Update from Adur & Worthing Council

Dear Business Owner

We know that the last three months will have been among the most challenging that you have faced due to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown. With the government now indicating that these restrictions are slowly being lifted, I know many of you will be focusing your attention on recommencing your trading operations.

As many of you will be aware, on Monday 15 June our town and village centres will start to re-open, as shops selling non-essential goods are allowed to begin trading again.

The government has clearly set out that businesses are required to ensure adequate safety measures are in place that adhere to UK government guidelines and display a downloadable notice to reassure customers around COVID secure guidance and safety.

Retailers will also need to take certain steps to protect customers and staff, including limiting the number of customers allowed inside at one time, placing protective coverings on large items which may be touched by passing shoppers, and frequently checking and cleaning objects and surfaces. This also includes maintaining socially distanced queues outside your premises so they do not negatively impact other businesses and passing pedestrians.

We know that adapting to this “new normal” will take time to bed in. To help, we have collated a range of information and advice from trusted sources on our website which can be accessed at www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-advice. Our Public Health & Regulation team is also on hand to answer any specific queries on risk assessments that you may have.

At Adur & Worthing Councils we want to make sure that we continue to support your business and the town centres as a whole. We are working with partners, such as West Sussex County Council, Worthing TCI, Sussex Police and traders’ organisations, to make sure our town centres and urban areas are not only safe but also welcoming.

You may have noticed additional signage appearing in our town centres. This is to help guide pedestrian flow and further remind our communities and visitors of the need to stay safe through socially distancing.
As our retail re-opens and lockdown eases we are aware that footfall within our town centres will increase. As a result we are implementing a number of temporary measures as a part of the larger Safer Town Centres initiative, such as the widening of pavements through on-road parking suspensions and temporary road closures.

Finally, I want to say thank you for your ongoing support to our town centres which really are the beating heart of our communities. If the last few months have underlined anything it is the importance of working together. So if there are any issues or concerns that you may have around this important issue then please do get in touch.

Wishing you all the best for the foreseeable future.
Tina Favier
Acting Director  for Housing and Wellbeing

Andy Willems
Head of Place & Economy

Guidance to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

Change made to guidance:
Shops and branches – Updated to reflect industry feedback, updated guidance on managing product handling and returns, guidance ontest and trace service, guidance on safer travel and to provide guidance on managing security risks.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Stay Safe , Support Local, Shop Local
Colonnade House  will be limiting visitors and staying Covid-19 secure, so you can be confident about coming to see us. We will be opening along with many other town centre businesses.
 
#openforbusiness 
#worthingtowncentre 
#timeforworthing

FIND OUT MORE

GroundDog Day

From Monday 15 - Saturday 20 June
John Bond's exhibition will be open from 10.00 - 17.00!!

So if you are in need of bold and playful dog-themed art, step into John's world of Dawgmented Reality and get some light relief to brighten your day.

As well as prints, we have an incredibly long sausage dog on display - can you guess how long it is? The winner will get a free print.

You can also get a glimpse of John's new Mini Rabbit adventure Mini Rabbit Must Help  in the decorated windows of our studio gallery. This is John's second children's book and will be published soon

Tom Gillham: Breaking Boxes

23 June - 4 July // Opening hours tbc // Free entry

Next up, Tom Gillham brings us a collection of expressive paintings created as part of his MA Fine Art at University of Brighton. His work moves easily between figurative and abstract styles and are created through spontaneous mark-making in a range of mediums. 
Tom is influenced by painter Frank Bowling, the first black British artist elected as a Royal Academician, and he emulates the  'poet of paint' with layers and washes of paint which fragment his figures and transform his landscapes into colourful ‘mindscapes’.

Get your business going after lockdown with Two-Way radio solutions

So, you are responsible for sorting out social distancing in your workplace, for your employees and your customers. You have thought about two-way radio communications, you would be right. Walkie talkies are the perfect communication solution to social distancing in the workplace. It is a cost effective way to keep communication between employees. Stay connected with your team.

