Show your support for businesses in Adur and Worthing this festive season
As we emerge from lockdown into Tier 2, Adur & Worthing Councils want to welcome you back to our high streets and encourage people to support their local businesses – in a safe and COVID-friendly way.
The #WinterWelcomeAW campaign highlights all the things going on in our town centres in the run up to Christmas, and encourages residents to get out and about, enjoy the festive season and shop local.
Festive feeling
As always, our town centres are adorned with twinkling lights and Christmas trees to get us in the festive spirit, and there’s free parking in Worthing, Shoreham, Lancing and Southwick every weekend in the run up to Christmas.
Don’t miss the Christmas markets – in Shoreham’s Tarmount lane car park this weekend (December 12 and 13) and in Worthing Town Centre each Wednesday, with a bonus market taking place on Monday, December 21. There’s also The Great Little Farmers’ Market in Montague Place and South Street on December 13, when artisan crafts and gifts will be on offer.
Late night shopping
The Christmas shopping season wouldn’t be the same without late night shopping, and Worthing will have two ‘Festive Thursday’ events on December 10 and December 17 – when shops open until 7pm. Shoppers spending more than £5 on Festive Thursday receive a £5 voucher to be redeemed in participating restaurants in the town that evening.
As we encourage shoppers back to our town centres, and urge them to stick to social distancing guidelines, we hear from local businesses who need your support this December.
Shop local
Lauren Roffey, owner of Baked in Rowlands Road, is urging residents to safely support local businesses over Christmas as part of the #WinterWelcomeAW campaign.
“If we don’t shop local this year, some businesses might not be here next year,” she said. “Christmas is the busiest time of the year - November and December get you through January and February.”
Dine outside
There’s a new winter shelter for al fresco diners at seafront restaurant, CrabShack, which has a new deck cover and heat lamps so residents can eat outside in a COVID-safe environment.
CrabShack co-owner Sarah Tinker-Taylor said: “When the first lockdown came we knew we had a social responsibility so we closed. We feel we did our bit.
“Everybody wants to get out and about but they also want to feel safe. We know some people still don’t feel comfortable eating inside and they won’t for a long time. So we got a cover, this is custom-made, it can withstand a hurricane. Hopefully it won’t come to that, but this is 2020!”
Christmas keeps us going
The sign says Dave Brown & Son Butchers, but it’s son Stuart who runs the counter in the Lancing shop now.
He said: “Christmas has always been an important time, it keeps you going for the rest of the year. We’ve been busy in lockdown though.
“It’s all about building up trust. If you keep the prices reasonable and you keep the quality of the meat high, then people will keep coming.
“I’ve run this place for eight years and my dad ran it for 35 years. It runs in the family.”
Online offering
Husband and wife Andrew and Ying Winder opened Koh Koh Chocolate Boutique five years ago to bring a bit of Belgium to Southwick Square.
In any other year the shop would be full of customers at this time, but the chocolatier couple know Christmas 2020 will have to be different to keep shoppers safe. So they’ve bolstered their online offering to encourage more residents to shop from home.
“You can now buy online and pick which chocolates you want, just as if you were coming here,” Andrew said.
“December is a very important month for us - 40 to 50 per cent of our business comes in December.
“Usually at this time the shop is crammed with people. That can’t happen this year.”
A new venture
The Camp’s Coffee Bean Co van is a very recent addition to Worthing seafront – it opened just a month ago opposite Steyne Gardens.
But already the Camp family’s business is proving popular with those strolling down the promenade, not least thanks to its homemade Bakewell tarts.
Co-owner and head barista Will Camp said: “I was a head chef at a hotel, but because of COVID-19 my hours were being reduced. Instead of going on furlough, I thought it would be great to open a coffee van. We thought we couldn’t open in lockdown, but the Council called us and said we could. So the Christmas period is a really important time for us.”
Boost for art
As the first coronavirus lockdown sparked an interest in interior design, the Two Faced Twins’ striking prints of Worthing scenes and pop culture icons gained popularity.
Run by twins Stella and Gem, their success meant they were able to open a showroom in the seafront shelter opposite Steyne Gardens in July.
“Art has put Worthing on the map a bit more. People are taking home scenes from Worthing in our artwork,” said Stella. “I think people find it really refreshing.”
The twins’ seafront showroom has a barrier in place to ensure social distancing so shoppers can browse safely.
Get out and about
As well as encouraging the public to support businesses, the #WinterWelcomeAW campaign is urging people to get active and explore their communities – sticking to social distancing rules.
There’s several initiatives to encourage you to get out and about this festive season, including the Worthing Christmas Tree Trail, which challenges you to find all 14 Christmas Trees in the town centre. Vote for your favourite on social media for a chance to win a family gift hamper.
There’s also a Toy Soldier Trail – collect the names of the large figurines and return the form to the post box in Montague Place. The winner will receive a family gift hamper. To download the maps for both trails, click here.
Festive fun
Other #WinterWelcomeAW projects include the Digital Advent Calendar by the Worthing Town Centre Initiative (TCI), with discounts, deals and prizes every day. Visit: worthing.digitaladvent.co.ukAnd youngsters can write a letter to Santa; if you post the letter in the Worthing TCI Christmas postbox by the performance area in Montague Place, those received by December 18 will get a reply if the name and address are included on the letter.
So there’s plenty going on across Adur and Worthing this December, and lots you can do to support businesses and enjoy what our area has to offer this festive season.
A spokesperson for Adur & Worthing Councils said: “There are many ways you can support local businesses – if you can’t get out to the shops, check to see if you can shop online. And why not treat someone to a gift voucher to enjoy a meal out at a restaurant in the new year.”
To find out more about the #WinterWelcomeAW campaign in Adur and Worthing, visit: www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/winterwelcomeaw