Another sparkling AGM for Worthing and Adur Chamber!

Most AGMs can be pretty formal. Our Chamber makes a habit of having interesting and thought-provoking meetings at the AGM. This year's 77th AGM was no exception. Although it rained most of the day, the sun shone on the proceedings at the Dome from 6pm onwards. About 100 members and guests attended, along with both Worthing's MPs. It was a time to say thank you to so many people. Special thanks must be given to the executive committee who run the Chamber especially as this was the time when they stood for re-election. All of them did so and were re-elected successfully except for Chris Coopey who indicated that with his move to Crawley, he could not spend the time he wanted to attend meetings. He was thanked for his generous contributions. Two new members of the executive, Jonathan Nulty and Dave Bone, were elected too and warmly welcomed.

We elected two new Vice Presidents, Tony Hedger and Julian Cioffi, to stand with Karen Simporis, each with different areas of responsibility. Karen has led the charity commitment by the Chamber which has seen £65,000 raised for the Worthing and Adur Fund. Tony has expertise in finance and Julian, as a solicitor in Shoreham, has a special interest in spearheading Adur interests. All members of the executive worked very hard but Clive Spring who works with Tracie Davey in the website group has made a massive contribution to a new logo and design. The Chamber is very grateful for his hard work. Sheryl Tipton leads the marketing & communications group very successfully. The finance committee of Ian Vickers and Alistair Vickers is enormously helped by Andrew Dalglish of Ayres Bright Vickers. It is not often that three accountants can agree on one plan of action! The Chamber has never been in a better financial state. We formed a separate Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2013 and are awaiting revenue approval of its status as a training entity.

Our key partners remain Northbrook College, who are working with us on an exciting new development of an innovation hub in and we are in discussions with Adur & Worthing Council for funding to fit out and establish the hub for new businesses and start-ups in the digital media and creative sectors. This will be sited in Broadwater on the Northbrook College campus. Adur & Worthing Business Partnership, led by Andrew Swayne, has been a pillar of support and congratulations to Andrew on his business award for the work he has done. Coast to Capital and Malcolm Brabon in particular have worked closely in setting up through us the Navigator Hub. We have led, together with Chichester and Brighton & Hove Chambers, which signposts local businesses to grants, funding and support they might not otherwise have known about.

The Chamber also paid its tributes to both Tracie Davey, the operations manager of the Chamber who works tirelessly to keep the wheels turning; and also to our chief executive Tina Tilley who won the Business Personality of the Year for Worthing & Adur for 2013 but was surprised to be awarded the 2014 Business Personality for the whole of the southern region. Tina richly deserved those awards and without her the Chamber would not be the success it is.

That was the formal part of the meeting. We had already heard from EON about the windfarm being built off Brooklands. This is a massive investment. We also heard from Alex Bailey, the chief executive of Adur & Worthing Council on the economic development plans and the fact that the council is putting economic development as a priority. We had an update on major sites and progress being made throughout our area

The closing speech was from our patron Gillian Fielding the secret millionaire who as usual stimulated and challenged the audience with an engrossing talk on the importance of small and medium-sized enterprise, Gillian commented “As a group small business owners can cope with anything that any government or any economic cycle can throw at them and what we need to concentrate on is not the external factors that emerge from the differences in political opinion but the internal factors that are us as individuals.

It’s our determination to succeed that matters: our drive and motivation for what we do: our support for one another that helps: our personal belief in our product and services: and it is in the decisions we make and the actions we take that the UK economy will thrive, prosper and grow – whatever the political landscape”

The Dome provided an excellent buffet and refreshments. A great evening with lots of networking and tips on how to make your business more successful. If you went with us this year make sure you are for the next AGM to make sure you know what is going on locally.

New Partner appointed to new Gatwick office

South Coast and Gatwick-based chartered accountants and chartered tax advisers, Carpenter Box, has appointed Tony Summers as Audit Partner to help grow and develop its new Gatwick office.

Tony was appointed on 1 May and has over 20 years’ accounting and advisory experience dealing with a wide range of businesses from small start-ups to large corporates, both listed and private. He has particular specialist experience in owner-managed businesses and those with venture capital backing in a number of sectors including technology, manufacturing, software, transport and logistics and recruitment consultants.

