Coast to Capital Launch Call worth £2 Million

Coast to Capital Launch Call worth £2 Million

Coast to Capital LEP is delighted to invite you to the launch of a new ESF Direct call, ‘Skills for the Future of Your Workforce’, worth £2 million ESF on Thursday 14 November between 10.00am and 12.30pm at Crawley College.

The event will be an opportunity for prospective applicants to hear more about the Direct Call, ask eligibility and match funding questions, make contact with potential partners and develop project ideas.

An agenda for the day will be circulated to all confirmed delegates closer to the event date. To register, please click here.

We strongly advise travelling by public transport as the Crawley campus is less than a 10-minute walk from Crawley train and bus station making it easily accessible by public transport. Parking is available in nearby town centre car parks, please check parking restrictions on the day.

Further information on the ESF Call can be found on their website.

Sussex's Festival of Social Science event hits city

Sussex's Festival of Social Science event hits city

Eight upcoming events will showcase University of Sussex projects and researchers as part of the Economic and Social Research Councils (ESRC) Festival of Social Science.

Come along to explore the risks that environmental defenders face, find out more about intergalactic superheroism in India and across the globe, and ask questions about life after Brexit. The Festival, which runs during the first week of November (2nd-9th), aims to promote and increase awareness of the contributions social science research makes to the wellbeing and the economy of UK society. These events were supported through the University of Sussex ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.

To find out more, visit the website or to view the events, click here.

Latest Valley Gardens Newsletter published

The latest newsletter from Dyer & Butler has just been published. Click here to find out more about progress on the scheme.

It’s everyone’s journey at Brighton & Hove Bus Company

It’s everyone’s journey at Brighton & Hove Bus Company

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus is backing the Department of Transport’s (DfT) campaign, ‘it’s everyone’s journey’, which aims to improve disabled people’s experience of using public transport.

Transport Accessibility Minister Nus Ghani visited Brighton & Hove this week (Monday) and experienced first-hand the accessibility features on the company’s buses, particularly the audio-visual information for passengers.

The Minister boarded one of Brighton & Hove’s 30 new extended-range electric buses, which travel in zero-emissions mode through the city centre on route 5.

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus’ Managing Director Martin Harris said: “Our entire fleet (440 buses) is made up of ‘talking buses’, where passengers can see and hear next stop and other announcements, such as diversions. We introduced them in 2016 after one of our visually impaired passengers told us she had alighted at the wrong stop several times and it was making her anxious.

“We're right behind the DfT’s campaign and we welcome it wholeheartedly. Everybody deserves to feel relaxed and confident while they travel and the best way to make buses more accessible is to keep listening to the experts: our passengers and our communities.”

He said the company worked with disabled passengers and community groups on bus design, ticketing and driver training. It also ran a travel buddy scheme with Brighton & Hove’s Grace Eyre Foundation, building up the confidence of people with learning disabilities on public transport.

Hangleton resident Graham Oulton is registered blind and used to worry about catching the bus by himself in Brighton.

Graham has volunteered with Guide Dogs UK since 2014 and helped Brighton & Hove Buses fulfil its promise of making 100% of its fleet becoming talking buses.

Graham said: “It’s tremendous getting on board a bus and hearing your stops. It’s amazing for me because it’s freedom. I can go anywhere.”

He said the company’s Helping Hand card, which tells a driver when a passenger may need extra help without them having to say anything, had also made him more relaxed and confident about catching the bus, assisted by his guide dog Bassey.

Brighton & Hove Guide Dogs branch helped design the Helping Hand card.

The company’s Accessibility and Communities Manager Victoria Garcia said disabled people accounted for one in five of the UK population but accessible buses were important for everybody.

Victoria said: “We’re all going to have an accessibility requirement at some point in our lives, whether that’s living well with dementia, becoming pregnant, carrying heavy shopping or having a short-term injury.

“Audio-visual technology is also great for people travelling at night or taking a route for the first time and really helpful for tourists and students.”

‘It’s Everyone’s Journey’ asks people to pitch in and make journeys better for disabled people; passengers and transport companies alike. That could mean moving out of a wheelchair space or a priority seat when needed, being patient when passengers board or asking if people need help before acting.

