New direction agreed for West Sussex Youth Services
A decision has been taken to re-shape West Sussex Youth Services to involve young people more in the way the service works.
The decision has been taken today (Friday) by West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Families Pete Bradbury.
It follows consultation with young people, staff, residents, partners and the County Council’s Children and Young People’s Services Select Committee.
Work will now take place to create an Integrated Youth Support and Development Service, by combining the Youth Service, Youth Offending Service and Connexions (the general advice service for 13 to 19-year-olds). The budget for the combined service will be reduced by £2 million, targeting scarce resources on those most in need.
Earlier this year the County Council said it would focus on work with and support for vulnerable young people such as young offenders, Looked After Children, teenage parents, young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs), and young people with drug or alcohol problems.
This approach will play a leading role in the new service and teams will have the flexibility to respond to targeted groups and areas of need. They will also work closely with local community partnerships when there is a specific need.
The decision report says the new service will be in place by April 2011 and will lead to universal youth provision largely coming from within communities, with the support of the County Council.
The County Council will explore opportunities to help organisations become more self-funding and apply for external funding.
Work will take place to reduce overall staffing levels within youth services, focused on reducing management levels and developing integrated teams that provide local pools of staff.
Reductions in revenue and staffing costs to some voluntary organisations supported by the Youth Service will also be phased in. These are:
Crawley Youth Centre
Cobnor Outdoor Centre
Konnect Project, Bognor Regis
Chichester Boys Club
Lodge Hill, near Pulborough
The Rural Mobile Trust
The report adds that the County Council will work closely with local communities and other partners to explore alternative methods of governance for the following –
Crawley – either the Oriel or Ifield youth wing Horsham – Weald and Holbrook Mid Sussex – Cuckfield and the Beacon Centre at Hassocks Arun – Yapton, Rustington/Ferring Chichester – Witterings
The report also says that existing contracts for 2011 onwards will be renegotiated to achieve a cost saving, including the contact for the Connexions service.
Pete Bradbury said: “It’s no secret the County Council has to make huge financial savings and find new ways of working. Every service is being looked at in turn to make sure it is as efficient as possible.
“I am confident the new-look Youth Service will ensure that young people are involved in designing and evaluating services they believe are more tailored to their needs.
“We will focus our resources at communities most in need across West Sussex. In those areas where we cannot provide, we will play a key role to enable communities and other partners to run youth services themselves, very much part of the Big Society agenda.”
Union warns of threat to Council Council day centres
Today, public service trade union UNISON warned the County Council’s essential day centres for elderly and disabled people are under threat, and has called on every West Sussex resident to respond to the Authority’s public consultation exercise.
“UNISON has been saying for some time these proposals do not stack up and will cost the Authority more in the long run,” said Christine Earwaker, UNISON Branch Secretary. “Now we’re doubly concerned as it appears to us that the Council is not giving people all the options to comment on.”
“Nowhere on the questionnaire can respondents positively express a preference for the County Council to continue its current role of providing day services to meet all levels of need. It seems the public are only invited to comment on the single option senior managers prefer,” Mrs Earwaker continued, “which is one of centre closures and retrenchment of services.”
In addition, the union points out that repeated use of the term ‘Voluntary and independent organisations’ on the questionnaire masks the fact that the Council sees a big role for the private sector in its plans for a shake-up.
“The Council must be honest with us and not fix the consultation process” said Kate Russell, 66, who had a stroke four years ago and regularly uses the Council’s day services. “And why are we being asked to judge if this is good value for the ratepayer when even the Council doesn’t know yet as it hasn’t done a Business Case for the proposals!” Kate’s husband and carer, Ian Russell, 67, said “The Council clearly has only one outcome in mind – I’m calling on everyone in West Sussex who cares about our first class day centres to take part in this consultation. Attend a public meeting if you can, and use the free text boxes on the survey to tell the Council what you really think.”
