What Do You Want In Your New Playground At Beach House Grounds?

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Worthing Council has won £135K from Europe some of which has been earmarked to spend on a new playground facility at Beach House Grounds.  But before any play equipment can be ordered we need to know what would appeal to the families using it.

Families are asked to come along to the sandcourts on Beach House Grounds from 10am through to 3pm on Saturday 28 April to have their say on which designs and options on display from various specialist playground providers they prefer. If raining the consultation will be held in Coast Café nearby.

The playground, planned to be installed over the summer period will complement the other initiatives around Splash Point including the new pool which in turn will help support the surrounding businesses.

Regeneration officer Lynda Spain who is in charge of the project says: “We are inviting all children and parents to come along and see the exciting designs for the new playground from 10am to 3pm on Saturday 28tht.  The new playground is the next step in creating a fantastic destination for residents and visitors at this end of the promenade and will complement our recent improvements at Splash Point.  Once the new pool complex is completed next spring this area will be a magnet for visitors and residents to come and enjoy”.

The playground will be funded 50/50 from the EU’s 2 Seas Programme through the Seaconomics Project and Worthing Borough Council.

Seaconomics is a partnership with 11 other coastal towns across northern Europe was recently successful in its bid for funding to support tourism related businesses along their waterfronts. As well as making improvement with the grant money the project will target existing tourism businesses and support new business start-ups in the area.   Support will consist of business advice, training and being part of a joined up marketing campaign to promote all 11 partner areas.

Worthing & Adur Tourism Update

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The annual Worthing and Adur Tourism Industry Forum took place this month and welcomed all
those who both work in and support tourism for our beautiful stretch of coastline and country.

The Worthing Tourism Information Centre on Marine Parade was officially opened for the summer
season, and the forum begun with a presentation from Tourism South East. Visit Britain and Visit
England both feed into our own Visit Worthing website, giving us a huge opportunity to attract
visitors to our town, and we are very lucky to have access to a large variety of local attractions.

Following this, James Appleton, Executive Head of Planning for Adur and Worthing Councils, took
centre stage and spoke about the Aquarena development, Teville Gate plans and the development
at the Beach Hotel, giving reassurance that these ongoing developments will give strength to the
regeneration of our locality and will have a positive impact on the future of our tourism economy.

The new Seaconomics project was then outlined, which with an investment of £170,000 into
Worthing tourism alone, the project aims to create a dynamic waterfront environment to encourage
further investment in the town and give local tourism providers the support needed for them to
further develop their businesses for future success.

The big news of the summer however, rests with Lewis Crathen and ‘The Big Air Open’ Kitesurfing
Classic, which takes place in the town on 14th July. An event first, the organisers expect to attract
both national and international coverage, and hope the event will put Worthing firmly on the map
for Kitesurfing heaven, due to our ‘Westerly’ Winds which are on parallel to those in Maui!

Worthing & Adur will also host its inaugural Food and Drink Festival this summer, running between
the 7th and 14th July. Located all around the area over the week with focus on Steyne Gardens
and South Street over the weekend of 7th & 8th the Food and Drink Festival promises a week of
cookery demonstrations, family fun, market stalls, tasting opportunities and a showcase of all that is
good and great about the fabulous food and drink in our area, culminating with the Shoreham Chilli
Festival on Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th. More information is available at

www.visitworthing.co.uk/whats-on/food-and-drink-festival .

Worthing is also lucky enough to be on the route for the Olympic Torch, and the Worthing
Birdman also flies again on the 18th and 19th August, with the Shoreham Airshow on the 1st and
2nd September. So, many great reasons for all to stay and take advantage of the many varieties of
events on offer.

To further strengthen and improve long term prosperity in the town, Worthing and Adur Chamber
of Commerce are committing this year, through the support of their members, to developing more
links into local tourism. By working with local hospitality attractions and accommodation providers
we hope to allow them to welcome more and more visitors. We are launching a tourism group at
our Annual General Meeting on the 17th April and if you would like to be involved then please do let
us know and let’s work together to continue to make Worthing proud of the hospitality it offers to
all who live, work and visit here.

Sheryl Tipton
Marketing Consultant
www.salesandmarketinguk.com

Member Spotlight | Craig Peters | Osprey PR

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Chamber member Craig Peters is the Director of Osprey PR, a professional services and sports
public relations consultancy. From throwing his clients into the media spotlight, this time we
profile his business and ask the key questions…

What does Osprey PR do?