Editors’ notes - bus accessibility features

• All Brighton & Hove and Metrobus buses have audio-visual next stop announcements; hearing loops; lighter coloured, dementia-friendly floors; extra room for wheelchair users to board; a space for wheelchair users and manual ramps.

• More than 90% of the company’s drivers and customer service colleagues are trained dementia friends.

• All drivers receive Level 1 My Guiding training, run jointly with Guide Dogs UK.

• There are three Safe Havens in the company’s travel shops and head office, where people with dementia can sit and relax and get help.

• The company pioneered the award-winning Helping Hand card. Cards have useful phrases on them like: ‘please face me, I lip read’ and ‘speak loudly and clearly’ or they can have a bespoke design.

• There’s a Taxi Guarantee scheme where the company will book and pay for an accessible taxi for anybody in a wheelchair who is unable to board the bus for any reason.

• Discounted bus travel for carers.

• Large print timetables and information sheets on request.

Crunch launches new £5.5million software platform following four-year development programme

Crunch launches new £5.5million software platform following four-year development programme

Crunch, the UK’s first online accountancy provider, this month launches its new mobile-optimised digital platform to its 11,000 customers from all sectors and regions of the UK. The launch follows a four-year, £5.5million development programme to create a new secure, fast and reliable software service with a major focus on a simple, intuitive user experience.

The software and services firm that has been uniquely providing certified chartered accountants on-demand alongside accounting software for more than a decade, is launching the new platform, named ‘Ada’, in honour of the English mathematician and computing visionary Ada Lovelace. It will be available to Crunch customers in a range of new packages. The packages, to be phased in over the coming months, cover four different levels.

Launching today is Crunch Two, which is tailored specifically for the one person smaller limited companies, or personal service companies where the company owner works as a freelancer or contractor - this covers the majority (90%) of current Crunch clients. Also launching today is Crunch Three, a package including bookkeeper support designed for limited companies with up to four directors and ten employees. Both packages provide unlimited use of the new Crunch software and access to its team of expert accountants and client managers.

The ‘Ada’ platform currently provides 43 new, improved and unique features across Crunch’s range of packages, including Open Banking, which connects directly to many UK banks to enable easy bank transaction import and reconciliation. It also facilitates the automatic raising of dividends by calculating the maximum amount customers can take out and creating the official documentation at the click of a button - far simpler than the process in any other accounting software.

Crunch’s software also automatically creates the company Year End and CT600 return, as well as P11Ds for directors. Once a Crunch accountant checks all information is correct and tax-efficient and the client has approved them, the software files them automatically with Companies House and HMRC at no additional cost.

The new Crunch software also saves business owners’ time by allowing them to create recurring invoices and expenses and to record expenses on the go by simply taking a photograph of the receipt. Crucially, the software also enables MTD (Making Tax Digital) compatible VAT returns.

CEO and founder Darren Fell said: “Our new software offers a ridiculously easy way for contractors, freelancers and small business owners to easily manage their business finances. We’ve produced a new slick, efficient and intuitive platform with all of the crucial functions our customers need to run and grow their business. This new software platform is backed up by our unique software and service offering, meaning customers get unlimited access to our team of expert accountants and client managers, so they can focus their efforts on the business they love, not on the numbers.”

Today’s launch will be followed next year with a new software only product, and Crunch One, a renewed package for sole traders and the self-employed.

“As well as benefiting current customers, our new software also puts us in a position to be able to launch new packages early next year, introduce new features and open up Crunch’s services to a wider range of clients,” added Darren Fell.

Smart Bidding panel includes Brighton Council, University of Brighton and Gatwick Airport

Smart Bidding panel includes Brighton Council, University of Brighton and Gatwick Airport

Next in the Catch the Wave series is a panel and workshop event called Smart Bidding: How to win contracts.

On 15 November, this event is designed to help attendees learn how to bid for public sector and private sector contracts.

