5 Rings has been invited by Zen to officially help with the very exciting roll out of Gigabit broadband connections to residential households in the Worthing area.

This will transform Worthing into one of the world’s best digitally connected cities.

Zen will be working with City Fibre who will be installing new cables from the Worthing exchanges to all the houses in the Worthing area over the next 2 years.

This new Gigabit roll out around the UK is being started in Worthing and Newcastle as from January 2021. Go to https://www.cityfibre.com/news/zen-launch-gigabit-speed-broadband-services-cityfibres-networks/ for more information.

These Gigabit broadband connections will offer around 900 Mb/s up & down (up to 20 times faster) compared to the average 50 M/bs down & 15 Mb/s up speeds from current providers like BT & Virgin. These Gigabit broadband connections will only cost £40.00 per month with a free router and no set up costs or line rental costs. At the moment, these Gigabit connections will only be for residential services, but business connections will be offered later in 2021.

If you or you know of anyone in the Worthing area that would like to have this Superfast Gigabit broadband service, phone us on 01903 946388 or go to www.zen.co.uk/worthing

Can you walk to France? Maybe Africa? Or even further...

Join Aldingbourne Trust in the Step Out Lockdown challenge and help travel the world!  

How can you take part?

1. Count your steps 
2. Submit them every Friday before 2pm on the Aldingbourne Trust website 
3. Track the progress on a virtual map 
4. See where we end up in 6 weeks!

In the first week, Aldingbourne Trust have walked a huge 1,435,895 steps which has taken them from the Aldingbourne Country Centre, to London, to Paris and on the way to Rome! 

Click here to find out more 

Protectfully | Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Tests, Fever Detection Solutions and Emist Electrostatic Disinfection Systems 

Are you looking to guarantee the safety of employees, ensure business continuity and strengthen organisational resilience?

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a wakeup call for many employers. The viability of a business is dependent upon the health and vitality of its workforce. Employers have found themselves facing new challenges that are reshaping the future of ‘Duty of Care’.

Recognising vulnerabilities and taking steps to mitigate emerging risks is now a priority. Health and wellbeing have moved to top of the agenda - long-term health monitoring is here to stay. The Protectfully team are providing the latest in protective and preventative measures to ensure workplace safety against COVID-19.

With Rapid Antigen and Antibody tests, that are manufactured within the UK and approved by Public Health England, we provide a definitive YES or NO result in as little as 15 minutes. Our range of fever detection technology can highlight potential vulnerabilities for your workforce, minimising disruption to services.

As the only UK official partner for EMist® electrostatic disinfection, we offer a variety of disinfectant solutions to ensure the hygiene of office space and buildings. Precise and efficient, EMist® provides industry leading coverage at a fraction of the cost reducing the risk of exposure for your workforce.

The Protectfully team have been supporting many companies over the past few months, particularly in the maritime industry and have provided specialist safety equipment since 2012, as a subdivision of Priavo Security.  We specialise in risk mitigation, crisis management and business continuity. Our goal is to help organisations across the globe keep their people safe by catering to the changing needs of businesses and the world around us.  

Want to know more? Visit protectfully.com for more information, or contact us at info@protectfully.com.

Request for Quotation – Health & Safety Services

Coast to Capital are reviewing their preferred supplier for the services of Health & Safety to support them on all aspects of Health & Safety under a Master Service Agreement.

This request for quotation for the supply of Health & Safety Services is issued by Coast to Capital.

Response Deadline 26 January 2021

Overview of Requirements & Submission Instructions

About Us

As a Local Enterprise Partnership we are here to provide strategic leadership to drive economic growth and the sustainable success of this beautiful, vibrant, and exceptionally well connected area. We have already secured over £300 million of public investment to ensure our economy is future-ready and to raise our profile even further we are developing a strong Local Industrial Strategy. We are collaborative to our core, passionate about the success of this area, and believe that by working together, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.

Our Values

We are a small but passionate and high performing team which is ambitious for the Coast to Capital area. Ambitious is one of our corporate values along with Focused, Trusted, Champion and Diverse, and we are all working hard to make Coast to Capital an ‘Exceptional’ Local Enterprise Partnership. Our Senior Management Team is committed to creating and promoting a diverse, open and inclusive culture. Our supportive environment is important to us and employee wellbeing is a key priority.

Equality & Diversity

Our region is a diverse one, in every sense - geographically, economically, socially, and demographically. We regard this is a major asset. When we bring people together, and work inclusively to make the most of their potential, we achieve our best. We pride ourselves on our approach to equality and diversity which is one of our corporate values. We are committed to creating an inclusive organisation which promotes and values equality and diversity in everything we do. Therefore it is vital that the organisations we work with represent, champion and build on this approach.

Overview of Requirements

The Chief Executive is responsible for Health and Safety at Coast to Capital. The Office Manager has the delegated authority to ensure the Health & Safety Policy is implemented, amended and updated as required.