It is our job to manage the reputation of our clients and secure editorial media coverage
across a range of publications. We work on a national level so one day we could have a client
profiled in The Times, the next we could be writing a feature about wind farms in Wind
Power Monthly magazine. The beauty of our job is that, as a result of writing features and
comments for clients that span across various sectors, you really do learn something new
every day.

So who are your clients?

Clients include accountancy firms; wealth management companies; tax advisers;
telecommunication companies; law firms; steel fabricators; SEO & social media companies
and manufacturers. The Olympics is also affecting us in a positive way. We handle the PR
for Active Sussex, Active Surrey, and we also help garner sponsorship for a member of the
British Sprint Cycling team. We were also tasked with changing the face of English Indoor
Bowls last year!

So when did you start the business and why?

I formed Osprey in June 2010 after spending four enjoyable years at a Brighton-based PR
agency. I simply wanted to do it my way. I have built up a bit of a reputation as being a bit
of a media hound and able to spot opportunities within the press and this was something I
wanted to replicate in my own business.

What are you biggest obstacles?

I’d say educating businesses on the value of a solid PR campaign. It’s the old saying; “name
three companies you’ve never heard of”. Without media coverage there is simply no
awareness; reputation or profile. You’d be surprised how many potential customers are
these days influenced by what businesses are saying in the press. We had a client profiled in
the Daily Express not so long ago and enquiries went through the roof for them and created
a real buzz on Twitter.

So how do you work? What’s a normal day at Osprey PR?

It differs, which is why I love it so much. Next week we are handing the press & PR for the
Surrey Sports Conference and have to coordinate interviews and photos for Jeremy Hunt MP
– Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics & Sport. Then another day we will be all
hands on deck writing various press releases and features. We act as our clients press office
and we are reactive and proactive in identifying editorial opportunities.

When did you join the Chamber?

Straight away. It’s been really beneficial by way of introducing me to potential clients – in

fact I have one or two clients who are established Chamber members.

What do you find especially useful about the Chamber?

I’ve certainly learnt a lot from the workshops and talks which I’ve been able to attend, and
it’s put me in touch with vital, local issues which I may have not been aware of previously
before I joined such as the Teville Gate development and the new swimming pool at the
Aquarena.

Worthing College Update

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Worthing Borough Council’s Planning Committee gave its unanimous support to approve
Worthing College’s plans which involve the redevelopment of existing buildings at The
Warren on Wednesday 29 February. The move will be very popular with students and parents
throughout Worthing and we expect this great news will boost applications which are already at
an all-time record level.

This means that we will aim to open the new College in February 2013. Student enrolment and
teaching will take place at our Bolsover Road site until we move. All teaching, examinations and
other College services will go ahead as planned until we move.

The new College will provide state of the art facilities for more than 1,700 students every year. This will include:

  • Large, spacious classrooms
  • Large laboratories
  • A number of curriculum learning zones to provide new and exciting ways to learn
  • A library
  • Two large social and recreational areas
  • A separate Performing Arts Centre for Dance, Music, Drama and Musical Theatre
  • Extensive Sport and recreational facilities.

All of this will be sited on an 18 acre campus in a parkland setting. These new facilities will be
inspirational and will encourage our students to achieve their very best.

We look forward to welcoming all students to Worthing College in September 2012 in this very
exciting year.

It’s Official! Spring Is Here!

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It’s official – Spring is here at last. It is also official that Worthing and Adur is in the top
fifty of the Economic Growth and Business Development areas in the UK. When our
Chief Executive, Tina Tilley, was asked on the radio for her comments she was spot
on. The “can – do” attitude very much fostered by the Worthing and Adur Chamber
is a reflection of our Members’ attitude to new business and growth. Add that to the
superb education provided by the schools in our area, which are well above the National
average, and you can begin to see that with an educated and motivated workforce you
are bound to get results.

The Chamber recognises the work that schools and colleges in our area do to provide
the bedrock for all our futures. It is a great feeling to know that we have some of
the best schools in the UK in our area and the results in terms, not only of academic
achievement, but also in commitment to the Community, is shown in thousands of
examples. The Chamber is very proud to be associated with fostering the Youth
Chamber and our links with colleges, particularly with Northbrook College, and also
Worthing College and local Universities. It was Tony Blair who said that the three most
important things to benefit the country were “education, education, education”.

The positive attitude of our entrepreneurs and business managers, whether their
businesses be large, medium, or small to high education levels offer genuine
opportunities for innovation, enterprise and creativity.

