Part of a West Sussex-wide scheme, known as the Local Enterprise and Apprenticeship Platform (LEAP), there is approximately £71,000 available for businesses located in Adur and a similar amount for businesses based in Worthing.

The scheme recognises the vital role that small businesses play in the local economy and the particular difficulties that micro businesses (those with up to 10 employees) can face in accessing funds to help them grow and take on staff. Small businesses (up to 50 employees) can face similar difficulties when looking to take on an apprentice or provide apprenticeship opportunities for existing staff, and these are the type of businesses this scheme is designed to help.

The scheme is being delivered by the Adur & Worthing Business Partnership, and businesses will be on the Awards Panel, helping to decide which applications are successful.

Eligible businesses can apply online or submit a hard copy of the application form. Full details, including application forms and guidance notes can be found on our business grants page.

Chairman of the Adur & Worthing Business Partnership, Andrew Swayne, said:

“The Adur & Worthing Business Partnership brings together businesses in Adur & Worthing and works with partner agencies to support and grow the local economy. Our priorities include supporting small businesses and increasing the number of local apprenticeship and development opportunities, so I am delighted that the Partnership has the opportunity to work with the Councils on this scheme and that a number of our members are involved in the Grant Panel."

Worthing Borough Council's Executive Member for Regeneration, Cllr Bryan Turner, commented:

“The Councils recognise that smaller sized businesses make a huge impact to Worthing and Adur, and have become the backbone of our local economy. It's important that by working closely with partner organisations, like the Adur & Worthing Business Partnership, we're able to design a scheme that can utilise available funding and contribute to businesses that will highly benefit from the grant.”

Cllr Brian Boggis, Executive Member for Regeneration at Adur District Council, also echoed these words:

“This is a great example of the Councils working together to enhance our local economy. It's important that as local authorities we provide this type of support and funding when available, to small businesses where it will see great purpose. The scheme will also give added support to apprenticeships, vital for providing work opportunities for young people and teaching them skills to not only forge a career for themselves, but make a positive impact in our local economy.”

The ideas align with the Councils' recently adopted strategy, 'Platforms for our Places'. One of the core values is supporting our financial economy. By offering this funding, the scheme will help foster business growth and increase apprenticeship provision.

MHA Carpenter Box Shortlisted in Prestigious Regional Awards    

Sussex-based chartered accountants, tax and business advisers, MHA Carpenter Box, have been named as one of just three finalists in the Business of the Year category of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2017.

MHA Carpenter Box Practice Director, Chris Coopey, is understandably thrilled with the news, commenting: “Being shortlisted for this prestigious award is very much a recognition of the way in which the team at MHA Carpenter Box is willing to go that extra mile - be that for our clients, for business in general and also in terms of the charitable work we do for the communities in which our offices are based.”

The Business of the Year category recognises companies that can demonstrate an exceptional track-record of achievement, particularly high performing organisations that do the right thing for their clients, staff and the Gatwick Diamond Community.

The Gatwick Diamond is a key economic area, not just for the South East, but for the whole of the UK and the business awards celebrate those who have shown innovation and inspiration in their work, as well as real commitment to the region. The awards have become one of the regions premier business occasions recognising the ‘best of the best’.

MHA Carpenter Box now has to wait until 16 March to find out the results, which will be presented by comedian and actor Stephen Mangan at a glittering ceremony at the Effingham Park Hotel, Gatwick.

New Financial Director Appointed at MHA Carpenter Box

Ivan Fowlie has swapped a high-profile finance role in Germany to take up a senior appointment at MHA Carpenter Box, the Sussex-based chartered accountants, tax and business advisers.

Ivan is joining MHA Carpenter Box as Financial Director, moving from information and communications company Ericsson in Germany where, as Head of Business Finance for Western & Central Europe, he was responsible for 17 countries. Ivan had been with the Swedish communications giant for 20 years, initially in Guildford, before moving to Dusseldorf.

In his new role, Ivan will oversee financial performance and statutory reporting, utilising his considerable experience to help the firm to continue on its impressive growth curve. Part of Ivan’s role will be to develop business process improvements to streamline reporting and look at ways to further enhance the client experience.

As he explains: “After 20 years with one company, I wanted a complete change – and from the moment I met with the partners at MHA Carpenter Box I was excited by their straightforward approach to business and their focus on client service in a world where so much is changing. I am now very much looking forward to playing my part in the firm’s future development.”

Alan Edwards, Managing Partner at MHA Carpenter Box commented: “We are delighted to welcome Ivan to the partnership team at MHA Carpenter Box. He brings significant financial and corporate expertise with him and will undoubtedly be a real asset to the firm.”

Ivan is married with three grown-up children. Outside of work he enjoys mountain-biking and walking, and is looking forward to exploring the South Downs.