Chaired by Emma Mills-Sheffield of Mindsetup, the panel include:

• Julian Wood - Head of Procurement & Insurance Services at University of Brighton

• Cliff Youngman and Claire Hutchinson - Procurement Managers at Brighton & Hove City Council

• Karen Brown - Head of Procurement at Gatwick Airport

The session will cover:

• Finding out about where tendering opportunities come from

• Qualification - to bid or not to bid

• Navigating the supply chain and procurement maze

• An insight into procurement policies in the public and private sector - both large and small organisations

• Practical advice on preparing to tender, writing bids with impact and preparing for your pitch

• Q&A with procurement experts

To book Smart Bidding and to find out more about this event, head here.

To find out more about Catch the Wave visit the Chamber website here.

Smart Bidding: How to win contracts

Smart Bidding: How to win contracts

If you don’t know how to bid for public sector and private sector contracts (or even how to find out about them) this workshop will demystify the process. We’ll myth bust some of the reasons why you might win or lose with our panel of procurement experts.

This workshop will ensure you leave fully armed with the knowledge to start bidding successfully.

It will include:

• Finding out about where tendering opportunities come from

• Qualification - to bid or not to bid

• Navigating the supply chain and procurement maze

• An insight into procurement policies in the public and private sector - both large and small organisations

• Practical advice on preparing to tender, writing bids with impact and preparing for your pitch

• Q&A with procurement experts

Session hosts

The workshop will be run by Emma Mills-Sheffield, Mindsetup Ltd. Having spent the last 15 years in industry, Emma has led major proposals and pursuits, sales PMOs, managed programmes and process improvements then broadening into training delivery programmes for bidding, workshop facilitation and coaching. Across the financial services sector, creative and digital industries and engineering consultancy she’s experienced working with, and tendering to, public sector organisations, FTSE100 and Fortune500 companies, charities and start-ups. Although they all operate very differently, what they’ve all got in common is… people! Running an efficient bidding process is only a foundation; it’s how people perform and interact which determines success. Emma has since founded Mindsetup Ltd where she blends coaching, professional development and project management skills to help businesses become more efficient and productive with a purpose.

The panel will include experts with experience in awarding and winning contracts.

We have a small number of fully subsidised places for this workshop for those unable to afford a ticket. If this applies to you or someone you know, please contact bee@brightonchamber.co.uk

About catch the wave 2019

Catch the Wave is a new business support programme for anyone in the city who wants to launch and grow a business. It includes affordable workshops, useful resources and expert mentoring sessions.

Designed and delivered by Brighton Chamber, Catch the Wave includes practical, interactive sessions and runs from July 2019 to April 2020.

Catch the Wave is supported by:

For the full programme line up visit https://www.brightonchamber.co.uk/catch-the-wave

Arun joins the Greater Brighton success story

Arun joins the Greater Brighton success story

More than 5,300 businesses and 54,000 jobs have been brought into Greater Brighton after Arun District Council was welcomed as a member of the region.

The Council joins six other local authorities, influential business partnerships, two universities, Gatwick Airport and the South Downs National Park in forming a powerful collective aiming to increase investment and make its voice heard in Government.

The Greater Brighton Economic Board has now voted to have Arun join bringing another 159,000 people under its umbrella.

Leader of Arun District Council, Cllr Dr James Walsh, said: "We are delighted to become part of the Greater Brighton region and help contribute to the growing success it has had in bringing in funding for major projects and helping to create jobs and prosperity.

"Arun has plans for 20,000 new homes, 74 hectares of employment space and a good track record of delivery. We have a progressive approach to development and pipeline projects and firmly believe we can make a significant contribution to the economy of the city region."

Stretching for 86 square miles Arun includes the towns of Arundel, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton with key employment sectors including tourism, advanced manufacturing and horticulture. Companies in Arun include Rolls Royce, Body Shop and Butlins.

The addition of Arun increases the number of jobs in Greater Brighton by 12 per cent to around 529,000. However Arun has some development needs that being part of a city region can help such as low wages and low employment rates. More than 40 per cent of its workforce travels outside the district for work.

Greater Brighton works to attract investment for the entire region offering investors a wide range of opportunities, work skills and lifestyles. It has brought in £160m of funding for projects across the region.

The chairman of Greater Brighton, Cllr Daniel Humphreys, said: "I’m delighted to welcome Arun District Council to the city region. The Council was keen to join because they, like we, see the benefits of working together to improve the economies of our places because investment doesn’t recognise council boundaries.

