Welcome New Members!
Second Homes / Air BnB Rother Task & Finish Group
The Chamber will meet with the Rother Task & Finish Group examining the impact of second homes and airBnBs in Rye and Chamber on the 17th February. We know that many members have very strong views on this - so with that in mind can you please email us BY 10th FEBRUARY with your thoughts, views and recommendations which we will include in our presentation info@ryechamber.org
Dry January
Over recent years, a growing number of retailers and hospitality businesses take a well-earned rest in January when visitor numbers are down after Christmas and trade is at its slowest. Rye has been super-quiet with a number of shops and eateries closed, not to mention a couple of fierce storms which have kept visitors away.
Now that the dreaded tax returns have been submitted, businesses are looking forward and planning ahead. Welcome to February! With Valentine's Day the next significant trading date on the calendar and Scallop Week on the horizon, the retail and hospitality businesses in town are busy with their window displays and ramping up their social media.
Tillingham has it all going on!
Away from the high street on a chilly, wet lunchtime at the end of January, we were invited along to Tillingham to sample their lunch menu, and it was excellent! We ate in the restaurant upstairs where the atmosphere was chilled and cosy. It's a very charming lunchtime spot that deserves more than just a mention. Their Valentine's Day set lunch menu, is great value at £37.50, with a free glass of Tillingham Fizz on arrival 💝
Tillingham's dedicated marketing team has been hard at work crafting some truly exciting events. In addition to their tastings and winemaker dinners and participating in Scallop Week, they’ve introduced wellness days and creative crafting courses, and excitingly, every month, there’s a funky First Friday DJ night to look forward to! After you've thrown some shapes on the dancefloor, to celebrate the May Bank Holiday, how about digging out your cowboy boots for a spectacular barn dance that promises to be unforgettable! Be sure to check out their events page for more details.
Fitness goals for 2025? We hear you!
Rye Chamber of Commerce and Wild Life Sussex Coast have joined forces to create a team challenge in June 2025; to take on the Giant's Causeway Mighty Hike to help raise money for people living with cancer.
Why not take on the challenge? Join our team in Northern Ireland and spend this year's summer solstice doing something incredible for yourself AND for a great cause? We've arranged some spectacular accommodation for a long weekend to make the most of the trip beautiful Ballycastle, Co. Antrim. We'll train together each weekend in the run up to the event to get you fit to walk the challenging 13 miles along the Giant's Causeway but hurry, places are filling up fast! Email info@ryechamber.org for more details.
Update on BID
The feasibility study for Rye’s BID campaign concluded in December with recommendations that there is sufficient support among businesses in Rye to explore the concept further. Having considered how best to proceed we are pleased to announce that we have appointed Mosaic to steer us through the next phase of work which again will be funded from our levelling up revenue pot which was ringfenced by MHCLG for this activity. We will be meeting with Mosaic early in February and will announce next steps soon after.
Update on Levelling Up / Capital
Thank you to all members who were forthcoming with their comments, questions and support surrounding the levelling up capital fund project. After lengthy consideration, the two costed options (detailed in last month’s newsletter) were put to a vote at our meeting on the 20th January. Ten members voted 8 to 2 in favour of the Tourism Guide project. We are now finalising plans with a view to this project being signed off by MHCLG (via RDC) within the next two weeks. Work will commence almost immediately to develop the project.
Loos
Although the capital levelling up fund will now not be spent on the refurbishment of the Station Approach loos, the Chamber is still actively working with Rye Town Council and other interested parties to explore alternative means of securing the future of the loos outside of the restrictions and financial risk that the levelling up agreement would have involved.
BBC South East
The Chamber endeavoured to assist BBC South East with their search to find a local hotelier able to contribute to a feature they are planning which will examine the challenges faced by businesses when recruiting and employing overseas nationals to their staff. The series of features will be looking at farming and healthcare as well as hospitality as three sectors most impacted by Brexit when it comes to employment. On this occasion, perhaps due to the rather contentious nature of the subject, we were unable to secure participation.
DISC
DISC is electronic system for reporting shop theft, anti social behaviour.
We hosted a meeting at The Mermaid on Monday 20th January with The Rother Crime Partnership and Rother Neighbourhood Policing to formally launch the DISC scheme which is free for all Rye businesses to use. The evening was very informative and those businesses who attended were able to ask questions about the governance, terms of use and best practice of the scheme. We’re pleased to say that many businesses have signed up for the scheme and we hope many more of you will follow.
To begin the process you need to register your interest by emailing communitysafety@rother.gov with the following information:
Business Name:
Contact Name:
Contact Phone number:
Contact Email Address:
Economy (Retail and/or Night time):
What type of business you are e.g. do you have a shop, restaurant, Retail -Shop
Which Area in Rother is your business(‘s) Please state, Bexhill, Battle, and/or Rye:
You will then be sent a link for signing up to the DISC scheme itself and you will need to download the DISC app to your phone.
Martello / Silverstone Communications
The Chamber had a further meeting with Martello Development’s stakeholder agency, Silverstone, in January. We stressed the importance for greater communication between the developer and our business community to engender greater understanding of the development needs and wants of the town along with its concerns and risks. Further stakeholder meetings are planned for the Martello developments the next being on the 12th February at The Winery from 4-7.30pm. The event is a drop in session and we urge you to go along, find out more and ask any questions you may have.
Rye Town Council - Budget
At the Town Council meeting on 27th January, the budget for 25/26 was voted through with little debate. Many of you will already be aware of the considerable increase in the town’s precept. If you want learn more about what contribution your council tax makes to the town’s budget and how that budget has been determined you can consider it in full here.
Poor turn out at funding seminar
Clean Growth held a sustainability seminar at the Mermaid's Tudor Room on 29th January. Out of the 8 businesses scheduled to attend, only 4 turned up the morning session. The stark reality we faced was that there appears to be no support from the Government on the horizon to assist businesses in funding their sustainability journey. With the devolution programme set to kick off soon and funding for everything up in the air - even for agencies like Clean Growth who deliver these programs looking precarious, these are undeniably challenging times all round.
A further event is planned next month in Bexhill:
Net Zero Quick Wins
26 February 2025, 10am - 1pm
The Manor Barn, Manor Gardens, Bexhill-on-Sea TN40 2JA
This sustainability workshop is for any business that wants to keep up with consumer trends, attract more customers, and cut their running costs. It will help you identify carbon and cash savings across five key business areas: supply chain, transport, energy, water, and waste.
You’ll learn strategies that will help you:
save money
win business and meet tender requirements
protect our beautiful environment
Dates for your diary:
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See you next month!
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