It’s a tough gig but someone’s got to do it. So it was that I presented myself at Iagos Café on the Lancing Business Park last Friday to judge the charity bake-off with some three dozen entries from local firms. My co-judge, and former actual Bake Off star Janusz Domagala, was obviously rather better versed than me in the technical department but we unanimously agreed the winners.
Despite an impressive array of spectacular and colourful cake entries, some with exploding smartie cascades and hidden trifle interiors the overall winner was a simple scotch egg in the savoury section. The humble yet perfectly delicious black pudding scotch egg stole the show and the remains were polished off by the other competitors at the speed of light.
Proceeds from the Bake Off and other events held over the last year are going to the local youth charity Electric Storm Youth. Their youth worker Billy Hancock was there to give an update on ESY’s work and liaise with local firms to explore work-experience and apprenticeship opportunities . The AGM followed and it has been another impressive year for West Sussex’s second largest business park. Occupancy remains over 99% and such is the importance of the site which employs over 3100 people that West Sussex has agreed to a full makeover of all the main roads where potholes are a particular problem. Well done to Suzy Bastable who runs the Business Park and has made such a difference to its fortunes.
News that the CQC has downgraded the ratings for Worthing Hospital is disappointing and we have grown used to having our local hospital as outstanding. This is the first inspection since 2017 and in common with many similar hospitals across the country updated ratings are reflecting the pressure on hospitals to catch-up since Covid. What remains outstanding though is the dedication and hard work of the staff in all areas and it is no surprise that we continue to score well in the ‘caring’ category of the inspection report which is worth reading in full beyond the raw headlines