"The addition of Arun adds to the offer we can make as a city region but we also have a lot in common with our mix of economies and our ambitions to create even greater opportunities for our residents to thrive. Greater Brighton has just got a lot stronger with an even more powerful voice."

Arun is just the latest organisation to join Greater Brighton following on from Crawley Borough Council and Gatwick Airport last year.

First Virtual Summit for Digital Transformation

First Virtual Summit for Digital Transformation

The organisation behind Digital Leaders Week, Digital Leaders has today launched the first virtual 5-day summit - Insight Live Week. In the first week of November users will be able to access over 50 expert live talks ranging on topics from artificial intelligence to tech for good - all from the comfort of their own desk!

Unlike physical conferences where you can end up sitting through content you just don't need, Insight Live Week is delivered entirely online.

3 September 2019 London, UK. Digital Leaders - The platform and programme for professional digital leaders promoting digital transformation and building the UK’s digital confidence across all sectors, is proud to announce the first virtual summit covering digital transformation and leadership - Insight Live Week

The week will give leaders the skills and strategies through experts talks on a wide range of topics under the digital transformation banner, across all sectors.

Accessible to anyone with an internet connection, from the 4th to 8th of November, over 50 webinars will offer 100,000 leaders free access to best practice; allowing them to build stronger networks and provide a better understanding of the need to adopt new thinking and embrace innovation.

Digital Transformation is essential for the future of the UK economy and especially crucial outside of a changed relationship with our European neighbours and in the context of a changing trading relationship with the rest of the world. The linchpin of this new world will be the quality of the nation's Digital Leadership and how these leaders drive outcomes inside government, enterprise, SMEs and of course, within the third sector.

Digital Leaders know that unless they were born in the 1990s, they are likely to be a 'digital immigrant' - someone whose ability to use a smartphone, tablet and interact via social media networks does not come as naturally as it does for 'digital natives'. As with any immigrant into a foreign culture, there are new languages, attitudes and mind-sets that must be learned.

Russell Haworth, Chair of Digital Leaders said, “It’s important to have an Online Week that reminds us all that Digital Transformation remains essential for a positive future for the UK economy and our transformation of government services. Digital Leadership and how our leaders drive outcomes inside government, enterprise and the third sector is an essential ingredient of success.”

Robin Knowles CEO of Digital Leaders added, “We are so pleased to be the first Digital Transformation Community to be using this latest technology that makes a virtual conference possible allowing our members free access to 50 talks, just like a large conference , but from the comfort of their desk.

For more information go to https://insightlive.digileaders.com/

Hear first-hand the stories that will inspire digital change through people, outcomes and personal accountability.

#digileaders #insightlive #insightliveweek

Up to £20,000 worth of funding for small voluntary and community sector organisations

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has contracted with London Learning Consortium to act as a managing agent and to make ESF Community Grants available in the form of small grants (up to £20,000) to third sector and other small organisations for the purpose of mobilising disadvantaged or excluded unemployed and inactive people to enable their progress towards employment. Organisations that access grants need to be well placed to reach excluded individuals facing barriers, which hinder their access to mainstream provision Grants will:

o engage with marginalised individuals and support them to re-engage with education, training, or employment;

o will support a range of activities aimed at assisting the disadvantaged or excluded to move closer to the labour market by improving their access to mainstream ESF and domestic employment and skills provision; and

o will provide support to the hardest to reach communities and individuals, especially those from deprived communities, to access employment or further learning and training.

To be successful in applying for a Community Grant you must be a Third Sector Organisation (any size which operates within the Third Sector) or Small Organisation (Employ fewer than 49 full time equivalent staff and have an annual turnover or balance sheet equal to or below EUR 10 million).

You must also work with some of the following 16+ participants:

o Participants over 50 years of age

o Participants with disabilities

o Participants from an ethnic minority

o Participants who are Women

o Parents/mothers

o Carers

o Groups with low labour market participation

o Migrants and refugees

o Homeless

o Ex-offenders

All participants must be either of the following:

o Inactive = Not in employment and not registered as unemployed.

o Unemployed = Persons who are without work, available for work and actively seeking work.

