Could you support Highdown Gardens and become a 'Professional Friend'?

Your company can become associated with these unique gardens  through your corporate social responsibility strategy. You and your company can offer skilled staff volunteers hours, in kind and/or financial donations towards a specific project or ongoing programme

To inspire you, we want to  showcase what we are capable of, starting with our sustainable 'guild free ' water feature so that, at last, water can flow into our pond again. This was made possible thanks to a generous private donation … and the sun!

Thursday 30th March 2-3pm - we will be switching the solar powered pump for all to enjoy and we would like you to be part of this moment of pride and celebration. This will be followed by a private tour of the gardens if you wished to join.

If you'd like to attend, please fill out this form to confirm their attendance or email gwenn.parker-tregoat@adur-worthing.gov.uk to confirm your attendance so we can be sure to have enough cupcakes baked by our volunteers!

We really hope you can attend and we look forward to meeting you up in our hidden gem on the hills.

Highdown Gardens is a living library of rare plants and trees hidden on the Southdowns. Despite being ancient and fragile, the place bursts with life and energy, from fauna to flora, humans to rare plants from across the world, dreams to events, passion to propagation. The gardens have immense potential and the team at Highdown is determined to showcase best practice on all fronts from conservation to education and recreation. To carry on this exciting journey, like all charity, Highdown Tower Garden and Pleasure Ground Trust needs the support of the community it serves.

George Square Financial Management Investment Market Update. In conjunction with Albemarle Street Partners

February 2023

You can’t have your cake and eat it too:

The last few weeks have unearthed a potential downside to the unexpected strength in the global economy. 2023 started with a plethora of positive economic data. European retail sales were better than expected, the US economy created 517,000 new jobs in January and Chinese industrial activity rebounded.

All the while, the main driver of investor anxiety, inflation, appeared to be in rapid decline. Markets started to price in peak monetary tightening and a benign recession for corporate profits. Risk assets (equities, high yield bonds and commodities) buoyed by high expected returns enjoyed their best start to a year since 2019.   

Unfortunately, January’s inflation readings have scuppered hopes of the perfect landing investors wanted. While the base affect for inflation (the prior year price for comparison) creates meaningful downside pressure on inflation, month to month inconsistencies in the data can unsettle risk appetite.

Peak interest rate forecasts for the US have moved from 5% to 5.5% in recent weeks. This change creates some additional risk for cyclical assets and increases the probability that the Federal Reserve keeps policy tight for a protracted period.  

We expect inflation to continue to fall, but a sharper decline in bond yields may need to be reassessed. The Fed has set a high bar for rate cuts and we may have to wait till the end of the year for there to be any easing in monetary conditions.

In the meantime, earnings, a key supporting factor for equity markets may start to wane. Fourth quarter earnings from the US were down 5% despite mid-single digit rising revenue growth. Analysts expect revenues to start to fall from the second quarter but margins to remain resilient. While this assessment is rooted in detailed bottom-up forecasts, they fly in the face of conventional wisdom. We are not forecasting a severe economic recession but see a risk to profit expectations in 2023.

Conclusion:

As we entered 2023, we saw signs that the tide may be turning. We increased diversification in portfolios by allocating to Asia, Europe, and parts of the fixed income market. These steps were purposefully modest as we envisaged a bumpy journey. This includes parts of the fixed income market and UK mid-cap stocks. As always, we will be patient and measured in our approach.

The value of investments, and the income from them, can go down and you may get back less than invested. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of your investment. This material may include charts displaying financial instruments' past performance as well as estimates and forecasts. Past performance is not an indicator of future returns. Capital at risk.

© 2023 George Square Financial Management Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The content of this material is a marketing communication, and not independent investment research. As such, the legal and regulatory requirements in relation to independent investment research do not apply to this material and it is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of its dissemination. The material is for general information purposes only (whether or not it states any opinions). It does not consider your personal circumstances or objectives. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) legal, financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by Albemarle Street Partners or George Square Financial Management Ltd that any particular investment, security, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Although the information set out in this marketing communication is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, Albemarle Street Partners or George Square Financial Management Ltd. makes no guarantee as to its accuracy or completeness. Neither Albemarle Street Partners or George Square Financial Management Ltd. shall be responsible for any loss that you may incur, either directly or indirectly, arising from any investment based on any information contained herein. Albemarle Street Partners is a trading name of Atlantic House Fund Management LLP (AHI). Issued by AHI who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: 135 Bishopsgate, 8th Floor, London, EC2M 3TP. George Square Financial Management Ltd. is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

Digital Futures West Sussex, a new programme launched to connect local businesses with talented jobseekers, is running its first roadshow in Worthing.