£48.73million investment comes to the Greater Brighton City Region

In a significant demonstration of the Chancellor’s commitment to the Greater Brighton City Region, £48.73million of Local Growth Fund Round 3 is to be invested in the City Region over the coming year, driving key projects forward.

These key projects are:

• Worthing Central Phase 1 – the first phase of a comprehensive and co-ordinated transformation programme of Worthing’s Town Centre, stretching from Worthing Central Railway Station to the Seafront – £5.69million

• Decoy Farm, Worthing – transforming the site – which has stood unused for over three decades – into one of the most exciting commercial employment centres on the South Coast, providing openings for existing businesses to expand and attracting wider enterprise and investment from the South East and London – £4.84million

• New Monks Farm & Airport – establishing the essential road infrastructure needed to unblock the development of both New Monks Farm and the Airport Business Estate into a strategic employment and housing growth centre – £5.7million

• Burgess Hill Growth Area Infrastructure Package – putting in place a package of local infrastructure improvements – including road enhancements, public transport improvements, walking and cycling initiatives, access to the proposed Science Park among others – that will support the delivery of the £1b Burgess Hill growth programme – £14.9million

• Sussex Bio-Innovation Centre, Brighton – delivering a new £99m Life Sciences building at the University of Sussex’s Falmer campus. This building will provide dedicated teaching space, modern laboratory equipment, technical support and inspiring collaboration spaces for academics, researchers and clinicians from different disciplines to share knowledge and create innovative partnerships – £5.5million

• Brighton Waterfront, Black Rock Site Development, Brighton – delivering a new world class conference and multi-use venue at the Black Rock Site, alongside a major expansion of the city’s retail offer through an extension of Churchill Square shopping centre – £12.1million

Councillor Daniel Humphreys, Chairman of the Greater Brighton Economic Board and Leader of Worthing Borough Council, said:

“I am delighted to see this significant commitment to future growth across our Region.

“At this point, we estimate that the six projects will attract over £700million of private sector investment into the Region.  In practical terms, this will mean nearly 280,000 square metres of employment floor space for approximately 6,600 new jobs and over 5,900 homes to house our growing population.

“This is great news for the City Region and a vote of confidence in the creative, innovative, agenda set by the Greater Brighton Economic Board.”

The funds are being administered by the Government by Coast To Capital, the Local Economic Partnership covering the City Region.  The Greater Brighton Economic Board is now working closely with Coast To Capital on a phased release of funds into these transformative projects.

Further information will be released as soon as it is available and full details for each of the sites is contained in the 2015-16 Greater Brighton Economic Board Annual Report.

Hundreds made business event ‘beyond our dreams’ 

Hundreds flocked to an annual business event on Thursday 2nd February, described by organisers as the best ever. Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce hosted the Better Business show, at the Assembly Hall, in Stoke Abbott Road, Worthing, which was attended by more than 600 people. Chamber chief executive Tina Tilley said: “The show went extremely well. It went better than last year which was beyond our dreams. “We had a constant buzz throughout the day. We have had some amazing feedback from exhibitors who are already booking for next year.

Lots of businesses were giving out free advice and gifts.” An exclusive unveiling of the new BMW 5 Series car was organised by headline sponsor Chandlers. More than 90 exhibitors took part in the event, with two expert advice sessions every half hour on specialist topics. Guest speakers were Gill Fielding, Darren Gearing and Shaa Wasmund, supported by a range of talks and sessions from other local business figures. The Google Digital Garage team were on hand to provide tips, with two workshops over the course of the day. To find out more about next year’s event, email info@ worthingandadurchamber. co.uk

By Oli Poole Deputy political editor for Worthing Herald 

Will ‘Thematic’ Investments Drive Growth in 2017?

Investors looking for equity growth in the Brexit and Trump era should consider ‘theme-based’ opportunities rather than focusing too heavily on broad financial markets, according to Sanjay Rijhsinghani, Partner at LGT Vestra. He was speaking at an investment and tax seminar in Horsham organised by Sussex-based Carpenter Box Wealth Management.

Sanjay said company earnings in the third quarter of 2016 showed topline growth for the first time in over two years and that macro-economic factors were moving in favour of equities.

“Our thinking at the moment is to take a thematic approach to investments rather than looking at say the US, Japan or European markets,” he said. “So, for example, we see growth opportunities in equities linked to infrastructure because of the payback this activity delivers to governments and to operating companies alike.

“We also like financials as a result of the clean balance sheets of banks, a steepening yield curve and the move to a transaction-based cashless society, which reduces costs for banks. And we see positive prospects for a technology sector that is speeding up innovation lead times.”

Simon Fox, Managing Partner at Carpenter Box Wealth Management, underlined the need for coherent investment strategies in an era of historically low interest rates, citing the enduring appeal of pensions and focusing on the tax advantages of Enterprise Investment Schemes.

