Ethical lending supported by Worthing Council

More people will be able to access fair and affordable ways to manage their money thanks to Worthing Borough Council.

As part on ongoing work to assist low-income and vulnerable communities, the Council has been working with local credit union BOOM to provide safe and ethical loans and savings. The work also involves helping members of the street homeless community open bank accounts to ensure they can receive welfare payments.

Formed out of a merger between the former Surrey and West Sussex Credit Unions, the not-for-profit organisation said nearly half of all loans agreed in recent months have been in Worthing - with nearly £1 million now lent to residents in our communities.

To ensure BOOM can continue to support those in need, senior councillors on Adur & Worthing’s Joint Strategic Committee agreed at a meeting this week to invest a further £25,000 in member-owned co-operative.

Mary D’Arcy, Adur & Worthing Councils’ Director for Communities, said: “We know that having access to affordable credit is essential for many residents.

“Without help to access credit and support to manage tight budgets as well as encouragement to save, some people could very quickly find themselves in financial difficulties after resorting to doorstep lenders and ‘so called’ payday loans.

“By investing in BOOM we are investing in our communities and ensuring that this valuable resource can continue supporting our residents.”

Both Worthing Borough Council and Adur District Council invested £25,000 in the credit union in 2014.

Recent months has seen BOOM receive an increasing number of queries from Worthing residents to consolidate expensive loans into affordable payments. Requests for loans to cover rent arrears and deposits on new tenancies are also on the rise.

In light of this extra demand, Council leaders believe the extra money will ensure support can continue be provided.

The investment will have the added bonus of helping local residents save - as anyone with a BOOM loan has to put an amount aside each month, meaning they have a nest egg after paying off the debt.

Andy Johnson, General Manager at BOOM, said: “The continued support from Worthing Borough Council has been invaluable to us. With investments like this, we are able to help many of the local residents avoid financial exclusion or the option of high interest lenders with can easily lead into a spiral of debt.

“We actively campaign to create opportunities for people to save and manage their money more effectively, working with our members to try and reduce situations of stress and difficulty which the demands of money troubles can bring. In fact, we want that saving ethos to start so early, we have recently started our new Junior Savers campaign to encourage this.

“We are also looking to support those residents that may struggle to access high street banks and working with Engage we are able to provide a Current Account option as an alternative.”

The Council also said it will continue its work with BOOM to prepare local residents for the full rollout of Universal Credit which is planned for Worthing and most parts of Adur in July 2018.

While officers admitted that some of concerns around the initial stages of the Universal Credit process of payment of benefits have been addressed by the government, work continues to ensure our communities understand the changes.

This includes issuing advice and guidance on a range of financial and other related issues - such as working with the credit union to reduce the amount required to open an account from £5 to £2.50 for some particularly vulnerable clients. The Council has also worked with BOOM to support our street homeless community to open accounts despite individuals not always being able to provide the standard forms of identification.

As well as supporting financial inclusion, the Council is also helping people to get online through its IT Junction programme. Established with the Department of Work and Pensions, there are more than 10 centres across the area which provide support for new Universal Credit claimants to manage their claim online.

The Councils are committed to continuing to provide our communities with information and support to navigate the changes as they occur,. A separate web page has been established on the Councils’ website and an easy-to-understand video explains the impact of Universal Credit. Please feel free to share this widely.

Website Dedicated To Caring For Elderly Parents Launches In Sussex

Research shows that over three million people in the UK have to juggle caring for a loved one with their busy career and a survey carried out by Carer’s UK showed that two out of five workers who are carers were up to £20,000 worse off per year as a result.

Age Space is the online community for anyone concerned about ageing parents or relatives, has today launched a bespoke site dedicated to Brighton & Hove, East and West Sussex.

The counties have the highest percentage of over 85s anywhere in England. Brighton & Hove alone has approximately 35,600 people aged 65+, which is increasing every year; and the older population of West Sussex (183,969 in 2014) is expected to rise by 65% by 2039.