Grave concerns
UNISON describes a series of five fatal flaws in the Councils proposals:
1. The Council wants to transfer 25% of day centre users to local charities but they are not geared up to support people with significant disabilities.
2. Particularly in rural parts of the County, there are few services to pick up where the Council leaves off. On top of this, the Council is cutting important grants to the voluntary sector.
3. People in rural areas will have further to travel and few accessible transport options.
4. There is very little evidence to show people will not continue to want high quality centre-based day services in the future.
5. There are big hidden costs in what the Council proposes. The reality will be that there is no money left to develop local alternatives to the Council’s day centres.
UNISON challenge
“We call on the County Council to work with us, the staff and service users to develop an alternative, positive future for day centres,” said Mrs Earwaker. “The future of day centres does not have to be about service closures, retrenchment and privatisation. These proposals won’t benefit service users or their carers. Work with us to broaden and strengthen what’s available in our day centres, so we can build on decades of excellent service and the proven track record of staff”.
A COUNTY Hall watchdog has backed a range of proposed changes to West Sussex County Council Youth Services, which will also achieve savings of £2 million.
The County Council’s Children and Young People’s Services Select Committee endorsed the proposals after a two-hour public meeting yesterday (Thursday July 29) in the Council Chamber at County Hall, Chichester.
This was the second meeting the Select Committee had held this month to discuss the issue. At the first one it called for more information before making any recommendations.
Yesterday’s meeting gave Select Committee members the opportunity to further quiz Youth Services officers, who had produced additional evidence about the proposals.
They also questioned Pete Bradbury, County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Families.
The Committee raised a number of concerns about the proposals and was pleased to receive a commitment from the Cabinet Member to review the consultation process, which had been undertaken, and to look again at proposal to cut some of the grants made to the voluntary sector.
The Select Committee agreed to:
• Recognise the ‘challenge faced by the Youth Service’ to make savings of £2 million.
• Support ‘the direction of travel’ for the Youth Services to achieve the £2 million savings agreed within the County Council budget.
• Receive further reports in six and 12 months, monitoring progress with the implementation of the proposals, including the ‘success or otherwise’ of engaging the voluntary sector. Young people should be involved in this monitoring process.
Select Committee Chairman Nola Hendon said: “This second meeting enabled members to gain further valuable information and background to the proposed changes to the Youth Services.
”It enabled us to make informed recommendations on the future of an excellent service and acknowledge the challenges facing the service as it makes these savings.”
On Thursday 4th March CHT finger puppet was asked down to The Railway to meet Jackie and her husband. It was a lovely evening full of laughter and giggles. CHT finger puppet also had a great time and took some pictures with their new friends to show you all.
Jackie was very taken with CHT finger puppet as you can see, or can you
Stacey was not sure about CHT finger puppet
The Landlord was a bit shy when meeting CHT finger puppet, but they have that affect on some people
Two beautiful ladies were tickled red to meet CHT finger puppet
We here at Crawley Happy Times are starting to think that CHT finger puppet is getting way too big for their boots. But they do not have any boots, we hear you say. Well! Sharon Jones from Broadfield sent in this picture of her CHT finger puppet with legs…and arms! Love it Sharon. Well done. Do you have a CHT finger puppet?
Sharon Jones of Broadfield gave her CHT finger puppet a whole new look
On Saturday 27th February Crawley Happy Times took CHT finger puppet to see The Age of Tapes play at The Railway. Danny Dangerously invited us down and was really happy to get to meet CHT finger puppet for the first time, but hopefully not the last lol. Wonder who will want to meet CHT finger puppet next?
Danny Dangerously Meets CHT Finger Puppet
On Friday 12th February CHT finger puppet went mingling with the famous Ricky Whittle and friends. They did not get a chance to meet Ricky himself but his brother Chris was all for meeting CHT finger puppet,
Chris Whittle was happy meeting CHT finger puppet
Think Chris fell in love that night
Best friends!
