West Sussex superfast connection gap-funding opportunity extended

West Sussex business estates and clusters of business have until 17 April 2016

to apply for a grant to enable superfast broadband connection

Potential applicants are also invited to find out more about the Digital Connectivity Grant programme at a workshop to be held at the South Downs Centre in Midhurst in early March.

WHO CAN SUBMIT AN APPLICATION?

To be eligible for the grant, businesses must not have access to superfast broadband and are not included in any commercial or publicly-funded rollout.

The application can be made by a lead business representing a group of businesses in a common location, or by landowners, land agents, estate managers and facility managers, for example.

Eligible groups of business include business parks, trading or industrial estates, farm diversification schemes, clusters of businesses in a common location and single business locations with high economic impact. The programme is not open to residential applicants, but clusters of home-based businesses in a common location potentially could apply.

WHAT WILL THE GRANT COVER?

The maximum grant is 40% of the total project cost, with grant funding of between £10k and £25k. This can only be used for capital purchases. The applicant provides a minimum of 60% of the total cost, however this can include revenue costs. Full project costs must be incurred by 31 December 2016.

Generally the applicant will select the best technology for their location. Fibre, wireless and hybrid solutions will be considered, but it must provide certified speeds of a minimum 30Mbps.

WHAT NEXT

Business estates or clusters in West Sussex have until midnight on 17 April 2016 to apply to second round of the Digital Connectivity Grant Programme. 

To find out if your business is in an eligible location and to book a place at the Digital Connectivity Grant workshop, or if you have any questions, please email broadband@southdowns.gov.uk

Find out more at http://www.coast2capital.org.uk/helping-business-growth/grant-funding                                                                                                   

MORE About the grant

£225,000 is being made available as part of a pilot grant project to improve connectivity for groups of businesses in West Sussex. 

To be eligible, businesses must not have access to superfast broadband and are not included in the planned delivery of the publicly funded roll out by Better Connected, a partnership of West Sussex County Council, BT and BDUK (the government department responsible for broadband delivery).

The funding comes from the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Deal under their ‘Growth is Digital’ project.

The programme has been developed by Rural West Sussex, Gatwick Diamond, Coastal West Sussex, West Sussex County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority.

Grant applications will be assessed by the programme panel, who will assess value-for-money, economic impact and deliverability. 

Giving at Xmas

A big thank you to all those Chamber members who have given so generously to our various charity appeals over the last year- here’s just some of the things you achieved -

£600 was raised at the Xmas do at the Ardington for the Safe in Sussex Crisis at Christmas appeal which helps them to offer a safe place for women and children fleeing domestic abuse this Christmas.

Your local Chamber supported Charity,The Worthing & Adur Fund, met recently and awarded a total of   £3838  to the following local groups -  

SUPERSTAR ARTS CIC   which offers social activities (days out and holidays) in a supported environment for people with learning disabilities.

Maybridge Keystone Club - a youth group who offer a safe and secure environment for young people, in Castle Ward, Worthing which has significant deprivation and a high number of single parent families. Funding is to help create an area where they can cultivate vegetables.

HEENE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION - For their project aimed at keeping young people safe from crime and anti-social behaviour by recruiting them in a series of workshops in dance, music, crime prevention and community safety.

The Friends of Oak Grove College (your local secondary and sixth form College for pupils with special educational needs) to support the signing choir( yes signing not singing!) with personalised t-shirts for choir members, transport costs to events and promotion of the service.

Cruse Bereavement Care – West Sussex (Worthing, Chichester & West Sussex )to promote the well being of bereaved people. Funding is to help with a range of core costs including staffing, rent, training and phones.

Electric Storm Youth - a youth work charity, needing basic camping equipment for young people to be able to join ESY-run camping trips and those as part of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, irrespective of income. Funding is for 8 2-person tents.

Circusseen which provides affordable circus skills training to Worthing. Funding is for venue hire and to purchase tents.

More on these projects in the New Year!

Thanks again to everyone who contributed and a special thanks to Peter Webb of ETI ltd who handed me a cheque for £2000 for the Worthing & Adur Fund on Monday! It will make a difference!

- Karen Simporis, Chairperson Worthing & Adur Fund

Was The Budget a “Sweet Surprise” for you?  Well maybe not if you like sugary drinks.                       

But how did businesses fair?  A reduction in corporation tax, a widening of small business rates relief and a freeze in fuel duty.  Some welcome announcements, which we look at in more detail below.

Early concept drawings for development at Shoreham Beach Green have received a firm steer from local residents.