The Annual General Meeting of the Chamber will be held on 17 April 2012 at The
Dome when the keynote Speaker will be Gillian Fielding who has been a true friend
and patron of the Chamber and small and medium sized enterprises. Gillian Fielding,
famous through Secret Millionaire, always has a positive and inspiring message. The
AGM starts at 6.00 p.m. in the superb venue of The Dome and is free to all Members
and their invited guests. Apart from electing the new Committee for 2012/2013 it is an
opportunity to network and also to review the past year of real achievement, progress
and development.

The Chamber has been making bids for public funding to develop business initiatives
including mentoring, training, work shops, gathering data for a Business Directory and
a business event later this year. The Adur & Worthing Business Partnership has been
very supportive as well as Coastal West Sussex and Coast 2 Capital our LEP.

If you want to know what’s going on, and if you are not already a member of the
Chamber, please join us. We shall be delighted to welcome you as we wish to
celebrate our one hundredth anniversary (we were founded in 1912) by increasing our
membership by another one hundred Members.

Don’t miss the chance to attend the Joint Chambers Exhibition at Fontwell Park
Racecourse on 25th April where you can meet Chamber members from Hampshire
and Chichester you will also have the opportunity to exhibit and hear from some very
interesting speakers so book you place now! Have a look at the other events at the
same time and remember Chamber Chat and the Hub book quickly and keep up-to-date
with all the news on our website at www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

Have a great and prosperous Spring.

Vision For Lancing | Have Your Say

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Earlier this year, Adur District Council and Lancing Parish Council jointly commissioned consultants BDP, to prepare a Vision Document for Lancing Village Centre and Seafront.  This document, once completed, will give a clear direction for the regeneration of Lancing over the short, medium and long term.

Residents and local interest groups have been really interested in the process so far and all comments and feedback received during the last few months has been taken into account in the preparation of the draft Vision Document.

BDP has now prepared an exhibition for people to visit and give further feedback on.  The exhibition is very visually appealing and easy to understand so people are invited to come along and take a look.  BDP will be at the Lancing Parish Hall with the exhibition on Friday 13th April from 3pm to 8pm and Saturday 14th April from 12pm to 6pm, local Councillors and Council Officers will also be on hand to answer queries and gather comments.  The exhibition will then stay in place for the following week so that people can still come along and leave their comments on feedback slips which will be supplied.

Cllr Jim Funnell, Cabinet Member for Regeneration at Adur District Council said, “The Vision for Lancing is coming along really well and we are pleased that the people of Lancing have been very aspiration and vocal about their hopes for the future of the Village.  The Vision Document, once completed, will give a very clear picture for the regeneration of Lancing.  The Parish, Adur and West Sussex Councils as well as private developers will know very clearly where to direct investment.”

So please come along on 13th or 14th April, see the draft plans and have your say in how Lancing can become a truly 21st Century Village.  You can also comment direct to the Regeneration Team by emailing regeneration@adur-worthing.gov.uk or follow the Regeneration Team on Facebook.  The final report will be formally launched on 24th May 2012.

Ends

Exciting Plans For Worthing Theatres

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Worthing Borough Council’s senior theatres management team has produced a business plan as previously agreed to reduce the net operating cost of the theatres service, by at least 25%, whilst producing a sustainable and viable theatre offer for the future.

This plan will be considered by the Joint Strategic Committee at 6.30pm on Tuesday 27th March at the Adur Civic Centre.

The report highlights the main areas for generating additional income and the investment required which has been considered by the Theatres Working Group to meet the challenging financial targets set by the Council in the future management and operation of the Worthing Theatres.

The highlights of the draft plan include:

·         Providing a viable and sustainable theatre offer at the Connaught Theatre, Pavilion Theatre and in the Ritz Digital Cinema

·         Recommending that the Council continues to operate at the Assembly Hall, but on a reduced programme of activities. Primary focus is on the Wurlitzer Organ concerts, the Worthing Symphony Orchestra and classical concerts alongside private hire events such as dance and the London Taxi event

·         Bringing the theatres catering in-house which will offer improved service and many opportunities for the venues

·         Installing a new box office system that will improve the booking service to theatregoers and is the key to unlocking many exciting new initiatives to improve the theatre experience in Worthing

·         Installing a new digital projector in the Connaught Theatre to offer an improved cinematic experience

·         Introducing a ticket levy to fund future improvements to the facilities

·         Exploring opportunities for attracting sponsors and other external funding streams

·         Increasing staff resources to ensure the business plan can be implemented

The report sets out how the above initiatives and many others planned will generate a substantial increase in income from running the theatres, some of which will be put towards future improvements, but also making an substantial contribution to meeting the savings target and reducing the subsidy by £190,000 per annum.

