Ed Davey’s bungee jump can help Eastbourne Borough – and the town – take another leap forward

We love to support winners and so when Josh Babarinde – who is now Eastbourne’s new MP – called to ask if he and Lib Dem leader Ed Davey could do a bungee jump at the ground, we said yes in a heartbeat, writes Simon.

We were happy to do something that helped put Eastbourne on the map and it was covered nationally in the press and on TV.

My desire to put this amazing town on the global stage has not stopped during the break. I was interviewed at the New York Stock Exchange and waxed lyrically about the great things happening here and my desire to build a proper stadium and biohacking centre in Eastbourne.

Football is back, and what a weekend we had. All 20 players and a few trialists enjoyed a run-out and a win at Haywards Heath.

After a quick turnaround we were back to Priory Lane where 300 people enjoyed a complimentary big-screen experience to watch England progress - the cheer after the penalties was amazing. It was lovely to see Cllr Holt in the middle. This is what the late Len Smith’s dream was – for the club to be the heart of the community.

The sun shone into the late evening, despite it pouring in Hastings! Someone continues to shine on the Borough.

While we waited for football to return, we had the very funny Gerald Ratner talking to our sponsors and partners, and it was one of the most amusing and informative business talks I’ve heard. We will have more of these talks during the season.

It’s been a busy off-season with many new players and sponsors joining the journey. We’ve added Stagecoach as our back-of-shirt sponsor - a partnership in which we’re working to ensure we improve the journey to and from the stadium on matchdays. And the new pink away kit is wonderful!

I’m delighted to welcome Eastbourne solicitors Cramp and Mullaney as sponsors of the new Cramp & Mullaney Legends Lounge - where the good and great will convene every matchday to enjoy a game with great hospitality. I’m sure a few deals will be sealed in there. Make sure you buy a ticket to the first home game of the season.

Polegate-based Computer 2 Cloud have taken over our computer support and I’ve been impressed with their service. Having worked with lots of companies in this space in the past, they are a superb organisation.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will reveal more like them.

In the past 12 months the company has lost nearly £1m to get the club where it is today. And without support from business, we will not be able to go forward at the current speed.

If you run a business locally come and talk to us, sponsor a player or two, buy a season ticket for your staff or come and have a party at the club. Let’s work together to make this a town on the up.