Age Space Founder, Annabel James (54), developed the website after her Mother had a stroke and she found it hard to find information, or to know what to do, for the best to support her Mum’s long stay in hospital and recovery.

‘Keeping Mum’, research commissioned by Age Space, found that more than half (54%) of Britons aged between 45 and 64 give practical, financial, health or personal care to at least one parent.

These concerns are taking their toll, with over half (53%) of respondents in the ‘Keeping Mum’ report stating that supporting their parents is negatively affecting their wellbeing and 26% said that they didn’t know where to start looking for advice 

Others compared it to the single most stressful life event with moving to a new house, changing schools and getting divorced.

Age Space aims to make it easier for those who are concerned about their parent’s care providing all the trusted information they need, in one place. At www.agespace.org people can find practical, up-to-date guidance on all aspects of supporting elderly parents, including health and stages of care, finance and legal matters, all specifically tailored to the Sussex area. It is the only website of its kind helping the seven million adults currently caring for, or supporting their elderly parents (Age UK, 2017).

Age Space also has a friendly online forum where users can ask questions and share experiences with like-minded people. There is also an online directory of contact information for relevant local services, businesses and charities.

Annabel James, Founder of Age Space said: “Our research shows the need for much better information and support for the generation that has the responsibility of ‘parenting their parent’.

“This is a major issue for employers, communities and families, and one which we need to confront collectively to ensure that our ageing population receives the very best care.

“When suddenly finding yourself responsible for the care of a relative, it’s natural for you to feel worried and not know what to do. Age Space is there for you to make this difficult time easier by providing practical, localised information to ensure that our ageing population receives the very best care.”

The Age Space website also features specialist content written by experts from Age Space’s partners Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP, Leaders Estate Agents alongside advice from charities who support the older generation which include Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, Impact Initiatives and Action on Elder Abuse.

If you would like more information or help with caring for an elderly parent go to www.agespace.org or join the Forum which can assist with any dilemmas you may have.

To become a partner or official supporter, please contact Annabel directly by emailing annabel.james@agespace.org.

Summer 2018 Wedding Packages at the Dome

These fantastic offers are available from May, through to August

Offer includes:

• 50 guests
  
• All day hire of the Main Lounge with inclusive use of the Whispering Gallery for two hours.
  
• Prosecco Reception
  
• Silver menu, three course wedding breakfast.
  
• Evening buffet 

Prices:

• Friday: £3499
  
• Saturday: £3999
  
• Sunday - Thursday: £2999 
  

Let The Light In: stunning plans to transform Worthing Museum and Art Gallery revealed

Inspirational plans for Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, which will see it transformed into a destination visitor attraction with regional and national appeal, have been launched.

To achieve this aspirational vision the museum have teamed up with award winning architects Allies and Morrison to create a light filled engaging development for the Grade II Listed Edwardian building entitled “Let The Light In”.

The project focuses on taking the building back to its original glory, stripping out the the plasterboard panels and fake ceilings that were added in the 60s and 70s and opening up the windows and roof lights that are currently boarded up.

This will open up the entire building into a seamless bright spacious series of galleries to showcase the fantastic collections as well as significantly expanding education and research facilities.

Plans were unveiled to MPs, business representatives, educational organisations and cultural experts from across the region at a special event in the Museum and Gallery last week (Thursday April 12).

The response was incredibly positive and the delegates were unanimous in support of the thrilling development.

Martin Randall, Adur & Worthing Councils’ Director for the Economy, said: “With 60,000 visitors each year Worthing Museum and Art Gallery already plays a big part in the town’s local economy. But we think it can be even better.

“These changes could create a centre of national significance in the heart of our community. That is great news not only researchers from the film industry, fashion houses and historians who will  get access to the wonderful collections but also for our local community who will have an inspirational cultural hub.

“The museum and art gallery which is part of Worthing Borough Council’s Culture offer will double current visitor numbers to reach 120,000 by the end of 2020.

