Albion in the Community are seeking out cancer champion volunteers.

Take a look at our poster and book a place on our training day

More grant funding success for Adur and Worthing

Residents across Worthing and Adur will soon be offered the chance of gaining rewards to use in leisure facilities and Worthing Theatres, thanks to a £136,000 grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government. The grant is to be shared by both Councils and will be split over the year coinciding with dates the scheme will be running, 2015 – 2016.

After realising that sending recyclable waste to landfill is expensive and damaging to the environment, the Government decided to work with local authorities and support initiatives that recognise and reward those who reduce, reuse and recycle their waste.

The Government grant will enable Adur & Worthing Councils to work in partnership on an initiative in which the 65,000 households within these areas will be in with a chance of winning leisure vouchers and prizes.

Keith Dollemore, Executive Member for the Environment at Adur District Council said “As a seaside authority Adur is firmly committed to the principle of offering weekly refuse and fortnightly recycling collections. On behalf of the Council, I feel that this enables us to maintain a clean and safe environment as well as meeting the needs and desires of our local residents. The grant will be put towards funding our Recycling reward scheme known as Total Quality Recycling.”

The project aims to encourage a better quality and  higher volume of recycling throughout Adur and Worthing, with the goal of reducing contamination , the amount of  waste sent to landfill and making communities and individuals more aware of how recycling can make a positive change.

Clive Roberts, Executive Member for the Environment at Worthing Borough Council, added “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to make people aware of the impact they can have by recycling properly. Our aim is not only to reward those that do recycle but to equip residents with the knowledge of what, and how, to recycle successfully.”

The project also corresponds with the increase of plastic materials deemed recyclable by Adur & Worthing Councils, as of Wednesday 1st April 2015 plastic tubs, pots and trays will be accepted providing they are washed and dried first. It’s projected this change alone will see recycling levels increase by 4000 tonnes per year, pushing West Sussex’s recycling rates to over 40%.

To find out more information on what we can recycle and how you can get involved visit:  http://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/recycling/what-we-can-recycle/ 

Business Development Opportunities at StreetVelodrome

On the 1st and 2nd August 2015, Worthing will host the fifth round of the UK StreetVelodrome series - which will then be aired on various global television networks as a 30 minute Worthing highlights show – and sponsorship opportunities are now available for businesses wanting to significantly raise their profile.

With several thousand people expected to pack out Beach House grounds in Worthing on the first weekend of August, the StreetVelodrome event would be a good opportunity for any company to connect to more customers. The television highlights show extends this opportunity, with over 600,000 adults seeing the equivalent StreetVelodrome programme in 2014.

Worthing Borough Council has been keen to keep the cost of sponsorship opportunities affordable, as Executive Member for Regeneration, Councillor Bryan Turner, explains:

“There’s no point bringing a hugely exciting event like StreetVelodrome to Worthing, only to price local businesses out of the sponsorship opportunities.

“We’ve already had incredibly strong interest and take up in our Gold, Silver and Bronze packages, with significant local companies investing in some high profile brand building.  However, there are still spaces, so interested businesses should move quickly to secure a sponsorship slot.”

In addition to the main sponsorship packages, Worthing Borough Council are developing a filmed media package which will be both used as a marketing tool in the run up to the event, and as a celebration of a fantastic weekend of StreetVelodrome cycling afterwards.

Businesses interested in finding out how to make the most of this opportunity should contact Jo Osborne, Worthing Borough Council’s Events Manager by email (jo.osborne@adur-worthing.gov.uk).

More information about the exciting StreetVelodrome event, and its inaugural Worthing heat, can be found on their website – www.streetvelodrome.co.uk

Building Business Through Events

Attending the right event can dramatically fuel a business’ growth - and no more so than when those events are held in the eyes of the world.  From the brand new Wildlife Festival in Shoreham or the StreetVelodrome event in Worthing, to the International Birdman and the Festival of Rugby, 2015 is going to bring global attention to Adur and Worthing.

Event organisers are already looking for local companies to take up commercial opportunities including:
•    Sponsorship opportunities
•    Food and drink concessions
•    Event related trade stands
•    Entertainments and attractions (including children’s entertainments)
•    Charity and community stands

Pat Beresford, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, says:
“I can’t think of a previous year with so many opportunities to get out and enjoy the Adur area.  From the growing Shoreham Riverfest to the Adur Festival, there’s going to be something for everyone.
“It’s vitally important that businesses don’t miss out - I would encourage all local companies who think that they have something to offer festival goers to get involved early!”