Stuart Noakes, Partner and Head of Tax Services at MHA Carpenter Box, urged delegates not to overlook the value of individual tax allowances that could deliver up to £33,000 of tax free income each year, while also outlining steps to mitigate inheritance tax through business property planning.

Photo: Simon Fox, Managing Partner, Carpenter Box Wealth Management

www.carpenterbox.com

Record investment coming to major projects across Adur and Worthing

A record level of Government investment, announced in the detail of the Autumn Statement, is being celebrated by Adur District and Worthing Borough Councils as the next steps in transforming the area for future generations.

Over £5.6million is to be invested in Worthing Central (Phase 1), which will see a comprehensive and co-ordinated transformation programme in the Town Centre, specifically focusing on Teville Gate and Union Place.  With discussions already underway to develop these sites into an exciting mix of homes, businesses and leisure uses, the Government’s investment underlines importance of these opportunities to the town’s thriving future.

Decoy Farm, meanwhile, will receive £4.84million.  This marks a step change in preparing this important site for active use, improving employment and economic opportunities in the Borough.

In Adur, the Government’s confidence in the growth of the area is underlined by over £5.7million investment in New Monk’s Farm development.  This investment will transform the site, helping to unlock up to 600 new homes and over 700 new jobs by dramatically improving the road network around this key site.

The funds to spur both developments come from the Local Growth Fund (Round 3) with the funds being administered by the Coast To Capital Local Economic Partnership.

Councillor Daniel Humphreys, Leader of Worthing Borough Council, said:

“This is a significant moment for the Borough and for some of our key regeneration sites.  We are absolutely committed to creating thriving, prosperous places and redeveloping Teville Gate and Union Place is at the heart of this commitment.

“Once developed, we will have created over 120 homes for Worthing residents, alongside over 180 new jobs.

“This is very, very good news for the future of the Worthing Borough and I am confident that we will see action on the ground soon - our intention is to deliver both of these important projects by the end of the 2020/21 year.”

Councillor Neil Parkin, Leader of Adur District Council, added:

“I am very pleased to hear that our belief in the future of our communities, alongside the hard work in preparing the bids for the Government, has been recognised through the Local Growth Fund.

“New Monks Farm is a key site in continuing to create places in which people can thrive - with the jobs, homes and other infrastructure needed to help that to happen.  Hundreds of new homes and jobs, together with much needed improvements on the A27 and a potential new IKEA store, will create new places for our communities to grow into and enjoy being a part of.”

Adur and Worthing Councils are now working closely with the Greater Brighton Economic Board and Coast To Capital on allocating funds to these projects.  

For further information on the progress of these sites, please see www.InvestAW.co.uk - the dedicated investment website for the Adur and Worthing areas.

Community donations exceed £250 for Mayor’s Charities in exchange for Connaught Studio seats.

Members of Worthing’s local community raised over £250 for Worthing Mayor’s Charities in under four hours on Monday January 30 as they made donations for seats from Worthing’s Connaught Studio, which receives new seating later this month.

34 people collected 140 seats from the cinema and theatre venue from 12pm onwards and all of the venue’s seats had been collected or removed by 4pm. £265.58 has been donated to the Mayor’s Charities in exchange for the seats to-date, with final donations expected later this week.

The seats were destined for a variety of new locations including an artist’s studio, a caravan-based ‘man cave’, a home cinema, a loft conversion, a theatre-inspired hallway and Coast Café on Worthing seafront which will house 20 of the seats.

The traditional theatrical seats were made available to the public as the need for reupholstering and spare parts for the majority of seats made them unsuitable for another venue or bulk-purchase.  The seats were also not stand-alone and therefore making them auction-ready or sale-ready would have required a great amount of time and further investment. 

The public collection therefore not only raised money for the mayor’s chosen charities, Worthing Samaritans, Coastal West Sussex MIND and St Barnabas House Hospice, but also prevented the seats from being destroyed while simultaneously saving money for Worthing Theatres as neither additional resources nor a commercial disposal company were required.

The installation of the new fixed-tiered and removable seating system in the Connaught Studio has begun and will be complete by February 20. The installation will create a superior customer experience, with improved sight-lines from every angle and the ability to diversify use of the space - hosting everything from seated-standing to fully seated events.

The seating will be vibrantly coloured and the new layout created by the fixed tier rake will enable the installation of a new bar at the back of the auditorium, planned for phase two in 2017/2018.

Cllr Dr Heather Mercer, Executive Member for Customer Services who holds Culture in her portfolio, says: “The savings made by the theatres through the disposal of the seats in such an innovative and community-minded way has been a delight to see. All those who made donations to the Mayor’s Charities for the seats were buzzing with excitement about the projects they had planned.  Now we can look forward to the arrival of the new seats and the transformation of the venue.”