The lovely doorman asked if CHT finger puppet was out to play, as he had not seen them for a while. Think it made his day
On Saturday 19th December ’09 CHT finger puppet was found mingling with the crowds in Crawley town. They popped into the Punch Bowl to see some old faces then off to Bar Med to watch London Soul perform their talents, playing soul and blues. Excellent! Were you out and about? Did you get to meet CHT finger puppet?
On Friday 11th December, 09 CHT finger puppet had an invite into town, so off they went. They had a jig at the Punch Bowl and then off to Bar Med to watch people fall off the Bucking Bronco then to have another jig to some great tunes belted out by resident DJ Mark Elliott. We think CHT finger puppet is starting to become a bit popular as we met some great people who wanted their picture taken, but only if they could have CHT finger puppet with them
CHT finger puppet revelling with the party crew at the Punch Bowl
Our resident DJ at the Punch Bowl loving CHT finger puppet...Smile!
CHT finger puppet is becoming very popular
In fact, CHT finger puppet is becoming so popular, we are finding it hard to get a picture without them in!
CHT finger puppet had a treat on Monday 14th December when he met Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris and Peter ‘The Cat’ Bonetti at the Pelham Buckle in Ifield. CHT finger puppet bumped into their friend Russell Jacob who wanted to be in the picture with both Ron and Peter (we think Russell has a soft spot for CHT finger puppet).
Ron 'Chopper' Harris and Russell Jacob with CHT finger puppet
Russell Jacob and Peter 'The Cat' Bonetti with CHT finger puppet
On Wednesday CHT finger puppet went to the Hawth Theatre to watch Joe Pasquale on stage performing his annual tour show. CHT finger puppet enjoyed it so much, they waited to meet Joe after the show. CHT finger puppet could not resist a picture with Joe. CHT fingr puppet took Shelley with him, as she really wanted to meet Joe too! Joe was one of the loveliest people they had met so far!
Shelley from Crawley Happy Times took CHT finger puppet to meet Joe Pasquale
The weekend went with a bang and CHT finger puppet was sought after, therefore most of our pictures were with CHT finger puppet! We may have to intergrate both pages now, DOH! We think this had something to do with Steve McFadden taking a shine to our CHT finger puppet. This weekend CHT finger puppet visited the Apple Tree for Les Etchells 50th Birthday bash, then went on a little holiday to Horley for about an hour to see some friends there. After having a laugh with the girls CHT finger puppet came back from their mini holiday back to Crawley to visit the Punch Bowl where their fans were waiting for them! All that attention didn’t go to their head though. After a few drinks with friends it was off to Bar Med to see ‘The Outfit’ play. They were fantastic! We filmed them so you can put a date in your diary for when they come around again Also took a little picture of Shelley’s Nan at bingo! Vera is 88!
Craig and friends at the Apple Tree
Carly at The Forresters
Happy doorman at the Punch Bowl
Resident DJ Lucian at the Punch Bowl was a bit shy
The girls at the Forresters
(L-R) Lorraine, Ray and Tricia having a blast in the Punch Bowl
The chirpy doormen at Bar Med
Our Sam (Manager of Bar Med) busy as always
Resident DJ Mark at Bar Med, loving CHT finger puppet'The Outfit' at Bar Med
Shelley's Nan at Bingo with CHT finger puppet
On Thursday 19th November the lights in Crawley were switched on by Steve McFadden also known to most of us as Phil Mitchel from Eastenders. We did not get to have our picture taken with Steve, but CHT finger puppet did!! Such a lucky puppet!
Steve McFadden with CHT finger puppet in the Mall in Crawley Town
On Friday 13th November, ’09 CHT finger puppet was found in the Half Moon watching Chinchilla Zilla play. Chinchilla Zilla are a contemporary band playing various decades of songs, ranging from the 70′s right up to modern day.
Chinchilla Zilla are thinking of recruiting CHT finger puppet
CHT finger puppet thought they would make the best of their time at the Half Moon and shot a few games of pool, played the fruit machine and had a chat with the staff. What a life CHT finger puppet leads.