The report and draft business plan can be found on www.worthing.gov.uk

The Budget Report By Carpenter & Box

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You will no doubt have already seen much comment on the content of George Osborne’s third budget!

There were few surprises but an awful lot of devil in the emerging detail, particularly if you are at or are approaching pension age.

With the Chancellor underlining the government’s commitment to UK business, overall there were a few positives – notably a 1% reduction in the rate of Corporation Tax to 24% which going forward which will see the rate eventually fall to 22% by 2014.

Other measures were announced that should help businesses to grow. Support for technical innovation was confirmed with details of the ‘Patent Box’ scheme being highlighted and the improved tax credits available on R&D expenditure as well as particular support for the video games industry, the animation industry and high end TV productions.

There was also the heavily trailed reduction in the top rate of income tax rate reducing from 50% down to 45% which the Chancellor argued would help our international competitiveness. Some would argue that a rate of 45% is still high in comparison with many of our competitor nations, but it was politically as far as the Chancellor was prepared to go, particularly when he has the coalition to consider. On the other side of the coin uncapped NI payments increases the contribution made by higher earners.

Further pay-back for this reduction came in the form of the two new Stamp Duty bands – the so called Mansion Tax.

A General Anti-Avoidance Rule, or GAAR, will be introduced following a consultation period with a flagged start date of 2013. Work on cutting red-tape and tax simplification will also carry on.

One area of particular concern for the charitable sector was the introduction of a new cap on tax relief. The measure sets a cap of £50,000 on tax relief, or 25% of income with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) calling for urgent talks with the Treasury to ensure the move does not halt the flow of major donations, because they would no longer qualify for tax relief.

We hope you find our budget PDF useful and of course, should you want to discuss a particular aspect that affects you or your business do call us on 01903 234094 and talk to a member of our Tax Service Group or reply to this email and I will arrange for them to contact you.

Kind regards

Chris Coopey
Partner

Carpenter Box LLP

t. 01903 234094
f. 01903 534591
e. chris.coopey@carpenterbox.com

Check out our blog at www.carpenterbox.com/blog or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/carpenterbox

WAC 025 | Tina’s Update | Business Networking In Worthing & Adur

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In this essential guide to business and business networking in Worthing, Tina shares where she’s been and who she’s seen during the last couple of weeks.

This is a medium update and runs to about 30 minutes so you might want to download it to listen to on the go, or even subscribe in iTunes so that you never miss one!

WAC 025 | Tina’s Update | Business Networking In Worthing & Adur [ 33:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
  • Food & Drink Festival Plans – stickers for shop windows now available
  • New Tourism arm of the Chamber being discussed
  • Tourism Forum at the Dome on 13 March
  • Youth Chamber – reality checks and roles & responsibilities are forming
  • Robert Woodard Academy networking breakfast and tour went well
  • Celebrations of success of Apprenticships with testimonials from participating businesses
  • Networking Events: how to choose, meeting reputable people, regular attendance necessary
  • Chamber invited to set up Peer 2 Peer Mentoring group for Startup Businesses by University of Brighton
  • Meeting at Shoreham Port Authority; Adur working group set up
  • Quiz Night – great fun, 86 people attended (most booking in last few days which gives Tina heart attacks!) £500+ raised for Camelia Botnar Foundation
  • Worthing & Adur Chamber – Home Page Advertising slots go live (more info here >>>)
  • Adur Business Partnership reports pots of cash available
  • Meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion “In the Community” group
  • Worthing & Adur Chamber has a stand at the Tourism Event at the Dome Cinema
  • Vintage Cafe opens at the Dome Cinema
  • Q&A with MP Tim Loughton at Worthing Golf Club Friday 23 March

Podcast recorded and edited by Nicola Cairncross of Cairncross Media as part of their online brand management service for the Worthing & Adur Chamber Of Commerce, the 1st UK Chamber to boast it’s own podcast on iTunes

How To Get Your Business In The Newspaper (For Free!)

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At the recent Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce business networking meeting at the Burlington Hotel, Worthing, Colin Channon talks about how to get your business stories into the newspaper.   You can enjoy the video of Colin’s informative talk below.

If you are featured, this is free PR which is incredibly valuable for you as anything in the editorial section has so much credibility.  Colin told us how to approach journalists or the Features Editor effectively, giving them what they need, and how, using a combination of paid advertising AND editorial can be a dynamite combination for your business profile.

Colin is Editor in Chief of Sussex Newspapers West, which includes the Herald series & ETC Magazine.  After Colin, Phil Bristow from Nsure talks about the value of writing advertorials for the newspaper and how this has benefited his business.

