Brighton and Hove to become a Sharing City

Brighton and Hove to become a Sharing City

The launch of Brighton and Hove Sharing City will take place on Tuesday 27 November 2018 at the Latest Music Bar.

Created by social enterprise, The People Who Share, and locally supported by Brighton and Hove Circular, this initiative aims to help build a more caring, inclusive, smart city, ready to face the challenges of the future.

Brighton and Hove will join over 80 cities around the world - including Amsterdam, Seoul, San Francisco and most recently, Norwich and Leeds in the UK, who are adopting the Sharing City concept. Based on the idea that our most pressing challenges including wealth, inequality, social isolation and climate resilience have the potential to be offset by the efficient and equitable sharing of vital resources with each other, the Sharing City movement is gaining momentum.

Benita Matofska, founder of The People Who Share, says: “The Brighton and Hove Sharing City launch, will bring people together across our wonderful city to discover, experience and celebrate the city’s sharing culture and help build a more caring, inclusive, sustainable, sharing economy. Sharing Cities are connected, smart cities, ready to take on the challenges of the future. Through sharing resources, we can achieve that.”

David Greenfield of Circular Brighton, says: "Circular Brighton and Hove (CB&H) are delighted to be part of Brighton and Hove Sharing City because we believe that sharing resources, be it people, food, clothing, goods or cars is key to building a circular economy in our city, creating social, environmental and economic value."

Brighton and Hove Sharing City launch event promises a shared experience to remember with a host of inspiring talks, activities, networking and entertainment including: The Dulcetones community choir, singer-songwriter Rifka Ravena, spoken word by Gramski, skiffle band Shonky Tonk, a community sing-a-long led by Sarah Tohill, crowd comedy with Gerry Thompson, citizen innovation - a chance to have your say and co-create, Tech Takeback - bring your old gadgets and give them a new lease of life.

Share Table in support of Brighton Voices in Exile, Give and Get with Cat Fletcher from Freegle, Conversation Corner with Alice Reeves from BelongCon and a bring-and-share potluck feast.

There’ll be talks by Ian Davey and Mila Brazzi of BikeShareBTN, a sneak preview slideshow of Generation Share by visual storyteller Sophie Sheinwald, insights by David Greenfield from Circular Brighton and Hove, plus guest speaker, visitor and lifelong sharer, Tom Llewellyn from the USA’s Shareable.net, co-editor of Sharing Cities: Activating the Urban Commons.

For more information and to book a free ticket, please visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brighton-and-hove-sharing-city-tickets-51448085609.

Free offers, discounts and a Free Prize Draw but can you guess who from?

‘Free offers, discounts and a Free Prize Draw but can you guess who from?

Here’s a message from East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service that might surprise you and could get you some free gifts too. Here’s what they’ve got to say.

‘Hi from East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS). Yes, we’re all about the safety but that doesn’t mean we want to wrap people in cotton wool and never let them go out. We want to help ensure that everyone in the area has great nights out – and in – but safely.

To prove it, we’ve joined forces with many local organisations to offer you all kinds of freebies, vouchers, discounts and a free monthly prize draw to help you have fun.

All you have to do is sign up to join Brighton Tribe and agree to receive occasional messages from ESFRS – but don’t worry, we won’t bombard you!

Just go to Brighton Tribe, complete the short form and wait for the offers to arrive. You can also forward this link to a friend and they can benefit from the rewards as well.

So, sign up to Brighton Tribe today.

UK Homeowners stay put for nearly two decades, choosing to improve not move, reveals Barclays Mortgages

The 2018 Barclays Home Improvement Report has found that the average Brit now stays in their property for 19 years before moving, and regularly updates their home in this time

Homeowners in the South East spend an average of 17.4 years in a property

Over half (54 per cent) of UK homeowners choose to make improvements to their current homes rather than move to a new property

Woodchip wallpaper, mirrored ceilings and carpeted bathrooms are considered the biggest décor faux pas, while bi-fold external doors are highly desired

Property expert, Phil Spencer has teamed up with Barclays Mortgages to highlight the current trends in home improvements and how the majority of homeowners prefer to home-improve rather than move in 2018.

Barclays Mortgages has today released its 2018 Home Improvement Report. Looking at the Nation’s attitudes towards renovations, the report has revealed that Brits are now staying in their property for nearly two decades, with the majority of homeowners (54 per cent) saying they would rather improve their current home than move to a new one.

Homeowners in the South East spend an average of 17.4 years in a property, well below the national average of 18.7 years and four years less than people in Wales.

Improvement trends:

The most popular improvements to make are fitting new carpets (35 per cent), installing a new kitchen (31 per cent) and landscaping the garden (29 per cent). The most desired home improvements are bi-fold doors into the garden (30 per cent), smart home tech (26 per cent) and a spa bathroom (20 per cent).

