Latest news with #i360
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rugby festival celebrates 100 days until World Cup
Over 100 girls from schools across Sussex are set to take part in a touch rugby festival on Wednesday to celebrate 100 days until the start of the Women's World Cup. Teams from 13 primary schools will take to Hove Rugby Club in a bid to get more girls into the sport ahead of the competition beginning in England in August. Brighton will host two games in the world cup, including one of England's group stage games, with the competition beginning on 22 August. Geraldine Brown, chairwoman of Hove Rugby Club, said: "As a host city the excitement is just building and we can't wait to welcome the teams and supporters." She added that it was "important" for the club to support the local community and rugby in schools. The festival comes as momentum builds behind the tournament, with over 275,000 tickets sold according to organisers. The event will be attended by representatives of Premiership Women's Rugby club Harlequins and rugby and mental health charity Maddy's Mark. The Women's World Cup trophy will also visit Sussex from Saturday to Monday as part of a national tour of the host cities ahead of the competition. The trophy will be in place at the Brighton i360 on 17 May before moving to Haywards Heath Rugby Club on 18 May and back to the i360 on 19 May. Brighton & Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey said: "We are so excited to be welcoming the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup trophy to the city this weekend, and we hope residents across the city will join us to celebrate this historic moment. "We are incredibly proud to have been chosen as a host city for the prestigious tournament, which will raise the profile of women's sport and showcase our sporting city on the world stage." The Amex Stadium at Falmer will host two games in the group stages of the competition with the Red Roses facing Australia on 6 September and current holders New Zealand playing Ireland on 7 September. England recently won their fourth straight Six Nations Grand Slam and enter the competition having lost just one game since March 2018 - the World Cup final in November 2022 against New Zealand. More tickets for the tournament are also set to be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. The first Sikh woman to play rugby for England City hopeful Women's Rugby World Cup will inspire Beach renamed in preparation for Rugby World Cup Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Brighton & Hove City Council
BBC News
08-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Brighton's i360 reopens with new owners after two-month closure
Brighton's i360 is back up and running two months after it closed amid financial problems. The tourist attraction was bought over by Nightcap Ltd in February after Brighton & Hove City Council wiped the i360's £51m debt. Sarah Willingham, Nightcap Ltd founder and CEO, opened the tower's pod, gift shop and cafe at 11:00 GMT on Saturday but said there is more to come. Former Dragons Den judge Mrs Willingham told BBC Radio Sussex ahead of the opening that she wanted the i360 to be "the heartbeat of the prom". A pre-booked ticket for an adult over 16 will remain at £18.50 but the attraction has introduced £5 tickets for adults and £2.50 for children who live in BN1, BN2, BN3 and BN41 postcodes.A bar on the site is due to open in the summer, says Nightcap Ltd, and there will be further refurbishments. Mrs Willingham said: "This is very much a phased opening." The original owners of the 531ft (162m) tower, which opened in August 2016, suddenly closed the viewing tower in December, making 109 staff redundant the week before Christmas. In order to secure a sale Brighton & Hove City Council announced in January they would wipe the venue's £51m local Sarah Willingham's firm took over the tower in February in a deal which will see 1% of i360 tower ticket sales revenue go to Brighton & Hove City Council.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local Green MP calls on council to be 'transparent' about i360 deal
A Green MP has called on the council to be 'transparent' about the sale of the i360. MP Sian Berry for Brighton Pavilion has reacted to the news that Nightcap Limited completed the takeover of the Brighton i360 on a 115-year lease. Ms Berry said that she welcomes the news that the i360 is 'given a new lease of life' and that it's important that residents are given 'full sight of the details'. She said: "This is great news for the local business owners who I know were worried about the potential for total demolition that was being discussed by some in the council, and I am excited to talk with the new owners about how we build up the positivity about this crucial area of our seafront. 'As things progress, it's important that the council is transparent about the sale and residents get full sight of the details, including the proportion of revenue the city will receive.' The Labour Party slammed the Greens for their involvement in agrreing the funding the i360 (Image: Eddie Mitchell)When the i360 was announced to be heading for administration in November, Brighton and Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey called for a formal apology from the Green Party for their role in the funding of the Brighton i360. The Labour Party slammed the Greens for their involvement in agreeing the financing of the project with £36 million of public money. The loan, agreed in 2014 under a Green minority administration, saw £36.2 million of taxpayer money used to finance the i360 project. Proposals to increase the loan from the Public Works Loan Board were voted through seven to three at a meeting in 2014 where then-Brighton Labour leader Warren Morgan said there was a 'question mark as to whether the council should undertake such a financial undertaking rather than it being for the developer to do so'. Accounts released in July showed that Brighton i360 Ltd paid £700,000 to the council in June 2022. The company has since been able to pay just £250,000 to the council from July 2022 to July 2024. Various councillors described their anger and frustration about the £51 million debt (Image: Andrew Gardner) On January 23, the council had a full council meeting at Hove Town Hall, in which various councillors described their anger and frustration before unanimously voting to clear the £51 million debt the i360 owed Brighton and Hove City Council. It was then revealed on Tuesday that Nightcap Limited, run by Sarah Willingham, announced that it completed the takeover of the i360 on a 115-year lease on the landmark. Cllr Jacob Taylor said: 'We are delighted that Nightcap has taken such a keen interest in revitalising the i360, and their passion and commitment to the city is evident. "We think this is the best option for the city – giving a fresh start for the attraction, and helping to ensure this important stretch of seafront can thrive.'
