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Support for Adur & Worthing rough sleepers stepped up

With temperatures set to plummet over the weekend, Adur & Worthing Councils and partners are stepping up its support for rough sleepers.

From today (Friday 29 November 2019), in addition to the two night shelters already running in Worthing staffed by expert teams and volunteers co-ordinated by Storm, the Councils are activating Severe Weather Emergency Protocols (SWEP).

This releases funding to enable Turning Tides to provide extra overnight accommodation for those in need while the Councils Outreach teams, supported by Worthing Tabernacle, will also provide a drop in from 7am to 9am when the shelters close and until day services are open.

Councils staff will also continue to be out and about ensuring that vulnerable individuals are directed to relevant services.

Businesses and residents are also encouraged to play their part. This includes:

• connecting rough sleepers to local support services via the Streetlink app. The reports are checked and responded to by Adur & Worthing Councils Outreach staff and Rough Sleeper Coordinator.  
• buying those on the street food and hot drinks rather than gifting money
• reporting any instances of antisocial behaviour to the police

Run Up To Christmas

Adur and Worthing Council staff are getting behind an initiative encouraging local residents to walk or jog in the run up to Christmas.

Run Things are based in Worthing and raised over £20,000 locally last December for mental health charity Mind.

Kevin Betts and Clare Rixton set up the business to promote the connection between physical exercise and mental health benefits.

Kevin said, “Both of us have either had mental health issues or have been close to people with mental health issues in the past.

“Our events now, although they are for absolutely anybody to take part in, originally they were devised for people who had anxiety or suffered with stress or agoraphobia.”

Now, Run Things are inviting local people to get involved with the fitness and fundraising enterprise.

The month long ‘Run Up To Christmas’ programme encourages local residents to run as many miles as they can before Christmas. At a time of year when some people in the community can feel lonely or isolated, the fitness initiative aims to encourage people to leave their homes and connect with people from their local area, while boosting their mental health through exercise.

Runners and teams are rewarded with medals for hitting milestones they set themselves from 50km right up to a whopping 250km. Connecting via social media a virtual community of teams and individual runners, walkers and joggers encourage each other to get off the sofa, while events and gatherings are organised in December to motivate those who’ve entered to get outside and take advantage of Adur and Worthing’s outdoor spaces and make new friends.

The ‘Run Up To Christmas’ is supported by Adur & Worthing Councils Thrive agenda which is working towards enabling our communities to thrive in their work and leisure, helping the public to lead healthy and fulfilled lives in which they are connected to each other and to the places in which they live and work.

The initiative, which donates a minimum of 50% of all profits to Mind, is encouraged by Adur & Worthing Councils, with staff members including Jo Clarke, Communities and Third Sector lead, getting involved.

Jo Clarke said “I’m really excited to do this again, I did it last year, and it really helped me out with general stress levels for December. I’m really fortunate and lucky to have two lovely children, but unfortunately both their birthdays are in December as well, so with Christmas, it isn’t just about physical health for me, it’s definitely about mental health, about getting out there, getting fresh air and change of scenery and looking after myself in December.”

The ‘Run up to Christmas’ starts on December 1st, and for those surpassing their goals and running even further than their targets, there are extra special festive surprises, to keep participants motivated.

Kevin added, “I think it’s so important that local authorities and people in positions of power and influence get involved in this sort of stuff, 

“We are so passionate about Worthing, we absolutely love the place, and to see the Council getting involved and supporting the stuff we do is so important, we love it!

Run Things also manage a running club in Worthing, as well as a virtual running club for those who don’t want to exercise in large groups, and put on events in the local area.

Kreston Reeves named as one of UK’s top financial planners for the sixth year in a row

Independent financial advisory Kreston Reeves have been named as one of the UK’s leading financial planning firms by the influential trade magazine Citywire New Model Adviser.

Every year, Citywire New Model Adviser identifies the 100 financial planning and advisory firms who are ‘at the top of their game’.  And for the past six years the Kreston Reeves’ dedicated financial planning team has made the cut, with their expertise in dealing with vulnerable clients and its commitment to training and developing the next generation of financial planners being particularly highlighted.

Julia Parsons, a Director at Kreston Reeves Financial Planning said: “To be recognised as one of the leading independent financial planning firms in the UK for six years is a row is a tremendous honour.  It marks the dedication and professionalism of the whole team.”