Tony commented: “I am delighted to be appointed Audit Partner in a firm with such an excellent reputation as Carpenter Box. The company was recently crowned ‘Professional Services Firm of the Year’ in the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2015, so I do have a lot to live up to!

 “The appointment is an exciting opportunity for me, as Carpenter Box has an ambitious strategy for growth in the Gatwick area and offers a very distinct value proposition for businesses in the region. The firm has an experienced client focussed team providing high quality service and outstanding value for money.”

Carpenter Box has grown to become a real force in Sussex and the South. With a headcount of over 120, including 12 partners, it is one of the largest business advisory firms in the region. It is also a founding member of MHA, a national association of leading independent accountants, giving Carpenter Box the ability to provide larger clients with accounting and audit solutions across the UK. The firm is also an independent member of Baker Tilly International, which provides client access to a global network of trusted advisors for businesses looking to trade globally.

Outside of work, Tony is a keen Brentford FC supporter and attempts to keep fit playing tennis as and when time allows. He also enjoys relaxing with his wife and two children at their home in Crawley Down. 

Enterprise Week will run from 15th - 19th June with some exciting workshops and talks.

This years theme is Digital Media with talks covering:

How to enter the Digital market
Startung up a Digital Business
Growing Your Team
Visualise Your Business

The week will finish with a reception and preview of the proposed INnovation Centre at Northbrook College Broadwater.,

Make sure you save the date and watch out for the full programme soon!

Welcome to the latest Enews from Coast to Capital LEP. This month our focus is on Export success.

Coast to Capital powers local manufacturer’s expansion

Insulated Tools manufactures tools for electrical workers. Since 2010, it has promoted its products in overseas markets including North America, Australia, India and New Zealand.

The company has received an outstanding response and orders are now being received from major multinational companies within the power utilities market place. This success however, has created a need to increase production capacity.

The company successfully applied for a Coast to Capital Business Growth Grant to purchase new machinery to meet the demands of the overseas orders.

Read the full story here.

Software drives international success

Optima Systems specialises in software development. When Optima started out in 1990, the original aim was to provide specialist programming and consulting skills to the IT sector. In 2000, the company first started to explore the idea of overseas trade, but it was only after receiving support from UK Trade and Investment that this side of the business really started to take off.

Fast forward to today and the business has grown its international turnover 18-fold since 2013, from £50k to over £900k, and the outlook is for international trade to become a significant part of its total turnover over the next couple of years.

Read the full story here.

Cheers to Ridgeview’s success

Dedicated to creating world class sparkling wines, husband and wife Mike and Chris Roberts founded the Ridgeview Wine Estate in the South Downs of England in 1994. Since then, the second generation of the family have joined the business, which today employs 13 people and produces 250,000 bottles a year.

Support from Coast to Capital and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has helped Ridgeview Wine Estate to proactively explore new markets. A Coast to Capital Business Growth Grant has allowed Ridgeview to install a new, faster bottling line that has more than doubled its capacity and improved the quality of its wines. Exports now account for 20 per cent of its business.

Read the full story here.

Awards success for Worthing business leader

A Worthing director has been 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, are sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and bring together company directors from a variety of backgrounds, recognising their qualities as business leaders.

Peter Webb, Managing Director of Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd of Worthing, was named Director of the Year (Small Company).

Founded in 1983 by Peter and Miriam Webb, Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd is a digital thermometer manufacturer, also producing catering thermometers, moisture meters, pressure meters and other related products.

Peter said: “I’m very happy to receive this award, for myself and my staff, it means a great deal to us all. It is a reflection of the hard work of the management team and the 160 employees.”

Rodger Broad, Director of the IoD South, said: “The standard set by all our finalists was exceptional, so for Peter to win is a tremendous achievement.

“He goes forward to the UK IoD awards in October where he will compete for the title of UK Director of the Year.”

Peter received his award on Wednesday, April 22, at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall, London.