Executive Member for Regeneration on Worthing Borough Council, Councillor Bryan Turner, adds:
“It’s not every area which can boast of so many large events packing into one summer season.  Our Food & Drink festival is going to be better than ever and the brand new StreetVelodrome event is going to be screened around the world, to name just two.
“2015 will be a brilliant year for local businesses to get themselves in front of huge crowds, hopefully growing substantially as a result.”

To get connected with all of the opportunities in the 2015 events programme, local businesses should contact Jo Osborne, Events Manager at Adur & Worthing Councils by email (jo.osborne@adur-worthing.gov.uk).

Worthing Digital Agency Fresh Egg is a finalist in

Apprentice Employer of the Year Awards

Local digital marketing agency announced as Apprenticeship4England ‘Small Business Employer of the Year’ finalist

Digital Marketing Agency Fresh Egg is a finalist in a national apprentice employer of the year awards scheme after running a successful apprenticeship programme employing three young people from the area.

The Apprenticeships4England 2015 Training Provider and Apprentice Employer Awards, announced last week, recognise the contribution of companies helping young people into the workforce.

Worthing-based Fresh Egg is in the running for the Small Business Employer of the Year award category alongside the likes of leading healthcare service provider Medco Services.

Fresh Egg MD Adam Stafford said: “I am delighted that Fresh Egg is an apprentice employer of the year award finalist. We have always been passionate about offering young people the chance to progress their careers in the digital sector and the launch of our apprentice scheme has been really exciting.

“Being shortlisted for this award is a reflection on the commitment everyone at Fresh Egg has given to the scheme.”

Fresh Egg launched its first apprenticeship scheme last year in conjunction with the level three Social Media and Digital Marketing apprenticeship programme offered by Brighton-based apprenticeship provider, Dv8 Sussex.

Dv8 Sussex is a specialist creative and digital training college that has been providing young people in Sussex with personalised, industry-led training for over a decade.

Richard Freeman, Operations Manager for Dv8, said: “Fresh Egg has been a fantastic employer to work with, and has had a refreshing approach to taking on apprentices in the digital marketing world.

“We look forward to working with them, developing new pathways and employer-led training initiatives for many more years,” says Richard.

Fresh Talent

Fresh Egg’s commitment to the progression and future careers of young people in the local community led the company to establish an innovative and robust apprenticeship programme.

Fresh Egg invests heavily in the personal development of all its apprentices and provides them with the opportunity to undertake meaningful, challenging work in an inspiring, motivational and exciting office environment.

Innovative Apprenticeship Format

Fresh Egg made the decision to split its 12-month apprenticeship programme into three sections, allowing each apprentice to spend four months immersed in three digital marketing disciplines: technical SEO, biddable media and inbound marketing.

This structure has enabled Fresh Egg apprentices to gain knowledge and experience across the sector and to better inform their future careers in digital.

Each of the Fresh Egg digital marketing apprentices has become very well integrated into the company, demonstrating a clear understanding of the company goals and culture. Each is becoming proficient in digital marketing, gaining industry-recognised qualifications and continually showing improvements in terms of initiative, knowledge and work output.

Future Plans

With robust induction, training plans and documentation in place, Fresh Egg is well placed to run the apprenticeship programme each year and is committed to its sustainability. We look forward to working with future apprentices, developing employer-led training initiatives for many more years.

MARKETING: ESSENTIAL FOR BUSINESS GROWTH?

During the start-up process entrepreneurs have to overcome many factors to get their business up and running; however business owners are now discovering that one of the biggest, and most important, challenges of starting a business happens once the business is trading – attracting and retaining customers!

It sounds simple but this crucial factor, which often gets overlooked by more pressing problems, can make or break your business. If people don’t know about your business, how can they become customers? And if you don’t have any customers, then how is your business going to make money? And if it isn’t making money, how are you going to keep your business going? These issues are not unique to start-ups; existing businesses must have an adaptive marketing strategy too!

In order to enter the marketplace, and stay there, successfully alongside the competition, SMEs have to get their name known – and for the right reasons.

Marketing is essential when introducing and promoting a product, service or business to potential customers because without it customers would never know about you and what you have to offer; but marketing does so much more than just get the word out. Marketing can impact sales, it can create a healthy competition between businesses and it can positively influence a company’s reputation.