“We are particularly pleased that our commitment to training and developing the next generation of financial planners has been recognised.  It is something we hold to be important, not just to our own business but to our clients and their families.”

Kreston Reeves Financial Planning currently has 26 dedicated members of staff with six Chartered Financial Planners.  The team takes a holistic view of an individual’s financial position, advising business owners, company directors, those with inherited or earnt wealth and those approaching retirement on all areas of pensions, investments, protection and financial planning.

In addition to being a Chartered Financial Planning firm, they also voluntarily subscribe to The Pension Transfer Gold Standard and have a specialist Society of Later Life Adviser, ensuring their clients only receive the very best independent financial advice.

Kelvin passes 19 exams to reach Fellowship status

Kelvin Riches, a Chartered Financial Planner at Sussex-based MHA Carpenter Box Wealth Management (CBWM), has reached the top qualification of his profession by passing 19 exams to attain Fellowship of the Personal Finance Society, the professional body’s highest level of accreditation.

CBWM has a team of experienced financial advisers who provide an integrated financial and tax advice service, working very closely with the MHA Carpenter Box professional tax advisers to provide a fully comprehensive wealth management solution.

Kelvin joined CBWM in October 2017 as a qualified financial adviser with 10 years' industry experience and holding the diploma in financial planning. Shortly after joining, he received an award from the Sussex Personal Finance Society for the best completed diploma in regulated financial planning for the 2016 -17 academic year.

Deciding the Diploma was not enough, Kelvin completed a further six exams in 2017-18, including four at degree equivalent level. He became a Chartered Financial Planner in December 2018, but continued to study, gaining four additional qualifications to become a Fellow in October of this year – one of around only 5,000 practitioners in the UK to hold this qualification, not all of whom give advice.

Kelvin commented: “I have always taken professional development seriously and I consider the journey that I have pursued over the last two years to be my personal Everest. It’s a great feeling to reach the summit after around 2,500 hours of study.”

Roy Thompson, Partner and Head of CBWM, added: “Congratulations to Kelvin on his Fellowship appointment, which is very well deserved after the hard work and effort he has put in.

“We are pleased to have such a dedicated individual on board and are confident that if you approach us for financial advice, our team, including Kelvin, has the technical expertise to ensure a quality outcome is delivered. “

https://www.carpenterbox.com/services/wealth-management/

www.carpenterbox.com

Christmas parking present for Lancing shoppers

Shoppers in Lancing will receive an early Christmas present this festive season as Adur District Council waives charges at its car parks for all four Saturdays in December.

The aim of the move, which was introduced after discussions with traders, is to encourage people to shop local in the run up to Christmas and boost footfall on some of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Visitors will have an extra incentive to head to Lancing on December 21 when the Village Christmas Market will see dozens of traders set up in North Road for a family-friendly festive extravaganza.

Councillor Emma Evans, Adur District Council’s Executive Member for Environment, said: “With the festive period on the way, it's important that we do what we can to encourage people to buy local and shop in their nearby high streets.

“The idea of free parking has been championed by the Lancing Traders Association. While there will be a small financial outlay for the Council, I believe this early Christmas present will give people an incentive to see what the excellent independent shops in the village have to offer - and then come back time and time again in the future.”

Heidi Rush, of the Lancing Traders' Association, said: “I want to thank the Council for their generosity in waiving the car park fees on these extremely important shopping days and look forward to welcoming people into the village to support their local traders.”

The free parking will be in place on December 7, 14, 21 and 28 at North Farm Road, Littlecroft and South Street car parks. 

Demand is likely to be high for the third of those four dates as it coincides with the Lancing Village Christmas Market, run by the award-winning Adur Markets team in partnership with Lancing Parish Council.

Dozens of local traders have already confirmed they will be at the event selling a range of local Sussex produce and homemade goods, which will take place from 9am and 1pm.

Anyone who wishes to run a stall at the event can email markets@adur-worthing.gov.uk or call 07738 848 393.

Countdown to Safe in Sussex’s Gingerbread House Fun – Get involved

It’s only 11 weeks till Safe in Sussex’s 2^nd Gingerbread House Decorating Competition for local businesses and groups. The event is held on the 12^th December, (Gingerbread Day) each year (as long as it falls on a weekday!).

