Initial plans for Worthing Debenhams building revealed 

The new owners of the Debenhams site on South Street in Worthing have unveiled plans to transform the historic department store into a mixed-use development of retail and housing.

Shoreham and Worthing-based business partners Paul Craig and Ralph Gilbert took possession of the building in September this year and aim to submit their planning application in early 2022.  

They have revealed plans to retain the ground floor for retail and transform the upper levels into flats varying in size from studios to penthouses. 

The rooftop level will feature a lounge and garden that will incorporate communal working and social spaces like office pods and a garden kitchen. The project forms part of the wider regeneration of Worthing town centre, including the redevelopment of Beales also located on South Street.

Developer Paul Craig, of Craig Developments, said: “We hope to be part of a re-launch of this part of town with this building acting as an anchor point for South Street. The future of the high street is bright, but it is going to be different. It will no longer be hundreds of square meters of shops, but will hopefully become more of a community with people living and shopping locally. 

“Adur and Worthing Councils have a very positive attitude towards regenerating Worthing and going forward with developments, which has given us the confidence to take the risk and buy this old building despite the huge amount of work that is needed to regenerate and rebuild it.”

Cllr Nicola Waight, Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “While this development will have to go through the planning process, it is fantastic to see that coming out of the loss of this cornerstone department store is a plan from local businesses to revive the building and bring new life and opportunity into our town centre.”

Building work is predicted to start at the end of 2022 with a projected completion date of three years. The current plan is for the flats to be offered for rental rather than sale. This, the developers said, will help them keep standards high and prevent an influx of second homes. The developers are aiming for a premium finish that showcases the building’s architecture and will offer a concierge service too.

The Debenhams building has a long history in the town and was originally built as Hubbard’s department store in the Art Deco style. Much of the building’s original beauty has been lost over the years, including during a dramatic fire in the 1940’s. 

But that hasn’t deterred the new owners from trying to preserve as much of the original features as they can, including the original wooden parquet floor tiles which were discovered underneath Debenhams’ plastic flooring. 

They also discovered a boarded up elevator shaft that still had smoke damage from the fire and plan to move the glass domed ceiling from the original restaurant to the top floor. Also taking pride of place in the redevelopment will be the original balustrades and radiator covers. 

Plus, work is already underway to preserve the large original plaster mouldings, which will be stored off site until they are ready to be reinstalled. 

Developer Paul also had a personal reason for wanting to take on this project — his mother previously worked in the store as a shop assistant and he has fond memories of visiting her there. 

An open public consultation is soon to be launched, which will allow local residents and businesses to provide input before the full planning application is submitted. Visit http://www.craigdevelopments.co.uk/debenhams to register your interest in the consultation. 

Mayo Wynne Baxter joins Ampa to support expansion plans

Leading Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter has joined national legal and professional services group, Ampa, to enhance its ambitious plans for growth.

Mayo Wynne Baxter, founded more than 150 years ago in Lewes, will continue to operate as a separate LLP retaining its brand and growing its market position as it continues to deliver legal services for businesses, people and their families throughout the South East.

No money will be exchanged as part of the merger and the firm’s equity partners will merge into Ampa’s membership. Mayo Wynne Baxter’s move to join Ampa is part of a wider strategy shared by the businesses for growth, collaboration and combined infrastructure, as well as shared values supporting clients and the community.

Joining the group will enable Mayo Wynne Baxter to increase its service offering for clients, tapping into more than 900 experts across the group of brands and Ampa’s group London hub.

The group is proactively looking to recruit talented people and teams across the region and no redundancies are planned.  

Dean Orgill, Chief Executive Partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter, said: “A merger with Ampa, which shares our values, will enable us to do even more to support our clients, people and our local community. It’s an exciting time in our firm’s evolution, which will build on its historic foundations.

“We are recruiting proactively across Sussex, Surrey and Kent to grow the business and deliver more opportunities for jobs as well as internal career progression. Being part of the Ampa group enables us to increase the pace of this programme.”

Joining the likes of full-service Midlands and London-based law firm Shakespeare Martineau and planning consultancy Marrons Planning, Mayo Wynne Baxter will become the regional anchor brand for Ampa in the South East.

Mayo Wynne Baxter’s personal injury and clinical negligence teams will join Ampa’s existing national consumer-focussed law brand Lime Solicitors, with full continuity of service for clients, adding around £1.2m additional turnover to Lime Solicitors.

Dean Orgill will sit on the Ampa group board while also working with the firm’s partners to steer the growth of Mayo Wynne Baxter as a regional anchor brand for the group.

Sarah Walker-Smith, Group CEO at Ampa, said: “Clients and people across our sector are crying out for change and transformation. It’s time to consider the agile needs of clients more broadly and step away from the traditional consolidation model; Ampa does just that.