CHT finger puppet played some pool at the Half Moon
CHT finger puppet tried their luck on the fruit machine - and lost!
CHT finger puppet doesn't drink alcohol, but took a fancy to Red Bull
The barman from the Half Moon took a fancy to CHT finger puppet
It was then off to The Tilgate for some dancing therapy with resident DJ Gordon Skeggs and friends.
Our Gordon was chuffed to see his little friend again...Arrrrr
Sandra and Faye with CHT finger puppet at the Tilgate. Faye had quite a glint in her eye...s
Then it was time to go to town, but CHT finger puppet left it too late and everything was closed! Off home they went.
CHT finger puppet ponced a lift into town with two lovely young lads. Thanks guys!
On Friday 6th November, ’09 CHT finger puppet was found at the Hawth, the tribute band ‘No Jacket Required’ with lead singer Dave Whitehouse. CHT finger puppet loved seeing Dave and even got to see some of their finger puppet friends that they had not seen for a while. You can read all about this brilliant and talented band under the out and about page.
Phil Collins aka Dave Whitehouse with CHT finger puppet
Tribute band 'No Jacket Required' unite CHT finger puppet with some long lost friends
CHT finger puppet had a great time but had to leave early to go to the Wingspan to see some fireworks.
CHT finger puppet enjoying the fireworks at the Wingspan
Lisa & Simon (loved up couple) with CHT finger puppet at the Wingspan
Shelley, Michelle and CHT finger puppets down the Wingspan
We would like to thank everyone who invited Crawley Happy Times along to their evening and for putting up with CHT finger puppet, who can be a realy hand full, well just about lol!
And thank you to Dave Whitehouse who bought a CHT finger puppet with all proceeds going to St. Catherine’s Hospice x
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On Friday 30th October, ’09 CHT finger puppet went out on the town. Their first visit was to the Half Moon in Southgate to see The Analysir, Curly Debs and DJ Mac spin the decks. DJ Mac took a shine to CHT finger puppet and gave him a go on the decks. Nice one DJ Mac!
CHT finger puppet on the decks at the Half Moon with DJ Mac
CHT finger puppet on their visit to the Half Moon in Southgate
Then they were off to the Wingspan to see Ray Owen’s Juicy Lucy perform. CHT finger puppet loved it down there!
Straight to the bar for a well deserved pint
CHT finger puppet enjoying bopping around to the live music of Juicy Lucy
Ray Owen, lead singer of Juicy Lucy with Shelley & CHT finger puppet
Shelley from Crawley Happy Times shows off CHT finger puppet, but has grown some strange ears at the same time
Spencer, drummer for Juicy Lucy was so excited to meet CHT finger puppet
After an excellent evening of live music CHT finger puppet still had some room for adventure so went off to The Tilgate to see what was happening there. CHT finger puppet was glad they went. There were lots of people to meet and they had a great time.
Gordon Skeggs, Michelle (maker of CHT finger puppet) and CHT finger puppet all having fun
Gordon and CHT finger puppet comparing records
Khalid Elghazali, 18yr old Crawley MMA Fighter took a fancy to CHT finger puppet, but we were not about to argue with him
The night was full of fun and frolics for CHT finger puppet so they took themselves home and went to bed with a cup of cocoa. .
On Saturday 31st October, ’09 CHT finger puppet was invited to a party and had a thoroughly good time. We think CHT finger puppet must have gotten a bit tipsy as there were not many pictures..hmmmm…
CHT finger puppet on the evening of Halloween. They are so naughty!
We think CHT finger puppet is still recovering as we have not heard from them. Have you seen them? Wonder where they will pop up again.
On Sunday 4th April Gary Morris took two coach loads of excited people to London for a boat trip down the Thames. All was in aid of Chestnut Tree House Charity. It was a very success and everyone had an excellent time. We took some pics of the build up, pictures on the boat were hard to take as we were having far too much fun! Total amount raised TBC.