The report also revealed the biggest home improvement faux pas, with woodchip wallpaper (60 per cent) considered the biggest property turn off.

Property churn rate:

In fact, data produced for the report in conjunction with property analytics business Hometrack found that the average person in the UK stays put for 19 years1. The figures show that those in Wales are the least likely to move property regularly, with the average homeowner staying put for nearly 23 years. However, those in Scotland are the quickest movers, upping sticks after an average of almost 15 years.

Reasons to improve:

The new research found that the main reason for people choosing to improve their home is to make their property reflect their personal taste (48 per cent), but one in four (25 per cent) stated that their main motivation was to increase the value of their property.

With a continually challenging property market, it is perhaps not surprising that money is a key driver for homeowners. In fact, over a quarter (28 per cent) of those surveyed by Barclays Mortgages said that whilst they did want to move, they have had to improve their current home because they cannot afford to do so.

The report also found that social media is having an increasingly large impact on people’s approach to updating their property – particularly in the younger age groups. For example, four in ten (43 per cent) 23 - 34-year olds surveyed stated that they had been inspired to improve their home from what they have seen on social media. While 15 per cent admitted to improving a room specifically to post on their social channels.

No matter what the motivation, the new report highlights how committed homeowners are doing up their homes. In fact, a huge 79 per cent of homeowners have made home improvements in the past two years, and 73 per cent want to make improvements in the next 12 months.

TV property expert Phil Spencer, official spokesperson of the Barclays Mortgages Home Improvement Report, comments: “There has long been an appetite for home improvements in the UK, and with so many of us now staying in our properties for such a long time, it is clear that our homes are so much more than just bricks and mortar – they are a space for us to relax and enjoy times with our loved ones, so it is important to make them fit for purpose.

“It is also really interesting to see how social media is impacting on our attitude to home improvements. It’s clear that the likes of Instagram and Pinterest are really inspiring particularly the younger generation and I’m sure this is partly contributing to the changing interior tastes. I would encourage anyone looking to update their home to take inspiration where they can, but always think about the long-term – ask yourself how something will look in 3, 5, 10 years before committing your time and money.”

Hannah Bernard, Head of Mortgages at Barclays said: “The Barclays Mortgages Home Improvement Report highlights a strong appetite among homeowners to make improvements. We understand that there are many motivations for updating your home, from simply wanting to make your home better reflect your own tastes to adding more space for a growing family.”

For further information, visit: https://www.barclays.co.uk/moments/improving-your-home/

Brighton Technology Company Open Their Doors to University and Brighton Students

Brighton Technology Company Open Their Doors to University and Brighton Students

On 9th November, Paxton welcomed students to their state-of-the-art Paxton Technology Centre to showcase what’s on offer from the 2019 Paxton Scholarship programme. Over 140 enthusiastic students attended the scholarship open day, where they discussed the Paxton’s latest products with Paxton's technology experts in engineering, research and product design. The students enjoyed hands-on product demonstrations and discovered their potential career opportunities with the company.

Samson Mwita, student at University of Sussex, said: “I think it’s great that Paxton are offering students this opportunity and guidance with their studying. It seems like a fun exciting company to work for and hearing about the company’s journey directly from the CEO was really inspiring.”

Paxton, who design and manufacture security systems, launched the Paxton Scholarship in 2017. They now offer students studying engineering and product design related courses, the opportunity to win one of four scholarship places each worth £10,000, plus a 3-month paid work placement from July 2019. As part of the scholarship, they will participate in current technology research projects at Paxton, that will form the final year project of their degree course.

2018 Paxton scholar Laurence Budd, BSc Computer Science student at University of Brighton, said: “I am working on an idea for a new internal app and I’ll be testing some CCTV cameras too. I can happily say I’m thrilled to be working here at Paxton and I’m loving working on the projects I’ve been given.”

Commenting on the open day, Adam Stroud, Paxton’s Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted that Paxton has been able to attract so many students to our open day. All our visitors were able to see first-hand some of the technologies we use, and chat with staff about what it’s like having a career at Paxton.

“Our partnerships with both University of Brighton and Sussex are going from strength to strength. The Paxton Scholarship is an initiative that we intend to build on each year. This year, we have four scholarship places to award and I can already tell that it’s, once again, going to be a difficult decision.”

George Livas, student at University of Brighton, said: “The scholarship open day was fantastic. The facilities at Paxton are amazing and all of the staff were lovely and polite. I really enjoyed the presentation from the CEO and talking to the product developers.

