Applications for Invest4 grants are opening again on 1 August, so if you're are looking for funding to help their business grow, make sure that you don't miss out! The grants are only available until 3 October 2022 or when the funding phase has been allocated. There's over £160,000 of grant money to be allocated, on a first-come, first-served basis.

To have the best chance of being successful with their grant application, we have our grant workshops to take you through the application process.  Our Invest4 Boot Camps - Fit for Finance and Money Sense help create the supporting documents such as business plan and cashflow forecasts. 

Invest4 grants are awarded by Brighton & Hove City Council through The Business Hothouse programme. GetSet for Growth Coast to Capital can offer support in applying and strengthening grant applications - find out more here

Key Changes to the Invest4 grants

• The maximum grant available to each business is £6,000
• Grants will be a maximum of 30% of your growth project - lower intervention rates are acceptable
• Applicants need to fund the additional 70% (match funding) of the growth project
• The deadline for applications is 9am on 3 October 2022 (if grant funds remain) 
• Projects are limited to one supplier only, but may contain a maximum of five item lines each with a minimum value of £100
• All growth projects who receive an Invest4 grant must be completed by 9am on 3 January 2023
• Licensing, consulting and similar long-term services are no longer eligible for the grants
• Any machinery purchased using the grants must be in situ by 31 December 2022
• Applications need to be submitted via Docusign

Click here to find FAQ's 

Liberty Cowork are offering Chamber Members 15% discount

At our coworking space, we believe that connection to others and a healthy environment are the foundations to well-being. Our coworking space is people -centric, beautiful and functional. It’s a home away from home.

Liberty Cowork has a plan to fit your needs. We have fixed, flexi and hot desking options. Whether you enjoy working full time at a co-work or half/half, we have options.

Location is key for us which is why we chose this space, it's a stones throw away from the beach and an array of independent coffee shops and restaurants.

We are looking to host monthly events to bring our community even closer - these will include kombucha making classes, mindfulness and meditation as well as inviting in successful guest speakers.

Benefits include:

• Free high speed broadband and superfast WiFi
• Secure FOB access into the space
• Access to phone booth to take private calls and conduct zooms - this is to manage noise and give privacy
• Secure and maintained facilities - plus 24 hr access to those there full time
• Chillout/breakout area with a sofa
• A beautiful interior designed space - which includes lots of light and plants
• Artisan complimentary tea and coffee - we've invested in the best bean to cup coffee machine as we understand the importance of good coffee to fuel's ones day.

Prices are:

£160 a month

£60 a week

£15 a day

However we are offering chamber of commerce members 15% off if booked by a certain period.

https://libertycowork.com/

Have your say on plans for new Council homes in Southwick and Lancing

What health and safety training do you need for your small business?

A blog from Alpha Training Solutions

Did you know? In the UK, over 99% of all businesses in 2021 were small or medium (SME) sized businesses, i.e. employing between 0 to 249 employees. There are many things to consider when running a small business, and whilst it may not be at the top of every business owner’s to do list, health and safety is an important area to get right. After all, you could end up in trouble with the law if you get it wrong, potentially resulting in serious accidents or costly lawsuits.

Health and Safety – what you must do by law

This will depend on the nature of the business you operate in – for example, a construction business will have additional obligations when compared to an office-based workplace.

The overarching piece of legislation is the Health and Safety at Work Act, however as this is written in general terms, there are additional regulations available that provide more specific guidance.

Here’s a summary of the key points you must do in order to stay compliant:

