Fareham's Business Newsletter

March 2024

Published by Fareham Borough Council, each monthly edition delivers news, support and opportunities to businesses in Fareham.

Last Chance to Become a Founding Sponsor of 'Fareham Live'

We know that so many businesses are looking for opportunities promote themselves, while also showcasing their community spirit. That's why we wanted to share an exclusive opportunity for businesses to become one of the founding sponsors of Fareham Live, the new Community, Arts and Entertainment venue opening in the heart of Fareham later this year. 'A Wave of Thanks' will be a permanent, bespoke piece of artwork for the foyer of this exciting new venue and businesses have the opportunity to become part of the building's history by sponsoring their own small piece of this artwork.

Unlike most sponsorship packages, businesses will not be asked to renew their sponsorship each year, as this piece of artwork will remain a permeant fixture for the life of the venue. There are also a host of additional benefits included in each sponsorship package to help promote and support your business. With just the last few corporate packages remaining, the deadline for you to secure your sponsorship and create a lasting legacy for your business is 30 April 2024.

If you would like to register your interest, please email publicity@fareham.gov.uk. For more info head to www.fareham.gov.uk/waveofthanks.

Business Breakfast and Networking Event

Fareham Borough Council is committed to making Fareham Town Centre a place where businesses can thrive. To hear directly from local businesses, we are hosting a Business Breakfast on Monday 25 March at the Council Civic Offices. Hosted by the Executive Leader of the Council, Cllr Seán Woodward, you will be presented with our draft regeneration options, followed by group discussions, so please bring your voice and ideas about what could make the Town Centre better for business. 

This event follows earlier public engagement, which has helped us identify the strengths and weaknesses of the town centre, alongside opportunities for improvement. We are also kickstarting regeneration by investing £30m in three important drivers: the new community, arts and entertainment venue, Fareham Live, which will open later this year; the new car park to replace Osborn Road multi storey; and the purchase of Fareham Shopping Centre. To allow as many businesses to attend as possible, places at the Business Breakfast are initially limited to one per business (more places may open up nearer the time) and must be pre-booked by Thursday 21 March for catering purposes.

Click here for more information and to book your place (breakfast included). 

Join a Free Programme to Help Micro Businesses and Sole Traders Thrive!

Small Business Britain is excited to deliver the Small and Mighty Programme to help grow small businesses, with expert guidance and mentoring, starting on 15 April 2024. This six-week programme to supercharge sole traders and micro businesses, concludes with a growth plan to support the next year of business opportunity. It will be delivered entirely online, allowing access from anywhere in the UK with flexible learning enabling opportunities for all.

Click here for full information and to book your free place.  

Free Employment Law Update Factsheet

Following a successful speaker session at Fareham Business Expo, Deborah Weatherall, MD at HR Dept Solent (pictured above), has put together a free-to-access factsheet of employment law updates to share with businesses in Fareham. Employment law is always evolving, improving protections for businesses and the people who work within them. Keeping on top of these changes and maintaining up-to-date HR admin can sometimes be a time-consuming task. To help, a factsheet has been created for employers on key legislative changes to keep in mind for 2024. All employers are obligated to stay on top of their employment legislation, not doing so could result in costly and damaging employment tribunals or fines of up to £20,000 per employee.

Click here to download your free factsheet and stay on top of your employer obligations.  

D-Day 80 Sponsorship

One of the largest D-Day celebration events in the area, Daedalus D-Day 80 offers an ideal opportunity to promote your business. Building on the success of previous events, Daedalus D-Day 80 is being run on behalf of Fareham Borough Council by Montserrat Events CIC and Regional City Airports (RCA). With plenty of sponsorship oppotunitites to choose from, this event is the perfect place to promote your brand.

Please click here to get in touch with info@montserratevents.co.uk or click here to find out more .

Artificial Intelligence in Business - Free Lunch and Learn Session

Join the launch of a series of Lunch and Learn events, hosted by Innovation Connect and Eagle Labs at the University of Portsmouth. The first event in the series will focus on how businesses can harness the power of AI to enhance their operations and customer services. Featuring four expert speakers, including two small, local businesses and two academics from the University of Portsmouth, this event promises to equip you with valuable insights to make AI a success in your business.

Click here to view the agenda and book your free place (lunch included). 

Let's Talk Fareham

Fareham Borough Council is committed to an open process of consultation and engagement with the people of Fareham. Online surveys are one of the ways we can gather views and all of our surveys are open to the public, including local businesses. Some consultations are required by law and are run under statutory rules. 

Click here to view and participate in open consultations.

Do you have a business-facing event taking place in Fareham? Are there any topics you would like to see in future newsletters? Email economicdevelopment@fareham.gov.uk and let us know. Sent this newsletter by a colleague? Subscribe here.