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seafront tourist attraction bought by hospitality chain
A seafront tourist attraction which closed suddenly after facing a series of financial problems has been bought by a hospitality chain. Nightcap, which runs more than 40 venues including The Cocktail Club and Tonight Josephine bars, confirmed it had purchased observation tower Brighton i360 on Tuesday. Under the agreement, Nightcap takes over the remaining 115-year lease of the i360. It comes after Brighton and Hove City Council agreed to write off the i360's £51 million debt last month so that it could be sold and get back in business. Brighton i360 had filed for administration after it failed to find a buyer, just days before Christmas last year, closing with immediate effect and making 109 employees redundant. Councillor Jacob Taylor, deputy leader of the Labour-run Brighton and Hove City Council, said: 'We are delighted that Nightcap has taken such a keen interest in revitalising the i360, and their passion and commitment to the city is evident. We think this is the best option for the city – giving a fresh start for the attraction, and helping to ensure this important stretch of seafront can thrive.' Sarah Willingham, founder and chief executive of Nightcap and former Dragon on Dragons' Den, said: 'We couldn't be happier to welcome the i360 to the Nightcap family and delighted that Brighton and Hove City Council has paved the way for us to keep this iconic landmark open. 'We pass the i360 every day and were as disappointed as everyone else when it went into administration and no buyer was found. The impact of its closure would have been catastrophic to our local businesses and a blemish on this important part of the Brighton seafront. We hope we will get the support of our tight knit local community as we embark on this new chapter for the i360.'
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buyer confirms takeover of Brighton i360
A buyer has been found for the i360 viewing pod in Brighton. Hospitality group Nightcap Limited, which runs 46 venues in England and Wales, has taken on the remaining 115-year lease of the i360 for an as-yet undisclosed fee. Sarah Willingham, founder and CEO of Nightcap, said: "We couldn't be happier to welcome the i360 to the Nightcap family." The i360 went into administration in November. Brighton & Hove City Council then announced in January it would be writing off the attraction's £51m debt. Brighton-based Nightcap said clearing the debt and any "historic liabilities" would give the i360 a "fresh start" after significant investment from the new owners. "We pass the i360 every day and were as disappointed as everyone else when it went into administration and no buyer was found," said Ms Willingham, a former star of TV show Dragons' Den. "The impact of its closure would have been catastrophic to our local businesses and a blemish on this important part of the Brighton seafront. "We hope we will get the support of our tight-knit local community as we embark on this new chapter for the i360." Councillor Jacob Taylor, deputy leader of the city council, said the sale was the "best option" for Brighton. "We are delighted that Nightcap has taken such a keen interest in revitalising the i360, and their passion and commitment to the city is evident," he said. Rachel Clark, chief executive officer of the West Pier Trust, said she was looking forward to a "fruitful and collaborative partnership" with Nightcap. Nightcap confirmed it would operate both the viewing tower and hospitality areas. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Brighton i360 £51m debt written off to secure sale Brighton's debt-hit i360 files for administration 'Financial disaster' Brighton i360 suddenly closes
