Update on Uckfield Business Scene

Our Uckfield Business Scene this month turns the spotlight on a new business which tries to “buy local”, lets you know what a thriving place the town’s Civic Centre is and shows why it can be good to outsource some of your work.

We also have news of a firm re-branding, success at national level for a care home, how a Maresfield-based business sells its lingerie around the world and how famers and conservationists are trying to find common ground, writes Paul Watson.

Flowers are a passion for Charlotte

Flowers are a passion for Charlotte Smith and locally-grown flowers are a key to her Uckfield-based business Infusion Flowers.

“I love gardening and I really try to use locally grown flowers that are in season,” she said.

One of her key suppliers, especially through the spring and summer, is Wealden Flowers, of Forest Row.

So as the year unfolds she tries to use tulips, sweet peas, peonies, zinnias and roses, for example.

The “English Country Garden” wedding has been in vogue this year and she believes this vintage style is set to continue into 2012.

Obviously, she has to rely on imported supplies from Holland at other times of the year but when she can, Charlotte tries to use local flowers that are in season.

She specialises in weddings, funerals and special events, whether they be sporting, corporate or family occasions.

She is a highly qualified florist and is trained to Level 4.

Charlotte can also supply flowers for hotels and businesses.

At the moment she is attending a number of Christmas fairs where she is selling wreaths and festive decorations.

She is pictured below at the Christmas Indulgence fair at Uckfield Community Technology College.

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Civic Centre is a hub for Uckfield

Uckfield Civic Centre hosts a whole raft of events throughout the year and is a real hub for the town and wider area.

The premises are used seven days a week by groups as different as a church, karate club and public sector organisations.

The centre’s big selling points are that it can offer rooms for hire to cater for as few as ten people up to 300 in the Weald Hall, is central to much of Wealden and has parking next-door on the Luxford Field car park.

People wanting to organise seminars and/or workshops can have a main meeting room plus syndicate/breakout space.

Catering is provided by the Luxfords Restaurant with food or drinks taken to the rooms or served at table(s) reserved in the restaurant.

Luxfords Restaurant has a Christmas menu between now and December 23 and will be open between 10am and 3pm on December 29, 30 and 31.

It will also open on Late Night Shopping evening (December 9) while a craft fair is held in the Weald Hall.

A pantomime on December 17, Jack and the Beanstalk, is sold out.

Tickets are available for the Hamsters on February 26 who will rock the civic centre as part of their 25th year and farewell tour.

Secretarial support and CV writing services

Outsourcing work can save businesses time and stress. And that’s where Virtual Assistant Sussex, run by Sue Edwards, comes in. /images/2011_december/sue_edwards.jpg

Sue, pictured right, can help you with a wide range of secretarial/office support services, whether you have business or personal work.

She says:

Give us a call as and when required, no contract.
Confidential, reliable, personal service.
More than five years’ experience in business.
Wide network of contacts - if we can’t help we’ll find someone who can.

She said: “We aim to help you make faster progress in your business by outsourcing any work to us that you can’t do well, hate, or simply don’t have time to do.

"We understand how time-consuming and stressful running a business can be.”

Sue also offers a CV writing service for anyone from students to executives in all industries, specialising in engineering and manufacturing.

She can give advice on job hunting and interview techniques either face-to-face, on the telephone or via Skype.

Sue also offers help to people wishing to write their own CVs, and conducts free CV reviews at the Uckfield Volunteer and Information Centre every Thursday afternoon from 1-4pm. Just pop in, no appointment necessary.

If that’s not convenient email Sue your CV and she will get back to you as soon as possible.

She said: “It’s always best to get your CV right before you start looking for jobs to avoid stress and disappointment, so don’t put it off.”

Maresfield company sends lingerie around the world

Bargains, discounts, loyalty rewards, three for the price of two, free items added to an order, free postage, refer a friend – these are just some of the offers that are part of the marketing mix employed by a Maresfield-based company that distributes lingerie across the country and around the world.

Ennia Lingerie is an online business started in Australia by Roger Havell, who lived there for 20 years before returning to this country.

There remains an office in Brisbane but Roger runs the business here in the UK helped by his wife Caroline.

