This is why adverts for Worthing have appeared at London Victoria and Gatwick Airport

Time For Worthing. That is the name of a new brand designed to shift perceptions of Worthing and garner investment.

Businesses and entrepreneurs grouped together to come up with the idea, revealed at the Dome Cinema in Marine Parade, Worthing, on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the event, chairman of the Town Centre Initiative Diane Guest said it was ‘a game changer’.

She said: “It starts to position our home as the place we residents know it to be; forward-looking, with a quality of life to envy and, of course, with open arms to anyone who wants to come and join us.”

Time For Worthing was developed after a series of surveys and discussions.

Stuart Warren and Paul Jukes from Warren Creative, based in Chatsworth Road, Worthing, are behind the concept. They said two words that kept being brought up were ‘vibrant’ and ‘together’: representing Worthing’s sense of community and the feeling it was going through a renaissance.

The logo and name was designed to reflect this, they said: its shape is inspired by the Worthing borough, and comes in a selection of colours named after town wards.

When asked why the public would care about this, Stuart said: “It makes it more authentic, rather than just a pretty picture saying ‘come here’. The whole strategy is about being more confident and proud about Worthing.”

To tie in with the launch, large advertising spaces were taken at Victoria Station, Gatwick Airport, Brighton Station and Worthing Station.

Worthing kitesurfing champion Lewis Crathern also braved the weather to display the brand off the coast.

Promotional materials include a video starring Worthing High School pupils and Pitch owner Kenny Tutt.

At the launch, he spoke about how after winning Masterchef, he went ‘up to London with his briefcase’ to convince restaurant investors to help him open a restaurant in Worthing – and his passion for his hometown won them over. He said: “If there are start-up businesses looking for somewhere that is not oversaturated and is not so dog-eat-dog as some of the big cities, come here and join us.”

Andy Sparsis, owner of The Fish Factory and The Fat Greek Taverna, compared Worthing to his colourful Cypriot aunty who his family would struggle to explain to people when she visited.

He said: “In 20 years of business, I have heard every geographical description of Worthing without actually saying it: near Brighton, coastal West Sussex.

“We have to not only start saying the word ‘Worthing’, but shouting about how great our town is.”

A recent endorsement of Worthing was when BoKlok, a flat pack housing company part-owned by IKEA, pledged to build 150 flat pack homes here.

According to president Jonas Spangenberg, who flew over from Scandinavia for the launch, the warm welcome they received when scouting for places to launch the UK arm of their business sealed the deal. He said: “You dared to welcome us strangers from the Nordics.

“We stand by Time for Worthing.”

While it is funded in part by Worthing Borough Council and the Worthing Town Centre Initiative, it is run by a board of stakeholders. These roles will be advertised shortly. For more information, visit timeforworthing.uk.