Last year was a great success where local companies came together for team bonding and festive fun whilst increasing awareness and funds for the charity.

'We are pleased to confirm the maker of the gingerbread house packs and the Judge of the competition will be Fay Millar, owner of Brighton Cakes. again and she said ”I am honoured to be chosen to supply the Gingerbread packs and judge this great competition again this year. I loved doing it last year and seeing how creative people can be”.

AM Trophies, Worthing last year donated an amazing trophy for Safe in Sussex to give to the winners each year. The winner last year was Rayner IOL based in Worthing so they were the first name to go on the trophy. 

All the gingerbread houses will be given to the women and children at the refuges for Christmas.

If you want to put your name down to join in the festive fun this year, email debbie.west@safeinsussex.org.uk for more details. So far this year we have confirmed Raynor IOL, Inside Worthing, Nutley’s Kitchen Gardens, Janet Webb Consulting, Coop Field Place, The Focus Group, Expert Virtual Assistance, CommPoint and Nadarra Cosmetics.

 Safe in Sussex offers advice, support, refuge, awareness and education for women, children and young people across West Sussex.  The charity has confidential refuges and a community refuge in Littlehampton.

The refuges are for women and children who flee domestic violence. The refuges are a place where women can feel safe and be given the vital support they need, both practical and emotional.  

 Here at Safe in Sussex we aim to increase the awareness and stop the cycle of domestic abuse in West Sussex.  

We also have a Countrywide Outreach service for men and women, we facilitate support groups for women in the community and we provide healthy relationship education programmes for Primary and Secondary schools in West Sussex.  

Highdown Gardens to temporarily close as work begins for new era

World-famous Highdown Gardens are about to enter a new exciting era which will preserve their beauty for years to come —- but they have to be closed for improvement work soon.

In order to deliver on a £1million project to protect the fragile plant collection and enhance the visitor experience the Gardens will be closed from December 21 and will reopen in late summer next year.

In that time a range of work, funded by the National Lottery’s Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), will be undertaken including; building new greenhouses to help the propagation and preservation of extremely rare plants from around the world; build a brand new visitors’ centre, explore and digitise the archive of this fascinating landmark;  create new accessible walkways and a sensory garden. In addition the public toilet block is to be upgraded and will close in February next year to re-open in the summer.

Worthing Borough Council’s Highdown Gardens project manager Gary Prescod said: "This is a really exciting time for Highdown Gardens. This project will help visitors experience these gardens in a new and exciting way, tell their wonderful story in a more compelling way and ensure the protection of the beautiful plants we have here.

"However to get there we do need to work on the gardens for example demolish the old bungalow and build a new visitors’ centre, construct new accessible walkways and develop new elements to the garden. We hope people will bear with us as we bring this dream into reality."

The HLF-funded dramatic transformation will preserve the vital work undertaken by Sir Frederick Stern and carried on for the last 50 years by owners Worthing Borough Council.

The 8.5 acre gardens, internationally important because they are home to hundreds of rare plants and trees uniquely grown on chalk soil, are visited by tens of thousands of people every year.

A plant heritage officer funded under the project is already at work cataloguing the hundreds of rare and exotic plants Sir Frederick bredand grew at Highdown including many from plant hunters he sponsored on trips around the world. Many of these have not been identified in recent times and could add to the Garden’s importance as a National Collection.

Several of the rare plant specimens have been selected as valuable additions to Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place, West Sussex.

Although the gardens will effectively have to be treated as a building site until the summer they will be open on two special days when access will be available through the lower garden. The dates will be Sunday February 2, 2020 for a snowdrops tour and Thursday March 19, 2020 for a spring bulb day.

Greater Brighton wine industry bubbles with success

Greater Brighton leaders have praised a family-run vineyard for leading the way in putting English sparkling wine on the global map and unbottling a multi-million pound industry.

In less than 25 years Ridgeview’s stunning vineyard at the foot of picturesque South Downs has blossomed into one of the best in the world, with the cool climate and top class specialist facilities aiding the production of sparkling wines fit for the Queen.

Global awards, international exports and an increase in production to more than a quarter of a million bottles have followed as English sparkling wine starts to replace champagne as the ‘go-to drink’ for celebrations.

Greater Brighton representatives recently had a chance to see the fruits of the firm’s labour first hand and hear how the Ditchling-based operation has been at the heart of a revolution in the UK wine industry.