Wilbo’s were awarded preferred developer status, allowing designs to be presented to the public at an early stage. This provided the developer an opportunity to take on board the views and ideas of local residents, prior to progressing his proposal.

After gathering feedback at recent consultations, the Council has been able to adopt a firm stance over which area of the Green is available for development.  Whereas the idea of a cafe or restaurant with refurbished toilet facilities has been encouraged, further facilities outside the marketed boundaries such as a skate park and pitch and putt have been ruled out.

Cllr Angus Dunn, Deputy Leader of Adur District Council, commented:

“The developer’s original concept explored ideas to utilise a much wider part of the Green than we originally marketed. The Council’s initial stance was that this would only be considered with the expressed support of the community, which has not been the case.

“Therefore, only the marketed area will be available.  There is no question of beach huts being moved or any form of development on the Local Nature Reserve.

“We would like to reassure residents that we have made it very clear to the developer that any scheme must be much closer to the original specification, adhering to the specified boundaries. It is also imperative that this new development is of the highest quality and matches the local community’s aspirations for the future of Shoreham Beach Green.”

More News from Adur & Worthing Councils 

 http://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/

Sussex-based chartered accountants and chartered tax advisers, Carpenter Box, has been named ‘UK Accounting Partner of the Year’ at the recent high profile Xerocon Awards in London.

Xerocon is an annual conference hosted by cloud accounting technology company Xero, and this year attracted more than 1,300 national leaders and innovators in cloud technology and accounting. The Xerocon Awards are the highlight of the two day conference which showcases Xero Partners.  

Carpenter Box first became a Xero Partner back in 2010 and two years later became a Xero Gold Partner. The business continued to push for growth becoming a Xero Platinum Partner in 2014 – one of only eight companies in the UK at that time to be awarded this status. Carpenter Box didn’t rest on its laurels, but forged ahead in October 2015 with the Business; Innovation; Technology and Efficiency (BITE) Xero-based technology event, attracting more than 200 visitors to the AMEX Stadium in Brighton.

The Accounting Partner of the Year Award was presented to the accounting partner who had used Xero to deliver the best value-added services to clients in 2015. Carpenter Box took home the award after being recognised for genuinely changing the landscape for accountants across the UK. What impressed the judges was that through iniatives such as the BITE event, regular seminars and client support, the firm demonstrated the benefits of the Xero accounting software to many small business clients, backed up by a regular flow of information through social media.

Carpenter Box Partner Nathan Keeley was thrilled with the award win, commenting: “This is wonderful recognition for Carpenter Box and its clients, 688 of whom now use Xero, making us one of the largest providers of the software in the UK. Helping our clients to understand the benefits of Xero and cloud accounting plays a huge part in our plans for the future success of the practice and getting our employees Xero certified is central to our 2016 business plan. We increased the number of certified staff from 24 to 40 during 2015 and our target is to reach 60 certified Xero users by the end of 2016”.   

As part of the Council’s major refurbishment plans for parks and recs across the area, Victoria Park in Worthing is going to have an  outdoor gym  installed and the Council are keen to know what pieces of Outdoor Gym equipment its residents would like?

The Parks department have posted a selection of different types of outdoor gym equipment available  to choose from on the Councils website, www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/victoria-park-outdoor-gym-consultation, along with a feedback form for residents to log their preferances.

All of the equipment shown is already available and proving to be very popular with residents who use the Outdoor Gyms at Windsor Lawns, Esplanade, Worthing and at Pond Lane Recreation Ground in Durrington.

Councillor Daniel Humphreys, Leader of Worthing Borough Council adds “The Council have invested over £244,000 over the past year in one of the largest park refurbishment projects it has ever undertaken.  

The benefits of this Outdoor Gym in Victoria Park are many.  It will enable young and old, friends and family, to enjoy gym equipment together.  All year round (weather allowing) and for free.  It will provide the opportunity to enjoy regular exercise in a safe and convenient location and to embracing a more active and healthier lifestyle.”

There will also be a display of the options on offer in the foyer of Worthing Town Hall, Chapel Road, Worthing from 9am on Monday 7th March, along with an opportunity to register favoured options on a paper form.

All preferences must be submitted, online or in paper form by 5pm on Thursday 31st March 2016.

The results will be published on the Council's website in April and the Council are hoping to have the Outdoor Gym in Victoria Park open to the public in time for the school Summer holidays this year.   

The installation of this Outdoor Gym in Victoria Park, Worthing is made possible by funding of £25,000 from Worthing Borough Council’s Capital Investment Programme.

For further information please email parksandforeshore@adur-worthing.gov.uk