NEWSLETTER ISSUE #2    
 
 

Welcome to e-News

Website launch

We are pleased to announce that the new welfare reform pages on the East Sussex County Council website are now available to the public:

www.eastsussex.gov.uk/community/benefits/changes/default.htm

The website has up to date information on all the benefit changes under the 2012 Welfare Reform Act. It is the place to go to find all the briefings issued so far, a detailed report on
the impact of welfare reform for East Sussex and links to other useful national and local sites. We’d love to know what you think of pages and if there is any information you would
like to see included. Please help us raise awareness of benefit changes by including a link to the page from your own websites.

Produced by supportingpeople@eastsussex.gov.uk
 


Hastings & Rother Gay Helpline – New venue 

The Over 50's Social Get Togethers/Information Sessions which have been running now for more than 9 months, and are held on the last Thursday of each month from 2.30pm to 4.30pm, are moving to a new venue. Next meeting is on the 28th of March.
 
Their new home is the Southwater Area Community Centre, Stainsby Street, St Leonards on Sea which is directly opposite the north platform of St Leonards Warrior Square Station.

The group welcomes new members and has been putting on extra events at the request of its members. Full details of the Helpline can be found at
www.hargh.weebly.com

The Helpline 07941 014 013 is still manned on Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm or you can leave a voicemail or text at other times. The phone is checked regularly and callers can also now send emails to the helpline’s designated email address of
hargh@live.co.uk



Surviving Winter Appeal

Sussex Community Foundation has been working closely with East Sussex County Council and other partners over the winter on the Surviving Winter appeal.

The campaign asked people in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment (who felt they could afford to) to donate their Winter Fuel Payment to the help older and vulnerable people in Sussex struggling to meet their fuel bills. So far, £13,313 of public donations and £16,200 from East Sussex County Council (through their Warm Homes Healthy People funding stream) has been given to branches of Age UK and Citizens Advice Bureaux in East Sussex to distribute direct to people who are having to make a stark choice between heating and eating.

For more information, call Sussex Community Foundation on 01273 409440.



Inspired facilities funding studio opens in Seaford                 

Improved class programme and more space after  £140, 000 investment.  

Customers at the Downs Leisure Centre in Seaford can now look forward to more opportunities to increase their physical activity after the official opening of the newly extended studio by Norman Baker MP today.

Following the announcement last year of £50,000 of Olympic legacy funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund, Wave Leisure put in a further £90,000 to ensure a facility was created that could match the demand for increased class sizes and an increased programme.

From Monday 25th February, the leisure centre will not only offer increased space within the existing classes but also introduces indoor cycling classes to add to the growing programme of activity offered to local residents.

Peter Crowley, Managing Director of Wave Leisure Trust said: “We are delighted that we have been able to successfully complete this extension with the support of the Sport England funding. It offers certainty that we are always looking to offer our customers choice by being at the heart of the improvement of health and wellbeing in our communities.”

Norman Baker, MP for Lewes said: “This is a fantastic development that has been created for the residents of Seaford and the surrounding area. It adds strength to the offering made by the Downs Leisure Centre. Credit must go to Peter Crowley and his team for making this happen.”

Andy Couves from Sport England said: “I am delighted to be invited back to see the completed facility. Through the Inspired programme, Sport England has invested £54m of lottery funding into over 1000 projects across the country. The new facility at the Downs Leisure Centre will undoubtedly deliver a lasting legacy for Seaford, helping more people play sport and be active.”

Every sports facility that receives funding carries the London 2012 Inspire mark – celebrating the link to the Games. The money is a part of the Places People Play programme that is being delivered by Sport England working in partnership with the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the British Paralympic Association (BPA) with the backing of The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOGOC) and the London 2012 Inspire mark.

 
 
  CONSULTATIONS    
 
 

Hastings Local Plan – The Development Management Plan (including Site Allocations)

The Plan that identifies sites for development and provides specific policies to be used in the determination of planning applications is nearing completion.  

The final stage of public consultation on the Development Management Plan commenced on 21 January and will run until 15 April 2013.

This stage is different to past consultations and is only concerned with two questions:

1) Has the Development Management Plan been prepared in accordance with legal requirements?

2) Is it legally sound?

We would  like as many people to get involved as possible, and to assist local community groups and individuals we are holding drop in surgeries to explain more about the process, “legal compliance”, “tests of soundness”, and to answer any queries. 

As this is a formal stage of consultation, all responses need to be made on an official response form, or through our online consultation software. All of the consultation documents are available online at: 
www.hastings.gov.uk/localplan/consultation, or alternatively, please contact Planning Policy on 01424 783319 for further details.

 
 
  WHATS ON    
 
                                                                                                    

 

 

The Big Event 2013 – Bookings are open!     