• You are responsible for the health and safety of anyone affected by your business. This means not just your team, but it also includes suppliers, visitors, customers and potentially even members of the public. This includes having suitable first aid facilities in case of an accident, as well as emergency procedures to follow. It’s not just the employer but also the employees who have a responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• Additional health and safety protections are needed for certain groups of people. This includes people with disabilities, young people under 18, pregnant women, as well as food-serving businesses. Also, businesses operating in certain, potentially higher-risk, industries such as construction or manufacturing, need to comply with additional regulations.
• You must have employers’ liability insurance
• You must have a written health and safety policy if you employ five or more people. This outlines the business’s general approach to health and safety and should include concrete steps you are taking to comply with the law.
• You must conduct risk assessments for your place of work. Risk assessments need to identify potential hazards, the likelihood of these occurring, and how you are going to minimise the risk on a practical level. Risk assessments should also identify training requirements.
• Appropriate health and safety information and training must be provided for all staff. This is so they know how to carry out their work safely. It’s best to keep a record of who’s completed the training to make it easier to identify when refresher training is needed. We look at more specific training requirements below.
• You need to display the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) poster on Health and Safety Law: What You Need to Know. You also need to display safety signs where appropriate, such as ‘Fire Assembly Point’ or ‘Danger – Electric shock risk’
• Health and safety legislation stipulates that employers must provide for their staff’s welfare. This includes things like making a rest space available, having suitable toilet facilities, access to drinking water and changing facilities for those required to wear a staff uniform or protective clothing.
• Serious accidents need to be reported following RIDDOR rules, and an incident book should be kept.

For the full blog, visit Alpha Training's page 

What health and safety training do you need for your small business? - Lyra group

Your chance to question Adur and Worthing’s Council Leaders

The leaders of Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council are to be questioned by councillors about their strategies for the authorities - and you can get involved as well.

Adur’s Cllr Neil Parkin and Worthing’s Cllr Dr Beccy Cooper will face questions from the members of Adur & Worthing Councils’ Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday 14 July.

The members will ask questions about issues linked to the leaders’ portfolios, including the Councils’ overall policies and strategies, how the Councils are performing and civic matters involving the Mayor of Worthing and Chairman of Adur.

The Adur committee members will question Cllr Parkin while the Worthing members will question Cllr Cooper.

Residents can also have their questions answered if they submit them in advance. The questions have to relate to the leaders’ portfolios or to strategic issues involving the Councils and our communities. They must be questions, not just statements, and be about policy  rather than just the day-to-day business of the Councils. 

Questions will be put as part of the Public Question Time section of the meeting (a maximum of 30 minutes) via the Chairman of the committee. If it is not possible to respond to questions at the meeting in the time allocated, residents will be written to with a response. 

Cllr Joss Loader, the Adur chairman of the committee, said: “This will be the first time we have had the opportunity to interview the Councils’ leaders since the local elections in May so we will be interested to see what they have to say.

“The Councils’ direction and vision affects us all so these sessions are a vital check to scrutinise decisions and the reasons for making them.” 

To submit your questions for either Cllr Parkin or Cllr Cooper email democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk. The deadline for questions to be received is midday on Tuesday 12 July.

Local charity to launch summer holiday monster hunt

Guild Care is running a ‘Marvellous Monster Hunt’ for local families this school summer holiday with the grand prize of a £500 voucher for a family holiday!

For just £10, families can ‘catch’ monsters at eight of the charity’s Worthing shops by scanning QR codes with a bespoke app. Those who capture all of the monsters will be entered into a draw for the grand prize. The hunt will run from Saturday 16^th July to Saturday 27^th August.

The hunt, which is being sponsored by local company Rug Doctor, will raise awareness of the problems faced by members of our community living with learning disabilities whilst raising funds for the charity’s vital services.

The Marvellous Monsters have been designed by members of Guild Care’s day centres for children and adults living with learning disabilities: Ashdown, Fitzalan, and Birkdale. Upon scanning the relevant QR code, hunters will unlock the monster, as well as information about the artist and how Guild Care helps them.

You can find out more information about the hunt and sign up now on Guild Care’s website: www.guildcare.org/monster-hunt.

Entries are now open for the Guild Care Fire Walk

We are hosting our 2^nd ever charity Firewalking event and would love it if you’d like to join us, it’s a thrilling experience and one that you will never forget but also, I guarantee that you will feel immensely empowered and proud of yourself for having done it.

The event is on Thursday 10^th November with registration at The Thieves Kitchen in Warwick Street between 5.30 and 6pm. The motivational training session will last for no more than an hour, after which we’ll head to South Street Square, just along the road from The Thieves Kitchen – there is plenty of space to see the event so please invite family and friends, it’s quite a spectacle! After walking the burning coals we encourage everyone to return to The Thieves Kitchen where you can celebrate your success and enjoy the free live entertainment provided by Blue Dakota.