“Combined with the work we are doing in terms of regeneration and improving public spaces, this is all part of the Councils’ wider vision of bringing investment into Worthing.”

The historic nature of the 110-year-old structure combined with unsympathetic changes over the years means that currently just 50 per cent of the building is accessible to the public and only 5 per cent of the collection is on display.

By stripping back the building to its Edwardian roots, the aim is to give more room to display the museum’s collection in interactive and exciting ways.

The Educational Space will be increased to support even more visits from local schools and there will be a public area dedication to conservation, moving this work from “backstage” and bringing it under the public gaze.

The plans also include a state-of-the-art costume research centre which will give access to the 30,000 items in the collection. This will turn the the museum into a national centre with 3D photography, 3D printers and pattern cutting tables making it easy to respond to the requests for access we receive from across the country and beyond. The museum is also in discussions with an internationally-renowned fashion house, considering working in close partnership.

Importantly the museum is also considering it’s long term resilience - with the plans including a new café and greater retail space giving a more engaging visitor experience and the opportunity to develop new income streams.

The next stage is to draw in funding for various aspects of the scheme. The key bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund will be completed by June with bids already in to Clore Foundation and Wolfsen. A strategic partnership with private and public funders is also being created.

Worthing Borough Council has committed £125,000 to the project and a further £50,000 to enable the costume research centre to be started by late summer this year.

The ambition is to complete the project by the end of 2020 with the museum remaining open to the public for the majority of the work.

Amanda O’Reilly, Adur & Worthing Councils’ Head of Culture, said: “These really are exciting times for the museum and gallery as well as Worthing as a whole. The vision for the museum is exceptional and we are thrilled to be working on such an exciting project, it goes beyond what we thought possible.

“The Museum is a beautiful building, the collections, particularly the costume, archeology and toys are of national significance and the museum staff and volunteers team are extremely talented and dedicated to the development. Match this with exceptional architects Allies and Morrison who have a real passion for the project, and it is clear something very special is happening.

“The hard work in winning the funding starts now, but we are close to starting phase one and fully expect the project to snowball once the quality of the work can be seen.”

Gerry Connolly, senior curator at Worthing Museum, said: “We are delighted to be opening up the sections of the building that are currently unseen and unused by the public, giving us the space to exhibit a larger percentage of our collections and allowing for more rotation of objects. We are keen to work with artists and designers as well as historians and create displays that surprise and delight our visitors including a 20-foot tower of toys!

“The idea is to open up the whole museum and let the light in - opening up windows and skylights that are currently blocked and turning the museum into something the public can be proud of; a museum for the 21st century.”

Fresh new way to sell local produce: Lancing and Shoreham markets unite under Adur Markets banner

The finest fresh produce from across Sussex will be showcased to an even bigger audience as Adur District Council unveils plans to relaunch it’s award-winning markets programme.

This week, Lancing Village market, Shoreham Farmers’ market and Shoreham Artisans’ market are being rebranded under the umbrella of Adur Markets.

From local butchers to artisan bread makers, small-batch gin producers to renowned local artists, all three have developed a reputation for giving local people a chance to sell fresh field produce, artisan products and crafts.

By bringing the markets together under one banner, the aim is ensure people can access information on all markets in one place while maintaining the specialities of each event.

The rebrand will come into force this weekend (April 21) and coincides with Lancing market moving to a new high-profile location in North Street. With mobile farm animals and entertainment throughout the morning, it is set to be a fitting curtain raiser of what

John Kerr, who managers Adur Markets for Adur District Council, said: “The relaunch of the markets is driven by the aim to bring traders, local businesses and customers together in Lancing and Shoreham.

“Traders visit all three markets, there’s an overlap and the rebrand recognises this as well as encouraging shoppers to visit all three too. If their favourite pie man isn’t at their market one week, they don’t have to wait a month, they can visit another Adur market instead. Having all the information in one place, under one banner makes this easier. Just look for the red tomato, it’s that simple.”