Jobseekers, career shifters and anyone with an interest in digital skills will get the chance to meet with employers and learn about the vast range of opportunities for digital careers in West Sussex at new interactive roadshows this spring.

The roadshows will showcase the best digital opportunities in the county, with local businesses attending to present their success stories and talk about their work, as well as advising on routes into digital jobs, the roles available and the benefits and salaries associated with digital careers. Attendees will be able to meet with a diverse range of business people from different sectors and find out about relevant courses to support career development.

There will be talks from business leaders to share their insights on the skills and experience needed to pursue digital careers.

W hat to expect

• Hear from and connect with the breadth of employers and businesses in need of digital skills
• Discuss and contribute to conversations on the importance of digital transformation in the county and feel part of a bigger focus on digital futures.
• Speak to employers and businesses about typical roles within their business and what these look like.
• Feel more confident in understanding what skills and attributes are helpful in digital careers and what's available locally.
• Connect with and identify potential training and education routes into digital careers.
• Building networks across the digital space in West Sussex.

We will be joined by local leaders and experts who are tackling these challenges head-on...

Are businesses set up to support a diverse workforce and how can tech roles attract more neurodiverse people,

Dom Huxley, Huxley

How a leading voice in accessible web design is paving the way for building an inclusive and ethical internet that works for everyone

Julian Erbsloeh & Emma Couling, Fresh Egg 

Fresh Egg will be sharing their own approach to supporting, training and developing staff and their clients workforce

Our expert panel will also include people from GB Electronics and TechNative Digital to share their insight on the role of language in West Sussex digital skills recruitment.

Book your free place here

If you are a West Sussex employer who would like to get involved and showcase your business at a roadshow , please complete this form and a member of the team will be in touch

Sports massage therapy - Improve both physical & mental wellbeing

Over the past few years the fact that mental and physical wellbeing are closely linked has become much more widely accepted. It has been found that those with poor mental health are quite likely to develop physical problems and vice versa.

Rather than medication, there is a growing tendency to improve mental wellbeing with lifestyle changes and increased physical activity which are both proven to improve energy levels and overall mood.

Ingrid is a sports massage therapist based in Worthing with over 20 years experience as a mental health worker. She is well aware of the importance of physical wellbeing with relation to good mental health. During her career as a social worker involved with mental health, she regularly made use of massage herself to maintain her own physical welfare. Ingrid told us that she now specialises in soft tissue massage for sports related activities and those wishing to maintain good working muscle health and for treatment in connection with injury rehabilitation.

Whilst most of Ingrid’s clients tend to be engaged in some form of sporting activity, anyone can benefit from the relaxation provided by soft tissue massage which can improve muscle performance as well as helping to relieve stress. Ingrid can arrange home visits where appropriate and age is no barrier to enjoying the benefits of soft tissue massage. Her most senior patient, who recently decided to address his back problems, is in his late 90s.

Originally from Berlin in Germany, when she’s not working, Ingrid enjoys yoga, kickboxing, running and swimming and has two children age 9 and 13.

More details: www.sportsmassage-worthing.co.uk or contact Ingrid on: 07754 490182

Chamber Member, Strategic Management Partners,  Shortlisted in the Good Business Awards!

The UK’s first National Sustainability Award for small firms has chosen a Brighton advisor in ethics and sustainability in the top three for Visionary Leadership. The awards celebrate small businesses who have achieved operational excellence for demonstrating and promoting responsible business standards.

Awards co-founder Garth Dallas says “The calibre of Sustainability Businesses shortlisted in these awards have superbly demonstrated credibility, quality, and integrity in every aspect and proves that small and micro businesses are making their mark in this space”.

Awards judges include Souella Kyriacou the CEO of A Better Blueprint for Business and Sam Agnew Community Manager for The Good Business Charter who says “the drive and commitment of small businesses to make a difference to people, local communities and our planet is inspirational and often goes unnoticed. We are delighted to champion and celebrate their achievements”

The top three firms include Brighton’s Strategic Management Partners recognised for successfully delivering sustainability services since 1990. MD Clive Bonny has been an advisor and assessor since 2012 for Responsible Business Standards after co-authoring and editing The Economist international standards book on Business Ethics. 

Clive says “the UK Social Value Act now requires all public funded bodies to check their suppliers have verified credentials for ESG Environment Social Governance, and this award shows how enterprises of any size can win business in the public funded supply chain.” Clive has been an innovation advisor for the University of Brighton consortium Clean Growth UK since 2014 delivering public funded support to startups and sme’s.