Businesses need to promote themselves, as well as their current offers and promotions, to show how they match up next to the competition, which for SMEs is increasingly important. SMEs also have to work harder to grow within the market, being careful to not get bypassed by these well-known companies that already have a loyal customer base. Building a solid, positive, reputation is the key to this because the way customers view a company influences the way customers buy from them. An effective marketing strategy, with positive reinforcements, can build a business’ image and create a strong and credible reputation for them that allows them to compete with their competitors and get their name noticed; which in turn can help boost their customers and sales.

However many SMEs overlook marketing and cut in from their budgets because they can’t afford something that isn’t a necessity– but it is! Marketing can be expensive but it is vital for attracting and keeping customers, and that is why the Growth Voucher programme is ideal for businesses that are in need of some professional, marketing advice.

Growth Vouchers is a government research initiative that provides strategic business advice to England’s micro, small and medium businesses across 5 business categories: Marketing, attracting and keeping customers, Raising finance and managing cash flow, Making the most of digital technology, Improving leadership and management skills and Recruiting and developing staff. The programme looks to support SMEs by offering up to £2,000 match funding to be spent on strategic business advice to aid their growth and development.

A marketing Growth Voucher cannot be spent on designing specific marketing campaigns, copywriting, building websites, undertaking social media campaigns or carrying out market research or training. The Growth Voucher is to be spent with an accredited supplier who will give advice on how to research existing and potential customers, establish crucial insights from business and customer data, develop and improve new products/services from customer’s needs, define communication plans for the target audience and establish a series of processes to help close a sale.

Carolyn Burchell, founder of Composure Accounting, received a Growth Voucher for marketing and said “I implemented the marketing strategy in my first follow-up meeting; it was a great success and resulted in a new client very easily.”

To find out more about the Growth Voucher programme, to read client case studies and to apply for your voucher, please visithttp://www.enterprisefirst.co.uk/services/growth-vouchers/

Chloe Hodson – Marketing Coordinator

Business needs economic support and planning by government for the infrastructure to underpin growth through roads, rail links, air terminals and runways

The expansion at Gatwick will help the economy of Worthing and Adur to grow and thrive with Jobs for our future.

Our children and grandchildren depend upon investment now for a prosperous posterity. We do not want them to have to move away or commute in order to earn a living.

A second runway at Gatwick will produce thousands of jobs and opportunities for a better future for the businesses in our area.

License to dance granted at Shoreham Airport

Plans for a significant new music event in Shoreham have moved one step closer, following Adur District Council’s granting of a premises license authorising the sale of alcohol, late night refreshment and entertainment to SJM Ltd.

Having considered the case made by the applicant (SJM Ltd) for the license and the public representations made against it, Adur District Council’s Licensing Committee decided to grant the license, following two evenings of public Committee hearings and a closed Member session on Monday evening.  The Committee took pains to ensure that all relevant representations were made and heard during the hearings.

Speaking after the decision, Committee Chairman Councillor David Simmons (Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing at Adur District Council) said:

“This is the most significant licensing application to come before the Council in the nine years that I’ve been a Member. 

“In coming to our decision, the Members sitting on the Committee took time to hear the full range of representations from the community, considering these in conjunction with our powers and remit under the Licensing Act and the conditions and mitigations put forward by the applicant. 

“It must be remembered that this is an application under the Licensing Act 2003 for a premises license to authorise the provision of alcohol, late night refreshment and entertainment as part of a two day event. This was not an application seeking permission to hold events - this is not a matter that falls under this committee’s remit.

“There are 92 conditions accompanying our decision, conditions which are expressly designed to answer concerns raised by the community and protect local residents from as much disruption as possible.

“I am confident that these conditions, together with the goodwill shown by SJM Ltd, will help all parties to deliver a safe, enjoyable event that adds something different to the local events scene.”

The conditions placed upon the license include:

* Attendee numbers have been set at 35,000

* The event will finish at 1am, rather than the initial proposal for 3am

* Sound limits have been set by the Councils’ Environmental Health team and this will be monitored throughout the event

* The Event Management Plan is to be signed off by the Safety Advisory Group (which includes representatives of all of the statutory authorities) and the Director for Communities at the Councils, in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing Committee

* The applicant’s offer of holding public meetings after the event has been accepted to hear feedback from the local community

With this license granted, SJM Ltd are now going to work with the local community to address other concerns not covered by the Licensing Act.  They have committed to holding public meetings for residents to air their views and influence elements of the proposed event.

In addition, the company will be working closely with the Police, the Council and other responsible bodies on the Event Management Plan which includes health/welfare, traffic management and noise disturbance. 

More detail on the progress of the proposed summer music event will be released in due course as it becomes available.