For further information about the company and the variety of job opportunities Paxton are recruiting for, please visit http://paxton.info/3690

UK faces employability skills gap as nearly 54% of adults in the South East lack the full set of core transferable skills

UK faces employability skills gap as nearly 54% of adults in the South East lack the full set of core transferable skills

·         54 per cent of adults in the South East failed to demonstrate all the core employability skills needed for the future world of work: proactivity, adaptability, leadership, creativity, resilience, communication and problem solving

·         A third of employers aren’t planning to offer training in these skills in the near future, meaning people will need to take control of their own lifelong learning

·         To help address the problem, Barclays will be extending its LifeSkills programme to the whole of the UK workforce, aiming to help 10 million people by the end of 2022

The South East is facing a significant skills gap as the public fail to demonstrate core employability skills, such as leadership and creativity, a major new study from Barclays LifeSkills can reveal.

The report, “How employable is the UK?”, which surveyed and tested over 10,000 16-65 year olds, 600 employers and 500 educators from across the UK, found that more than half (57 per cent) of over 16s are failing to demonstrate all the employability skills needed to succeed in the future workplace. In the South East this figure falls to 54 per cent, 3 per cent lower than the UK average.

These skills are crucial in preparing the UK for a world of work where, due to the speed of change, we are unable to accurately predict what the jobs of the future will look like and what technical skills will be needed. The seven employability skills are what humans are best at – they cannot be replicated by robots and will become even more valuable in the future, as global patterns of work change and automation, freelance working patterns and the average working age all increase.

The study showed that traditional sources of these skills, like in-work training and formal education, are not currently set-up to tackle the employability skills gap. Despite the majority (79 per cent) of UK employers rating the skills as important to their industry in the next ten years, a third (34 per cent) do not plan to offer any training in the near future. Research among teachers from across the UK revealed that 22 per cent don’t think their institution is effective in developing employability skills for pupils, with just 6 per cent feeling that their students are fully prepared with these skills when leaving the school gates.

The report highlights that, if we are to be successful in addressing this employability skills gap, educators, businesses and the Government must work more closely together. There is a clear need to raise awareness of the importance of these skills and increase the support available to people of all ages – ultimately helping the UK to thrive in the working world of tomorrow.

PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH EAST OVER CONFIDENT IN THEIR SKILLS

Respondents from the South East showed that they were over confident across the seven employability skills. 18 per cent of people in the South East had a confidence gap, with a mismatch between their high self-assessed skill levels and the reality of their test results. In comparison, 24 per cent of Londoners had a confidence gap, the highest skills confidence gap of any region.

GENERATION GAPS

The research findings showed Millennials as the lowest performing age group, with just 4 in 10 (39 per cent) of 25-34 year olds able to display all of the core skills. This generation risks being overtaken in the increasingly competitive employment landscape by the younger Gen Z (16-24 year olds), a slightly greater proportion of whom (41 per cent) can demonstrate all seven key skills, despite only just having entered the workforce. Across younger respondents however, the study found high levels of over confidence when matching actual abilities to how they rated themselves, showing the need for ongoing support in building skills.

In comparison, almost half (47 per cent) of Baby Boomers (51-65 year olds) had the full range of employability skills but rated far lower in their self-confidence, meaning those who are working later into life may need support in using their strong skillsets to their full advantage.

GENDER DIFFERENCES

For every skill, women outperformed men, with 46 per cent of women able to demonstrate they had all seven skills, compared to just 39 per cent of men. Despite this gap, men were much more likely than women to be highly confident in their own skills, particularly when it came to adaptability (19 per cent of men compared to 14 per cent of women).

Ashok Vaswani, CEO of Barclays UK, said: “Today’s findings show the importance of lifelong learning, whatever your age or chosen career path. I firmly believe that education should not stop at the school gates – businesses, educators and the Government all have a role to play.

“We need to work together to agree a core set of transferable employability skills, giving people of all ages the tools needed to upskill and ultimately creating a competitive workforce that will support the UK economy.

“That is why Barclays is backing the UK by announcing the expansion of our LifeSkills programme to all ages – by the end of 2022 we’re committing to helping 10 million adults build the employability skills they need to succeed in the future workplace.”

Does your business care for the carers?

Does your business care for the carers? How you can support your staff carers.

Supporting your staff carers will reduce sick leave, improve morale and increase staff

retention.

Becoming a more carer friendly employer can be as simple as displaying a Carers

Hub poster, encouraging a conversation about caring or acknowledging a staff

member needs 10 minutes quiet time to call their cared-for.

Contact us for a chat, free training, free resources and free EFC membership, so we

can help you support your staff.

For more information, contact:

Charly Snell, charlotte.snell@thecarerscentre.org / 01273 746222

Gatwick Announce Public Exhibitions on Development Plans

Gatwick Airport has launched its draft master plan for consultation (https://www.gatwickairport.com/business-community/growing-gatwick/long-term-plans/). The draft master plan sets out proposals for the airport’s ongoing development and sustainable growth. It explains how Gatwick Airport can meet the increasing demand for air travel and provide Britain with enhanced global connectivity. This draft master plan is also a direct response to the Government’s recent call for UK airports to look at ‘making best use of their existing runways’ and how Gatwick could grow across three scenarios for runway development.

