Come Together

Working collaboratively is something that almost every business must learn to do in order to be successful. It’s a must, to be able to pool resources and skills, working with the best people can ensure that you get ahead. So what effects can be achieved when these skills are put to use for the force of good? Sussex Business Times recently put the theory to test

Just a short while ago, the Sussex Business Times hotline rang out in the office with an unusual request. The call came in from Lottie Dowdeswell, who represents a charitable nursing home, based at the rear of the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne. Lottie was keen to ask us if we knew of anyone who might be willing to sponsor the overhaul of the home’s communal lounge area, as they were becoming threadbare and increasingly in need of a lick of paint.

Scratching out heads, as we did, we decided to take on the challenge, and with Lottie taking the reigns; we quickly rounded up a number of businesses that wanted to support the project. All Sussex-based operations and some with national and international reach, the weight of the support from such a breadth of business sectors, has been heartening.

“The weight of the support from such a breadth of business sectors across the sussex region has been heartening”

The supporters of the project have come in the shape of Brewers Home, who will be supplying design support, expert advice, product and labour, Newmans business solutions, Sanders Property Management/Ginger and Sanders property rentals, Barwells Quality Solicitor, Price & Co accountants, Hidden Hearing Eastbourne The Checkatrade Foundation.

We spoke with Lottie Dowdeswell, Activities Coordinator and Fundraiser for Berry Pomeroy and she gave us an overview of the project from her perspective: “I joined the team here at Berry Pomeroy in February this year and fell in love with the warm and happy attitude of the staff and residents; the place has a really positive feeling about it. As I looked around and became familiar with the communal rooms through my work as the activities coordinator, I felt the lounges downstairs were a little dark and dated so I got chatting to the residents and staff on what they would ideally like out of the rooms to ensure that they are used to their full capacity. The carpet was the first comment made by all, which I agreed was definitely in need of updating. Secondly, the walls needed to be brightened up but with no funds to carry out the work, we needed a plan!

It was tough initially, finding contacts to pursue for the support but I found Linkedin to be a great resource and it lead me to most of the supporters for the project as it stands. As soon as we had a few companies on board, and thankfully, it got simpler to secure the remaining businesses and I am truly grateful to al those who are supporting us as we run a fantastic charity which helps so many in their advanced years.

I can’t wait to see the finished result! It really will be a joyous occasion with plenty of cocktails for the residents and staff to enjoy in celebration. The beautiful wallpaper from the Albany range as provided by Brewers Home will look fantastic. I know it will because they have a clever app on their website, which allows you to try different wallpapers ‘virtually’ before you buy, so we are sure that we’ve made the right choice. With support from Brewers Home throughout the renovation, we have received nothing but the best advice, knowledge, products and overall help. With so many beautiful products and clever ideas coming from Brewers Home, and at such fantastic prices, you can afford to be stylish.

“The residents are very excited about the new lounges and can’t wait for them to be finished and ready to be enjoyed for many years to come” Lottie Dowdeswell – activities coordinator and fundraiser, berry pomeroy

I am so pleased that the final six (as I like to call them) came together to help such a worthy cause; Berry Pomeroy is a great place to live and work and we would like to thank Sussex Business Times, the ‘final six’ and the team at Brewers Home for their help, generosity and kindness in the project. We are jointly hosting a networking and celebration event with Sussex Business Times and everyone’s invited. Information for this will be circulated via SBT’s newsletter so if you’re not signed up – do it now! We hope to see you there.

We also spoke with Stephen Ash, Solicitor and Partner at QS Barwells: “We are proud to be involved with the refurbishment of the lounge at Berry Pomeroy Care home. We have a specialist team to deal with later life legal issues so we understand how important it is for people to be happy and comfortable in their surroundings if they are living in a care home. Berry Pomeroy has a fantastic reputation for respecting and caring for the individual residents and creating an environment that is friendly, caring and tailored to each individual needs. In that sense, it shares the same values that we do as Solicitors – offering personal legal advice about wills, powers of attorney, tax and probate.

Stephen continued: “As a local business we are rooted in the community and depend on building good relationships with our clients and other local business. By visiting Berry Pomeroy and finding out what daily life is like for the residents it helps us to better advise our clients if they are faced with the decision about entering a care home for the first time which can be a daunting experience. Similarly, the team at Berry Pomeroy can build an understanding of the importance for their residents to have their legal affairs in order; be it making a lasting power of attorney so their family can assist with managing their financial affairs, to making a will and funeral plan to ensure their wishes are followed in the event of their death. Often a brief chat with a legal specialist can resolve any niggling questions an individual may have put off for years and usually leads to a huge sense of peace of mind (our fixed prices help too). It’s been great to work together with Berry Pomeroy and the other companies involved in this project. We hope it will make a long-lasting difference to the lives of residents there and we’re looking forward to working together on similar projects in the future. We’ve already discussed holding a combined Dementia awareness seminar so there are a few things in the pipeline.”

Talking to Hidden Hearing, Eastbourne, we were told: “We put our customers first because we care about their needs and quality of life. Berry Pomeroy supports residents who have very similar needs to our own customers so the opportunity to reach out further and support people in the local community felt like a great idea to us. We have supported a variety of charities over the years from Help for Heroes, Hearing Dogs, Computers 4 Africa and most recently Music and the Deaf. This project is a little more unusual but it has been great to work with others and pull together to create the support for this project.

The works are taking place as we go to press and we will follow up in the September edition of Sussex Business Times with some pictures of the finished spaces for all to see what can be achieved when great businesses come together.