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News & updates 

Regular news and updates from the Chamber, our members, local Councils and other relevant business news will be posted regularly here. 

Don't forget, as a member one of your many benefits is being able to submit your press releases and news for inclusion here as well as on either the members or business news emails and social media. Please submit to lauren@worthingandadurchamber.co.uk 


  • 05 January 2016 9:15 AM | Deleted user

    If your business/commercial area is within West Sussex you could apply for a gap-funding grant of between £10,000 and £25,000 to enable a superfast connection.

    £225,000 is being made available as part of a pilot grant project to improve connectivity for groups of businesses in West Sussex that are without access to super-fast broadband and not included in any commercial or publicly-funded rollout.

    ABOUT THE GRANT

    Business estates or clusters in West Sussex have until 5pm on 15 January 2016 to apply to the new Digital Connectivity Grant Programme.  The programme provides up to 40% of the cost of getting connected with grant funding of between £10k and £25k.

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

    ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?

    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.

    To be eligible, businesses must not be 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).

    WHO CAN SUBMIT AN APPLICATION?

    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.

    WHAT WILL THE GRANT COVER?

    The maximum grant intervention is 40% of the total project cost to be used for capital purchases only.  The applicant provides a minimum of 60% of the total cost, which can include revenue costs and must incur the full project costs 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.

    WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE

    Coast to Capital website http://www.coast2capital.org.uk/helping-business-growth/grant-funding

    If you have any questions, please email broadband@southdowns.gov.uk


  • 16 December 2015 12:37 PM | Deleted user

    CSN Homes are delighted to have donated 10 Portable DVD players through Westley’s Elves, to the Bluefin children’s ward at Worthing Hospital. 

    The DVD players will support those children who spend time on the wards and can be used by the bedside which is vital during recovery from illness.

    Westley’s Elves (www.facebook.com/westleyselves/) was set up by Louise and James after their son, Westley, was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and spent a considerable amount of time in hospital during the festive season. They found that the ward was lacking in equipment and good quality toys, and so set up their non-profit organisation to support the wards at Worthing.

    James and Louise organise collection boxes around Worthing for public donations of new toys and also organise a raffle to help to pay for larger equipment purchases.

    CSN Homes are delighted to be involved and look forward to the DVDs being delivered to the children on Christmas Eve.


  • 16 December 2015 12:28 PM | Deleted user

    Date: 

    Thursday, January 21, 2016 -10:00 to 16:00

    Location: 

    Worthing and Adur Training Room 

    Worthing Town Hall

    Chapel Road

    Worthing

    West Sussex

    YOUR VISION FOR 2016

    This day is a practical hands on day where you will look at your business for the year ahead and at the end of the day you will leave with motivation, focus and a plan to get your business out there and achieve the success you want.

    The morning is run by Alison Brown 

    Do you need more focus and clarity for 2016?

    Do you know your goals and dreams for 2016?

    Do you have the mindset and motivation to achieve?

    The morning will be spent first by reviewing your 2015. What you were pleased with and what you think needs looking at  We will then look at and work on mindset, money blocks and mindmonkeys.

     We will discuss planning and setting goals for 2016:

    • looking at your work/life balance
    • what you want to achieve - dream big
    • knowing your numbers

    We will then finish off the morning by creating your own vision board.

    The afternoon session is run by Sheryl Tipton www.salesandmarketinguk.com

    Do you have great ideas but struggle to implement them?

    Do you want to reach out more to your target audience and win more business?

    Would you like to learn how to improve your sales in a non-aggressive manner ?

    The afternoon will be spent crafting a robust marketing plan to help you guide your business forwards and see a return on your efforts.

    We will discuss your target audience, and how to reach them; your business strengths and weaknesses, and how you can use both to your advantage; your competitors, and what to do about them and we will learn how to successfully use the 7 p’s of marketing to oversee all of your plans and make everything you do easier.

    The second part of the afternoon will then be dedicated to how you can implement your plans and which marketing tools will bring you the most success ... should you use Facebook or would Twitter be better? Should you write press releases and if so, how do you get them published? What information do you need on your website, and how should this be presented?  Finishing with an overview of marketing ideas for you to take away and consider.

    Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/your-vision-for-2016-tickets-19579736519

  • 16 December 2015 12:23 PM | Deleted user
    The West Sussex Social Enterprise Network is hosting a series of events to inspire and support you!


    WORKSHOP 1 - SOCIAL START-UPS
    Either Wednesday 3 February 2016 in Bognor Regis Or Thursday 4 February in Crawley
    10.00am - 12.00pm


    WORKSHOP 2 - IDEA DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURE TO FIT
    Either Tuesday 23 February 2016 in Crawley Or Friday 26 February in Worthing
    10.00am - 12.30pm


    WORKSHOP 3 - INVESTMENT READINESS, WRITING YOUR BUSINESS PLAN
    Either Monday 7 March 2016 in Worthing Or Monday 21 March in Crawley
    10.00am - 12.30pm


    CONFERENCE - GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS
    Thursday 25 February 2016 in Horsham
    9.30am - 4.00pm


    TICKETS ARE FREE - FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK YOUR PLACE - VISIT https://wssen.eventbrite.com

  • 16 December 2015 10:53 AM | Deleted user

    Groups of businesses in West Sussex that are without access to superfast broadband and not included in any commercial or publicly-funded rollout can now apply for a Digital Connectivity Grant.  The first £225k tranche of the fund is now open to applications, the second £225k will be launched in Spring 2016.

    This pilot grant project offers grants of between £10k and £20k to enable superfast connection to a maximum of 40% of the total project cost.

    The deadline for applications is 15 January 2016 at 17:00.  


  • 11 December 2015 4:44 PM | Deleted user

    Having opened a new Gatwick office in June, West Sussex and Gatwick-based chartered accountants and business advisers, Carpenter Box is keen to help local businesses - from SMEs to large corporates - achieve their growth plans. With this in mind, the award winning firm is hosting an exciting new event at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley on 4 February 2016 involving an impressive panel of nine alternative funders and industry experts. 

    There will be a fantastic panel, which will provide an insider’s guide to innovative routes to funding, the impact of interest rates and other current issues surrounding alternative sources of finance. Panellists already confirmed include Marcus Stuttard, Head of AIM and UK primary markets at the London Stock Exchange, Andy Davis, author of ‘Beyond the banks’, Alan Austin, National sales leader at GE Capital and James Chalk, Head of Equity Business Development at Crowdcube, the world’s leading investment crowdfunding platform.

    Tony Summers, Partner at Carpenter Box commented: “Although traditional bank finance for business is starting to free-up, there are still many situations that arise where alternative sources of finance need to be identified. Start-ups and newer high growth businesses often find it difficult to borrow from high street banks, as do well established businesses looking to pursue unusual projects, such as a merger. It is also really important that businesses research the market and look at alternative sources of funding to get the best deal for their particular project. With such an incredibly high calibre A-list panel, the insight will be fantastic, so even if you don’t need funding now, this event is a must to help educate you for the future when the need might just arise”.

    The event will be held between 9am and 11am on 4 February 2016. To book your place please visit www.carpenterbox.com/inspired-financing/ or get in touch with Lucy Tunstall (lucy.tunstall@carpenterbox.com) at Carpenter Box on 01903 234094.


  • 08 December 2015 1:42 PM | Deleted user

    On Monday 7th December Adur & Worthing Councils invited members of staff who had reached their 25th year of working with the Councils to a special ceremony in the Town Hall.

    Worthing Mayor Michael Donin, Chairman of Adur District Council, Councillor Carson Albury and Director of Customer Services Jane Eckford presented staff with a certificate and a gift voucher for £100.00

    The full list of staff, who this year have reached 25 years working for Adur & Worthing Councils are as follows:

    Lynda Bristowe - Senior Control and Verification Officer

    Robin Bastable - Refuse/Recycling Driver Operative - Trade

    Christopher Herbert - Channel Sweeper Driver HGV

    Des McAuley - Principal Accountant for Revenue & Treasury

    Jean Hewitt - System Support & Development Analyst

    Annette Kilpatrick - Parks and Foreshore Support Officer

    Paul Pennicott - Major Projects Officer

    Deborah Johnson - Support Services Manager

    Lynne Ward - Neighbourhood Manager

    Leader of Worthing Borough Council, Councillor Daniel Humphreys adds “Many congratulations to all who were recognised today.  We are all grateful for their commitment and loyalty to the Council and their service to the residents of Worthing.”