Gatwick Airport are keen to hear the views of local communities, partners and stakeholders. A 12-week public consultation is now live and includes six public exhibitions in the local area, which will help inform the publication of the final master plan early next year. Consultation closes at 5pm on 10 January 2019 and can be completed online by following this link.

Public exhibitions will also be held at the following dates and locations:

HORSHAM

Date: Saturday 3 November

Time: 15:30-19:30

Location: The Barn, Causeway, Horsham, RH12 1HE

CROYDON

Date: Thursday 8 November

Time: 15:30-19:30

Location: Centrale Shopping Centre, Croydon, CR0 1TY

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Date: Saturday 10 November

Time: 11:00-17:00

Location: Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2SS

BRIGHTON

Date: Monday 12 November

Time: 14:30-18:30

Location: Churchill Square Shopping Centre, Western Road, Brighton, BN1 2RG

CRAWLEY

Date: Saturday 17 November

Time: 11:00-17:00

Location: County Mall Shopping Centre, Crawley, RH10 1FG

HORLEY

Date: Saturday 24 November

Time: 15:30-19:30

Location: Horley Leisure Centre, Anderson Way, Horley RH6 8SP

Brighton & Hove economy stable post Brexit says latest UK Powerhouse report

Brighton & Hove economy stable post Brexit says latest UK Powerhouse report

The latest report from thinktank UK Powerhouse takes a unique look across the UK, analysing closely the nuances and varying impacts of Brexit across the UK’s diverse regions - as well as the opportunities available to them as they adapt.

Brighton and Hove currently sits at 12 in the UK rankings for growth, beating Manchester, Edinburgh and even London. Post Brexit, the report outlines some big winners and losers, but Brighton & Hove remains unchanged and still comfortably in the top 20. To find our more, click here.

Key Findings

• In Q2 2019, Cambridge will top the Powerhouse table for GVA growth.

• Farming and agribusiness in the UK will lose significant subsidies from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, with particular impact in the South of England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

• Foreign Direct Investment to the UK may be reduced in the short term.

• The services sector can adapt to Brexit quickly, if it makes use of its global links outside of the EU.

• After Brexit, Manchester and Leeds will provide opportunities for growth in the knowledge-intensive business services sector.

• In the event of an even more devalued pound, cities such as London could see more visits from tourists.

Local Data Company Publish Quarterly Report on UK Store Closures

Local Data Company Publish Quarterly Report on UK Store Closures

The latest report from LDC highlights some shocking figures, laying bare the current state of play in the uk retail and leisure sectors. The report includes insight on:

• Analysis on structural changes made to retail stock in H1 2018.

• Data on vacancy rate changes split by region and retail location type.

• Openings and closures trend data across retail categories and business type (multiple or independent).

• A review of changes in LDC Health Index Scores.

• A review of the fastest growing retailers and international brands opening stores in the UK.

• A review of M&A activity and a look at the brands who have made strategic partnerships in order to compete in today's challenging market.

• Commentary from some of the UK's top brands.

Click here to download your copy of the report.

VOTING NOW OPEN FOR SUSSEX FOOD AND DRINK AWARDS 2019

VOTING NOW OPEN FOR SUSSEX FOOD AND DRINK AWARDS 2019

Food and drink lovers across the county will be voting in their thousands over the next two months to ensure their favourite food and drink heroes have their chance to reach the grand finals in this year’s Sussex Food and Drink Awards.

The top ten finalists were announced this week for Sussex Food Producer of the Year sponsored by Southern Co-op; Sussex Farmers Market of the Year sponsored by Harvey’s Brewery; Sussex Butcher of the Year sponsored by RP Meats Wholesale Ltd; Sussex Food Shop of the Year sponsored by Sussex Food & Drink Network; Sussex Drink Producer of the Year sponsored by Natural PR; and Sussex Eating Experience of the Year sponsored by Natural Partnerships CIC.

Sussex is blessed with a wealth of amazing food and drink producers and over the last 13 years the Sussex Food and Drink Awards have helped enormously to support and boost local farmers, food and drink producers and the outlets that use and sell this superb local fare.

A record 15,000 votes were received for the Sussex Food and Drink Awards last year and the expert judging panel, chaired by local dairy farmer and Nuffield Scholar, William Goodwin, is hoping that even more people will vote for their favourite to win at www.sussexfoodawards.biz by 17 January 2019.

Said William Goodwin, “We are delighted to see that the quality in this competition remains consistently high with yet another impressive line up of finalists this year.  The festive season is the perfect time of year for everyone to get out and about and sample the wonderful products from these amazing Sussex food and drink businesses and to vote for their favourites to win.  The public vote is a vital part of the judging process in these unique awards.  It only takes a minute or two and can really make all the difference.” 

