Guildcare Cocktail Night

Time to sing your heart out with or very first karaoke and cocktail night!

We have teamed up with Bar 10 for you and your friends to pay just £15pp to have a private cocktail making session then sing your heart out with karaoke and dance the night away! All the funds go towards our Ashdown services which supports children with special needs and their families.

Why hesitate?! Call 01903 528613 to book yourself in!

Worthing seafront is centre stage for Hollywood hit

Hollywood stars flocked to Worthing as the seafront became the backdrop for a new feature-length film.

Stan & Ollie, starring Steve Coogan and U.S. star John C. Reilly, tells the story of Laurel and Hardy’s final tour in 1953.

As part of their caper, film crews booked out the Worthing Borough Council-owned Lido to capture one of the movie’s crucial scenes.

It is the latest in a series of productions to visit the town in recent years, including television shows such as Cuffs, Don’t Tell The Bride and The Fear.

Councillor Kevin Jenkins, Worthing Borough Council’s executive member for regeneration, said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly and the rest of the crew to Worthing.

“Our town has a fine heritage when it comes to film: from hosting some of the first moving pictures on the pier in the late 19th Century through to providing locations for more contemporary shows in recent years.

“I can’t wait to see our town become the backdrop to the comic capers of Stan and Ollie, whose presence will help continue to put Worthing on the map.”

The BBC film sees the comic duo visit a number of music halls across the UK to entertain their fans one last time.

It has been written by Jeff Pope, who worked with Coogan on Oscar-nominated Philomena.

The key scene shot in Worthing features Laurel and Hardy judging a beauty pageant.

To accommodate the film crew, some parking bays were suspended for a day and agreement was sought with the leaseholder of the Lido as the rides were relocated for a day.

Councillor Jenkins said:

“I want to thank the tourism and events team at the council, the leaseholder of the lido and the wider population for helping make this happen.

“I’m sure seeing the town on the big screen will give our four million visitors a year one more reason to Discover Worthing.”

Councillor Sean McDonald, the outgoing Mayor of Worthing, who is a big fan of the comic duo, said:

"I am absolutely delighted that the new Laurel & Hardy film is being filmed in my home town of Worthing. This is the perfect location for this great comedy duo.  

“I am a long time fan of the boys and a member of their fan club The Sons Of The Desert. I hope that the film is a great success and it just emphasises the opportunities available in Worthing."

Car park closes to make way for potential office development

The former Adur Civic Centre staff car park in Shoreham is closing in preparation for a multimillion pound office development scheme.

Land in Ham Road is earmarked for new employment space as part of Adur District Council’s plans to regenerate the former Civic Centre site opposite to potentially create much-needed new homes and business accommodation.

Demolition of the former Council office buildings is already well under way and due to finish within weeks.

The former Council staff car park, which opened to the public on a temporary basis last year, will close for a day next Tuesday (May 16) for a drainage survey to be carried out.

It will then close permanently from June 1 so that surveyors can continue their work ahead of a planning application for the car park site later this year.

Drivers who use the car park for pay-and-display are being redirected to other car parks in the town. The nearest are in Pond Road and Tarmount Lane.

A small number of monthly season tickets will not be renewed and current ticket holders will be advised of alternatives, including Riverside and Ropetackle.

Councillor Brian Boggis, Adur’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said:

“We apologise to users of Ham Road car park for any inconvenience the closure will cause. The car park was opened to the public on a temporary basis only while we made preparations for the exciting future of the site.

“We are now ready to move ahead and look forward to the opportunity to generate new investment which will provide jobs as well as more homes in our area.”

Making the i360 Domed Plaque - Fine Cut

See how Fine Cut crafted the British Airways i360 Domed Plaque
Unveiled by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh

“New tourism plan will put Worthing back on the map”

“A tourism plan to put Worthing back on the map” - that’s the pledge from Worthing Borough Council leaders as a bold new marketing campaign was unveiled.

Discover Worthing is a brand new website aimed at boosting visitor numbers and urging people to look again at what the town has to offer.

The aim is to build on the town’s already successful tourism industry, which attracts more than four million visitors a year and brings £138 million into the local economy.

Councillor Kevin Jenkins, Worthing Borough Council’s executive member for regeneration, said:

“I’m delighted to see the launch of this new website, which will help bring a new audience to our amazing town.

“With stunning countryside and wonderful open seafront, a great range of high quality restaurants, a thriving arts and culture scene plus a host of activities for families and young people, there’s never been a better time for people to Discover Worthing.”

Discover Worthing’s emphasis is on showing visitors, old and new, that the town is much more than a traditional UK beach resort.

An increase in the number of younger people living in the town means that independent businesses are thriving while Worthing is fast becoming a regional hub for the arts and culture.