You must deliver services in one or more of the following Local Authorities:

There are 17 Local Authorities within the Coast to Capital area made up of county councils, district and borough councils and a national park authority:

o Adur District Council

o Arun District Council

o Brighton & Hove City Council

o Chichester District Council

o Crawley Borough Council

o Croydon Council

o Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

o Horsham District Council

o Lewes District Council

o Mid Sussex District Council

o Mole Valley District Council

o Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

o South Downs National Park

o Surrey County Council

o Tandridge District Council

o West Sussex County Council

o Worthing Borough Council

You must also offer some of the following types of activities for your service users:

o First contact engagement activities, e.g. activities that benefit Participants who are not normally in contact with official organisations for example but not exclusively DWP, FE Colleges, for example by arranging events or training in places that Participants feel comfortable to visit.

o Projects to improve confidence, motivation and social integration such as sport, gardening, music, art and other creative activities.

o Developing local networks and groups to support people to get a job or access learning e.g. Job Clubs or Learning Champion type activity.

o Softer skills development e.g. assertiveness, anger management and motivation.

• Innovative approaches to attract under-represented Participant groups into learning.

If your organisation is eligible to apply for ESF Community Grants funding under Coast to Capital’s Community Grants Programme, please contact London Learning Consortium to find out more.

London Learning Consortium (LLC) has a track record of demonstrating the strategic and local impact of community projects and grant funding on the communities and lives of those living in the Coast to Capital region and as a part of this LLC has been awarded a contract to manage ESF Community Grant funding for Coast to Capital.

The closing date for Coast to Capital Expression of Interest (EOI) to be submitted is the 8th of November 2019 at 23.59pm.

You can download the Coast to Capital EOI here: ESF Grants – Coast to Capital – Expression of Interest

If you would like to find out more then please contact LLC via the following details:

LLC Community Grants Project Manager

Tel: 0208 774 4040

Email: community.grants@londonlc.org.uk

Website: www.londonlc.org.uk

Greater Brighton business survey reveals congestion concerns

Greater Brighton business survey reveals congestion concerns

More than 80 per cent of businesses in Greater Brighton are concerned about the state of local transport with congestion and lack of parking high on the agenda, according to a new survey.

And more than 25 per cent believe the issues are affecting recruitment and business growth the survey finds.

While concerns about the over-congested South Coast are long standing the survey reveals the full extent of the impact on the economy of choked roads and densely-packed communities.

More than 1,500 businesses, either solely based or with national headquarters here or elsewhere, were questioned for the survey carried out on behalf of the Greater Brighton region. The aim is to build a comprehensive picture of business need now and in the future so that the region can aid growth and the creation of jobs.

The picture painted of the business community reveals that 86 per cent of companies employ ten or fewer people while 44 per cent of the entire workforce is employed by just three per cent of businesses.

The report, produced by BMG Research in partnership with the locally-based Institute for Employment Studies, points out this makes for a diverse base but stresses the need to help larger employers drive for growth through innovation as a way of creating more jobs.

The survey highlighted that firms remain optimistic about growth with 35 per cent expecting growth and only 11 per cent decline. About 19 per cent of companies export which is in line with national trends.

Virtually all respondents felt that being in Greater Brighton had benefits including the attractiveness of the area and lifestyle, good market access and digital connectivity. Most firms said they were happy to stay in the area.

Chairman of Greater Brighton, Cllr Daniel Humphreys, said: “This survey is enormously helpful to the Region helping us understand how we can help our businesses. It will help shape the future support with are able to give them.

“We know transport and congestion in particular remains a major concern for businesses, and armed with these findings we will continue to press government and Highways England for action. However it is also good to know that we are still playing to our strengths, giving businesses a great location to go about their work, good connectivity, a great place to live.”

Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2020: Now open for entries from Brighton & Hove businesses!

Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2020: Now open for entries from Brighton & Hove businesses!

Entering the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards is free and open to any business based or operating in the Gatwick Diamond region, including Brighton & Hove.

Why enter?

We have designed our Awards so that the process of entering is in itself worthwhile. The feedback we get shows, for example, that it is an excellent opportunity to engage staff in identifying what makes you stand out as a business and how to get this across to others. Winning one of the most prestigious awards in the south east is of course the icing on the cake!