Entries remain open until 17 January 2019 for Young Sussex Farmer of the Year category, sponsored by the South of England Agricultural Society in association with Farmers Weekly, as well as Sussex Newcomer of the Year, sponsored by SRC-Time and Sussex Young Chef of the Year, sponsored by Blakes Foods. 

As well as earning the huge respect and recognition that these awards now carry, Grand Finalists from all ten categories will be invited to attend a BAFTA-style ceremony on 15 May 2019 at the Amex Stadium in Brighton, where the winners will be revealed and 400 guests will enjoy a seven-course Sussex produce banquet, hosted by awards patron Sally Gunnell OBE and Danny Pike from BBC Sussex. 

For more information and to vote for your favourites visit www.sussexfoodawards.biz

Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2019 Finalists:

Sussex Food Producer of the Year, sponsored by Southern Co-op

Alsop & Walker, Five Ashes, East Sussex

Beal’s Farm Charcuterie, North Chailey, East Sussex

Goodwood Home Farm, Goodwood, West Sussex

Jengers Craft Bakery, Billingshurst, West Sussex

Lorama Foods, Chichester, West Sussex

Noble and Stace Chocolatiers, Easebourne, West Sussex

Real Patisserie, Brighton & Hove

Sussex Ice Cream Company, Littlehampton, West Sussex

Perfectly Preserved, Worthing, West Sussex

Weald Smokery, Flimwell, East Sussex

Sussex Drink Producer of the Year, sponsored by Natural PR

Bedlam Brewery, Plumpton Green, East Sussex

Bignose & Beardy, Framfield, East Sussex

Bolney Wine Estate, Bolney, West Sussex

Brighton Gin, Brighton & Hove

Dark Star Brewing Company, Partridge Green, West Sussex

Hepworth & Co Brewers Ltd, Pulborough, West Sussex

Langham Brewery, Lodsworth, West Sussex

Ridgeview Estate Winery, Ditchling Common, East Sussex

Tom Cat Spirits, Crowborough, East Sussex

Wobblegate, Bolney, West Sussex

Sussex Food Shop of the Year, sponsored by Sussex Food and Drink Network

Cowdray Farm Shop, Easebourne, West Sussex

Crates Local Produce, Horsham, West Sussex

Eggs to Apples, Hurst Green, East Sussex

Jeremy’s Two, Cowfold, West Sussex

Lodsworth Larder, Lodsworth, West Sussex

Milland Village Stores and Cafe, Milland, West Sussex

New House Farm Shop, Horsham, West Sussex

Perryhill Orchards Farm Shop, Hartfield, East Sussex

Stansted Park Farm Shop, Stansted Park, West Sussex

The Fresh Fish Shop, Haywards Heath, West Sussex

Sussex Butcher of the Year, sponsored by RP Meats Wholesale Ltd

A C Coughtrey Butchers, Pulborough, West Sussex

Archers of Westfield, Westfield, East Sussex

Barfields Butchers, Brighton & Hove

Cottenhams of Lindfield, Lindfield, West Sussex

Garlic Wood Farm (online), Shipley, West Sussex

Goodwood Home Farm, Goodwood, West Sussex

May’s Farmers and Butchers, Lewes, East Sussex

Michael Courtney Butchers, Midhurst, West Sussex

S K Hutchings Family Butchers and Graziers, Partridge Green, West Sussex

The Butcher and Deli, Rustington, West Sussex

Sussex Farmers Market of the Year, sponsored by Harvey’s Brewery

Chichester Farmers Market, West Sussex

Florence Road Market, Brighton & Hove

Forest Row Village Market, East Sussex

Lewes Farmers Market, Cliffe Precinct, East Sussex

Pulborough Farmers Market, West Sussex

Shoreham Farmers Market, West Sussex

Steyning Farmers Market, West Sussex

Sussex Eating Experience of the Year, sponsored by Natural Partnerships CIC

etch., Brighton & Hove

Farmer, Butcher, Chef, Goodwood, West Sussex

Rathfinny Tasting Room, Alfriston, East Sussex

The Crabtree, Lower Beeding, West Sussex

The Dining Room, Worthing, West Sussex

The Earl of March, Lavant, West Sussex

The Milk Churn, Rudgwick, West Sussex

The Parsons Table, Arundel, West Sussex

The Richmond Arms, West Ashling, West Sussex

Wingrove House, Alfriston, East Sussex

Government launches support for businesses to hire more apprentices

Government launches support for businesses to hire more apprentices

You may be surprised to know that of the 101,860 unique employer apprenticeship starts in 2016/17, 77% were small employers with less than 49 staff.  

4 in 5 businesses employing an apprentice would recommend it to others too, so if you want to find out how you can grow your business through apprenticeships and support the hire an apprentice campaign, complete this form or contact the National Careers Service on 08000 150 600.