Registration is £25 and all we ask is that you raise a minimum of £150 in sponsorship. We will help people set up their JustGiving page with easy-to-follow step by step guides which you can then share across social media, in emails and WhatsApp which make it as easy as possible to raise the minimum sponsorship and we also have traditional paper copy forms if you prefer that method. These can be downloaded from our website click here or I can send you hard copies in the post.

To register please use this link https://www.guildcare.org/Event/firewalk or visit our website for more information www.guildcare.org

We would love it if you felt able to support this event and help us raise vital funds for our community services. 

If you would like more information, please email fundraising@guildcare.org 

Award-winning Sussex Start-up Reimagining the World of Conferences and Awards

Fresh from their win at the Dynamic Business awards last week, where they were named Start-Up of the Year, innovative inclusion consultancy Watch This Sp_ce is launching a brand new type of awards.

The Reimagination at Work Awards will celebrate organisations that are finding new ways to work and do business that include a wider variety of people. From bold approaches to flexible working, to innovative accessibility solutions, to better ways of understanding and supporting employees, and so much more, the Watch This Sp_ce team are looking forward to sharing the stories of organisations that are helping the way we work to evolve into a brighter future.

These awards are not like any other. There are no categories, and no losers. Simply tell your story and, if it’s one that others can learn from and be inspired by, then you’ll be given an award. The Watch This Sp_ce team will be sharing the stories of all award winners far and wide to help demonstrate how we can all make the world of work better for everyone.

Allegra Chapman, Co-Creator of Watch This Sp_ce, said: “We believe in collaboration over competition, and that’s what we want to champion with these awards. Changing the world of work is a big job, and not one that any single organisation can accomplish alone. We all need to work together to build a better world, so, rather than pit people who are doing great things against one another, we want to bring them all together to celebrate their fantastic achievements. We want to combat the scarcity mentality that drives people to compete with those striving for the same aims as them - there is plenty of opportunity and glory to go around!”

The awards will be held as part of the Reimagination at Work Conference, Watch This Sp_ce’s virtual conference exploring the ways that the world of work is evolving. The week-long event takes place during National Inclusion Week, Monday 26th September - Sunday 2nd October, and all talks are available online and on-demand to make them accessible to all. Speakers include renowned speaker and author Nadia Finer, former footballer, anti-racism campaigner and broadcaster Paul Mortimer, inspirational speaker and campaigner Marc Convey, and activist and TEDx speaker Kaia Allen-Bevan. Topics covered will include accessibility, neurodiversity, allyship, leadership, collaboration, bereavement and digital self-care. Tickets are just £20 and can be purchased at watchthisspace.uk.

Watch This Sp_ce Co-Creator Mo Kanjilal said: “We’re so excited for the incredible talks we have lined up. The speakers are all highly inspirational, but they will also give practical takeaways that viewers can use to drive greater inclusion and innovation in their own workplaces.

“To be able to celebrate great work in this area with our awards is also something we’re very much looking forward to. We’ve been grateful to win several awards in our first two years of business, and they’ve all benefited us and our growth hugely. It’s wonderful to be able to pay that forward and give a lift to other organisations that are doing important work in this space. Winning has been a big surprise to us each time, and has meant so very much. So we really urge anyone who’s thinking about entering the Reimagination at Work Awards to give it a go - it does so much for your profile and your motivation.”

The Reimagination at Work Awards are free to enter - simply visit watchthisspace.uk and fill in the entry form before 31st July.

Worthing Borough Council backs BID for 5 more years

Worthing Borough Council has agreed to support the town’s Business Improvement District (BID) for another five years and to push for closer working relationships with traders.

The Council last night (Tuesday 5 July) confirmed that it would also work with Worthing Town Centre Initiative (TCI) - the not-for-profit business-led organisation which manages the BID - on larger-scale and longer-term projects to improve the area, such as the Big Clean-Up planned for later this summer.

A cross-council team of fixers will also be set up to tackle small-scale blots on Worthing town centre to ensure the area is attractive to visitors.

The “town team” of staff from different departments at the Council will be able to take quick action to tackle any problems that are identified, such as peeling paint, broken benches or faulty lights, without delay.