The tomato logo chosen for the Adur Markets has a contemporary feel but is a gentle nod to the history of Adur as a market garden district. Tomatoes were a common crop grown in greenhouses up until the post-war period.

Fruit and veg are still on offer at all three markets but the products on offer are becoming more diverse. Traditional and long-standing stallholders are now trading alongside emerging businesses with small-batch gin producers, artisan bread makers and chocolatiers bringing their wares to Adur Markets.

The rebranding is a celebration of the Adur's history and signals the Council’s continuing commitment to the future of selling fresh produce at markets across the area.

Initiatives include:

· The relocation of Lancing market to a more central location in North Road;

· A drive to support small lifestyle businesses by offering a free pitch for a trader's first market;

· Keeping pitch fees at a competitive rate;

· The introduction of Enterprise stalls where traders are supported with guidance on insurance and environmental health issues.

· Using the Adur Market ‘kit’ to support smaller market events across the district;

· The creation of a one-stop Facebook/Web page listing events happening in all three markets.

The launch of Adur Markets will take place at Lancing Village markets’ new location on North Road this Saturday. The market will be bigger than ever and will include all of the markets’ favourite stalls and a selection of traders attending for the first time.

So far they have small-batch gin, a fishmonger, chocolatiers, local honey and much more. Poppins mobile farm animals will be on site to meet the kids and Worthing’s steel band will be performing as well as other live entertainment throughout the morning.

All three markets will continue to operate on their usual Saturdays

Shoreham Farmers’ Market, East St  2nd Saturday of each month - 9am-2pm

Lancing Village Market, North Road   3rd Saturday of each month - 9am-1pm

Shoreham Artisans’ Market, East St   4th Saturday of each month - 9am - 2pm

Careers Day - Can you help? 26th April

We recognise that the value of interactions with employers for students is immense.

On Thursday 26th April we are running our annual Careers Day. Students in all year groups learn about the process of finding and applying for a job.

For our year 10 students, this involves having a mock interview with an employer for a job that we give them.

This is where you come in... Are you able to give some of your time from 1:30pm-3:00pm on Thursday 26th April to help interview our year 10 students?

Every year it is so rewarding for the students and the business people involved. We would be most grateful if you are able to donate some of your time.

If you are able to help, please contact the Academy, even if you can only offer some of the time we would be most grateful. Please email mmonahan@srwa-woodard.co.uk 

Head of Wealth Management Appointed Partner at MHA Carpenter Box

Roy Thompson, Head of MHA Carpenter Box Wealth Management, has been appointed Partner of the Sussex-based chartered accountants, tax and business advisers, MHA Carpenter Box with effect from the beginning of April.

The MHA Carpenter Box Wealth Management team has progressed from strength-to-strength over the last 12 months with the headcount increasing from eight to eleven and providing investment solutions for nearly 450 clients. This growth is expected to continue with a plan to recruit two additional members of staff this year.

Roy joined the Wealth Management team back in 2011 as a Financial Adviser and has progressed to Partner having previously been a Departmental Director at the firm. With Clydesdale Bank for six years as a Corporate Business Adviser and HSBC Bank, also for six years as a Mortgage & Financial Adviser, Roy has amassed an enviable experience around the financial sector. 

Besides looking after his own client base, Roy is responsible for overseeing the client experience provided by the Wealth Management team.  Roy’s particular area of expertise is in providing pensions advice. Together with other specialists within the team, the Wealth Management business also provides advice on many different types of investments, such as retirement planning and later life investments, as well as general investment advice.

A particular strength is working with the Chartered Tax Advisers at MHA Carpenter Box to deliver 360° tax and wealth management solutions to business owners and high earners. This includes Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed EIS (SEIS) advice.

Roy is delighted with his appointment and commented: “I have always enjoyed a challenge and with new products frequently being introduced and new legislation continually impacting on regulated firms, working in the financial sector is certainly that! I continue to enjoy meeting people and analysing what they are looking for in terms of an investment and then finding the right solutions for them.