Burning the Clocks launches Crowdfunder for 2018

Burning the Clocks launches Crowdfunder for 2018

Brighton charity, Same Sky, invites local support to keep the much-loved winter solstice event running

www.facebook.com/burningtheclocks/

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/burning-the-clocks-2018

Brighton charity Same Sky this week launches its crowdfunder for Burning the Clocks 2018, offering exclusive gifts in order to raise £5,000 and help secure the future of Burning the Clocks.

Taking place from 6.30pm on Friday 21 December 2018, the Burning the Clocks parade runs from New Road to the seafront, with around 2,000 participants and more than 20,000 onlookers.  

Depending on the size of their donation, crowdfunding investors will be rewarded with personalised lanterns, the privilege of lighting the event’s bonfire or a 3-course dinner for two at The Ivy in the Lanes.

For the third successive year, ARKA Original Funerals will support Burning the Clocks with ‘In Memory’ lanterns for those who have lost a loved one during the year. These packages, each worth £100, include a lantern workshop invitation, joining the parade and the reading of the chosen loved one’s name during the fireshow finale.

Local restaurant, The Chilli Pickle, is sponsoring the event, adding a donation of £1 to every table bill from 1 November until 21 December, which will go towards helping Same Sky reach their fundraising target for this year’s Burning the Clocks. Same Sky will also be partnering with childhood bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, offering local young people a lantern-making workshop, so that they can join the parade and remember their loved ones in this special way.

Burning the Clocks receives no guaranteed funding and relies on fundraising and support from local business and the community to raise the costs needed to cover the event, which is in excess of £30,000. Anyone watching the parade is encouraged to put any spare cash into the donation buckets on the night to help fund the event and secure its future.

John Varah, Same Sky artistic director, said: “We’re bringing our crowdfunding initiative back for the sixth consecutive year, as it goes such a long way to keeping Burning the Clocks alive.

“Each year Same Sky relies on the generosity of the general public to make donations along the event route, as well as supporting our online crowdfunder. Our Winter Solstice parade has been an iconic part of Brighton’s calendar for more than two decades, but we rely on the support of local residents and sponsors to make it happen.

“We’ve had a bit of a turbulent year, having lost Same Sky’s home, our artistic studio – but this has made us even more determined to ensure the event remains a part of the city’s winter offering.”

The theme for Burning the Clocks 2018 is ‘Remembrance’. Event organisers Same Sky have created a large-scale lantern in the shape of a heart for this year’s event. This will be surrounded by smaller Remembrance hearts carried by procession-goers on the night of the parade.

As in previous years, Brighton residents can purchase lantern packs to take part in the parade (costing £30-£33, available from early November). Lantern packs contain materials, instructions and four wristbands for four people to take part in the parade. They will be available for purchase at Brighton Pavilion, HISBE supermarket in York Place, the Wood Store on Elder Place and Book Nook in Hove.

Local artist Graham Carter has generously created a new limited edition print for Burning the Clocks for the sixth year running. These are also on sale to raise funds, with 80 limited edition designs created around this year’s theme of ‘Remembrance’.

For more information on purchasing lantern packs and Graham Carter’s prints, visit Same Sky’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/SameSkyBtn/. Businesses and restaurants interested in getting involved with the event as a sponsor or participant should contact jasmine@samesky.co.uk.

Coast to Capital is Recruiting Senior Business Leaders to Help Deliver its Gatwick 360 Strategy

Coast to Capital is recruiting a new Board Director to bring further business sector skills and expertise onto its Board in order to help deliver its ambitious new strategy – Gatwick 360. It is also seeking to appoint members to its newly formed Skills 360 Board.

The Coast to Capital Board is comprised of a strong and passionate group of individuals bringing together regional business leaders alongside senior politicians and leaders from Universities and Further Education. It is a powerful voice of challenge and advocacy for the region and brings together a wealth of experience and expertise. There is a vacancy for a Board Director to bring specific finance skills and commercial expertise into the organisation, promoting a strong business ethos and commercial culture on the Board.

The Skills 360˚ Board has been set up to provide strategic direction and deliver the ‘Create Skills for the Future’ priority actions included in Gatwick 360 to boost the productivity of our economy by giving people the skills they need to secure and maintain high quality jobs. Members of the Skills 360 Board will identify the major skills and recruitment challenges faced by the region and identify solutions, including investment to deliver high quality skills education and training. There are vacancies for seven business sector representatives

Coast to Capital is committed to creating an inclusive organisation that promotes and values diversity. Applications are welcome from senior business figures from under-represented groups and female business leaders are encouraged to apply. We are looking for senior candidates and these roles would appeal to experienced leaders who can help to maximise the region’s potential and offer an exciting opportunity to someone who is committed to creating an environment where business can flourish.

