Opportunity Fair at Broomgrove Community Centre kickstarts the new RISE Hastings programme, strengthening support for local residents to succeed
On Wednesday 24th January, Let’s Do Business Group and other providers of the RISE Hastings programme hosted the first Opportunity Fair at the Broomgrove Community Centre in Hastings – showcasing the support on offer for local residents to gain new skills, start or grow a business, and succeed in the town.
The RISE Hastings programme is led by not-for-profit business support organisation Let’s Do Business Group in collaboration with Southern Housing, Education Futures Trust and Hastings Borough Council to encourage and reinvigorate economic growth in the town. In a bid to support local residents to learn new skills, secure employment and even run and grow their own businesses, the RISE Hastings programme, which kicked off in late 2023, includes several initiatives to support Hastings residents and regenerate our town.
The Opportunity Fair, held at Broomgrove Community Centre in January 2024, was the first event of its kind for the programme and the area – bringing together a variety of local organisations that residents in and around Hastings can benefit from.
Free to attend and hosted as an informal drop-in event, the Opportunity Fair brought together local businesses, charities, support organisations and more to engage with local people and extend opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Organisations featured at the event were:
· East Sussex College Group
· Southern Housing
· Education Futures Trust
· Home Instead
· Let’s Do Business Group
· DWP
· ASL Recruitment
· Salvation Army
· East Sussex Family Hub
To name a few!
With a focus on providing accessible resources and support, the Opportunity Fair was a success, welcoming attendees from across Hastings and displaying the wide range of opportunities tailored to their needs and aspirations.
Attendees had the chance to interact with representatives from local businesses and organisations; exploring job openings, learning about career advancement opportunities within the community and the support on offer to start or grow their own businesses. Interested attendees could also learn information on apprenticeships and academic pathways, empowering residents to pursue their goals and learn new skills to succeed at work and build a career.
In addition to employment and educational opportunities, the Opportunity Fair featured community organisations such as Department of Work and Pensions, Southern Housing, East Sussex Family Hub and Home Instead to inform local residents about support and services available to them, ranging from housing and benefit eligibility.
“The Opportunity Fair is part of a new hyperlocal approach by the Rise Hastings programme of targeting a range of opportunities for help and developing skills in the hope that this neighbourhood approach can have more impact on improving the lives of residents in Broomgrove.”
The first event in the calendar for the new RISE Hastings programme, which is expected to run until Spring 2025, will be followed by a variety of events including the ‘Starting A New Business’ and the ‘Make Money Through a Side Hustle’ workshops in early 2024, and many more in the works for the coming year.
For more information on free support and events for Hastings residents, visit our RISE Hastings support hub