How to enter

Simple – visit our website for full information on the award categories, entry forms and process. You can also follow us on Twitter @gdbizawards for Top Tips and live updates. The closing date for entries is 22nd November 2019.

How to win!

To help you create an 'Award-Winning' entry, we will be delivering our "How to Win Awards" Seminars which are free to attend – details on our website.

If you have any questions, please contact Gabriella Tricarico - Gabriella@gatwickdiamondbusiness.com or ring us on 01293 440088

www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com

enter@gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com

Brighton Summit 2019 brings together record numbers of Brighton’s businesses, charities and entrepreneurs

Brighton Summit 2019 brings together record numbers of Brighton’s businesses, charities and entrepreneurs

A record number of Brighton’s businesses, charities and entrepreneurs came together on Friday 11 October for the 2019 Brighton Summit: Crack on.

Nearly 400 attendees took part in a fully-immersive day of learning and networking, making it the biggest Brighton Summit in the seven years since it began.

The packed line up featured an opening keynote speech from Hannah Dawson who shared her business journey, about resilience, the barriers of pride and fear and the importance of a learning mind-set.

The second keynote speaker Kamal Ahmed, Editorial Director of BBC News was interviewed by Master of Ceremonies, James Dempster. Kamal shared his experience of being the ‘other’ growing up as a mix-raced boy in the 70s as well as his vision of reinventing the audience-corporation dynamic in his role at the BBC.

Gina Miller, businesswoman and campaigner, closed the Summit with an uplifting and inspirational keynote talk about the lessons she has learnt throughout her life, how she navigated upheaval, trauma and hardship, and reflecting on the choices she made to become who she is today. The audience rose to its feet as she finished her talk.

Attendees chose from four additional speaker sessions where local business leaders including Justin Francis from Responsible Travel and Jason Kirk from Kirk & Kirk shared their business story. There were five interactive workshops led by experts designed to help business crack on and ten Engine Hours including sewing, an escape room and a food tour and many more activities all designed to inspire and recharge for the afternoon.

In the buzzing foyer attendees were busy networking, connecting with new contacts and catching up with existing connections. Much needed energy and sustenance came from local food and drink suppliers throughout the day including Sugardough, Bird & Blend, Redroaster, Higgidy Pies, Youjuice, Spade and Spoon, Brighton Cakes, Happy Maki, Loud Shirt Brewery and Fin & Farm.

You can see what happened on the day here

For more Brighton Chamber events see here

Environmental bus tour shows what zero emissions in Brighton & Hove’s city centre feels like

Environmental bus tour shows what zero emissions in Brighton & Hove’s city centre feels like

Around 60 people boarded one of Brighton & Hove’s newest buses yesterday (Tuesday) to experience firsthand the UK’s first fleet of buses that can operate in zero-emissions mode whenever they travel through the city centre.

Brighton & Hove Buses has invested almost £10 million in 30 next generation extended range electric buses for the city’s popular route 5, which have been set to run in zero-emissions mode throughout the city’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ).

Guests, including environmental groups, local councillors, schoolchildren and journalists, embarked on an environment-themed tour of the city on the new bus.

They visited Dorothy Stringer School’s Eco School project and Moulsecoomb Forest Garden, which runs outdoor activities for people with learning disabilities and for kids struggling in conventional classrooms.

Dr Dan Danahar spoke about Dorothy Stringer’s environmental management schemes and butterflies while Warren Carter talked about how forest garden workdays could be therapeutic and bind communities together.

Brighton & Hove Buses’ Managing Director Martin Harris said: “The tour marks the launch of our fleet of new buses and recognises the amazing environmental work happening in our city. It’s also about acknowledging that we’ll only be able to deal with this climate emergency if we work together.”

Martin explained that the new buses were the best choice for the city because they could cope with high daily mileage, large numbers of passengers and challenging operating conditions without needing to spend time recharging.

“This is not a small investment or a token gesture. It’s a big statement and a big commitment to reaching our goal of being zero emissions in the city centre by 2030,” Martin said.

“What we’re investing in is the future of our city and the people who live here, work here and visit. We want our environment to be cleaner than the one we grew up in.”

