Chamber of Commerce backs Tim Loughton’s bid for open public access Wi-Fi in Worthing

East Worthing and Shoreham MP, Tim Loughton, used a breakfast briefing to the Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce at Shoreham Airport last Friday to call for the roll-out of open access public Wi-Fi across Worthing. He was given unanimous support for the campaign by all the chamber members present.

The MP had been invited to give a talk on the Government’s economic growth programme, the latest developments with the A27 upgrade and the EU Referendum Bill.

Tim gave a rundown of how the local economy was faring well compared with the rest of the country with unemployment in the South East now standing at 4.1% compared with 5.5% nationally. The level of Job Seeker’s Allowance claimants in his East Worthing and Shoreham constituency has fallen from 1759 in 2010 to just 601 now, representing a lower rate than for the South East region as a whole. Tim praised the dramatic fall in those local young people not in education, employment or training which in 2010 stood at 490 but is just 110 today.

Commenting, Tim said:

“Whilst there is still a long way to go with the national economic recovery, local businesses are doing particularly well and unemployment rates are very reassuring, especially amongst young people. Our local business parks are in a particularly healthy state with Lancing Business Park, the second largest in West Sussex, almost at capacity. Whilst we cannot be complacent, it is clear that businesses see Adur and Worthing as a good place to invest and the changes to the A27 can only help that appeal.

I have been impressed by the determination of senior council officers and councillors to drive forward a technology revolution which must include rolling out public access Wi-Fi as rapidly as possible. I was in St Petersburg just after the election and I was struck by just how simple it was to log on to free public Wi-Fi across the City. Surely we can do the same in Worthing. I will be speaking to both the Chief Executive and the Leader of the Council to see how quickly we can make Worthing one of the first public Wi-Fi accessible towns in the UK.”

Worthing & Adur Chamber supports the A27 Action Group

In December the Government announced that they are to proceed at last with significant improvements to the A27 and that at the very least the option of a full dualling of our stretch of this congested road between Lancing and the west of Worthing is on the table. This follows a lot of lobbying of Department of Transport ministers by our local Members of Parliament and some detailed studies carried out by a high-level stakeholder group reporting to the DfT and Highways Agency.

While substantial sums of money have been committed, many details have yet to be worked through and it is likely that final proposals will have to go out to a public inquiry. It is essential therefore that as far as possible Worthing and Adur can speak with a strong and unified voice to make sure that we get the most practical solution possible and avoid the localised squabbling between various interest groups which effectively scuppered the whole project when it was last considered in the mid-1990’s.

The A27 Action Group which was set up by the County Council to bring together local councillors, MPs and businesses in common cause has been instrumental in getting us to this stage and it is vital that we show this sort of discipline and unity locally.

To this end Tim Loughton and Sir Peter Bottomley have asked Tom Wye to set up a local A27 Action Group to try to bring as many different interest groups together round the table and see what we can be achieved.

Worthing and Adur Chamber will represent the Business community in this forum and will keep you up to date with any progress.

Queen's Birthday Honours for Worthing Businessman

Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd Managing Director Peter Webb has been awarded an MBE for services to Business in the Queen Birthday Honours’ List.
Peter, who with his wife Miriam, started their business Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd. (ETI), some 32 years ago with just one employee, today they ETI employ 165 people at their two factories in East Worthing.  ETI manufactures electronic digital thermometers and temperature probes, primarily for the food service industry, and are exported all over the world. 

Peter admits "I am absolutely overwhelmed to have been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours this year. It was completely unexpected and it’s certainly going to take a long time to get used to having MBE at the end of my name".
He said: "It was a big surprise when I first learnt about the award and I am delighted, and I know my family are also very proud.  I have known for a few weeks now and it has been difficult keeping it quiet”.
“I started the business in 1983 as a small enterprise; however ETI has grown phenomenally and way beyond my wildest dreams.  The industry has changed a lot over recent years, with the advent of new microprocessor technology, however as a business we have endeavored to embrace the latest technology for the benefit of our customers”
“Although I have been honored with this prestigious award, I could never have achieved the worldwide recognition and success that we have today without the support and commitment from everyone working alongside me present and past”.
Mr Webb, who is an executive member of the Adur and Worthing Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Northbrook College Employer Board, and has also been actively involved mentoring a number of start-up businesses, went on to state, “I have always believed that you need the right balance in business, and be willing to give back as much as you are getting out, hopefully my success will encourage other budding local entrepreneurs to follow in my footsteps”.
Earlier this year, Peter was also named among the region’s top business leaders in the IoD London and the South Director of the Year Awards. The awards, run by the Institute of Directors (IoD) and open to members and non-members, bring together company directors from a variety of backgrounds, recognising their qualities as business leaders.

Digital Enterprise Week saw an exciting and fully packed programme of events, workshops and talks, including subjects such as social media, entering the digital industry, starting a business, funding, start-up workshops, growing your team and using the cloud.

An Enterprise Challenge, supported by Bennett Griffin, took place in which three groups of Northbrook College students came up with a business idea, worked on the idea as a team, sat with three business mentors from Worthing & Adur Chamber who advised and guided each group.

The groups presented their business ideas to a panel of judges. For the judges, it’s always a difficult decision but they unanimously decided this year’s winning team was to be BMX Magic. Well done to the team for a great idea and presentation.

Nothing stands still at Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce. So when the team spotted a skills gap in the all-important areas of communications and social media, it was time to do something about it.

Step forward Amelia Tomlinson – the Chamber’s new apprentice.

Amelia joined the Chamber fresh out of Worthing College, having studied fine art, digital media, and photography. In fact, fresh is an understatement: Amelia left college on 18 May and started at the Chamber on 19 May. Amelia’s role encompasses social media – particularly the Chamber’s Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, and LinkedIn activity – and running the Chamber website (worthingandadurchamber.co.uk) keeping the content fresh and relevant.