Video by Chamber Member Joel Shepherd at Bluw Media

Is Mum or Dad Entitled To NHS or Social Care Funding?

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Chris Moon-Willems founder of RelativeMatters.org says: “Throughout my long career in Social Services and the NHS I came across many older people and their relatives, who were dismayed to learn that they were not entitled to financial help from the NHS or Social Services to fund their care. So let’s begin by destroying the myth that health and social care is free. Most people will have to pay for all, or some of their care at home or in a care or nursing home. As Local Authorities reel from massive funding cuts and struggle to meet increasing demands from an ageing population, funding entitlement has become a postcode lottery as eligibility criteria are changed or interpretation of the rules tightened.

Older people will not receive any financial help from Social Services if they;

  • have savings, investments or assets ( including their property) above the current limit of £23,250.
  • are considered to have enough income to pay for their own care.
  • do not have high enough care needs to meet their tightened eligibility criteria.

Neither are they likely to receive help to arrange care if they are able to do this themselves or have a relative who is willing or able to do so on their behalf.

For those people who are eligible for social care funding, only their basic needs will be met and they may have to contribute towards the cost, in some cases quite significantly. If a person’s money runs out and Social Services has to take over funding care fees, the elderly person may have to move into a smaller room in their care home or move to another home altogether if the home refuses to lower their fees to the maximum that Social Services are willing to pay. While the eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding has always been restricted to those with the highest, most complex, unpredictable, and unstable health needs, the interpretation of the eligibility criteria has become tighter and the same applies to the Registered Nurse Care Contribution (RNCC).

The care landscape is changing rapidly and new legislation is on the way. As Social Services and the NHS seek new ways to meet the demands of the ageing population, having to do more with less will be their mantra and you will be expected to play an even bigger role in caring for your loved ones. It is therefore vital that you understand and anticipate realistic funding entitlements to enable you to help your elderly parent plan their care. Check to see whether Social Services or the NHS might contribute towards the costs.

Without this information you might make misguided decisions about your parents’ care and support and how to fund it. You can find out more at http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/3  In my next post I will look at how independent financial planning can benefit you and your parents and help you make the best care choices for and with them.”

WAC 024 | Tina’s Update | Business Networking In Worthing

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In this essential guide to business and business networking in Worthing, Tina shares where she’s been and who she’s seen during February.

This is a medium update and runs to about 30 minutes so you might want to download it to listen to on the go, or even subscribe in iTunes so that you never miss one!

WAC 024 | Tina's Update | Business Networking News From Worthing, Shoreham & Lancing [ 30:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Inside this episode:

  • Worthing & Adur Chamber Peer To Peer Mentoring launches – 1st group full, forming 2nd group now so get in touch if interested
  • Pop Up Shops with Dan Thompson & The Arts Council
  • Young Enterprise Initiative / Youth Chamber
  • Worthing Rugby Club, Worthing FC & Brighton & Hove Albion
  • New Brighton & Hove training stadium at Nash Farm area? Chamber event to discuss coming soon
  • New Ecoshow coming to Brighton, Worthing Chamber promoting in conjunction with Brighton Chamber, free tickets will be available to members.  How much for a stand and the opportunity to take a table in the “Marketplace” area
  • Tina attends the Lancing Business Park AGM at the Vehicle Auction Rooms
  • Vision of Lancing, Lancing Regeneration Programme with Adur District Council  & Lancing Parish Council
  • 60 people attend the Worthing & Adur Chamber Business Breakfast to hear about Northbrook’s “100 Apprentices In 100 Days” project with case studies from real businesses using apprentices
  • Worthing & Adur Chamber Hub at Shoreham Airport attracts over 45 people for free Business Networking
  • Food & Drink Festival coming along apace, get in touch if you want to get involved
  • Discussing the Jubilee Project possibly moving to East Worthing Trading Estate – for or against?  Going to planning in the next couple of weeks
  • New optical company potentially coming to East Worthing Trading Estate – over 100 jobs will be created
  • Youth Chamber making a presentation at the Chamber Breakfast Meeting on 24th February at the new Robert Woodard Academy – book events here >>>
  • Worthing & Adur Chamber involvment in the newly relaunched Enterprise House, Ann St, official launch at the end of March, local businesses offered opportunity to put on taster workshops at the launch
  • Worthing & Adur Chamber Networking & Quiz Night – 1st March – book events here >>>
  • Worthing & Adur Chamber New & Renewing Member Welcome Event, Northbrook College, 7th March 4pm – 5.30pm then Chamber Chat business networking for all members – book events here >>>
  • Tourism Exhibition at the Dome Cinema, 13th March
  • Business MOT for new & renewing members 13th March – book events here >>>
  • Worthing & Adur Chamber Hub, Shoreham, 16 March – book events here >>>
  • Worthing & Adur Chamber AGM, 17th April – book events here >>>