Easy to use, No personal calls, No screens to be distracted, No call costs, No installation fee. Only hire what you need, Next day delivery. Radios can be disinfected. Two-way radios can be operated ‘hands free’ with an earpiece for each member of your team

Sussex Communications are experts in Two-way radio and can provide all the assistance you need to have you up and running straight away.

01903 810 366 or email sales@sussexcomms.co.uk www.sussexcomms.co.uk

Working From Home Top Tips from Warnes Projects

1. Are you sitting comfortably?
- Ensure regular movement throughout the day - take a couple of minutes to stretch or walk.
- Ensure your chair is positioned correctly

2. Difficulty transitioning from PC to laptop?
- Invest in a laptop stand 
- Ensure the top of your screen is roughly eye level
- Rest your feet flat on the floor 

3. Need a break?
- Take microbreaks - anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes 
- Stretch, take a walk, change your activity or grab a snack

4. Fighting digital eyestrain?
- Adjust screen settings to suit your personal preference 
- Take regular breaks and try to do non-screen related activities 
- Have your eyes tested every 2 years

5. Struggling to be productive? 
- Take a look at your personal habits and behaviours such as exercise, sleep schedules and your work-life balance 
- In your "workplace", deal with noise, be clever with your surroundings and find how planning out your day works best for you

For more information click here or visit www.warnesprojects.co.uk

D Day Challenge Events Help Raise Over £8,000 for Veterans’ Charity

Saturday 6 June 2020 marked the 76^th anniversary of D Day. To commemorate the occasion, two special events helped to raise vital funds for Worthing-based charity, Care for Veterans. 
 
Firstly, 48 people took part in a virtual race organised by the charity. Participants walked, ran or cycled either 5km or 10km in their own time on D Day, ensuring they followed the guidelines around social distancing. Altogether, the racers raised over £1,000 for Care for Veterans. 
 
Then, two Normandy veterans, Len Gibbon, 96, and Peter Hawkins, 95, took on an epic cycling challenge. Both men each recreated the 104-mile distance of their original journey between Portsmouth and Gold Beach on static bikes. 
 
Len and Peter are residents at Care for Veterans, which provides care and rehabilitation for physically disabled ex-Service personnel and their families. 
 
Len explained, “Although I’m 96, I still like to be doing something. I did this challenge to help raise money for Care for Veterans because it’s a wonderful place. I think that it is a very good idea to raise money for the home, as this is a very good one! We are still active and enjoy cycling, so it is up to us to do our best to help and raise money. We may be old, but we are not past our sell by date. Thank you everyone who sent us kind messages.”
 
Peter said, “I was asked if I would like to participate in a cycling challenge on behalf of Care for Veterans. Upon consideration I realised I could use my energy to be of use in the running of this home. At my age, I thought it would be a good example to show my determination and help to inspire others. I started off on this long route and got on very well. After the halfway point, I realised that I was going to complete the full route. This was very satisfying for me as I realised this would help the home to achieve their goal.”
 
Together, the men have raised over £7,000 for the charity. 
 
Head of Fundraising and Marketing, James Bacharew, said, “Len and Peter were elated to have completed their challenge. It has been inspirational to see them at their age get up and get out and cycle every day to reach the distance. We are truly grateful to them for helping to raise this incredible amount of money. This, along with the money raised by our virtual racers, comes at a much-needed time for the charity. All of our events we had planned for 2020, upon which we rely to raise vital funds, have been postponed or cancelled, so support like this is invaluable. On behalf of our residents and staff, I’d like to thank Len and Peter, and everyone who took part in the virtual race. Your support will help us to continue caring for our nation’s veterans.” 
 
This Armed Forces Day, step up, join the team, and virtually march up Ben Nevis in aid of Care for Veterans. Head to the website now. Your veterans need you! www.careforveterans.org.uk

Working Together in Lockdown

Hello, I’m Kate Honey. Weeks before the lockdown I was celebrating 25 years trading at Mint Design Studio. Then the coronavirus struck and lockdown began and like many other businesses my workload was drastically cut. 