The posts are unremunerated and applicants are expected to live and/or work in the region.

Tim Wates, Coast to Capital Chairman said:

“This is a very exciting time to join the Coast to Capital Board and we are looking for business leaders who are passionate about helping lead the region forward. The Government has confirmed that LEPs will play an important role in delivering the new Industrial Strategy and in driving economic growth in their local areas. Our ambitious new Strategic Economic Plan – Gatwick 360 - prioritises the most important issues facing our region, including skills, and as such, it is vital that we are led by senior business figures with the skills and expertise we need to meet the challenges and opportunities the future will bring.”

To make an application for the Board Director vacancy please send, by Monday 26 November, a full CV with a covering statement setting out how you believe you could fulfil the requirements of the key role to Katie Nurcombe, Head of Communications & Corporate Affairs at katie.nurcombe@coast2capital.org.uk.

For further information about the Skills 360 Board and how to apply please visit the Coast to Capital website or contact Claire Witz at claire.witz@coast2capital.org.uk. The deadline for applications is Monday 26.

Brighton & Hove ranked in top ten most healthy high streets in UK

RSPH has published a league table ranking 70 of Britain’s major towns and cities by the impact of their high streets on the public’s health and wellbeing.

The rankings, based on the prevalence of different types of businesses found in the towns’ main retail areas, see Grimsby rated as having the unhealthiest high street, with Edinburgh coming out as the healthiest. This ranking excludes London high streets, which have been ranked separately. See full top and bottom 10 below.

The league table features in the new RSPH report, Health on the High Street: Running on empty, which follows on from the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of a package of measures designed to reinvigorate the nation’s High Streets. This is a follow up report to the original RSPH Health on the High Street published in 2015, and assesses changes in British retail areas over the past three years.

The report updates the methodology used in 2015, to reflect the changing face of the British high street, adding off-licences and empty shops to the negative influences on health, and cafes and vape shops to the positive influences.

The top 10 “unhealthiest” British high streets were ranked as:

Grimsby

Walsall

Blackpool

Stoke-On-Trent

Sunderland

Northampton

Bolton

Wolverhampton

Huddersfield

Bradford

The top 10 “healthiest” British high streets were ranked as:

Edinburgh

Canterbury

Taunton

Shrewsbury

Cheltenham

York

Brighton & Hove

Eastbourne

Exeter

Cambridge

Average life expectancy for people living in areas with the top 10 healthiest high streets is two and a half years longer than for those in the 10 unhealthiest ranked areas.

Changes to British high streets that have influenced the rankings include:

A growth in the number of fast food shops by 4,000 between 2014 and 2017, especially in the most deprived areas, which now have five times more fast food shops than the most affluent areas;

The number of vape shops has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 in the past three years;

The high street vacancy rate has increased from below 7% in 2007 to 11% in 2017.

RSPH is now calling for a range of measures to make British high streets more health-promoting, including:

The Treasury to review how businesses taxes are determined to ensure high street shops are not put at an unfair disadvantage compared to online retailers; RSPH polling suggests this is a measure which has widespread public backing with three quarters (75%) believing that business rates should not put high street retailers at an unfair advantage compared to online.

Facebook and Google to provide discounted advertising opportunities to independent health-promoting businesses.

Local authorities to make records on vacant commercial properties publicly accessible, supporting ‘meanwhile use’ of vacant shops to keep high streets vibrant.

All vape shops to ensure all customers who smoke are aware of their local stop smoking service.

Gavin Stewart, CEO of the Brighton City Centre Business Improvement District said, “This is a great recognition for the work we do every day to make Brighton city centre a better pace to live, work in and visit. The city has largely bucked the national trend in retail vacancy rates since the financial crisis in 2008 and our vibrant independent retail and leisure sector is second to none in the UK. We will continue to support our local business base to ensure that Brighton & Hove remains one of the top places to invest in the country; helping to create a distinctive, sustainable and now healthy city for years to come.”

Independent watchdog Transport Focus want to hear your views on the Brighton mainline improvement works

As the rail Brighton Main Line rail closures continue on, Transport Focus is keen to hear from users and partners on how they are doing. To get involved, click on this link which will take you to their short questionnaire. https://brightonmainlinesurvey.online-host.solutions/ASP/P012082/5.asp

Over the past two weeks the following improvements have been delivered:

• Haywards Heath Station – installation of conductor rail along the Ouse Valley area and signal changes completed

• Haywards Heath to Keymer Junction – signal head changes and signalling installation

• Keymer Junction to Plumpton – signal head changes completed

• Clayton Tunnel – track renewal 

• Patcham to Preston Park – signalling installation

• Streat Green  (Plumpton Racecourse) – Underbridge renewed

• Three Bridges to Balcombe Tunnel Junction – signal head changes

• Lewes to Newhaven – pre-testing ahead of the major work

• Cooksbridge – re-railing completed. 