Caption: Peter Webb, centre, receives his award from John Minards, South East Regional Leader, PwC, (left) and event host, broadcaster Jeremy Vine

15.05.15

National rail strike planned for bank holiday Monday

Rail workers across Britain will stage a 24-hour walkout starting on bank holiday Monday in the first national rail strike for 20 years.

It comes after members of RMT in Operations, Maintenance, Customer Services and associated grades voted ‘Yes’ by massive majorities in a ballot for both strike action and action short of a strike in the current dispute over pay.

The strike will start at 5pm on Monday 25 May and last for 24 hours, likely causing severe disruption when commuters return to work Tuesday morning. The union is also instituting an overtime ban for 48 hours on the Monday and Tuesday.

Mark Carne, Network Rail chief executive, said: “This strike is deliberately timed to cause maximum disruption to families trying to enjoy the half-term break and millions more returning to work after the bank holiday. I find it deplorable that the RMT can hold the travelling public to ransom in this way.

“This week we have been talking to ACAS to try to get the RMT back around the table. The public knows only too well that our railway must improve. We want to work with the unions so that we can reward our staff through improved productivity.”

Network Rail’s RMT union members voted 80% for strike action on a 60% turnout, and by 92% for action short of a strike.

The vote comfortably outstripped even the stricter criteria for industrial action proposed by the Conservative Party in its manifesto, which says industrial action in health, education, transport and fire services will only be possible with the support of at least 40% of all eligible union members.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Our members have decisively rejected the pay package offered by Network Rail and the failure of the company to make any moves whatsoever in light of the overwhelming vote in the ballot has left us with no option but to move to a rolling programme of industrial action.

"We have a massive mandate for action which shows the anger of safety-critical staff across the rail network at attacks on their standards of living and their job security. It is appalling that Network Rail are refusing point blank to take this dispute seriously, to understand the deep-seated grievance felt by their staff and to come forward with a renewed offer which protects pay, jobs and safety. 

"Our rail staff deserve a fair reward for the high-pressure, safety-critical work that they undertake day and night and the last thing that we need is a demoralised, burnt-out workforce living in fear for their futures and the message has come back loud and clear that that is exactly how they feel about the current offer from Network Rail."

The union has rejected a four-year deal worth £500 per worker this year, followed by three years of increases matching inflation as well as a no compulsory redundancy commitment to December 2016.

Discussing the rejected pay offer, Carne added: “The RMT say we can afford more than what’s on offer. What they don’t say is that Network Rail is a public service body and that all profits are reinvested in building a bigger, better, more reliable railway. Any pay increase comes from the pockets of taxpayers and fare paying passengers.”

The TSSA has also balloted its members for a strike, the result is due next week.

Network Rail has a series of maintenance and engineering works scheduled for Monday 25 May that could be affected by the strike. Work is scheduled to take place on the lines between Hackney Downs and Cheshunt as well as between Oxenholme Lake District and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh with various line closures.

Overnight engineering work is also scheduled to take place between Stalybridge and Manchester Piccadilly closing some lines.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “I condemn any industrial action that disrupts the travelling public. Network Rail has put a fair offer on the table and has sought further talks with the unions.

“Rail passengers will not thank the unions for inflicting this unnecessary disruption.”

Tell us what you think – have your say below or email opinion@railtechnologymagazine.com

You can have your pension cake, but beware, the taxman might eat it!

From paying off a foreign mortgage to making property improvements, the use of funds ‘liberated’ in the first month of ‘pension freedom’ have been wide ranging, according to South Coast and Gatwick-based independent financial advisers, Carpenter Box Wealth Management.

While the new regulations dramatically increase the financial options of many pension-holders over the age of 55, the message from Roy Thompson, Associate at Carpenter Box Wealth Management, is ‘you can have your pension cake…but beware, the taxman might eat it!’

This is because whilst 25% of such a big lump sum may be tax-free, the rest could attract a tax charge of 45%, depending on the amounts involved, because it will be treated as income.

Says Roy: “Over the last month, a number of clients have been investigating withdrawing money from their pension, for example to pay off a mortgage on a foreign property or to carry out improvements on a property. In each case, the level of tax to be paid has come as a real shock to the individual involved so, yes, you can have your money, but it comes at a price.” 