The buses are fully electric – an electric motor drives the bus at all times – but they use a small on-board Euro 6 diesel generator for recharging the buses’ batteries, when needed, fuelled additionally by regenerative braking.

The buses will be rolled out by the end of October.

First Wired Certified Platinum workspace in Brighton offers first world class digital connectivity in city

First Wired Certified Platinum workspace in Brighton offers first world class digital connectivity in city

Plus X Brighton, the new innovation hub opening at Preston Barracks in January, will be the first work space to open in Brighton & Hove that has achieved a Platinum Wired Certification, offering the best connectivity in the city.

Wired Certification is the global rating scheme for digital connectivity in real estate delivered by WiredScore. Plus X Brighton will have the same rating as The Shard in London and The Empire State Building in New York.

Mat Hunter, co-CEO of Plus X said, “Fast and reliable internet connectivity is one of the top three most important factors for tenants who are searching for office space, alongside cost and location.

“We are proud to have built the fastest, most reliable internet connection into the design of our stunning new building – and what’s more, our new members won’t have to wait for the usual lead-in period, they’ll be able to access it right away.”

William Newton, President and Managing Director of WiredScore, said: “Digital connectivity is a crucial priority for companies in their workplace and Plus X Brighton has demonstrated a clear commitment to investing in the right digital infrastructure for its new innovation hub.

“The members of Plus X Brighton will benefit from a level of connectivity able to support the highest technology requirements and their business needs and ensure the building is future-proofed for years to come.”

Plus X Brighton commissioned Backbone Connect to install world leading internet connectivity into the building. Backbone Connect installed two high capacity fibre lines and a radio dish, using three separate suppliers, meaning triple resiliency with no single point of failure anywhere on the network.

Michael Swain, Senior Business Development Manager from Backbone Connect, said, “If you’re committing to an office move, you don’t want to then be told that you’ll have to wait for three months to get the internet up and running.

“Backbone Connect has installed ‘bullet proof’ internet connectivity at Plus X Brighton which allows members to have immediate internet access that will always be on.”

“It’s about creating world class connectivity; having everything enabled or as streamlined as possible,” explained Mat Hunter.

“Super fast connectivity at Plus X Brighton enables global collaboration opportunities, helping our members and partners achieve faster growth and bigger ambitions.”

Free courses for your team

We Find Any Learner have a wide range of free courses that might suit you, or your employees/volunteers. The courses available are all Level 2 NCFE/CACHE accredited and delivered on a distance learning platform. All courses can be completed paper based or digitally and take around 20 – 30 hours to complete.

The most popular courses this month are:

• Understanding Autism

• Mental Health Problems

• Children and Young People’s Mental Health

• Behaviour that Challenges

• Team Leading

Click Here to view all available courses.

Funded places are limited and are delivered on a first come first serve basis. To book, click here.

£2 million European Social Fund in Coast to Capital for Digital Skills

£2 million European Social Fund in Coast to Capital for Digital Skills

A direct Call has been published by the Department of Work and Pensions in the Coast to Capital area worth £2 million of European Social Fund (ESF) for Digital Skills.

Under this Call C2C aim to fund projects that will support SME’s to identify digital training needs, and provide training for employees to develop their digital skills. The full Call specification can be downloaded here.

Another direct Call for Skills for the Mature Workforce is scheduled to be published next week, again worth £2 million ESF.

C2C is holding a launch event for both of these Calls next Wednesday 16 October at Crawley College. The event will be an opportunity for you to hear more about the Calls, ask eligibility and match funding questions, make contact with potential partners and develop project ideas.

If you would like to attend and have not done so already, please register here. Registration will close at 5pm on Monday.

Education and Skills Funding Agency - new Apprenticeship Service autumn webinar programme

Education and Skills Funding Agency - new Apprenticeship Service autumn webinar programme

We are pleased to announce a new autumn webinar programme for October to December 2019. All webinars are hosted by subject matter experts to help service users to understand more about the apprenticeship service and new service developments.

These webinars are aimed at employers and any organisations or individuals with an interest in the apprenticeship service.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask experts questions in a live Q&A and take part in interactive polls.