Last Monday Crawley Happy Times were invited to the Hawth for the premier showing of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. A wonderful show with a great appearance from Craig Chalmers. We were lucky enough to meet Craig after the show, and even bumped into Mayor Brenda Burgess and her lovely husband Bob. A big congratulations to our competition winner Jane Tharby of Pound Hill, who won the family ticket to the show.
Shelley with Craig Chalmers
(L-R) Jed Scott Jones, Craig Chalmers, Casey Molloy, Sharon Fagence-Jones, Mayor Brenda Burgess
Brenda & Bob Burgess
Our Shelley was invited by the CICS (Celtic & Irish Cultural Society) to attend the annual dinner for the Arts Council. Also present were The Worshipful the Mayor Brenda Burgess and Councillor Bob Burgess. Held at the Crawley Club, the food was exquisite. Entertainment came in the form of the choir of Ifield Community College who were brilliant. Led by the one and only Patrick Allen, Head Music Teacher.
If you would like to get involved with the Arts Council, please email us your details editor@crawleyhappytimes.co.uk and we will be happy to pass them on.
We would like to thank the CICS for their kind invite and would like to wish the Arts Council all the best for 2010.
On Saturday 6th March Crawley Happy Times were invited to the Emerald Club in Southgate for the launch of the Crawley Fleadh. John Nolan and his fantastic committee were present along with Mayor Brenda Burgess, Councillor Bob Burgess and Henry Smith, leader of West Sussex County Council. It was a wonderful evening, full of traditonal irish music, dancing and food….oh and guinness, of course! The events in March can be seen on our site, so please do take a look.
Following on from the launch, Shelley went into town to see what was happening and to celebrate her husband Brian’s birthday. There was a young presence in the town, which we feel can be a bit ‘ruse’ but this did not stop us from having fun and enjoying the great tunes of The Punch Bowl and then on to see our friends at Bar Med.
Did CHT finger puppet go out this weekend? Oh yes! Do go to the ‘Where has CHT finger puppet been’ page for the gruesome details lol.
On Thursday 4th March Crawley Happy Times sent Shelley down to The Railway to see DJ Peet mixing some great heavy metal and rock classics on the decks. This was our second visit to The Railway and we were just as impressed. The Railway plays a vital role to those wanting a nice drink before moving onto a club in town. For a Thursday night, the pub was extremely busy. The staff were once again friendly and welcoming making a lovely atmosphere. We are pleasantly impressed with The Railway and would like to thank Jackie and her husband for their kind hospitality. Jackie, the Landlady, was very happy to meet CHT finger puppet which you can see here.
DJ Peet
Warm and welcoming Bar Staff
Jackie & Shelley had a great evening
The Railway is host to some amazing old pictures of Crawley, you must see them!
On Tuesday 2nd March Joanne Cooper and Sarah Cubitt invited Crawley Happy Times down to the launch of their new Zumba Dance Class. Personally we have never heard of Zumba so was unsure of what to expect. Well, we were blown away as were the other 109 people who turned up for a taster. The dance was fast and furious to say the least. Joanne and Sarah have never taught together but in our opinion made a fantastic pair of teachers who had the large audience in the palm of their hands.
Mark Blair said it was amazing
After, we spoke to a few of the participants and got their thoughts on the evening. Sheila, who told us she was ‘over 50′ said she thoroughly enjoyed it and had been taught by Joanne in the past. Mark Blair, 35, said “it was amazing. A fun way to get fit. I don’t take it too seriously which is the best way to enjoy it”. Sarah Harmsworth, 22, was joined by several sisters, her Mum and Auntie said she thought it was great fun and would definitely be coming again. There were so many different ages of men and woman that it didn’t seem to matter what shape or fitness level you are at, it is for everyone. We took some video and pictures for you, although the speed everyone was going at didn’t fair well with the camera
Sarah Harmsworth had great fun
On Saturday 27th February, Crawley Happy Times were invited to The Railway to relish in the sound that is The Age of Tapes.