Podcast recorded and edited by Nicola Cairncross of The Business Success Factory & Cairncross Media as part of their online brand management service for the Worthing & Adur Chamber Of Commerce, the 1st UK Chamber to boast it’s own podcast on iTunes

Worthing Cabinet Recommend Zero Council Tax Increase

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At its meeting on Monday 6th February, Worthing Cabinet recommended a zero council increase for 2012/13. This will meet the Council’s commitment to keep council tax low. The Council has managed to do whilst protecting front line services.

Paul Yallop, Leader of the Council, said: “A big thank you to everyone who took part in our ‘Your Chance to be the Chancellor’ exercise last summer. This was the most successful consultation exercise the Council has run for some time and we had a great response to our request for ideas to help us balance our budget. It important to recognise the partnership with neighbouring Adur District Council and the hard work of staff at both Councils in continuing to deliver savings of over £2m per year to help protect frontline services. This has also meant that our residents will continue to benefit from the lowest average Council Tax in West Sussex.”

The final decision on the council tax will be made at the full Council Meeting on Tuesday 21 February 2012.

Worthing Football Club | New Stadium & Seeking Sponsors

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Worthing Town Football Club’s flagship Clubhouse and pitch complex at Palatine Park opens its doors in April, providing the town with a state-of-the-art football centre, and an exciting new venue for business events.

Worthing Town FC run thirty teams for boys and girls from the age of five-years upwards; and also has a Men’s team and a Ladies team. The club is at the pinnacle of the Charter Standard scheme, with Community Club status, and recently won the coveted FA Community Club of the Year 2011 Award for the South East Region.

The club also emphasised its commercial awareness, by winning the Worthing & Adur Business Award 2011 in the Charity / Not-For-Profit Sector.

The new Clubhouse will be a revolution in providing outstanding facilities for all the players and parents at the club. But it is also certain to be popular with businesses of all sizes for meetings, events, seminars and workshops. The meeting room will be fully equipped with the latest AV equipment, and the option of removing the partition will enable the full capacity of 200 people to be accommodated.

The new clubhouse includes full on-site catering facilities, ample free car parking, WiFi and hot-desking facilities, and full disabled access.

Tony Lelliott, Vice Chairman at the club said: “We’re all very excited and looking forward to moving in – but it brings new challenges, and the first of these is to ensure we fully utilise the venue for community groups and businesses. Palatine Park is as much a business venue as a football centre. We’re keen to speak to businesses of all sizes on how they can make the best use of our facilities. It can be a centre of excellence for both the club and the local business community.”

The club is seeking sponsors for the various rooms, pitches, team kits, etc. and bookings for use of the building are now being taken from community groups and business users.

For more information, or to check availability, please contact: Tony Lelliott on 07766 273873 or email tonylelliott@gmail.com

Chamber Member Spotlight | InTouch Business

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Intouch BusinessArundel-based Intouch Business is an information management company, founded by directors Phil Selley and Gareth Webb. We throw the spotlight on Gareth for some information on his company…

Picture: Intouch Business Senior Partners Phil Selley and Gareth Webb

What in layman’s terms, does Intouch Business do? We provide a way of building online software which manages a business operation from “Lego” type ready-made software components or building blocks – our Servizio system – so customers get what their business needs. Servizio delivers the right information to the right people in a simple-to-use interface requiring little or no training and can join up with existing systems producing huge efficiencies.

What does that mean in reality? The Crown Prosecution Service is a big client of ours and we enabled them to manage out-of-hours rotas for all the lawyers in England and Wales. That rota can now be produced in a day instead of three weeks!

How big are your clients? Well, our systems are not cheap, but they always pay for themselves, so customers tend have a minimum annual turnover of low £Millions ranging up to very large indeed.

How did the business come about? Phil and I met in 1979 at Plymouth Polytechnic, where we were studying nautical science. Phil became a marine operations manager in oil and gas exploration, looking after fleets of ships, and I used to manage the production of large enterprise software systems such as in the military, nuclear power and rail sectors. We thought we could offer software that runs the operations of a business in a way which is very different, simple-to-use and massively more cost- effective than the software  industry is currently, so we set up Intouch Business in 2007 and developed Servizio.

