourage a diversity of species.

·         100 tons of gravel have been used in the lake to make Riffles (a rocky part of a stream of river) which create different widths & depths which encourage diverse wildlife.

·         Bog plants such as Irises and Marsh Marigolds have been planted on the western bank.

·         Berry trees are being planted on the new island to provide food for the birds during winter. Species will include Holly, Hazel, Guelder Rose and Blackthorn

The wildlife are certainly taking to the new lake and a Swan is already nesting on its margins. This year the Five Rivers team provided her with some straw to build her nest, but in future years she will be able to take full advantage of the reed (Phragmities) that have been planted across the site.

And that’s not all, Five Rivers will be providing the ducks and swans with their very own floating nests. Giving them extra safety during the nesting season.

It's not just the birds that are coming back. A shoal of rudd and carp have also been spotted in the river, proving that the fish are able to swim over the Riffles.

Despite facing one of the most wet and windy winter and spring periods on record Jacob Dew, Operations Manager of Five Rivers Environmental Contracting said he was  pleased with the way the project has turned out.

“We’re really pleased that we have completed the main works to such a good standard, but the project wasn’t without it challenges,” he said, “It was incredibly difficult during the coldest months when we were battling the wind and rain. The lowest point must have been when the silt became so waterlogged it was almost impossible to use our equipment.

“Despite the weather, the project has had some great moments. The best part about the project for me has been the local community and the incredible support that they have given my team and I.”

Earlier this year in the silt one of the engineers found a full-grown Common Snapping Turtle an extremely rare creature in the UK which is thought to have been dumped there by a pet owner. The creature is well named because it has been known to bite the finger off a human hand. Nicknamed Terry the turtle is now recovering in quarantine.

Five Rivers will be on site for the next few weeks tying up the loose ends and generally tidying up.They’ll be seeding,raking and planting the remaining 11,000 Phragmities.

The fencing will be kept around the lake until the plants and reeds bed in, making the  margins more stable.

It will take up to two years for the lake to return to its former splendour and Five Rivers will be visiting the site regularly to make sure everything is going to plan.

The entire Brooklands Park, owned by Worthing Borough Council, is the subject of a major improvement plan to revive the area.