Having always been home based I was in a fairly fortunate position and able to continue to offer my full creative service. I’m usually a busy graphic designer so wondered, was there a way to continue to deliver my service, or to contribute and be of assistance during such a difficult time? So in May I announced at a Chamber Hub Zoom event that I would like to offer my creative service FREE of charge until the end of lockdown to a deserving cause such as for a community, wellbeing or charity project. 

Mark had contacted the Chamber office to ask for some help with his leaflet and message, Tracie immediately thought of the offer I had shared on the zoom call and introduced Mark to me. I was contacted by Mark Sutton-Gray at SM Property Solutions. Mark explained that his property solutions included specialist cleaning and disinfection services to, for example, the emergency services and care homes. I felt that this was crucial and necessary work and having worked with many NHS and healthcare trusts, felt it would suit the remit and my portfolio.

Mark is also one of the Chamber 100 businesses who are being offered business support during 2020. With a great deal of experience behind him, Mark decided to launch his own enterprise; SM Property Solutions (building work, domestic, commercial and specialist cleaning). 

Mark wanted assistance with the first important steps for any business; create a brand and marketing and promotional ideas and advice so my first task was to create a logo. I used strong colours to represent each of SM's four core services. I also designed the first leaflet for local distribution and will be designing a main service brochure too. 

Mark and I have worked well together and it would be my pleasure to continue to help him establish and grow his business. We've already discussed future plans for a website and continued design and promotional assistance (via my Mint Mojo service, details at www.mintdesign.studio/mint-mojo).  

I’m happy to make the same offer to another Worthing & Adur Chamber member. Are you or do you know a firm who might value a free creative service from Mint until the end of lockdown? 

Kate Honey, Mint Design Studio:  
01903 695400  |  kate@mintdesign.studio  |  www.mintdesign.studio

Mark Sutton-Gray, SM Property Solutions:
01903 765765  |  07870 648479  |  smpropertysolutions@outlook.com

The QES carried out by the British Chambers is the largest independent business survey in the UK and a significant economic indicator

This will be the first QES since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in the UK and the subsequent lockdown. While our weekly tracker data already demonstrates a very clear decline in business activity when compared against QES historical data, this will be the first major real comparison. Our data will mark the clear shift from pre-Coronavirus conditions to the current situation and will form a significant part of the historical record.
 
The results of the QES are published in advance of official figures and other private surveys and it consistently mirrors trends in official data. The results help influence policy at the Bank of England and central Government.
 
We encourage you to take 5 minutes to complete this extremely important economic survey.
 
Once you click the link, make sure to select ‘South East: Sussex’ from the ‘Which Chamber’ section

Key worker accommodation at The Ardington Hotel

During the current pandemic the Ardington Hotel has had the pleasure of supporting NHS personnel and  Key Workers from certain permissible sectors by providing overnight accommodation and optional room service Full English or Continental Breakfast each morning.

The Ardington Hotel website is www.ardingtonhotel.com . As well having our AA Rosette awarded Indigo Restaurant ( hopefully reopening soon) the Ardington is 1 of only 71 hotels in the UK with the prestigious accolade of having  3 AA Silver Stars.

Should you or your company requireany Key Worker accommodation during the forthcoming weeks/months please email richard@ardingtonhotel.co.uk. I will respond by return and will be pleased to discuss your requirements and offer special discounted rates given the current unfortunate circumstances.

Invest4 is a Grant Fund Scheme now open

Funded by the European Regional Development Agency (ERDF) the Invest4 Grant Fund Scheme forms one strand of the six strand Business Hot House Business Support Programme that is part funded by the ERDF. Through the Invest4 Grant Fund, funding may be available to assist the growth of your business.

The grants are:

• Start-up Grants £2,000 to £5,000 (a start-up is pre-trading or under 12 months old)

• Small Grants from £2,000 to £5,000

• Full Grants from £5,000 to de minimis limits (c. £170,000, subject to fluctuation in exchange rates from Euros)

The grants can currently provide up to 40% of eligible costs on projects that will create growth in the business. The Invest4 grant programme can fund both revenue and capital projects, but there are a number of exceptions. Full details for the grant can be found here https://www.chi.ac.uk/business-services/business-hothouse/invest4-grant-funding