How’s business going? We’ve grown turnover on average by 40 per cent a year and we now have a team of 11 people. We were in Worthing for a year but needed more space, so we moved to Arundel. However, most of our business comes from beyond the region, even as far away as York. Many have international aspects to their business, like Hyde Sails, who have distributors around world and use our system to process all their orders from sales-lead to manufacture.

Let’s talk about the money… Our 2011/12 turnover should be around £500,000. Customers spend starts at around £10,000 to £20,000 and then once they see the benefits, they add on more. Our biggest project totalled around £100,000.

But what effect has the recession had? Interestingly, this is a time some organisations invest in systems like Servizio that deliver operating efficiencies. The biggest impact has been the cost of finance – everyone is treated as higher risk by the banks. That restricts us in product investment and growth. I could easily take on more people, but the cost of finance does not make sense at present.

So what does the future hold? Well, we have a big software release coming out this spring, which is going to be a huge step forward and open up the online subscription
market to SMEs.

And what does being a Chamber member mean to Intouch? It’s always good to talk to other people and we met Northbrook College, one of our clients, through the Chamber. We attend networking session and dinners, though I’m guilty of not attending enough!

Where can people find out more? They can visit the website at intouch-business.com, email us at enquiries@intouch-business.com or call 01903 885900.

By Ann Bird
of AB Business Training
info@ab-business-training.com

WAC 023 | Tina Tilley’s Update & Business Networking Opportunities

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In this essential guide to business and business networking in Worthing, Tina shares where she’s been and who she’s seen since Christmas.

This is a big update and runs to about 40 minutes because there’s been a lot of activity in the business community in Worthing since the New Year so here’s a list of what is included.

You might want to download it to listen to on the go, or even subscribe in iTunes so that you never miss one!

WAC 023 | Tina Tilley's Update & Business Networking Opportunities [ 43:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
  • Lancing Village Centre Vision
  • New beach restaurant Lancing
  • Lewis Crathan & his Chamber member Mum championing beach hut being turned into windsurfing/kitesurfing centre
  • Worthing Enterprise Challenge update
  • Chamber Hub Shoreham
  • Peer To Peer Mentoring Pilot Day and 1st group launched
  • Food & Drink Festival launching 7-14 July, with 1st weekend Steyne Gardens, 2nd weekend Chilli Festival, Shoreham – do you have experience of launching / running a food festival?
  •  New Mayor Charles James pledges to help local business, if you want to invite him to your business event it will bring the press!
  • Town Centre Initiative Meeting
  • Disappointing revenues from Ice Rink & calls for more co-ordinated Christmas Lights / Festivities to bring people out to shops
  • New workshops coming including how to sell your products or services online
  • Youth Chamber – logo design competition
  • Youth Chamber – need business people to volunteer to speak about your business for next meeting on 22 Feb
  • Chamber Breakfast at the new Robert Woodard Academy (ex Boundstone)
  • While Adam is still managing the Shoreham Airport restaurant, it’s under new ownership and keen to develop events side of business
  • Chamber Hub meetings still to continue at the Terminal 2 bar but food is all at main restaurant now (so eat before or bring your own)
  • Friday 27th – Chamber Lunch at the Burlington
  • Wed 1st Feb, 5.30pm Chamber Chat cancelled to to clash with another event at venue – more details to follow
  • Friday 10th Feb – Official Apprentice Week comes to an end with a free Breakfast at Northbrook College so you can find out about subsidies for hiring more mature apprentices aged 18-24

Podcast recorded and edited by Nicola Cairncross of The Business Success Factory & Cairncross Media as part of their online brand management service for the Worthing & Adur Chamber Of Commerce, the 1st UK Chamber to boast it’s own podcast on iTunes

The Voice Of Business | Peter Bennett

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“The future for Worthing Business in 2012 is … YOU!” says Peter Bennett

As business leaders, we must champion our businesses and emphasise the positive. It is our responsibility to draw attention to the strong results in local businesses. It is no piece of random luck that makes West Sussex based company, Rolls Royce have its best year in its history. It is no fluke that the Shoreham Port Authority has never in its history been busier than it was last year with a record number of ships loading and unloading. It is looking to expand this year. There is strong growth in local industry; sectors as diverse as precision instrument manufacturing, pharmaceutical and defence products are strong performers.

Usually we look at the service and financial sectors to be the benchmarks, and although these are performing well, it is in the manufacturing sectors, scientific and engineering areas that we also need to emphasise our expertise. This importance is not simply that these skills in some of these sectors are world leaders, but we need to recognise them to attract investment into our region. Investment in our businesses is crucial. It marks confidence in the future and it will guarantee jobs, growth and with good management.