All their products are made in Europe to assure quality – Roger was determined not to touch anything from the Far East - and new lines are constantly coming in.

Roger said: “It’s good fun. We are constantly developing the website, making it more flexible and powerful, adding more products, making it possible for visitors to drill down and find what they are looking for, adding more variety.”

There are four sides to the website configured for different parts of the world, the UK, the USA, Australia and the European Union.

Mix and match items are expected to sell well for Christmas and their nightwear range too, pyjamas, dressing gowns, nightdresses.

“We try to appeal to everybody’s needs and requirements and we’re sensible in what we’re doing," said Roger.

“When people shop with us we despatch a little discount reward for next time. We’ll be doing promotions in the lead up to Christmas, just for short periods, so people will have to be quick. There will be genuine savings, we’re all about turnover.”

New look for database firm Open File UK

A change of emphasis in the business has gone hand-in-hand with a re-branding of Open File UK.

The new look goes through the website, business cards, stationery and other documentation.

Mark Hosken said it was right for small businesses to go through the re-branding process every three years or so to ensure you do not “drift”.

Mark said his business was looking to work more closely with clients on a day-to-day basis. He said by building the relationship he believes both OpenfileUK and the client get advantages.

The business has worked across a range of companies in London, the South East and beyond creating tailored Microsoft Office software systems to maximise the efficiency of organisations.

New care home wins award

A recently-opened Crowborough residential home for older people has received the 2011 award for Best Dementia Care Home Interior.

At the second annual National Dementia Congress, held in Liverpool, judges announced that they had chosen Heather View because they felt it demonstrated a real focus on community and local involvement, making the home a design for the future.

The innovative interior features an indoor village “centre” with an old-fashioned tearoom, coffee shop, hair salon, village shop, post-box and a cinema.

Manager Bill Roarty said: “Care UK is working hard to understand how environments can benefit the lives of people with dementia. We are working with dementia experts to ensure that our homes are relaxing, yet stimulating, environments for our residents.

“We want people to be able to enjoy the lifestyle they want and we can see that happening at Heather View where families are meeting up and having lunch while grandchildren can play happily and safely in the village setting, whatever the weather.

“Residents are also regularly inviting friends over to the coffee shop and then going to see a film together at the home’s cinema. With this level of facilities, no one ever has to worry that living in a home is an end of their active social life, friendships or hobbies.”

Nearly 200 gather for farming debate

Nearly 200 farmers and land owners gathered at the South of England Agricultural Society to hear an impassioned debate on how farming and conservation can work together for the good of all who care about farming and the great British countryside.

Martin Harper, Conservation Director of the RSPB, told the Autumn Farming Conference that the challenges for the future were to further develop best farming practice for the protection of birds and wildlife; support further research and development to make more conservation possible alongside the increasing demand for food production; and further improvements to agro-management.

Andrew Mason, Managing Director of Sentry Farming, said 90 per cent of the company’s 55,000 acres of farmland was in one or more environmental schemes.

He said Sentry farms had 925 miles of hedgerows, 650 miles of ditch management, 25,000 trees and 85 miles of hedges that had been planted; and 410 acres of field corners for the benefit of birds and plants.

He predicted a future of financial volatility with no guarantee of future profitability in the industry, which would cause great problems for people deciding whether or not they could afford to invest in the countryside and conservation.

“My personal belief is that farming is compatible with conservation. Farmers’ own belief is that looking after their farms is the most prevailing fact, even more prevailing than the red tape,” he said.

Gold award for electric bike designer

Uckfield-based Weald-EVT collected a Green Apple Award for Environmental Improvement at a ceremony at the House of Commons.

The day was made even better when business owner Phil Edwards discovered that he had won gold in the engineering category.

He said: “Nobody knew exactly which award they'd won until the announcement, and we were so proud to collect this prestigious award.”

Earlier in the year he set a new speed record with his electric dragster motor-cycle.

Grants available for village shops and communities

*A new round of Wealden District Council’s rural retailers grant scheme has been launched to support village shops and communities. The deadline for applications is December 31.

Retailers can be located anywhere but outside of the main towns in the district, including Uckfield. One of the schemes that benefited from the first round of grants was Uckfield Farmers’ Market.

More details from the Wealden council website.