We require the ad hoc services of a Health & Safety professional to provide expert advice and assistance to the Office Manager and relevant personnel in any Health & Safety related matters. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Health & Safety Policy review/writing 
• Legislation
• DSE assessments
• Risk assessments including working from home
• Property inspection
• Incident investigations
• Relevant training as required
• Occupational health assessments 

Submission Instructions

Proposals should come to us in the form of a brief document which will include the following information:

• Contact details.
• Experience details for the person/company submitting the proposal.
• Track record of delivery of similar work.
• Details of how you meet our values.
• Which of the services you can provide
•  Fees for the person who will be delivering the service. Fees should include VAT.
• The earliest date you would be able to start. 

The successful applicant will be added to our preferred supplier list under a Master Service Agreement and will be reviewed after 12 months.

Coast to Capital may exercise the option to extend the terms of the MSA for a further 12 months. This is not a commitment by Coast to Capital.

Scoring of Tender Proposals

Tender proposals will be assessed on the following criteria:

Scoring and selection will be based upon using the above weighting, along with the methodology which sits beneath it, to determine quality and value for money.

Methodology for scoring. Example: Alignment to our company values 30% (0-5) 0 = no consideration of company values, 3 = some consideration of company values demonstrated, 5 = detailed consideration of company values.

Submission Instructions

Please email your proposal to kristel.smith@coast2capital.org.uk by 5pm on 26 January 2021.

Timescales

This tendering opportunity will only be open for 1 week from 18 January to 26 January 2021.

We will contact you regarding the result of your tender application by 02 February 2021. 

Click here to read full tender document

Worthing Theatres and Museum first crowdfunding campaign exceeds all expectations, raising £17, 164 for the charity
 
Worthing Theatres and Museum have thanked their supporters and join with them to celebrate the the success of their first ever crowdfunding campaign, closing on Friday 15th January and achieving over £17,000 in donations.
 
The crowdfunding campaign  Save Worthing Theatres and Museum, in just over seven weeks, with over 430 donors achieved 171% of the original target of £10,000. The campaign launched on 18 November as part of the Theatres Trust nationwide #SaveOurTheatres campaign. 
 
The national campaign was designed to raise valuable funds to support theatres throughout the country.  Worthing Theatres and Museum were one of the most recent to sign up for the scheme. Exceeding their original target, with over a week remaining WTM set an additional £5k stretch target so supporters could continue to raise more much needed funds for the charity, which their community once again exceeded. 
 
Amanda O’Reilly, CEO, Worthing Theatres and Museum said: 
 
“Our community's response has surpassed all our aspirations, a huge thank you to those who have donated and for their lovely messages of support, they have really inspired the team. We couldn’t have done this without the generous support of the artists, comedians, musicians and celebrities who gave their time and voice to support the campaign. This financial boost, together with the government support of the Cultural Recovery Fund, means we can begin to look forward and plan WTM’s return bringing our community the programme of arts, film and heritage we know they love.”
 
Before the third lockdown, WTM had been working hard to reopen their venues step by step and safeguard as many jobs as possible as a priority to ensure the future survival of WTM. With the capacity for socially distanced events at the Connaught Theatre, Connaught Studio, Assembly Hall, Pavilion Theatre and Worthing Museum vastly reducing the charities income, WTM reached out to their community towards raising a proportion of the additional funds needed to help WTM recover over the next year. You can view the journey of the charity’s campaign and see the remarkable support and comments from donors on WTM’s crowdfunder page.
 
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/wtm

New Later Life Care Service Support for Families Launched in Sussex

MHA Carpenter Box Financial Advisers have teamed up with Legal & General to provide individuals and families across Sussex with help and guidance covering later life care, which has become more challenging as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The L&G Later Life Care service provides help on finding a suitable care home, looks at funding options and offers advice on support at home.

MHA Carpenter Box Senior Financial Planning Manager Gill Lynes says the pandemic has made an already complex area of planning for the future even more difficult to navigate.

Gill, an accredited member of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA), explains: “Making arrangements for later life care, and understanding how this can be funded, has always been a complex process. Choosing suitable care has become even more problematic in recent months in part because of the restrictions governing visits to care homes. However, with our guidance, individuals and their families can make sound decisions appropriate to their current circumstances while planning for the future.”

Gill and her team are specialists in care planning and funding and are approved panel members for L&G Later Life Care – a service that brings together lots of useful information all in one place that is free and easy to use. The service also includes an online Care Cost Calculator that can help predict the longevity of savings and identify any potential shortfalls.

www.carpenterboxfa.com.

The Martlet Partnership Winter 2020-21 Business Support Guide

Further to the Government announcements, The Martlet Partnership now have pleasure in presenting their Winter Business Support Guide, which contains further commentary and analysis .

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses and individuals have benefited from a range of schemes, including furlough grants for staff unable to work, grants for the self-employed, deferral of VAT and Income Tax payments and cheap, government-backed business loans.

With the second wave of coronavirus infections upon us, the whole of England entered a national lockdown from 5 January, while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have imposed local or national restrictions for some weeks now.