“A key benefit of our group is shared access to greater support for the benefit of our clients, whether that be from other legal professionals across different brands, or our combined business operations capabilities alongside greater career development opportunities for our people. Through greater buying power and significant opportunities to collaborate on projects, we will deliver enhanced benefit for our people and clients, in life and business. 

“Each brand in our group is empowered to deliver on its growth ambitions and retaining autonomy whilst collaborating with each other when it makes sense to do so for the greater good.

“Mayo Wynne Baxter has a unique geography, local market affinity, excellent client relationships, strong employer brand and a great reputation – which is why it is so important that it maintains its brand and market positions. It has been great to meet and now go into partnership with a similarly progressive business and like-minded people to help us drive the Ampa vision.”

Ampa, which has pending B Corporation status, also includes cyber security company CSS Assure and uninsured loss recovery experts Corclaim as well as Shakespeare Martineau, Marrons Planning and its consumer brand Lime Solicitors. All Ampa brands are recruiting lateral hires and teams, and the group is proactively looking for like-minded businesses to join the group.

Mayo Wynne Baxter has started its transition to the group and its equity partners will officially become members of Ampa from 1 May 2022.

The merger will take Ampa to a turnover above £100m for 2022/23 and a group of more than 1,100 people immediately.

For more information please visit: https://www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/

Date: Monday 7th February 
Time: 10am - 5pm
Venue: Ardington Hotel 
Cost: £180 per person

Click here to book

Emergency First Aid at Work Course

Date: Monday 21st March
Duration: Please arrive at 9.15am for a prompt  start at 9.30am- Finish: 4.30pm :1 day (including breaks with light refreshments).
Venue: The Ardington Hotel, Steyne Gardens, Worthing 

Care planning and free financial assessment event: 20th January 2022

This exclusive, complimentary and no obligation Guild Care event is for anyone who may be considering care for their loved ones either now or in the future.

Due to current Covid 19 precautions, and for the safety of our staff and residents, the even will now be taking place online.

Call now to book your free assessment: 01903 327327.

Expert advice

Guildcare are working in partnership with Tom Scott, Independent Financial Adviser and Director at Worthing’s Care Advice Service to share with you our collective expertise, knowledge and advice to help you understand your options. In a private appointment, we can talk you through:

• The different financial options available to help fund your care

• How to best plan for you and your family’s future

• What support might be available to you and your loved one

• Guild Care’s extensive and high-quality services

Free financial assessment

A free, no obligation, financial assessment worth £145 is also available to help you understand how you might be able to fund the care your loved one needs.

Date

Appointments are available from 9am to 5pm on Thursday 20 January 2022.

Please allow up to 2-3 hours for your appointment. Call now to check available times: 01903 327327.

Book now

Call now to book your free assessment: 01903 327327.

You can also email to book or ask our team any questions.

Email: enquiries@guildcare.org.uk.

In partnership with Care Advice Service.

Go Trekking With Link to Hope to the Balkans!

Link to Hope has 10 places left to take part in our Sponsored Balkan Trek 2022.  20 of us will be flying into Albania between the 11^th – 18^th June 2022 to raise money for the work of Link to Hope in rebuilding lives and communities in Eastern Europe.  From our starting point we will be doing a 100k circular trek that will mean we also visit the countries of Kosovo and Montenegro. So for those looking to tick off more countries on your list, that’s three countries in one trip!

The trip costs £695 that includes flights, accommodation, in country transport, meals, guides etc.  You just need to raise £1,000 in sponsorship to support our education and social care projects that Link to Hope run all year round.  This is our seventh challenge event and no-one has failed to raise the sponsorship target as we give maximum help and assistance to make sure you achieve your goal.  This is marked as a 4 out of 10 trek in terms of difficulty and you need to be reasonably fit to take part as well as over 18.

Imagine yourself there….. ‘a hiking trail that traverses the Western Balkans, an area where ancient tracks connect remote regions. The epic walk passes through villages,  separated  by   strict   borders and   fortified   by    bunkers.  Winding through meadows, mountain  peaks,  lakes and     woodlands,     this     is     one     of     the most  diverse   walking   trails   in   the world.  The  views  and  the  trails transform,  switching  from   rocky   paths and bare peaks  to  meadows  rich  with flowers  and   plants,   where   nature   has been left to run wild’

For anyone wanting more information please ring us on 01903 529333 or go to https://linktohope.co.uk/events/balkans-three-countries-sponsored-trek-june-2022/

Free business startup course

Smart Dog Education CIC - a female lead business startup company is running a free Business start up and early stage business growth programme in Jan and Feb 2022 with a £500 ‘best new business prize.’