Situations have also arisen where a pension scheme will not allow withdrawals to be made and the fund has had to be transferred to another pension provider who will allow withdrawals – typically, this incurs additional costs.

Add in new pension death benefit rules and it’s clear that specialist advice is needed – so Carpenter Box Wealth Management is running further free breakfast briefings at both its Worthing office on 19 May and 18 June and two sessions at its new Gatwick offices on 9 June and 14 July. More information via http://carpenterbox.com/event-pensions/ or from Lucy Tunstall at Carpenter Box on 01903 234094.   

A second public consultation examining options to protect Shoreham and the south coast from flooding is due to take place for four weeks from May 11th 2015.

Following on from the initial consultation that took place in late 2014, the local community are being invited back to see the second draft of flood defence guidance. One of the key areas identified by the Shoreham Harbour Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP) as needing defence reinforcements is the Western Harbour Arm, which runs from Adur Ferry Bridge to Kingston Beach, to guard against future risks posed by climate change, rising sea levels and worsening coastal weather.

Specialist flood prevention consultants JBA Consulting & Baca Architects, working with the Shoreham Harbour Regeneration Partnership, have created the proposals set out in the final draft flood risk management documents (officially known as the Flood Risk Management Guide Supplementary Planning Document).  These proposals are distinct from the Adur Tidal Walls project which covers the western bank of the River Adur and the eastern bank from the Adur Ferry Bridge northwards. 

Scott Marshall, Director for the Economy at Adur & Worthing Councils, says
“It is really important for us to get the public’s opinions on the future flood defences for the Shoreham community. We want to reduce the risk of flooding and water damage for residents, businesses and organisations right along the south coast; reinforcing the Shoreham flood defences now means we can reduce these risks for many years to come and protect our communities for generations.”

Integral to the revised plans are new areas for the public to enjoy the river from, with a cycle route and walk way incorporated into the design. The plans will be available for public scrutiny from Monday 11th May 2015 - either through the Councils’ website (http://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/shoreham-harbour-regeneration/consultation/ ) or in person at any one of the following points:

* Adur Civic Centre (Shoreham-by-Sea) 

* Bartholomew House (Brighton) 

* Hove Town Hall 

* Portland House (Worthing) 

* Shoreham Library 

* Southwick Library 

* Portslade Library 

* Hove Library

Once the consultation is completed, feedback will be considered by the Councils and their specialist advisors before final decisions are made.

London and the South East Director of the Year Awards

Winners Announced

The winners of the 2014 London and the South East Director of the Year Awards were announced, on the evening of 22nd April, at a Gala Awards Dinner held in the impressive Nash Room at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall, London.

Over 200 finalists and guests attended the sell-out evening where Jeremy Vine gave a thoroughly entertaining update on the election and politics right now followed by some hilarious real life stories drawn from his radio programme.  He closed by congratulating the finalists and all the other business leaders and past winners in the room – as it was their  collective drive and leadership that would be so important to the future economic prosperity of the UK.

With anticipation mounting, the evening moved on to the introduction of the finalists in each category followed by the announcement of the Winners.

With thanks our panel of fifteen Judges, and congratulations to all the finalists, the Winners were announced as follows:

Director of the Year - Large Company
Gareth Rogers - St. Mary’s Football Group (Southampton FC)

Director of the Year - Medium Company (Joint Winners)
Jill Whittaker - HIT Training
and
Mark Smith - The Car Finance Company

Director of the Year – Small Company
Peter Webb - Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd.

Director of the Year International Business
Matt Lumb - Tangle Teazer

Director of the Year - Family Business
Jacqueline O’Donovan - O’Donovan Waste Disposal Ltd.

Director of the Year – Chairman’s Award for Corporate Social Responsibility
James Woollard - Polythene UK Ltd.

Young Director of the Year 
Zoe Powers - GLH Ltd.

Director of the Year – Public and Third Sector
Julie Hopes - Conservation Volunteers

This year’s Winners now go forward to represent London and South East in the UK Director of the Year Finals, taking place in October, when they will be judged against the best from every other part of the UK.

With special thanks to our Headline Sponsors: