The Nation’s Favourite Farmer and ‘Countryfile’ Presenter Shares Heartfelt Stories in an evening with Adam Henson
 
Famous farmer and steadfast Sunday evening TV favourite Adam Henson takes his live theatre show to Worthing’s Pavilion Theatre on Thursday 7 June, extolling the virtues of the British countryside in conjunction with his widely celebrated books ‘Like Farmer, Like Son’ & ‘A Farmer & His Dog’. Adam will share stories about farming life, his TV career and the running of the picturesque Cotswold Farm Park, together with his thoughts on British agriculture, followed by a Q&A session and a post-show ‘meet and greet’ book signing.
 
In 2001, Adam Henson was chosen from over 3,500 applicants to become a TV presenter on BBC One’s flagship rural affairs programme ‘Countryfile’. Though the programme takes Adam to a huge range of destinations, he often presents from the farm at home, providing the opportunity to describe first-hand the life of a livestock and arable farmer in these modern times. Perhaps a natural choice for the role, Adam’s familiarity with the media world began way before his appointment: his grandfather, Leslie Henson, was a comedian, his father, Joe Henson, presented a countryside TV programme with Angela Rippon and Adam’s uncle, Nicky Henson, is an actor who has appeared in films and TV programmes including Fawlty Towers, Inspector Morse and Downton Abbey.
 
Adam continues to carry the torch for the Henson family with his own unique brand of charisma and passion for rural living. Since joining the Countryfile team, the programme has progressed from strength to strength, now watched by over nine million viewers every Sunday, who look forward to seeing Adam address the issues that modern day farmers face in his own inimitable way. As he explains: “Working as a farmer and TV presenter is exciting and rewarding, particularly as the public are now much more engaged with the countryside, as farmers are with consumers. I believe the food supply chain has some amazing opportunities and Britain produces the best food in the world”.
 
Adam’s live dates provide an entertaining insight into British country life, presented by one its very best champions of modern rural living.
 
Tickets for An Evening with Adam Henson are available from the Worthing Theatres box office on 01903 206 206 and online at worthingtheatres.co.uk.

Adur & Worthing Business Partnership Launch new Business Portal

A new digital platform to showcase Adur & Worthing's bright burgeoning business community has been launched.

The  Adur & Worthing Business Partnership are pleased to announce their new and improved Business Portal which will help to improve communication between business community, partners and stakeholders as well as showcase innovation and talent across the area.

With an interactive feel and e-bulletin facility, the portal has been designed to promote business activities across the area quicker and to a wider audience.

The first e-bulletin will go out early April.  Businesses are encouraged to feed into the site on a range of themes including local economic success, community involvement and sponsorship opportunities.

Cllr Kevin Jenkins, Worthing Borough Council's Executive Member for Regeneration, said “Adur and Worthing have ambitious plans for how the place will achieve “good growth”. This 'good growth' is not about growth at any price; but one that balances economic success with the best quality of life for our people, sustains our natural assets and the environment and continues to attract increasing numbers of visitors.

Worthing is an increasingly popular business location with great transport and digital connections, a popular seaside destination for visitors and a place whose residents enjoy an enviable quality of life.

Worthing Borough Council is a strong supporter of local businesses and has an important role in helping to create, define and lead on place shaping and promoting good growth. I believe that this new business portal will showcase the work, skills and enterprise that currently exists within Worthing and provide a gateway between businesses for future growth, innovation and economic prosperity”.

Cllr Brian Boggis Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said “The launch of the new Portal will give one stop access to all that’s going on in the Adur Business Community, providing direct links to the many areas of support available to both the exciting new businesses being set up in the District, as well as those more established businesses, that continue to grow and provide ongoing prosperity. Already off to a good start, 2018 is going to be an exciting year for Adur and the new Portal can only contribute further to our growth.”

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Why the Facebook data mining scandal is a wake-up call for SMEs

The Facebook data mining scandal is a stark reminder for SMEs of the importance of data protection. However, small firms are dragging their feet. Cost is a barrier to security and alternative finance can help.

According to the latest figures, a staggering 87 million Facebook users may have had their data improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica. The scandal has prompted users to download their Facebook data from the social networking site and many have been astonished at what they’ve found. Facebook’s share price has taken a hefty hit as a result.

The scandal sends a clear message about data protection and the dangers of having inadequate security measures in place, both to individuals and businesses. There has been a strong focus on cybersecurity in the first quarter of this year, not least in the run up to the introduction of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). There have also been many examples of the havoc a cyberattack can wreak.

Nevertheless, the small business sector has been slow to prioritise investment in cybersecurity. New data from the Federation of Small Businesses suggests that this picture remains largely unchanged. According this new research, over a third of small companies have yet to being preparing for the introduction of GDPR, while a further third are only at a very early stage of preparation.

Why the sluggish response? Cost has to be a major issue. Small businesses are already burdened with a raft of policy and non-policy costs, such as those relating to the pension auto-enrolment, the living wage, apprenticeships and business rates. At the same time, they are battling market conditions affected by Brexit-borne uncertainty.

But, as the Facebook data mining scandal shows, investment in data protection and cybersecurity shouldn’t be put to one side. So how can small businesses afford it? Alternative finance services such as peer-to-peer lending, invoice finance and crowdfunding can help them raise capital for investment in new equipment and for safeguarding cashflow. In the face of continued caution from traditional lenders, more and more small business owners are turning to these non-bank finance options.

This is how a small business in Sussex used peer-to-peer lending, through a commercial finance broker that specialises in alternative finance, to raise £20,000 for new equipment.

These are challenging times for small businesses and accessing finance is critical to their ability to weather the storm. As such, it has never been so important for companies to 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.

The Mellor Practice is expanding!

The Mellor Practice have opened their second office  - 31 Chapel Road Worthing BN11 1EG.  This is in addition to our existing premises just outside Arundel.  For some time I’ve wanted us to be more visible and we are now right in the heart of Worthing.  It’s important to us that we can serve the local community, right on their doorstep.

We continue to offer professional, unhurried, face to face Independent Financial Advice.  With well over 120 years combined experience, our qualified advisers - male and female - can help you answer the following questions - and more….

Ø  I’ve just inherited a capital sum- how should I invest it?

Ø  I’m retiring in the next few years- can you look at my existing pensions?

Ø  I’m fed up with poor Cash ISA returns- are there low risk alternatives offering potentially better returns?

Ø  I’m aware that my family needs life assurance/critical illness protection- can you help?

Ø  I’m concerned that I may need long term care- how is it best funded?

Ø  I’ve heard about Equity Release- Is it for me?

We offer the first 45 minute consultation at our expense, either in our comfortable offices in Worthing or Arundel.  This first meeting is an informal discussion to find out more about you, your aims and objectives and your attitude to risk.  All our fees are transparent and will be discussed with you prior to producing a comprehensive report with recommendations if you decide to proceed.

Please telephone Hilary Peyman on 01903 882007 to book your initial consultation. We look forward to being of service!

Digital hub planned for Worthing town centre

A thriving creative hub in the heart of Worthing could be expanded to house the technology brains of the future under plans unveiled by Worthing Borough Council.

Artists, musicians, innovators and designers are among those to have blossomed after Colonnade House opened to the public in October 2016.

In order to build on the success, the Council has developed six-figure plans to expand the complex to also accommodate digital businesses.

The proposal would see the purchase and refurbishment of two neighbouring buildings in High Street, with works potentially starting next year.

The three-storey building would be connected to top-of-the-range gigabit broadband infrastructure before the flexible office space is rented out to burgeoning businesses in both the digital and creative sectors, which council leaders believe will generate jobs and growth in priority industries for the town.

Martin Randall, Adur & Worthing Councils' Director for the Economy, said: “Since we opened Colonnade House, the benefits to our creative and artistic sector has been immeasurable.

“We want to build on that success and expand our offer to nurture some of the amazing creative and digital talent in our town. By blending digital and creative spaces in a single project we hope to be able give these growing sectors a base from which to expand and prosper.

“As well as creating jobs for the future, our plan also has the added benefit of refurbishing two town centre buildings which have historic and architectural interest.”

Worthing Borough Council secured funds in 2015 to create low-cost affordable creative art studio and gallery space in the then vacant Colonnade House.

It opened a year later and, run in partnership with the Adur and Worthing Trust, has been hugely successful with good levels of occupancy and a range of bespoke projects and events.

Despite the success, a paper presented at a meeting of Adur & Worthing Councils’ Joint Strategic Committee next week suggests that additional income streams will be needed to sustain Colonnade House into the future.

Councillors will be asked to support an £800,000 partnership bid to the European Regional Development Fund which would pay for the full refurbishment. A decision on the funding bid would be made next year with work potentially starting soon after.

The digital and creative hub would meet one of the aims of the Adur & Worthing Economic Strategy which was adopted last year which included the aspiration of creating Superconnected Worthing.

Karen Simporis, Chair of Adur & Worthing Trust, a local charity that supports arts and culture and has the lease on the building, said: “Many of the successful creative businesses based  at Colonnade House already use digital technology extensively so the improved connectivity this exciting plan offers will help them and new tenants go much further.

“By sensitively refurbishing the two adjacent buildings the hub will aim to nurture creativity in its widest sense and build a sound economic base for our forward thinking town.”

Worthing guest house owners get pedalling for summer 2018                                         

Worthing accommodation providers got on their bikes last week to re-launch the towns Donkey Republic bike hire scheme for the 2018 summer season. 

Representatives from Heenefields, High Beach, The Moorings and Baltimore Guest Houses joined Judy Fox, Worthing Borough council’s Visitor Experience Officer to test drive the bikes. 

The Donkey Republic Bike Hire  24/7, self-service scheme launched last May has been popular with visitors and residents alike. The Donkey Republic bikes which have been imported from Copenhagen are bright orange, easily adjustable and super comfy to ride. 

And guesthouse owners were eager to find out how the Donkey Bikes work so that they can help their guests make the most of their visit to Worthing this summer.  

Users simply download the app to rent and unlock the bike. It’s the perfect scheme for visitors who may not want the hassle of bringing their bikes from home.  

The Great news for 2018 is the introduction of a new 30 min bike hire for just £1.25 and a reduction in the rental from £6 to £5 for 2 hours. 

Discover Worthing is keen to promote Worthing as an ideal place for cycling with wide, flat seafront routes linking the town to nearby destinations such as Lancing, Shoreham and Brighton and Hove to the East and Goring to the West.

There are currently four pick up points around the town

• ·         The Lido
• ·         Pavilion Theatre
• ·         Steyne Gardens
• ·         Windsor Road Shelter.
•  

The Discover Worthing website showcases a variety of routes for all abilities and flags up stopping points along the way.  

Donkey bike familiarisation sessions are available on request for all accommodation/businesses providers in Worthing. 

Worthing Borough Council is looking to expand the scheme and would be interested to hear from any local businesses interested in sponsoring the introduction of new bikes.

The latest Worthing Podcast

The latest Worthing Podcast if now online. In this edition you will and insight to the Worthing Eco Open Houses event http://www.worthingpodcast.com/

Have your say on a plan for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service. 

A six week public consultation has started into the Integrated Risk Management Plan which outlines how it intends to use its resources to help protect the public in the future.

The consultation runs until Monday 28 May.

The plan explains the fire service’s activities in detail on:

• ·        Prevention – educating the community on how to reduce risks through safe and well visits, school visits and other training.
• ·        Protection – providing safer public spaces within the built environment, fire safety inspections and enforcement.
• ·        Response – sending fire appliances and firefighters to emergency incidents. This can include fires, road traffic collisions, flooding etc.
• ·        People – how we address the challenges we face in delivering a highly trained, diverse workforce.
• ·        Value for money – ensuring everything we do is as cost efficient as possible.
• ·        Partnership and collaboration – how we will work with other organisations to achieve our organisational aims.

The public consultation asks people to comment on the priorities identified by the West Sussex Fire Authority, part of West Sussex County Council’s functions.

To read the draft IRMP and to take part in the consultation please go to www.westsussex.gov.uk/IRMP2018

If you would like the survey and/or other information in an alternative format (eg. a paper copy) please contact us:

Email: yourfireservice@westsussex.gov.uk

Telephone: 01243 777100

In writing: IRMP public consultation, Communications Team, West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1RG

Worthing Museum & Art Gallery partner with the British Museum to exhibit Japanese fashion during the Edo period

This spring Worthing Museum and Art Gallery will be partnering with the British Museum for a special exhibition exploring Japanese men’s fashion.
 
Dressed to Impress: netsuke and Japanese men’s fashion is a British Museum Partnership exhibition, which explores the intricate accessories worn by Japanese men during the Edo period (1615-1868). The exhibition will be on display at Worthing Museum’s Norwood Gallery from 28 April to 25 August.
 
Netsuke are a form of Japanese miniature sculpture that were primarily functional, but evolved into an important art form in Japan. They were used by men as toggles to fasten tobacco and medicine pouches to the belts of their kimonos. Men of all classes of society used netsuke, but particularly merchants, who wanted to demonstrate their style and financial status through their fashion accessories.
 
This exhibition features five netsuke, chosen from over 2,300 netsuke in the British Museum’s collection. The beauty of these objects is in their individuality, and is reflected in the variety of the netsuke on show, a Chinese couple playing a flute, a goldfish, a turtle, a sleeping rat, and a Chinese boy holding a lion mask. In addition to the group of netsuke, an inro (a case for holding small objects), a sword, and smoking accessories will also be on display.
 
The exhibition places the netsuke and other objects in context with a bespoke male kimono to demonstrate how they were worn as a complete outfit in the 18^th century.
 
To accompany these objects on display from the British Museum, Worthing Museum will be also be exhibiting an assortment of items from their collection, including a Japanese sword, wood block prints by Toyo-Kuni, a kimono and a selection of netsukes.
 
As part of the exhibition, there will also be various Japanese themed family friendly workshops taking place at the museum from 29 May to 10 August which include decorating a parasol, making lanterns, pocket sculptures and various traditional Japanese crafts.

Emma Walder, Worthing Museum & Art Gallery Art Curator, says
“It’s great to be working in partnership with the British Museum and we feel honoured to be displaying their selected items here in Worthing. We rarely have the opportunity to display the limited selection of Japanese items we have in our collections, and I am looking forward to seeing the prints by Toyo-Kuni and the amazing netsukes that have been in our archives.”

Maria Bojanowska, Dorset Foundation Head of National Programmes at the British Museum, says “The British Museum is delighted to be working with Worthing Museum & Art Gallery for the first time, as the final venue of this partnership touring exhibition. It is wonderful that the exhibition has provided Worthing Museum with the opportunity to display these beautiful objects that would otherwise be in storage.”

For more information on the Dressed To Impress exhibition and the workshops, visit worthingmuseum.co.uk or call Worthing Museum on 01903 221 448.

How SMEs can cope with rising material costs

Rising material prices are squeezing already thin profit margins at SMEs. How can small business owners manage the increasing costs? Alternative finance is part of the solution.

A new survey from the Federation of Master Builders has shown that margins at over half of the country’s small building firms are being squeezed as a result of rising material prices. Almost the same amount have been forced to pass on some of the increase to customers, while just under a fifth of these companies are making losses on projects because of the rise in prices.

Furthermore, major UK food processing company Flatfish has attributed an almost 50% reduction in its bottom-line profit to raw material price inflation, while prominent seafood distributor Lyon’s has also blamed increased costs for a significant drop in its profits.

The depreciation of the pound and the impact of Brexit on market dynamics are widely considered to be the main factors behind the rise in material prices.

Regardless of the cause, the increase in raw material prices comes at a bad time for SMEs, which are already shouldering the financial burden of various policy and non-policy costs. Business rates is one such cost whose impact has recently made the headlines.

So, how can small business owners cope with yet more pressure on capital and cashflow? Alternative finance can help them manage the pressure.

Access to finance is essential for maintaining momentum and developing and growing a business, and with traditional lenders still proving cautious with regard to small business funding, more and more SMEs are using accessible, affordable and flexible non-bank finance services, such as invoice finance, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding.

Tellingly, a new report, SMEs: Smallish Misunderstood Enterprises, claims that a significant amount of companies still feel underserved by traditional lenders. Almost two-thirds of the firms surveyed for the report said that banks made little effort to provide SME-specific services. As such, it’s not difficult to understand the upturn in the popularity of alternative finance services.

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

Small businesses face some serious headwinds in 2018 and managing rising material prices is another burden they have to bear. In the current environment, this is no easy feat. Alternative finance can help them achieve it.

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