Oct 30 - to register, click here

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM BST

Employers: Apprenticeship service update

Nov 19 - to register, click here

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM BST

Employers: What you need to know about end-point

Dec 12 - to register, click here

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM BST

Employers and providers: Apprenticeship Eligibility – who can be funded

Employers

Employer guide to apprenticeships - this guide gives employers the information and benefits of recruiting apprentices to their business.

A Guide to achieving the benefits of apprenticeships –includes inspiring stories from employers on the benefits of apprenticeships and differences apprentices can make to business.

Guide for employers supporting young apprentices – contains advice and resources to help employers in all sectors provide effective support for apprentices aged 16-24. This includes guidance on recruitment, on-the-job support and sources of additional funding to support young apprentices.

Brighton’s Crunch wins two national awards

Brighton’s Crunch wins two national awards

Brighton-based online accountancy firm Crunch has won two national industry awards. The business was awarded Large Firm of the Year award at the Accounting Excellence Awards earlier this month, in addition to Mid-Tier Firm of the Year (Turnover between £10m - £25m) at the British Accountancy awards days later.

The Accounting Excellence and the British Accountancy award ceremonies, landmark events in the accounting calendar and now both in their ninth year, aim to celebrate the firms and individuals in the British accounting profession that are championing and pushing the industry to new heights. Crunch beat four other firms in the category to win the title as Large Firm of the Year, whilst beating another five to be named Mid-Tier Firm of the Year.

Crunch was founded in Brighton by Darren Fell in 2009. Over the past ten years, the company has evolved from the UK’s first online accountancy firm to an all-encompassing software and service platform for freelancers, contractors and small businesses, with over 200 staff and over 11,000 national customers. The company also announced the launch of its new operation, the Crunch Bookkeeper Network, earlier this year which offers additional bookkeeping services to its clients from remote working book keepers.

On winning the awards, CEO and founder Darren Fell said: “In the past year we’ve been working incredibly hard on innovating Crunch and building the business beyond our four walls to deliver faster growth. We are now exceeding £10m turnover and are on schedule to scale the business by 20% year on year from 2020. It’s incredibly rewarding to have this hard work recognised by these two prestigious accounting awards and is testament that our unique software and services platform has been now fully embraced by the accountancy industry.”

Tech Nation Announce No-deal Brexit readiness business guide

While it can be tricky to keep track of the UK’s continuously evolving political situation, what we do know is that as it stands the UK is due to leave the European Union on 31st October. With not too much time left before that deadline, it’s worth getting to grips with how Brexit will affect your business, and to start getting prepared.

We’ve teamed up with The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) and the UK Tech Cluster Group, to try and disseminate for tech startups and scaleups, what they need to do to get ready for a potential “no-deal” Brexit.

Explore the guidance

Starter for 10

Unsurprisingly, there’s an awful lot of legislation to trawl through, so our friends at Coadec have done some of the hard work for you. They’ve put together the top 10 topics you need to consider when getting your business ready for a potential no-deal Brexit. And what’s more their guidance for each section has been boiled down to a 1-pager (or thereabouts).

The topics covered in chapters of the guidance include:

Data protection and data flows

Employment, immigration and visas

Taxation and VAT

The e-Commerce Directive

The Digital Single Market Framework

EU Legislation in Limbo

Domain names

Harmful, illegal, and terrorist content

Geoblocking and cross-border content

Horizon 2020 and R&D funding

Who it’s for

With lots of uncertainty, and the default option of a no-deal Brexit potentially less than six weeks away, it’s important to get any necessary ducks in a row. It’s worth taking a closer look at the guidance if your company receives personal data from the EU or EEA, if you employ any EU citizens in the UK or any UK citizens in the EU, if you sell digital content in the EU or if your users create public-facing content. You should take a look at the Digital Single Market Framework details if you are doing business with European users or consumers. The guidance also covers what to do if you have or use a .eu domain, run platforms or services which host and share user-generated content (including user comments or reviews), or if you have received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 scheme (directly or indirectly). And if in doubt, just take a look at the guidance as a bit of bedtime reading. A number of the implications of changes could mean that your business will be in breach of the law if you’d don’t act now, so better safe than sorry.

Keeping it as simple as possible, the guidance offers a 1-pager on each of the topics covering:

What’s actually changing

What to do about it

Links to additional resources

Explore the guidance