To take part, please fill in this short survey by clicking on the link:
https://brightonmainlinesurvey.online-host.solutions/ASP/P012082/5.asp

Please remember the November weekend line closures on Saturday, 03 November, Saturday, 10 November and Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 November. 
 
See BrightonMainLine.co.uk for the latest news on the project and full calendar of closures.

Coast to Capital Seek Skills 360˚ Board Members

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership is recruiting Senior Business Leaders to become members of the newly formed Skills 360˚ Board.

The purpose of the Skills 360˚ Board is to provide direction and strategic support for the delivery of our ambitious Strategic Economic Plan, Gatwick 360˚, specifically the actions within Priority 4: Create Skills for the Future, where we seek to boost the productivity of our economy by giving people the skills they need to secure and maintain high quality jobs.

Being a member of the Skills 360˚ Board offers the opportunity to influence the way in which we create skills for the future in the Coast to Capital area. We are at a time of significant change in the UK as we move towards our exit of the European Union. This along with an ageing population and rapid advances in technology mean the skills debate is urgent and requires an innovative approach more so than ever before.

Your membership of the Skills 360˚ Board will involve you in policy and decision making at a regional level, helping to shape our negotiation of a Local Industrial Strategy with Government. You will support us to identify the major skills and recruitment challenges we currently face and to be a part of the solution. Your networks and influence will bring us the recognition and investment we need to deliver high quality skills education and training in the Coast to Capital area.

The Skills 360˚ Board will be made up of predominantly business sector representatives, the Chief Executive Officer of Coast to Capital and two representatives from the education sector.

We are therefore looking to recruit seven senior leaders, CEOs, Chairs, Directors or owner managers to represent the views and interests of private businesses, to support understanding of the skills needs of businesses and to identify where investment is needed.

We would particularly welcome applications from scaling businesses that are typically those exhibiting 20% year on year growth in either turnover or job creation. Coast to Capital is committed to creating an inclusive organisation that promotes and values diversity. Applications are welcome from senior business figures from under-represented groups and female business leaders are encouraged to apply. We are looking for senior candidates and these roles would appeal to experienced leaders who can help to maximise the region’s potential and offer an exciting opportunity to someone who is committed to creating an environment where business can flourish.

We are grateful for the support and expertise of Nick Juba, CEO of Greater Brighton Metropolitan College and Coast to Capital Board member, in establishing the Skills 360˚ Board.

Further information on how to apply to become a board member can be found on the Coast to Capital website.

Gatwick Airport Masterplan Consultation Launched

Gatwick Airport Ltd has recently launched a new Draft Master Plan to support growth of the Airport across the next 5 years and then rolling out to 15 years.

The Draft Plan sets out three growth scenarios and includes detail on how it will address infrastructure, the economy, the environment and the passenger experience.

The three scenarios are:

1. Utilising the single runway, growing through use of technology, larger aircraft and more intensive operations

2. Utilising the existing standby runway within the existing land footprint

3. Continuing to safeguard land for an additional wide space runway, if Government Policy requires it

The Consultation on the Draft Plan will run until the 10th January 2019 with an online form to complete.  This 12-page Summary of the Draft Master Plan summarises the key elements.

Tech Nation Rising Stars applications close in less than two weeks

There are just under two weeks to apply for Rising Stars, the UK’s newest and most exciting pitch competition. 

Designed with ambitious tech entrepreneurs in mind, Rising Stars is on a mission to find the UK’s most promising early-stage start-ups and take them to the next level. This your opportunity to connect your start-up with mentors, investors and influencers, and significantly raise the profile of your business.

 APPLY NOW > or for more information, click here.

 (Applications close at midnight on 4 November 2018)

The prize package

The carefully crafted prize package is designed to amplify your early-stage startup. Winners will benefit from:

• 1-2-1 mentoring with a high profile mentor

• Facilitated introductions to investors and corporates

• Bespoke PR campaign

• 1-2-1 BDODrive Accelerate session focused on unlocking your growth potential and identifying the tangible steps you need to take

• Financial contribution towards a conference of your choice

• Pitch training and coaching

• Networking opportunities with investors, heads of accelerators, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders

Who are they looking for?

• Your tech business must have been going 1-3 years

• UK HQ

• Seed to pre-Series A funding stage

• At least one active client or pilot

Most importantly, they are looking for exciting companies that have the desire and ambition to scale their business.

Consultation announced on ‘transformational’ plan to remove Britain’s worst railway bottleneck and provide a step-change in reliability

People across the south east of England will be able to have their say on proposals for a major railway upgrade to improve punctuality, speed up journey times and enable more trains to run on one of the country’s busiest main lines.

To find out more about the proposals, and to respond, click here.