Comments received for the proposed changes of parking

Thank you to those that commented regarding the proposed changes to the parking. Below is the response Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce submitted along with the supporting comments.

"Having spoken to Sharon Clarke at Worthing Town Centre Initiative and consulted our  members again today our executive board are unanimous in their support of the issues raised by the TCI and our own Members.

It is extraordinary and unfair that Worthing is being singled out as the sacrificial guinea pig.

There  may be some short term financial gain to the WSCC but the long term loss of wealth is not good for either the local or county council let alone the business people of Worthing.

We would not expect for a party supposedly in favour of free enterprise would even consider such a detrimental tax on trade.

Sunday trading is essentially more popular and this has to be in part due to the free parking and the evening hours of trade are to be encouraged for the night economy to survive and many jobs will be at stake should this come into place.

With a little more time we will be happy to get more responses for you."

I reference to the parking proposals we believe that this would have an adverse effect on not only our business but that of our neighbours

Small businesses are really struggling and will lose more business if  the parking is inconvenient and costs our consumers money, as per the government thinking there should be single yellow lines with 20 mins parking

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I would like to see free parking on street for at least 30/60 minutes, this will allow most transactions to be carried out without cost, most small/medium purchases can be made in that time. This can be done by simply allowing the machines to produce a free ticket for 1 hour then payment after that period should the shopper need more time. This will increase spend in the town.

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East Worthing

It is difficult to anticipate the extra pressure that these changes may put upon the area between the Town Centre and Ham Road.

• ·         If people working in the town centre were parking free in the Ham Road area, they are now likely to want to park closer to town if they are going to have to pay anyway
• ·         As a business in Farncombe Road since 2000 we have never been able to successfully apply for on-road parking permits in Farncombe Road. Neither have we been able to put any names down on a waiting list in case spaces become available. Why not?
• ·         Since the building work started on the new Splashpoint Leisure Centre we have had problems – our parents drop off and collect children mainly between 7.30am – 9am and 12.30 – 1.30 and 4pm – 6pm. (These times are outside the parking restricted times). Firstly, it was because the road was blocked with tradesmen’s vans; I incorrectly assumed that this would improve once the work was complete and the tradesmen gone. Once the pool opened the road was blocked with cars despite there being a car park by Beach Green. The problems are particularly bad after 3pm when we have a continuous stream of cars parking as parents bring their children for swimming lessons; in the meantime, parents trying to collect their children from the nursery cannot find a space close enough to safely manage one or two babies/toddlers and all their bags from the nursery to their car. They cannot walk from home as they could be returning from work out of Worthing or may not live in this area
• ·         There are plans for building work to commence on the old Aquarena site. Where will the tradesmen park their vehicles? NOT in Farncombe Road I hope. Where will the Leisure Centre users park once the spaces at the old Aquarena are lost (about 75)?

Suggestions

• 1.       Leisure Centre users are allowed free parking in the nearby car parks taking their vehicles off the roads
• 2.       Tradesmen are given permits to park in the Teville Gate car park and bussed to site
• 3.       Farncombe Road has a new restriction added to the spaces on the south end, west side, of the road between Brighton Road and Church Walk. Maximum 20 mins parking between the hours of 3pm and 6pm. This will prevent a (possible fatal) accident to a young child as cars juggle for spaces, parents try to cross the road with their young children and ambulances continue to use the road for ‘blue light’ access to the hospital. It can get VERY busy in the is road and feels particularly unsafe on the dark evenings. I have seen cars double parked on the road out of desperation to find a space
• 4.       Whatever plans are passed for the Aquarena site they include 100 + parking spaces, free, and only for Leisure Centre users.

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As you are currently conducting a review of parking services, can I request that thought is made to businesses being able to purchase an annual all zones pass to cover work undertaken in Worthing. 

As a local business with 3 fleet vehicles, we are regularly in and out of Worthing and my engineers sometimes struggle to have enough change or if a job overruns, have to run out to put more money into a meter. I would certainly purchase at least 3 passes on an annual basis. 

We would not be taking up residents spots everyday as the likelihood is that I would not use them on a daily basis so if the fee was fair, the council would be able to have another revenue stream. Brighton & Hove offer this service and I have tried to purchase something similar for Worthing but currently have to use meters or get daily dispensations if the job is for the whole day. 

I hope that this is worth looking at and look forward to being able to purchase my annual pass!

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People from out of area notable visit on a Sunday due to no parking costs. An extension of the hours in Brighton proved to be detrimental to the local hospitality community and would be fatal in our opinion.

We are wanting to encourage families not push them out of town centres in the early evening.

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