For more information contact Clive@consult-smp.com  01273 308865     

www.consult-smp.com

Worthing Community Chest February Newsletter

Introducing the Global Goals 

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals) are a set of 17 goals that aim to provide a blueprint to help make the world a better place.

Although here at Worthing Community Chest we are a local charity, we recognise that we are part of a bigger picture. With that in mind, we have started to incorporate the Global Goals into our work here at Worthing Community Chest.

Is your group looking for funding? 

We are currently accepting Seed Grants and Grass Roots grants on a rolling basis. Our next funding round for Grants for Growth will have a deadline of May 31st with a decision in late June, perfect for our groups with events in late Summer. If you have any questions about our grants, please get in touch.

What our groups have been up to… 

Billy & Beyond are bringing the “I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won’t Die” stageshow to local high schools around Worthing with the aim of providing young people in Worthing with drug awareness education in an engaging way.

Wild Gathering have been busy running their Wintering Well workshops, these aim to help individuals connect and celebrate nature whilst boosting their own wellbeing.

And our Patron Bob was at the wonderful Worthing Dementia Hub celebrating Time to Talk Day.

We are on the lookout for new trustees!

Since 2001, Worthing Community Chest has awarded nearly £450k to the local community. Our vision is to be the “go-to” funder and partner of new and developing community groups in Worthing. Together we aim to keep improving, transforming and enriching lives. To achieve our vision, we need you! 

Becoming a trustee is a perfect role for a previous group member with experience of receiving a grant. Or perhaps you know an energetic fundraising, communications, accounting or legal professional who wants to be part of our mission?

Worthing Community Chest is a small charity and becoming a trustee requires a commitment between board meetings. WCC has recently integrated the UN Global Goals, into everything it does.

Call Vicky Vaughan, Grants and Partnerships Co-ordinator, on 07909 693172 for further information, or contact us via our website if you are interested. We’d love to hear from you.

West Sussex-based IT Company Celebrates 25 Years of Innovation and Growth

ActiveIT, a leading provider of cutting-edge IT solutions and services, proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary this month.

Since its founding in February 1998, the Chichester-based company has established itself as a leader in the industry and has earned a reputation for delivering innovative and reliable solutions to businesses of all sizes across West Sussex and beyond.

"It is a great pleasure and a source of immense pride to mark this significant milestone," said Chris Sewell, Managing Director of ActiveIT.

"Over the past 25 years, we have helped countless businesses to maximize their potential and achieve their goals through the power of technology. Our success is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our team and our customers, who have trusted us to support their success."

ActiveIT has come a long way since its early days.

Initially building and selling home PCs, the company branched into commercial broadcasting and became the sole IT provider for Virgin Radio (now Absolute) and Heart FM for many years.

In addition, ActiveIT was involved in building and maintaining many of the new local and regional FM stations which started up in the late 1990s and early 2000s across the UK from Redruth to Glasgow, Ireland and even Amsterdam!

It wasn’t until the mid-2000’s when the company started to concentrate on IT support for SMEs.

And this remains the focus of the business to this day.

To help mark 25 years, ActiveIT is hosting a series of events and activities to celebrate its achievements and thank its customers, employees, and partners for their ongoing support and commitment.

The company is also taking the opportunity to reflect on its rich history and look ahead to the exciting future ahead, with a number of exciting plans and initiatives already underway.

"As we enter our 25th year of operations, we remain committed to delivering innovative solutions and services that empower businesses to thrive," added Sewell.

"Improving cyber security is very much at the forefront of what we do. We look forward to continuing to work with our customers and partners to create a better and more secure digital world for generations to come."

For more information about ActiveIT and its 25^th-anniversary celebrations, visit their website at https://www.activegroup.co.uk/ or contact the company directly at info@activegroup.co.uk

Computing Apprenticeships with the University of Chichester to benefit and support your business.

At the University of Chichester we are always striving to ensure our apprenticeship programmes are meeting the needs of local industry, while committing to the development of capable and confident graduates. Through our innovative, workplace based programmes we are able to bring real benefit to businesses from the start of an apprenticeship, and are always keen to work with our partners to ensure we are delivering programmes that are achieving these goals.

As part of this ongoing relationship with employers we are delighted to invite you to an event to discuss options for Computing and IT Apprenticeships you would like to see delivered. Digital skills have been identified as an area of both local growth, and local need, so will be key to our apprenticeship portfolio in the coming years. This event will ascertain which apprenticeships are available for delivery, how they are assessed, and discuss how these may meet the needs of your business moving forward. The morning will include:

- Which apprenticeships, at both Higher and Degree level, are available to delivery.