Amelia, who lives in Worthing, said: ‘This was the perfect opportunity for me and came along at just the right time. It was too good to miss as the role allows me to put my digital media and photography skills to good use.

When asked for her impressions of the Chamber after a month on the inside, Amelia said: ‘I didn’t know an awful lot about the Chamber before I joined but I can see already that the support it gives to local businesses is invaluable. I see it as my job to communicate this message through our social media so that we spread the word and extend this support to even more members.’

Chamber Chief Executive Tina Tilley said: ‘I encourage all local businesses to look at taking on apprentices as they have a lot to offer. Amelia feels part of the team already. She is quickly making a difference in the social media area by bringing fresh ideas and a young person’s outlook. What’s more, she is incredibly confident in putting her ideas in place. Amelia is just what we needed.’

It looks like Amelia and the Chamber can look forward to a bright future together.

The British Gas Energy Efficiency Fund is designed to help micro-businesses manage their energy costs in the long-term, by providing free expert advice and energy efficiency measures.

 

Eligible businesses will receive a free on-site energy survey, as well as fully-funded installations of energy saving measures valued up to £6,000 per business.  For further information please see click the link below:

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/business/energyefficiencyfund

The Class of 2015!!

Welcome to the Worthing & Adur Chamber Ambassadors for 2015/2016

The Chamber Ambassador role was created to recognise members who go that extra mile to support and promote the Chamber at every opportunity. They are committed to improving communication within the Chamber and will be present at our events to welcome all members and guests, answer any questions and listen to your suggestions.

As all Ambassadors acknowledge, the more involved you are, the more you gain so why not come along and meet the team at one of our events soon?

Our Ambassador's:

From L-R,

Julie Cheesman - Bsure Bookkeeping, Kathy Chapman, Kate Honey - Mint D4B, Clive Spring - Yoohoo Creative, Katrina Travis - 1st 4 Uniform, Kelly O'Haire - Ask For The Moon, Martin Smith - Martin Smith Learning and Development, Martin Bloomfield - Bloomfield Digital, Mel Peters - Bestof Worthing, Pete Jenkins - Gamification+ Ltd, Sheila Bailey - Willow Private Finance, Tracy Dawe - TAD Accountancy Services.

Birdman Is Back! When? 15th and 16th August 2015 Worthing International Birdman is only a few weeks away now, the promotional frenzy is hotting up. Following from last years record breaking 159m jackpot winning flight, we have the most flyers ever this year, more than 30 flyers each day, fun flyers and professionals from around the globe. Yes, it's that time of year that I ask for you successful Worthing businesses to part with some cash to help fund this excellent community event which costs over £60,000 to host. Sponsorship Opportunities This year, having secured a number of headline sponsors, including the Stagecoach bus company, we are focusing our promotions on  the big screen advertising. Your logo and strapline viewed by over 20,000 at the event, consistently throughout the weekend. The screen advertising is just £100 - supply your logo and we'll do the rest. We can work to any budget, but you'll need to get in quick to secure your spot. £100 will get your logo on the big screens £250 will get you above, a 3m banner on the Pier, logo and link from Birdman website and 2 VIP spaces on the pier. £500 will get you all the above, plus 2 more banners and 5 VIPs £1000 will get you all the above, a total of 10 VIPs and increased frequency on the screens. The Event Worthing International Birdman is now in its 8th successful year and is a fantastic opportunity to promote your company at this high profile fun community event run by Worthing Town Centre Initiative, a 'not for profit' Community Interest Company. The event drawers over 20,000 spectators to the beach over the weekend, many from out of the area. National and international exposure which the event regularly attracts has been valued at well over £1,000,000 in value to the town. Including CBS News America and a feature in Singapore Airlines inflight magazine. Broadcast quality footage is made available to press within hours of the event. The action is live streamed from the website, which gets 3500 visits each day of the event (40,000 visitors annually). Our facebook and twitter pages engaged with over 30,000 over Birdman 2014. Are You Interested? Please Contact: Jim Cunliffe 07711 948 990 Sponsorship and promotion lead on Worthing Birdman events team also Worthing community do-gooder and director of local print and web marketing company - Face Media Group Alternatively, you can talk to Sharon Clarke from Worthing Town Centre Initiative directly on 01903 203 252

Reminder - Application Deadline - 8th July

Coast to Capital Region Grants scheme for 2015/2016 has now been launched.

Through the Coast to Capital Growth Deal, Coast to Capital LEP, in partnership with West Sussex County Council, have now launched the Small Grants programme and the Business Growth Grants programme which are open to small and medium sized businesses looking to expand and create new jobs.

Coast to Capital Region Small Grants

Applications are now open and will remain open until 12pm on 8th July 2015.

Applications are welcome from start-ups, existing businesses and social enterprises from all sectors but the proposed new activity must be additional to existing business activity. Businesses must be able to incur the grant in full by 31st March 2016 and the grant may only be used for capital items.

Coast to Capital Region Business Growth Grants

Applications for Expressions of Interest are now open and will remain open until 12pm on 15th September 2015.

Applications are welcome from businesses that are in one of the Coast to Capital priority sectors listed below and/or able to demonstrate strong medium term growth plans. Retail is not an eligible sector.

• Advanced Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Environmental Technologies, Goods and Services
• Creative, Digital and IT
• Healthcare, Medical Technology and Life Sciences

Start-ups, existing businesses and social enterprises are invited to apply. Please note the proposed new activity must be additional to existing business activity.


Full details on the grants, application details and eligibility criteria are available at www.coast2capital.org.uk or through the Business Navigator team.