The delegation heard how it has led to the development of a multi-million pound viticulture business within the City Region while supporting the ongoing growth of agriculture, hospitality and tourism.

Councillor Daniel Humphreys, Chairman of Greater Brighton, said: “It was a pleasure to meet the team at Ridgeview, a fantastic family business which has been operating in the heart of the Greater Brighton region for 25 years.

“They now not only export all over the world but have added to the diversity of our region creating a thriving wine business which contributes an enormous amount to the wider sustainability of the region.

“It’s been a real privilege hearing how the team have done a fantastic job in raising the quality of UK wine to the point where they now have the champagne region on the run. It is a brilliant story about our sub region and how we are creating a resilient and diverse economy which provides a range of skilled jobs for residents in our communities.”

Ridgeview was founded in 1995 by Mike and Chris Roberts who were keen to develop a vibrant sustainable business around their passion for wine.

Since then, the vineyard has gone from strength to strength - winning the International Winemaker of the Year award and becoming the only English wine producer to be included in the prestigious Top 50 Vineyards in the world global list.

Ridgeview wines are now proudly served at Buckingham Palace State Banquets and No. 10 Downing Street while produce is exported to nine countries, including the USA, China and Japan.

The tour also gave Greater Brighton representatives the chance to see the firm’s new £1.8 winery which aims to double production to 500,000 bottles by 2023.

Key to this investment is an underground cellar space, which will allow it to store more than a million bottles of wine and step up the production of products for national supermarkets

The growth of Ridgeview and other vineyards in the City Region has meant the UK wine industry is developing at great pace.

According to WineGB, the industry’s trade body, production of English wine trebled from 5.9 million bottles in 2017 to 15.6 million in 2018. 

This popularity is creating new opportunities in employment. Currently 2,000 people are employed within the UK wine industry, with up to 30,000 new jobs created by 2040 if investment continues.

Tamara Roberts, Ridgeview CEO, said: “We started 25 years ago when the industry didn’t exist and have been one of the pioneers alongside other producers to really put English sparkling wines on the global wine map

“We are sustainable, we invest back into local businesses and have a great relationships with local restaurants, hotels and chefs as well as a tourism aspect with tastings, tours and outlet allowing customers to buy from us direct.

“It was great to welcome the Greater Brighton delegation to our site and explain our ongoing ambition to increase the tourism side of things and exports while also opening up new markets domestically as our supply increases.”

For more details visit www.ridgeview.co.uk.

Local Manufactureres Focus on Making a Success of Marketing

Manufacturing businesses in Sussex are on the road to marketing success following the latest event run by METALL, the forum for local manufacturing, engineering and technology companies.

Industrial marketing specialists, Katie and Nik Webb, directors of Worthing-based agency Molokini Marketing, guided members through the common marketing challenges facing businesses in the sector, and how they can tackle them.

“The marketing landscape has changed incredibly over the last 15 years, thanks to the proliferation of digital channels, so there has never been a more important time to focus on the return on investment that marketing brings,” said Katie Webb. “Those businesses that truly understand the motivation of their customers, who embed knowledge and passion throughout their workforce, use data to define the best channels and constantly review conversion rates, are the ones who will reap the rewards.”

Nik Webb highlighted the importance of brand building. “Brand isn’t about a name and a logo; it’s about how businesses communicate their values and vision so that customers feel connected. This is the foundation that drives the marketing effort and creates the conditions for strategic growth.”

Katie and Nik reiterated that during uncertain times, investing in your brand and marketing strategy becomes ever more important in order to stay ahead. They provided examples of best practice in the industry, inspiring attendees that even small changes that utilise the resources they already have, can make a big difference.

Following the presentation there was a great deal of discussion in the room from business owners looking to maximise their marketing potential, whether through using an in-house team, a freelancer or agency.

Tony Summers, Head of Manufacturing at MHA Carpenter Box, commented: “It was apparent from the level of audience participation that attendees had real passion for their business and a desire to communicate that effectively to potential customers, something that helps to underpin successful marketing.”

METALL brings together Sussex coast and Gatwick Diamond manufacturing businesses to help them grow their businesses, network, share best practice, overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities. It is supported by chartered accountants and tax advisors MHA Carpenter Box, law firm DMH Stallard, and Coast to Capital, the Local Enterprise Partnership.