To help businesses that are required to close, the Chancellor has extended the existing Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which was due to end on 31 October, until 30 April 2021. The CJRS has also been made more generous from 1 November than it was in October, as it will now cover 80% of employees’ normal pay for their furloughed time, capped at £2,500 per month. The employer will be required to pay the employer’s National Insurance Contributions and minimum workplace pension contributions due on their employees’ wages.

Note that the financial support for businesses to pay their employees applies across the UK, while the lockdown rules are different in each country.

Fundraising Boost for Sussex Charities through Local Charitable Foundation

Charities across Sussex have received a boost to their income, thanks to the work of a local charitable foundation founded by chartered accountants MHA Carpenter Box.

Many charities and voluntary organisations have faced fundraising challenges in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the support provided by the Sussex-based firm, which has offices in Worthing, Brighton, Gatwick and Chichester, is particularly welcome at this time.

Among the charities to receive a share of £10,000 raised this year through the foundation are the West Sussex Mediation Services, Sussex Community Foundation Crisis Fund, Turning Tides, Crawley Open House, Circus Starr’s Winter Tour, Care for Veterans and the Down Syndrome Development Trust. The foundation has also continued its support for Lizzie Williams, a Worthing-based wheelchair athlete.

Robin Evans, Partner and Head of Charities, Not-for-Profit & Academies at MHA Carpenter Box, commented: “Many charities have been struggling throughout the pandemic, so we are delighted to be able to continue with our support for local groups that first started when we launched the foundation 11 years ago.

“These are difficult times for everyone, so we are very proud of the way that our people have rallied round to help local grassroots organisations meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable members of society. In total, the foundation has now raised £230,000 for local good causes since it was formed.”

MHA Carpenter Box was one of the first businesses in Sussex to set up a charitable arm with a focus on supporting smaller local organisations that often find it difficult to raise funds. The foundation is run by staff and partner trustees, who together decide on donations and grants.

www.carpenterbox.com

ETI supports local charity campaign to help brighten Christmas for those spending it alone

Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd, the UK’s largest digital thermometer manufacturer and exporter of electronic thermometers and temperature probes, is delighted to support local charity, Guild Care this Christmas with a donation worth £3,000. 

Guild Care has been making a difference to the people of Worthing and its surrounding areas since it was first established in 1933. Today the charity runs three care homes and over 30 community services helping over 3,000 people of all ages each year. Due to Covid, the charity was forced to close its doors in March to many of these services including the popular Friendship Club.  This has had a devastating impact on those effected and many in our community have never felt as lonely as they do now.  ETI wanted to help those dealing with loneliness over the festive period and the money donated will help Guild Care’s Christmas campaign, “Worthing Cares” by providing gift hampers and a much needed, socially distanced doorstep chat to those facing Christmas alone.  

Jason Webb, ETI Operations Director commented: “The opportunity to work with Guild Care is always a pleasure and we have supported them for many years.  From our longstanding partnership we have seen just how important the services Guild Care provide are, and this has only become more apparent during the Coronavirus pandemic. As our chosen charity, we look forward to supporting their Christmas campaign and continuing our collaboration into the New Year”.

Nicki Freeman, Head of Community Services at Guild Care said “We are so grateful to ETI for this amazing donation.  Their generosity will enable us to deliver hampers to 60 older people who will be on their own on Christmas day.  With ETI’s help we can bring Christmas cheer and comfort to some of the most vulnerable people in Worthing.  To see a friendly face, and know that someone is thinking of them at Christmas, will mean so much”.

If you would like to help support “Worthing Cares” by donating, please visit the campaign’s JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/campaign/worthingcares2020/

Join Team Fit Feb and support local hospice care

Fit Feb is your chance to join hundreds of others and kickstart 2021 in a positive way whilst raising money for local hospice, St Barnabas House. 

Whether you take part alone or challenge a friend or family member, all you have to do is an hour of physical or mental activity a day throughout February 2021, and get sponsored for doing it.

You can choose any challenge you like, and you can mix it up throughout the month. So, whether you jive, juggle, or jog … row, ride, or rollerblade ... scoot, skateboard or space hop, there’s something for everyone.

Or, if you’d rather focus on your mental fitness, you could meditate for an hour each morning, get lost in a book for an hour before bed, or give up an hour’s TV and tackle a giant jigsaw for a month instead.

How will you be making a difference?

However you decide to complete your hour each day, you can feel good knowing that as well as looking after yourself, the money you raise will help ensure local people with terminal illnesses are cared for by St Barnabas House throughout their journey.

Wendy Bardsley, Fundraising Manager at St Barnabas House, says, “After the rollercoaster that was 2020, there’s never been a more important time to look after our physical and mental health. And by doing so, you can be there for St Barnabas too.

“Raise £35 and you could provide a patient with one hour of physiotherapy; raise £50 and you could pay for two hours’ care for a patient staying on the hospice ward; raise £120 and you could provide three hours of counselling for a bereaved family member.”

Registration is just £5 and all challengers will receive a free St Barnabas t-shirt to wear while completing their challenge. Visit www.stbh.org.uk/fit-feb to join Team Fit Feb today.