    Leader of Adur District Council, Councillor Neil Parkin says “25 years working for our Council is a major achievement and many congratulations and thanks to all of these members of staff who have devoted their careers so far to working for the residents of Adur.”

    Pictured from left to right:


    1.    Worthing Mayor Michael Donin, Lynda Bristowe Adur & Worthing Councils Senior Control and Verification Officer,  Chairman of Adur District Council, Councillor Carson Albury and Adur & Worthing Councils Director for Customer Services Jane Eckford.

     

     

    2.  Worthing Mayor Michael Donin, Christopher Herbert - Channel Sweeper Driver HGV,  Chairman of Adur District Council, Councillor Carson Albury and Adur & Worthing Councils Director for Customer Services Jane Eckford

     

     

    3.  Worthing Mayor Michael Donin, Jean Hewitt Adur & Worthing Councils System Support & Development Analyst, Chairman of Adur District Council, Councillor Carson Albury and Adur & Worthing Councils Director for Customer Services Jane Eckford

     

     

    4.  Worthing Mayor Michael Donin, Paul Pennicott,  Adur & Worthing Councils Major Projects Officer,  Chairman of Adur District Council, Councillor Carson Albury and Adur & Worthing Councils Director for Customer Services Jane Eckford

     

     

  • 04 December 2015 12:51 PM | Deleted user

    Each year at Christmas time, our St Barnabas House Light Up a Life appeal provides our local community with the opportunity to come together to remember and reflect on the wonderful moments we have spent with our loved ones.

    You are warmly invited to join us for one of our Light Up a Life services on Monday 14 December 2015 at 4.30pm or 7.30pm at Worthing Assembly Hall.  Everyon who joins us will receive a special votive candle to be lit at home in memory of a loved one and their dedication will be included in the Order of Service.

    If you would like to take part in this year's Light Up a Light celebrations, please visit www.stbh.org.uk
  • 04 December 2015 11:53 AM | Deleted user

    Robert Dowling, Head of the Construction & Real Estate sector at Gatwick and West Sussex-based chartered accountants, Carpenter Box, made the following observations on the recent Autumn Statement:

    “The Chancellor announced that there will be 400,000 new subsidised homes by the end of 2020. £4bn will be made available over the next four years to be offered as grants for shared ownership properties, which will help workers in the South get onto the property ladder. However, acquiring a part-stake in an average property particularly in the South will still require a deposit to be put down which will continue to make a new home unaffordable for some people.

    The Chancellor also stated that £2.3bn would be available to directly fund new starter homes, which will be offered at a 25% discount to first-time buyers under the age of 40. Private developers in the South who build the subsidised homes are expected to benefit, however, even with the discount, the new homes remain unaffordable for those on average wages across the region.

    A further announcement from the Chancellor related to raising the Stamp Duty Land Tax for landlords and second-home owners; from April 2016 investors will have to pay a 3% Stamp Duty surcharge. With such high property prices in the South, this measure will have a noticeable impact as Stamp Duty will, for example, increase from £1,500 to £7,500 on a house valued at only £200,000! This is a further measure that follows on from the Spring Budget which is intended to prevent restricted housing stock being consolidated into the hands of landlords and second-home owners.

    Finally, the Chancellor pledged £73bn for road and rail projects over the next six years to April 2021. Although this will result in an increase in the capital spend available on projects across the region, there will be a reduction in the cash available for day-to-day spending. However, it will mean that the construction of HS2 linking the North and the South can begin and the £5bn announced for roads maintenance is welcome news”.

  • 04 December 2015 11:45 AM | Deleted user

    Lunch Title:

    Worthing Ladies Lunch Club

    Lunch Date/Time:

    Thursday 10th December 2015, from 12.00 PM – 2.00 PM

    Lunch Venue/Location:

    The Ardington Hotel, Worthing

    The Worthing Ladies Lunch Club is a great way to raise your profile, get invaluable business advice and make new connections with other professionals from the local area. Come along for a relaxed two-course lunch followed by tea or coffee, surrounded by like-minded businesswomen. We have no membership fees, no long-term commitments – just good food and good company.

    Link to book:

    http://www.ladieslunchclubs.co.uk/?p=1121

    Social media links:

    Twitter:

    @LadiesLunchx

    Facebook:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/ladieslunchclubs/

     


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