The course is 6 sessions in total, every week for 6 weeks, running at Field Place in Worthing Tuesdays 11 am – 2 pm starting Tuesday 11th Jan, which is sign up and information day.

The course then starts in earnest on 18th Jan and the last session which is the 'Dragons Den and £500 prize celebration day' is February 22nd 2022.

Entirely free, this course will be delivered by experts in funding and social enterprise and will cover all aspects of starting and running a business in the UK in an interactive and interesting way. We will pay travel for people from Brighton and Hove as well as locally in Worthing.

Smart Dog will help participants ensure they get the legal structure, name, finances, marketing and customers. Run by expert business advisors, they will help you learn from other’s mistakes, and find you routes to local funding and marketplaces.

20 places available – anyone of any age (over 18) can join, the only entry requirements are being unemployed, economically inactive or on benefits.

Learning with others is sometimes the best and most motivational way to take in information.  

No one can pretend that writing a business plan or learning how to do a cash flow is fun, but we can promise to make all aspects of business start up interesting, relevant and help you set achievable goals.

You’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose!

Please send your expression of interest to sophie@smartdogcic.com

Vacancy at Heaton House Dementia Care Home 

Heaton House Dementia Care Home in West Worthing

Vacancy with full ensuite now available on first floor (lift)

Please phone 01903-700251 or email care@heaton-house.net

Farewell message from Tina Tilley, Chamber CEO

It's time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and to also say a personal ‘goodbye’.

It has been 16 years since I took up this role and at that time it was for 6 hours a week!

It's been challenging but great fun. I know I will miss everyone and being part of the amazing business community but the time is right to enjoy more time with my family and my various hobbies are calling me.

There was no template to follow but as I had been in business myself I opted to try to provide what our members felt they needed so I asked for their suggestions. No surprise really that they mainly wanted a voice within the local business community, access to council and MPs, awareness of funding, communication and support from other local businesses.

With that as my aim I launched into building membership, partners and generally shouting loudly that business needs to be listened to. We went from 40 to 400 members and gradually built our reputation to be something that I and hopefully our members are proud to be part of.

I fondly remember all the fun events like wine tastings, barbecues, Christmas socials and more but also the difficult times when we struggled financially but always had encouragement and support from the President, Executive Committee and our members.

On a more serious side we were involved in difficult conversations on local issues including: parking, the A27 and planning for windfarms etc. There is never a dull day at the Chamber.

Over time the Chamber team grew along with the membership and we have some great successes to reflect on including the Better Business Show, Connect Magazine supporting the Business Awards, training programmes like Peer Mentoring, Wise up2s and the past Navigator program.

We now have an amazing Chamber staff team in Tracie Davey and Lauren Martin-Grieveson. The last 18 months have been challenging, my role was the most suited to be furloughed to streamline finances and the girls have done a great job continuing the work of the Chamber with virtual events and support.

Things are still volatile in these unusual times, and I have decided that it is a good time to hand over the reins to the safe hands of Tracie to continue the Chamber’s success story.

What better time to retire than when I have been privileged to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award this November.

Thank you for all your support over the years and I wish you all success for the future and hope 2022 is a better year for us all.

Tina Tilley

Adur & Worthing Business Awards supports Love Your Hospital as its 2021 Charity Partner

Guests who attended the prestigious the Adur & Worthing Business Awards on Friday 12^th November were invited to enter a fundraising draw during the evening to support local charity, Love Your Hospital, the dedicated NHS charity for St Richard’s, Worthing, and Southlands Hospitals. These fundraising efforts will help to support the medical teams at St Richard’s, Worthing and Southlands Hospitals who continue to provide outstanding care for local patients and their families across West Sussex and are committed to improving hospital facilities and supporting projects that fall outside of core NHS funding.

The draw raised an incredible £3,350 which will go towards vital equipment and resources. Steve Crump, Director of Charities at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust commented “We were incredibly honoured to be asked to be the charity partner for the Worthing & Adur Business Awards 2021. Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and to those who won awards for innovation, passion, and impact. To see so many local businesses give so generously on the night was incredibly heart-warming and on behalf of the charity, Worthing Hospital and local patients and their families, we cannot thank you enough for your continued support.”

James Stoner (Business Development Director at JSPC/Vice AWBA Chairman) and Nicky Dumbleton (CSR Coordinator at ETI Ltd/ AWBA Treasurer) recently visited the charity to present a cheque to John Price, Corporate and Community Fundraiser for Love Your Hospital. James said “It was great to support a charity that provides such outstanding care to so many local families. I would like to personally thank everyone who donated so generously on the night”.