The situation in retail is rather more complicated. The results over the Christmas “spend” have been patchy, with strong growth in certain areas, but not in others. The huge impact of internet selling continues its inexorable advance. Always keep in mind the Darwinian maxim that it is not the biggest organism, nor the most intelligent organism that survives, but the one that is most easily adaptable to change. That is still true 150 years after he first observed nature in action.

We need to keep one eye on making certain that the skills of our workforce in each sector are enhanced. Our educational base is superb and we have schools in this area for which other regions of the UK are envious. Becoming involved in schools or in the Youth Chamber will benefit you and your business. Make certain therefore that not only do you support the Worthing and Adur Chamber in its networking and events, but also the Youth Chamber, and remember that confidence is the key to everything. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Energy and confidence will overcome all things”.

A Happy and prosperous New Year for 2012 from us all at the Chamber!

Peter Bennett,

Peter Bennett is not only the President of the Worthing & Adur Chamber but also the winner of one of the most significant and cherished accolade to bestow upon any Worthing-based entrepreneur, widely regarded as being a prized jewel in the phenomenally successful annual Worthing Business Awards.  On Saturday, 9 October at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing, a rapt audience gave a standing ovation to Peter Bennet from Bennett Griffin Solicitors and Notaries when he was awarded the Worthing Lifetime Achievement in Business Award by the Master of Ceremonies, Fred Dineage.  Read more >>>

WAC 022 | Teville Gate, Xmas Party, New Hotel In Shoreham & January Plans

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As well as updating us on all the business networking events she’s attended in the last four weeks, Worthing Chamber CEO Tina Tilley told us all the exciting news about the Teville Gate planning application approval but sadly the quality of the line was bad for that section of the podcast and we had to edit it out.

Basically, the plans for the new flats, supermarket and conference centre have been approved and you can see all the pictures on the Worthing Council website.  Tina then went on to tell us about the Paletine Park development and the fact that a new hotel has been approved by planning for building in Shoreham, near the Bridge pub, which is real news!

WAC 022 | Teville Gate, Xmas Party, New Hotel In Shoreham [ 20:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The next events to watch out for in your email inbox and book up quickly for are as follows:

  • Chamber Hub in Shoreham – Friday 13th January
  •  Chilli & Quiz Night – 19th or 25th January TBC
  • Olympics / Business Development Info Afternoon – Field Place – 19th or 25th January TBC
  • Peer To Peer Mentoring Info Session – 26th January TBC

In the meantime, we would all like to wish you a very Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

Podcast recorded and edited by Nicola Cairncross of The Business Success Factory as part of their online brand management service for the Worthing & Adur Chamber Of Commerce, the 1st UK Chamber to boast it’s own podcast on iTunes!

 

 

 

WAC 021 | Christmas Party Plans & What’s New In Business In Worthing

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Coming up to the Worthing & Adur Chamber Christmas Dinner, Tina Tilley shares the choice of venue, how to book and what else has been happening in the world of Worthing & Adur business networking.

Included in this podcast are the latest plans for peer to peer mentoring, a discussion about parking and how you can make your voice heard and all about where Tina has been and who she’s seen on our behalf.

WAC 021 | Christmas Party Plans & Whats New In Business Networking [ 30:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
  • Click here to book the Christmas Dinner >>>
  • Only £28 per head including wine
  • Bring a partner or anyone from the office too

Podcast recorded and edited by Nicola Cairncross of The Business Success Factory as part of their online brand management service for the Worthing & Adur Chamber Of Commerce, the 1st UK Chamber to boast it’s own podcast on iTunes!

Free Networking Event & What Do You Want In 2012?

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Come along to November’s Chamber Chat at The Arundel Room, Northbrook College
and join us for…
Northbrook College

  • Informal Networking
  • Meet our most recent new members
  • Play your part in planning next years events

We want your input and ideas. What events do you want more of?

  • Workshops
  • Quiz Nights
  • Joint Chamber Events to broaden our catchment area
  • Boot Camps!
  • Training Sessions – on what topics?
  • Speed Networking
  • B2B
  • Inspirational Speakers
  • Business Spotlights
  • Wine Tastings
  • European Chamber Visits???

 

We have lots of ideas and we are sure you do too, but lets share them and come up with the best selection. After all the Chamber is here for YOUR benefit. (and don’t say we didn’t ask for your input!!!)

 

 

 

Time: 5.30pm FREE Buffet and refreshments. Cash bar available. Book Now  

 

Members: FREE  Non-members: £5.00
Guest always welcome.

For more information, please contact:

Worthing and Adur Chamber on             01903 203484
info@worthingandadurchamber.co.uk