Celebrating another year of extraordinary growth and a packed agenda for 2024 As per our constitution, the BHBPA Chair, Mark Jackson , brought the AGM meeting together for the Quorum. He explained the structure of our Governance Model and presented the Finance Report for 2023. We’re a well-run organisation, under the guidance of a Board of experienced professionals. I then explained more about the milestone in membership numbers we hit at the end of December 2023 – 200 members. We talked also of the various initiatives we have been working on, including the new signage that went up around the Victoria & Sheddingdean business parks in 2023, the progress of the Yellow Lines being planned at 11 sites on the Victoria business park and sustainability initiatives.  I touched on last year’s hugely successful Mid Sussex Science Week , and how that is about to launch again for 2024. More news on that in upcoming issues. I also introduced a new Schools programme – the Mid Sussex Green Changemakers, an initiative that already has buy-in from, among other schools, Downlands Community School, Burgess Hill Academy, Warden Park & Imberhorne. More on that further below. We also mentioned the success of the discounted training courses we trialled in January and February, delivered by Chichester College Group. Additional discounts have now been negotiated for a range of leadership management training courses offered by Rewards Training. We are looking to hold these training offerings at The Kings Centre and further down in this issue we have some feedback from an excel course attendee. |
 David McGougan gave us an overview of the Panattoni Park Burgess Hill . The 23 acre site is now almost completed. You can find out more on their website. You can download the brochure, which details each of the 14 units, in very wide ranging sizes, from 8,000 sq ft, all the way to 146,000 sq ft. We were in Unit 3: 32.422 sq ft in size.   Tim Hardwicke, a partner for one of the agents for the site, Stiles Harold William s, gave a very clear summary of commercial rents across Mid Sussex, with a focus on Burgess Hill. He also explained the value of ‘new kit’ when moving into newly completed units, such as those of the Panattoni site, they can easily offset the higher rents asked. |
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| These photos, including the aerial drone imagery, from Gibson Blanc Photography You get an idea here of the scale of the building. Unit 3 is located in the image bottom right, in that image, on the far right is this standalone unit, one of the smaller units, all pristine and fully completed. Bottom centre…you can see our group in the corner inside Unit 3. We would like to thank Panattoni for sponsoring the event, allowing us to bring in chairs, tables, a TV screen, a fabulous buffet breakfast including baps, pastries, all manner of fresh fruit and all the very necessary teas and coffees. Many thanks to  Hickstead Lodge  for bringing that catering in. There were also complimentary bottles of still and sparkling water for all our delegates, courtesy of BHBPA member Aquapax . This was followed by an introduction to the Mid Sussex Green Changemakers Challenge, presented by Kat Crisp, she introduced one of the tools she has to engage students, using football, this football shirt is made from recycled coffee beans…who’d have thought it! BHBPA is looking to engage our members in this programme. |
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| What happened next was a veritable earthquake of laughter, echoing across the vast warehouse. We started off with handshakes to pass on a laugh to those sitting next to us, then we were throwing laughter balls at each other. Some dropped the imaginary ball and had to pick the guffaws up. This all continued under the expert guidance of a seasoned and well established wellness practitioner. The wonderful Sam Rehan animated us and when you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body, releasing serotonin, endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles. Energise your staff to greater productivity – by developing and supporting a wellness programme. |
 This sequence of photos above from Alix Rickard Photography |