Cllr John Turley, Worthing’s cabinet member for resources, said: “Having a successful BID is a proven way of encouraging investment. The aims of the refreshed BID fully match our own, in particular its commitment to revitalise our town centre.

“By working closely with the TCI and our many brilliant businesses we can breathe new life into our town centre.

“We can swiftly make our town centre even cleaner, safer and more accessible, in turn encouraging visitors and shoppers to our streets.”

Worthing has had a BID - stretching from Heene Road in the west to past Splashpoint leisure centre in the east - since 2008 but traders have to agree every five years that they will continue to fund it and the Council has to be satisfied with the way it is operating. 

The TCI is funded by a levy on businesses in the town centre as well as income from the town centre markets, with traders deciding how the money should be spent, such as on the BID.

Over the last five years an estimated £1.4m has been spent by the TCI in the town centre, including deep cleaning pavements, painting street furniture, hanging baskets, floral displays and Christmas lights. The TCI also employs two town centre rangers, who patrol the town centre helping shoppers and preventing crime.

A working group of councillors found that there is unanimous support for the BID amongst traders in the town centre, but that more could be achieved if the TCI worked more closely with the Council and its tourism and investment arm, Time for Worthing.

The Council pays a levy to the TCI as the ratepayer of a number of premises inside the town centre, such as its car parks, the town hall and the pier. 

Now that it has the Council’s support, the TCI will ask businesses to back the BID for a further five years. For the BID to continue, more than 50% of businesses that vote must vote in favour of it, and those in favour must also represent more than 50% of the total rateable value of the businesses that vote. If that happens, all eligible businesses would have to pay the levy, whether or not they voted in favour of it.

The TCI’s requested levy of 1.25% of businesses’ rateable value would involve the Council paying £14,234 for 2023/24.

If businesses vote to continue with the BID, it will run for a further five years from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028.

For more information about the BID visit https://www.worthingtowncentre.co.uk/business-improvement-district/.

Have your say on the future of Shoreham’s iconic cement works

Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration has urged residents to have their say on the potential redevelopment of the old Shoreham Cement Works.

South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), which is the planning authority for the area, launched an eight-week public consultation at the start of June to find out what people want for the near-derelict site. That consultation period ends on Tuesday, August 2.

With four weeks to go, Cllr Steve Neocleous is calling for locals to submit their views on the long-term vision for the 109-acre site and inactive chalk quarry, which lies just over the border of Adur on both sides of the A283 towards Steyning.

He said: “The cement works is an iconic site in the area, but has been disused for too long. It sits in the beautiful South Downs National Park and it badly needs to be regenerated to the benefit of residents and visitors.

“This is a unique opportunity for Adur residents to have their say on the future of one of the south’s biggest brownfield sites that will deliver much-needed housing, as well as bring in new business and employment, boost leisure in the area and preserve and improve the natural habitat - all on our doorstep.”

The works ceased operating in 1991 and an Area Action Plan (APP) has been drawn up by the SDNPA. The APP is a mini local plan for the historic site that will guide any planning applications, based on what residents want to see in a redevelopment, including residential and commercial areas, as well as realms for wildlife and leisure.

The works are made up of five areas: 

• Adur riverside 
• the current buildings and iconic 91-metre brick-lined chimney designed by cement industry leader Oscar Faber
• the bowl - an amphitheatre of chalk created by cliffs
• the moonscape - a lunar-like expanse of land
• the clifflands that encircle the site.

Residents can submit their views via the SDNPA website where they will be asked about how the area can be developed whilst also conserving and enhancing the natural beauty and cultural heritage and creating new jobs.

Once the consultation has finished, SDNPA will prepare a Preferred Option version of the APP - a look at the acceptable options early next year - and detail any policies in which any planning application has to comply with. The public will then have a further chance to comment.

Shoreham Cement Works, which is owned by the Dudman Group, opened at the end of the 19th Century on the western part of the site next to the River Adur with the current buildings being completed in 1950. Chalk extraction was first granted in 1946 before being extended in 1950 and 1969.

Residents can also have their say by emailing planningpolicy@southdowns.gov.uk or by writing to: Planning Policy, South Downs National Park Authority, South Downs Centre, North Street, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9DH.