The Big Event is the fifth annual conference and advice fair for the voluntary and community sector in East Sussex. It takes place on 17th April, 9.30-2.30pm, in Eastbourne. We have a limited number of places this year and the bookings are coming thick and fast, so please make sure you reserve your place! This year the theme is “Communicating and Influencing effectively” and will try to help groups explore how we can better influence commissioners, design of local services and policies. We will have panel debate with the commissioners, the Advice Fair, networking time and a choice of masterclasses on offer. There is a range of organisations from across East Sussex already booked to take part with a large number of delegates from the Boards of Trustees, CEOs and senior staff teams. We also have a number of key partners from the public sector attending. For details and bookings please visit www.speakupforum.org.uk or call 01323 72 78 72.

 


Community Safety that matters

Sussex Safer Future Communities is running Networking & Learning events to give voluntary sector a chance to meet the Sussex PCC (Police & Crime Commissioner) Katy Bourne, East Sussex Community Safety Partnership and other voluntary sector organisations working in this field.  We will also offer free training session on “Funding & Commissioning” and “Impact Assessment of Volunteers”.  The East Sussex event takes place on Tuesday, 26th March at WRVS in Eastbourne. To book a place e-mail anke.speakup@3va.org.uk , ring 01323 72 78 72 or visit www.speakupforum.org.uk 


Turning up the heat in Bexhill: voters get the chance to ask their energy questions

What: Energy We Can All Afford? public debate and energy cafe advice session
When: Saturday March 9th (public debate 10.30 – 11.30 a.m.; advice session midday-5 pm)
Where: Centre Stage (former Salvation Army Hall) 87 London Road Bexhill TN39 3LDWho: Greg Barker MP; Friends of the Earth and Richard Watson Director of Bexhill Energy Advice Centre debate the energy questions.  A variety of local organisations and energy installers on hand to give advice during the afternoon.

Booking  
http://energywecanallaffordbexhill.eventbrite.co.uk/      
Contacts: Callie Lister (Stop Climate Chaos):  07831 648 171;
                 R
ichard Watson (Energize Sussex Coast):  07854 951325;
                 Andrew Durling (Friends of the Earth): 07402321382 or  01323 460338

Refreshments will be available and everyone is welcome. 


Hastings and Rother Gay Helpline - Over 50's Social Get Together/Information Session

Thursday 28th March 2013, 2.30pm – 4.30pm.Please note the new venue of Southwater Area Community Centre, Stainsby Street, St Leonards on Sea which is directly opposite the north platform of St Leonards Warrior Square Station.

For further information go to www.hargh.weebly.com


Water Forum

A local response to the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation.

Tuesday 30 April, 7pm to 9pm, St Mary Magdalene’s Hall, Magdalen Road, Bexhill-on-Sea TN40 1RH.Contributions on water issues, globally and within Rother and East Sussex, from the Bexhill & Hastings United Nations Association, Rother Environmental Group, Bexhill & Hastings World Development Movement, Bexhill Environmental Group and others.Contact UNA Secretary Allan Bula – 01424 210410 or emailechlins@btinternet.com


BHT Training – Essential Training for the Voluntary Sector

Training courses running in East Sussex  – April 2013

All of the courses will be running in Brighton unless stated otherwise.
 
If you would like further information about one of the courses listed, or would like to order a copy of our new training brochure (April 2013 – March 2014), please contact the Training Team Tel:  01273 645401 or email: training@bht.org.uk
 

Course Date
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) 11th April (am)
Localism & Benefits 15th April (am)
Equality and Diversity 17th April (am) - Hastings
Professional Boundaries 17th April (pm) - Hastings
Managing Difficult and Agressive Situations 18th April (am)
Safeguarding Adults at Risk 22nd April
Persinal Independence Payment (PIP) 24th April - Eastbourne
Client Risk Assessment 25th April
Empowering Difficult to Engage Clients 26th April
Introduction to Management  29th & 30th April (2 days)
 
     
 
  MEETING UPDATES    
 
 


East Sussex Strategic Partnership Board Meetings

To view papers and minutes of previous ESSP Board mettings, see the meetings page of the ESSP website. 

 
 
  EAST SUSSEX IN FIGURES    
 
 


East Sussex in Figures (ESiF) is the local information system (LIS) for the county. It’s a website that provides access to essential data, information and analysis. For further details contact 01273 482030 or email esif@eastsussex.gov.uk

2011 census portal
We have created a landing page within ESiF which is designed to inform users about the latest developments regarding 2011 census data, analysis and publications for the county. We also census news on the front page of ESiF.

Latest census analysis:

2011 Census: Small area population and household estimates In brief
2011 Census: Workforce characteristics In brief
2011 Census: Equalities In brief
2011 Census: Health and unpaid care In brief
2011 Census: Equalities summary

Latest published census datasets can be accessed via the front page of ESiF

Area profiles
Area profiles to ward level will be available on ESiF in Mid March.

Parish level data for the 2011 census
Data for parishes in the county requires some additional processing. We hope to be able to publish parish level census data and area profiles in mid March. 

OA? LSOA? Ward? Parish? MSOA? CED? District? County? – why do we publish data for all of these areas?
Further information on the geographies we publish data to (and why) can be found from this link.

 
 
 
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