- What Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours are included in these apprenticeships, and how they can be utilised to benefit your business.

- What assessment methods are included in each apprenticeship; during the programme and the End Point Assessment.

- How to recruit learners to these apprenticeships, and how to identify internal candidates who may wish to take up this opportunity.

- What are the responsibilities for employers when supporting apprentices.

T his event will begin at 09:00, with breakfast available from 08:30. At the end of the event we will also run an optional tour of our specialist facilities. Free parking will be available on campus.

Reserve your free place here University of Chichester Computing and IT Apprenticeships Tickets, Thu 9 Mar 2023 at 08:30 | Eventbrite

March 2023 Exhibitions and Events at Colonnade House

What better way to welcome in spring, than with our wonderful exhibitions at Colonnade House. Join Natalia Samarina with her first exhibition inspired from her move to Worthing from Moscow. We have Ellie Bond and Lucy Rowan with their exhibition ‘Stemmed’. They will also be joined by students at Northbrook College for a group collaborative piece by the students. Up next we have Steve Gallagher with his exhibition ‘Cloth, Paper Steel’. Using a selection of materials to highlight the different aspects of his photographic work. 

Joining us for the last week in March with SOLD. A charity shop in Shoreham that provides experience for adults with learning differences in a realistic shop setting. The individuals of SOLD will be sharing a range of their artwork at Colonnade House.

Natalia Samarina: My Art
28 Feb - 5 March

Natalia is an aspiring artist who started her journey a couple of years ago. After moving to Sussex from Moscow a few years ago, the beauty of the coast, hills and surrounding nature ignited her imagination. Come and enjoy Natalia's paintings inspired by the beauty of nature in her first exhibition. 

Stemmed
7 - 18 March 

Ellie Bond and Lucy Rowan will be exhibiting together for two weeks in March. ‘Stemmed’ presents Lucy’s soft, woven forms alongside Ellie’s defined, linear glassworks. Gallery 2 will contain a group collaborative piece by students on the Mixed Media Pathway as part of the Foundation Arts course at Northbrook College.

Steve Gallagher
21 - 26 March 

Finely detailed floral studies and dramatic seascapes that reflect the richness and variety of the Sussex landscape will be filling up the gallery in March. Steve Gallagher: “Cloth, Paper, Steel” is an opportunity for visitors to experience photography in a new light.

SOLD
28 March - 1 April 

SOLD (Shoreham opportunities for learning differences). They offer purposeful and meaningful work experience to adults with learning differences in a realistic shop setting. The aim is to train them with work related skills that they can take onto future placements.  Their trainees have their own talents, and will be sharing their artwork in Colonnade House for a week.

https://colonnadehouse.co.uk/

Mum who set up charity Andy’s Angels in memory of her late husband wins national award

A WORTHING mum has bagged an award for her hard work in setting up a charity while running her own business.

Kayla Shepherd was the deserving recipient of the Business Mum of the Year award at the 2022 virtual Women’s Business Club Awards.

Kayla is a mum-of-one who set up charity Andy’s Angels in 2021 in memory of her late husband, Andy, who died suddenly in 2017.

She launched it after supporting her daughter, Millie throughout the grieving process and realising there wasn’t much support for children like her who were grieving a loss.

With the help of lived grief experienced volunteers, the two of them host grief play cafes for families to act as a safe space for children and families who are going through their own journeys of grief.

Alongside this, she runs training company Safety Mode Limited, which offers first aid and safety training for a range of industries.

There were 20 categories throughout the awards and 18 nominees from across the UK in Kayla’s category alone.

Kayla got the award for her hard work in both of her ventures and how, despite grieving herself, she has been able to build success for both her family and others in similar positions.

Kayla said: ‘It’s amazing to be recognised in such a way and to have come first against so many people across the country means even more. I work hard to support not only my family, but to enable people to have a safe space to come when they need a friend or someone who is in a similar situation to talk to and that is the driving force behind everything I do.’

The charity has just launched an afternoon Grief Play Café alongside the morning session due to the success and uptake of the initial sessions.

She said: ‘The morning sessions went so well that we thought it’d only be right to add more sessions so that we can help even more families. We’ve got so much planned throughout the year, from pamper and prosecco nights to days out at the races and more. It’s so rewarding being able to do so much for people who are going through what we went through, and I can’t wait to see where Andy’s Angels will go from here.’

For more information, visit www.andysangels.org.uk