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The Sir Robert Woodard Academy (SRWA) is a local academy serving 11-18 year olds in the local community of Lancing.
Parafix sponsor an award at the Academy – the award for outstanding entrepreneurship. The award is presented annually to the student that has displayed qualities such as creativity, initiative, motivation and commitment in a particular area of their studies.
We also offer students the opportunity to use Parafix as a case study, in which they can experience the workings of real businesses and their challenges.
The University of Brighton is a community of 22,000 students and 2,600 staff based on five campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings.
Parafix has worked with the University since 2006; beginning with participation in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project. These are national Government schemes run by the Technology Strategy Board to enable companies to become more innovative, competitive and profitable by engaging in knowledge transfer with Universities. The University also benefits from the scheme; gaining experience of businesses in practice and offering their students real life examples. Due to the success of the programme Parafix took part in a second KTP in 2012.
Parafix have also played a part in educating design students and their teachers on the benefits of adhesives over traditional fixings.
In addition, Parafix regularly collaborate with the University on other various projects, offering Parafix as an interesting case study to students, so they can apply their studies to a real life company.
STEMNET creates opportunities to inspire young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This enables young people to develop their creativity, problem-solving and employability skills, widens their choices and supports the UK’s future competitiveness.
In recognition of the continuing need to help support education of the next generation of engineers and scientists, Parafix has pledged to support the STEM Ambassador program within Sussex.
Our R&D Manager, Julian Bond acts as a STEM Ambassador and was recently forwarded for consideration for the STEM Awards for his work with STEMNET South East. Julian’s work has included judging the regional finals of NSEC (National Science and Engineering Competition), working with local schools and providing the Brighton Maker Faire with the first of its “Technical Helpers”, a role designed to help the Makers explain the technical side of their work to the General Public. Future projects to be supported through Ambassador involvement include After School Science Clubs and IMechE’s Slot Car Challenge.
The Lancing Business Park (LBP), situated on the Sussex Coast, is the home of Parafix’s Head Office, manufacturing and storage buildings.
In 2004 Lancing Business Park Limited was formed as a non-profit making enterprise, to create a hub to the business community on the park. In 2008 the Business Park became a Business Improvement District (BID) managed through a group of volunteers who have interests on the Business Park, supported by a paid coordinator.
Parafix contributes voluntarily to the BID through the provision of a number of resources, as well as contributing two Committee members. Our Managing Director, Mike Punter, is Chairman of the Lancing Business Park and our Financial Controller is company Secretary.
Afera, the European Association for the Self Adhesive Tape Industry, is comprised of 115 members from 18 European countries that represent the scope of expertise of the tape industry. As the heart of tape trade expertise, Afera aims to bring together the European tape industry to enhance the product, the business, the marketplace and the future of self adhesive tape in Europe.
Parafix is a member of the Association and our Managing Director, Mike Punter, plays an important role for the Association, as head of Afera’s Marketing Committee. The Committee is a working group composed of marketing and industry tape specialists assisted by the Secretary-General of the Association.
Parafix mostly supports Sussex charities; primarily (not exclusively) Chestnut Tree House. It is important to Parafix to give something back to the community in which we operate and the Chestnut Tree House charity is a very worthy cause.
Chestnut Tree House is the only children’s hospice in Sussex and cares for 280 children and young adults from 0-25 years of age with progressive life-limiting conditions from Sussex and South East Hampshire.
Completed in 2003, the hospice provides a ‘home from home’ environment with 10 children’s bedrooms plus eight family rooms, a wet and dry play area, computer and music rooms, a multi sensory room and hydrotherapy pool. The house is set in beautiful gardens within an area of outstanding natural beauty.
The Argus Appeal is a community charity that aims to give assistance to those in need, in particular disadvantaged children, the elderly, the vulnerable and those with disabilities. The Appeal has an enormous role to play in the community because it supports such a wide range of causes and can act swiftly to help individuals, families, groups and other charities.
The appeal, having been working hard in the community for nearly 55 years, organises a number of charity events such as charity dinners, golf tournaments and Christmas concerts. They also organise a number of cycle challenges that are taken up annually by Parafix employees; the last being a Brighton to Paris bike ride, successfully undertaken and raising over £1,300. Parafix encourage participation in charity events and always offer a donation to our employee’s chosen charities.
Our core values also display a commitment to minimising our environmental impact. As part of this commitment we aim to recycle where possible and this includes giving our redundant computer hardware to CARE – Collecting and Recycling Ecologically. The charity send the units to Ghana where they are reused; providing computers for schools and colleges to help children gain the ICT skills that will be essential to building a better future.
Other recycling efforts include giving suitable material off cuts to charities and schools.
Parafix were sponsors of the Atlantic Splash charity fundraising challenge. The fundraisers were a team of five ordinary men taking on a challenging row across the Atlantic. They are experienced coastal rowers, looking to raise funds in excess of £200,000, to fund their costs and to be distributed equally between their four chosen charities. These are the Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Tall Ships Youth Trust, the British Heart Foundation and the Macular Society.
Parafix has a close association with sports and this extends outside of the company in the form of membership of the 1901 club at the Amex Stadium in Falmer to support local team Brighton & Hove Albion
Parafix have sponsored the Sussex County Cricket Club since 2005 and we are also the bat sponsor for SCCC Academy player Tom Haines for the next five years.”
In addition, our Managing Director, Mike Punter, offers his time as a Vice President of Sussex Young Cricketers.
In 2011 Parafix signed a three year deal to become the new main sponsor of the historic Sussex Senior Challenge Cup. From the start of the 2013 season, the tournament was renamed the Parafix Sussex Senior Cup.
The sponsorship package will help secure the future of the Cup, launched in 1883 and still the major county cup competition.
A number of local Sussex clubs wanted to play league golf during the winter months. As such Parafix saw an opportunity to support them through sponsorship of the Sussex Winter Golf League. We have been involved now for four years and it has proved to be a very competitive and enjoyable league.
Parafix has recently sponsored a class in the Show Jumping Sussex Area Championships. Proceeds go towards maintaining facilities for members.