“I’m looking forward to growing the Wealth Management team and continue to deliver and build on the already high standard of client care and service that we provide.”

Roy loves to keep busy and his personal life helps him to do just that! He lives in Worthing, is married and has two daughters and two step-daughters; any time he does get to himself is spent on the local golf course.

Ethical lending supported by Worthing Council

More people will be able to access fair and affordable ways to manage their money thanks to Worthing Borough Council.

As part on ongoing work to assist low-income and vulnerable communities, the Council has been working with local credit union BOOM to provide safe and ethical loans and savings. The work also involves helping members of the street homeless community open bank accounts to ensure they can receive welfare payments.

Formed out of a merger between the former Surrey and West Sussex Credit Unions, the not-for-profit organisation said nearly half of all loans agreed in recent months have been in Worthing - with nearly £1 million now lent to residents in our communities.

To ensure BOOM can continue to support those in need, senior councillors on Adur & Worthing’s Joint Strategic Committee agreed at a meeting this week to invest a further £25,000 in member-owned co-operative.

Mary D’Arcy, Adur & Worthing Councils’ Director for Communities, said: “We know that having access to affordable credit is essential for many residents.

“Without help to access credit and support to manage tight budgets as well as encouragement to save, some people could very quickly find themselves in financial difficulties after resorting to doorstep lenders and ‘so called’ payday loans.

“By investing in BOOM we are investing in our communities and ensuring that this valuable resource can continue supporting our residents.”

Both Worthing Borough Council and Adur District Council invested £25,000 in the credit union in 2014.

Recent months has seen BOOM receive an increasing number of queries from Worthing residents to consolidate expensive loans into affordable payments. Requests for loans to cover rent arrears and deposits on new tenancies are also on the rise.

In light of this extra demand, Council leaders believe the extra money will ensure support can continue be provided.

The investment will have the added bonus of helping local residents save - as anyone with a BOOM loan has to put an amount aside each month, meaning they have a nest egg after paying off the debt.

Andy Johnson, General Manager at BOOM, said: “The continued support from Worthing Borough Council has been invaluable to us. With investments like this, we are able to help many of the local residents avoid financial exclusion or the option of high interest lenders with can easily lead into a spiral of debt.

“We actively campaign to create opportunities for people to save and manage their money more effectively, working with our members to try and reduce situations of stress and difficulty which the demands of money troubles can bring. In fact, we want that saving ethos to start so early, we have recently started our new Junior Savers campaign to encourage this.

“We are also looking to support those residents that may struggle to access high street banks and working with Engage we are able to provide a Current Account option as an alternative.”

The Council also said it will continue its work with BOOM to prepare local residents for the full rollout of Universal Credit which is planned for Worthing and most parts of Adur in July 2018.

While officers admitted that some of concerns around the initial stages of the Universal Credit process of payment of benefits have been addressed by the government, work continues to ensure our communities understand the changes.

This includes issuing advice and guidance on a range of financial and other related issues - such as working with the credit union to reduce the amount required to open an account from £5 to £2.50 for some particularly vulnerable clients. The Council has also worked with BOOM to support our street homeless community to open accounts despite individuals not always being able to provide the standard forms of identification.

As well as supporting financial inclusion, the Council is also helping people to get online through its IT Junction programme. Established with the Department of Work and Pensions, there are more than 10 centres across the area which provide support for new Universal Credit claimants to manage their claim online.

The Councils are committed to continuing to provide our communities with information and support to navigate the changes as they occur,. A separate web page has been established on the Councils’ website and an easy-to-understand video explains the impact of Universal Credit. Please feel free to share this widely.

Now Taking Applications – Small Business Growth Grant and Apprenticeship Grant

Adur & Worthing Council in association with the Adur & Worthing Business Partnership is excited to launch the second round of the highly successful Small Business Growth Grant and Apprenticeship Grant. 

The funding is a result of an innovative partnership between District and Borough Councils in West Sussex, aimed at helping to finance business growth and apprenticeship training across the County.

