Latest People: Inspiring words at the Acumen Business Convention, a mayor mistaken for a pirate, and a festival of games

Acumen Business Awards

From the red carpet welcome to the final note of Levi Roots’ impromptu performance, the (fifth anniversary) 2014 Acumen Business Convention was a true celebration of all that is great about business in Brighton.

Levi Roots, dragon slayer extraordinaire, was this year’s keynote speaker. The brains and personality behind the hugely popular Reggae Reggae Sauce took the audience through his journey from humble beginnings to successful business entrepreneur.

1940s-style paparazzi welcomed guests in a dazzle of flashbulbs along a red carpet, before a ‘grand luncheon’ was served.

Penina Shepherd, founder and MD of Acumen Business Law, announced the expansion of the firm into new offices in Gatwick; from there on, inspiration and success stories were the order of the day.
Local businesses ended the day firmly in the spotlight with the presentation of the inaugural Business Acumen Award. Brandon Harris, director of Active4less Fitness Clubs, scooped the coveted prize after two rounds of intensive judging.

A very successful day. Penina exclaimed, “the feedback has been exceptional”.

Is it a pirate? Is it a princess? No! It’s The Mayor Of Brighton

On 6 May the Mayor of Brighton, Councillor Denise Cobb, paid a visit to the Whitehawk After School Project (WASP). The children aged between 4 and 11 had great fun spending time with the mayor, especially when she allowed them all to try on her official outfit. The day started off with much curiosity, as the children had never seen the mayor before and enquired whether she was a pirate or a princess! Only from the mouthes of babes.

WASP is an after school club for children aged 4-11. It provides many subsidised places for families in Whitehawk and is run by Impact Initiatives. It also offers support to families as a whole. The club is registered with Ofsted.

The Sussex Downs College Games Festival

Forget London 2012, Sussex Downs College in Eastbourne was the hottest venue for sports activities this month. On 8 & 9 May the college welcomed primary schools from the local area to take part in its annual Games Festival. Now in its 19th year, the Games Festival lets youngsters experience sports in an HE environment. Team activities mirrored Sports Day fun with events including relay races, rounders, parachuting (with the kids’ feet kept firmly on the ground) and more.

The festival, run by the Level 3 (Higher) Sports Leaders and Level 2 CSLA Sports Leaders at Sussex Downs, saw in excess of 1,300 primary school students visit the Eastbourne campus across the two days.
Amelia Grace, a Sussex Downs College student who was being assessed on leading one of the groups of primary school pupils, comments: “The Games Festival is a really cool event. It’s practical and fun and all the kids listened and responded really well.”

Miss Standley, a Teaching Assistant at Pevensey and West Ham comments: “As a group, the rounders seems to be the best activity they have enjoyed. It’s a great team sport and it’s rounders with a twist, which is a really fun idea.”

With young pupils’ interest in sport piqued, events like this could make them consider PE in further education. We may have just seen future Olympic medalists in action.