A host of summer events are already planned by the council, including:

·         Summer of Circus Festival

·         StreetVelodrome cycle race in June

·         A seafront bike hire scheme

In addition to providing information on upcoming attractions and events, the new website includes blog posts from local people with ideas and inspiration for visitors to make the most of their stay.

For those keen to get outdoors, there’s also cycle and running routes created by residents who have first-hand experience of the best places locally.

Among the highlights listed are:

·         Rachael’s Cissbury Trail Run

·         Andy’s bike ride to the Shack and back

·         Foody Worthing - 11 of the best spots to eat and drink in town

Judy Fox, Visitor Experience and Marketing Officer at Worthing Borough Council, said:

“This new website is aimed at raising the profile of Worthing, by achieving new and repeat visitors, encouraging them to extend the stay and extending the season beyond the summer months.

“This website is aimed at younger audiences, at families and active older people. We have gone bright and bold using blog posts to inspire people as well as providing fun facts, suggested itineraries and possible routes which encourage visitors to get off the beaten track.”

The website has already received positive comments from the town’s business community.

Anthony Dickinson, manager of St Paul's community hub in Chapel Road, said:

“It’s so exciting to finally have a website that shows off all the great things that are going on in and around the town.

“It's really easy to navigate and by the look of it will be updated regularly, so any residents or visitors will be able to keep up with all the cool stuff that's being organised."

Anne Williams, director of Worthing Accommodation, the town’s only self catering apartment provider, said:

“We think Discover Worthing is a really exciting development for tourism. Bringing the website up to date reflects the diverse and exciting offer available to our tourists.

“Worthing has such a contemporary and unique offer and the website really starts to celebrate that.”

Photo: Eunice Bergan

Art & Jewellery Evening: 20th July

Shakespeare spectacular at Highdown Gardens

All the world’s a stage as Worthing’s celebrated Highdown Gardens prepares for its summer open air extravaganza for theatre-lovers.

The famous chalk gardens, owned and run by Worthing Borough Council, will provide the stunning backdrop for three of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays:

·         Othello – Tuesday 13th June and Wednesday 14th June

·         A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Tuesday 11th July to Sunday 16th July

·         The Merchant of Venice – Tuesday 18th July to Sunday 23rd July.

There’s also a special treat for children, with an adaptation of the Kenneth Grahame novel The Wind in the Willows from Tuesday 25th July to Friday 28th July.

All of the performances will be staged in the glorious setting of the Lower Garden at Highdown, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the death of its founder Sir Frederick Stern in July.

The productions – by SISATA Open Air Theatre, Rainbow Theatre and JW Productions – are just part of the town’s exciting summer of entertainment, which the Council hopes will encourage even more visitors to Discover Worthing.

Tickets, priced from £8 to £16, are available through the Highdown Gardens website and, with afternoon and evening performances, guests are invited to bring picnics to make the occasion even more memorable.

Book your tickets for the Summer of Circus launch

Worthing Seafront Shelter development

Two of the most desirable development hot-spots on the Sussex coast are up for grabs as Worthing seafront takes another leap forward.

Two seafront shelters either side of the pier are being offered for development by Worthing Borough Council which is seeking to turn them into landmark leisure facilities.

The sites, opposite West Buildings and Steyne Gardens, officially go on offer today but have already attracted plenty of interest from would-be developers.

The Borough Council is insisting that winning bids deliver high-quality venues which bring fresh creativity and vibrancy to the seafront.

The West Buildings site has the potential to be turned into a high-end restaurant using the existing shelter as an entrance and possibly extending out towards the sea. Such an extension is thought to be more difficult for Steyne Gardens.

Developers will be asked to be mindful of the heritage value of the shelters.

The council’s Executive Member for Regeneration Cllr Kevin Jenkins said:”These shelters are prime positions for developers to capitalise on the growing reputation of our seafront as a premier destination of choice.

“We want something that will inspire residents, the increasing number of newcomers we are seeing moving here and visitors alike.”

In 2007 planning permission was given for an 84-seat restaurant at the West Buildings site but the presence of a major sewer running along the promenade helped put an end to the scheme.

However, talks with Southern Water have now confirmed the possibility of connecting the site to the main sewer and, by ensuring design proposals incorporate the shelter, previous obstacles can be overcome

Worthing Borough Council’s Head of Place and Investment Lynda Dine said,” We believe this is a great opportunity to move the seafront forward, offering something different.

“We hope to attract some really creative bids.”

She added that those looking to expand the Western Buildings site out onto the beach would need thoughtful suitable designs for such a challenge.

Closing date for bids is Monday July10 with both sites available on a long-term lease.