Local micro businesses can apply for up to £2500 to fund capital purchases, such as new equipment, support with marketing, training or making improvements to their commercial business premises.  This funding is then matched by the business, providing project funding up to £5000 in total. 

Local small businesses can also apply for a one off grant of £1500 per apprentice, (up to a maximum of 2) to help cover the costs of taking on and training an apprentice. 

Local consultancy firm, Chapter Three Consulting, was one of the first to be awarded money from the first round of the highly successful scheme.   Realising the new GDPR data protection legislation would have a significant impact on organisations across the UK they applied to help fund ISO 27001 accreditation. 

Eddie Finch, Director said “ The Small Business Grant has enabled us to complete the ISO27001 process and deliver a comprehensive and cost effective GDPR Review to our clients. We were able to grow our team by one member of staff in 2017 and are looking forward to another member of the team joining us in Q1 of 2018.”

To date the scheme has also supported apprenticeship uptake in the area.  Mark Cropley, owner of Whitebox UK Van Accessories and Custom Interiors, was delighted to be able to offer a Level 3 Digital Apprenticeship opportunity to Jerry Hopkins, studying through local training provider, Greater Brighton Metropolitan College.

On Jerry’s input so far, Mark said “Jerry has made a huge difference to our workforce.  Whilst he is responsible for the upkeep of our website, in all honesty he mucks in as and where necessary.  It’s been great to offer a young person a great start to the world of work”.

Damian Pulford, Managing Director at Sussex Transport and a member of the grant compliance board said “Well done Adur & Worthing Council – Its fantastic news and a great start to the year to have secured another significant amount of grant funding. This additional money will continue to benefit and help in the development of many small local businesses within the Worthing and Adur region”.

Full details of the grant including eligibility and the application process can be found here.

This is how the smaller firm finance picture is changing

As more UK businesses complain about a lack of funding and others are scaling back operations or closing them, invoice finance is becoming an increasingly popular service with smaller firms.

It is clear that market conditions are becoming more and more challenging for businesses. Hot on the heels of the demise of Toys R Us and Maplin, Ultimo has announced that it is ceasing operations in the UK. The lingerie firm has cited “increasing competition and more cautious consumer spending due to the uncertainty surrounding the UK economy over the last 18 months” for its decision.

Tellingly, the latest Aldermore Future Attitudes report claims that almost 25% of SMEs are missing out on new business opportunities because of a lack of available funding. The total of 1.27 million firms represents a 4% increase over the previous year’s figure. In the south east alone, businesses are missing out on average annual income of £113,000. Notably, almost a third of SMEs reported that accessing funding and cashflow issues are their biggest concerns.

The continued cautiousness of traditional lenders is a key factor in the struggle to secure funding and a main reason behind the surge in the popularity of alternative finance, including invoice finance and asset-based finance. The latest figures from UK Finance show that invoice finance and asset-based lending was worth £23.4 billion at the end of 2017, an increase of 5% over the total at the same date in 2016.

This is how invoice and asset finance was used to finance a management buy-out of a business from retiring owners.

Interestingly, the data show a marked upturn in use of the services by smaller firms. According to the research, invoice finance and asset-based finance lending to smaller companies rose by almost 20% for the year, worth over £830 million. Greater awareness of these non-bank facilities and worsening market conditions are likely to be key drivers of this growth.

Further evidence of this trend can be seen in the opening of the new Countingup challenger bank that will focus on small businesses. According to the bank, a key decision behind the move was the neglect shown towards smaller firms by high-street lenders.

To date, 2018 has given small business owners little reason for cheer and there is little to suggest that this picture will change meaningfully in the short term. As the numbers above demonstrate, accessing funding will be vital to maintaining momentum amidst these challenging conditions and one of most important means of doing so will be alternative finance.

To find out more about A&T Business Associates services, contact Tony on 01903 602211 or tony@atbusinessassociates.co.uk.