The Railway was packed to the brim with local revellers including very friendly and accomodating staff. This was our first visit and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We bumped into our very good friend Carl Brooks who was once again busy raising money for The British Heart Foundation. Great work Carl! We took some pics and video of The Age of Tapes playing. It was a nice surprise to see our friends Stringloaded performing too.
VIDEO
PICTURES
Saturday 13th February we sent our Dan Hill down to Bar Med to see the exquisite and talented London Soul perform to their adoring fans and followers. London Soul are one of the best local bands in Crawley. They have been keeping the people of Crawley toe tapping for many years, including playing for the crowds in the town centre. Bar Med are always happy to be the hosts for London Soul, knowing good music when they hear it! Dan took some photos for you to enjoy. Were you there? Any feedback please comment below.
On Saturday 13th February, Crawley Happy Times went into town to hand out some delicious cake to the people of Crawley. Along with Dawn and her daughter from the Cha Tea Room based in the George Hotel and some Crawley Happy Time helpers, we handed out lemon drizzle, fudge brownies, bread pudding, fruit danish and date & walnut cake which were all very tasty indeed! If you wish to try these wonderful delights yourself, get down the the Cha Tea Room in the George Hotel and treat yourself!
On Friday Crawley Happy Times were invited to Bar Med in the Hight Street Crawley for an evening with Ricky Whittle who plays Calvin Valentine in Hollyoaks (although we remember him more for his brilliant role in Dream Team). Ricky and his friends were extremely entertaining, polite and very friendly to all who came to see them. In fact we would go as far as to say Ricky Whittle is one of the nicest TV personalities we have had the pleasure of meeting. His brother Chris was delightful and very hospitable, even though he did not know us. And of course, we have to mention Ricky’s dancing……..nice!
Our sincere thanks goes to Sam York, Manager of Bar Med and her lovely staff for what has to be one of the most amazing evenings so far!
CHT finger puppet made a small appearance, which you can see on here…
Pictures
Video
5th February, ’10
We have not been out and about alot lately so we are looking forward to getting back in the swing of things. If you have an event you would like us to promote for you (for free of course) just email us with the details. If you have an event you wish CHT to attend please call 01293 572182 or email editor@crawleyhappytimes to discuss.
We did attend the Apple Tree on the 29th for the Charity night sponsored by our friends at The Crawley News. The Worshipful the Mayor Brenda Burgess and Councillor Bob Burgess were present and having a great time enjoying the bands and friendly atmosphere. MP Laura Moffat was also present encouraging donations to St Catherines Hospice.
The day we had been waiting for came at last! Today was the day London Soul were playing their Christmas gig at Bar Med. And what a gig it was. London Soul are an extremely talented Crawley band playing soul and blues in the best of ways. We popped down to see them and took some video footage for those who were unable to make it.
It was a fun filled evening with great entertainment.Sums up what Crawley and it’s community are all about
Monday 14th December, ’09
On Monday young Russell Jacob wrote to us via our Facebook page (Crawley Happy Times) about an event at the Pelham Buckle. We here at Crawley Happy Times are happy to attend any event which is positive and this was no exception. In aid of Cancer Research, the evening was not to be missed, so we happily sent Shelley down to check it out. Shelley writes: We were welcomed by Steve, the landlord. Steve told us this was the fourth such like event and they were proud to be raising money for such a great cause. The Pelham Buckle is a sports bar predominantly, in particular, football. So it was no surprise to find two famous ex Chelsea players as the guests of honour. Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris and Peter ‘The Cat’ Bonetti. It was a lovely evening and fantastic to meet two awesome football players. Ron and Peter have both played over 700 games for Chelsea and Peter was goal keeper for England in the 1970 World Cup. There is an event coming up in April which we are sure any avid Chelsea supporter will want to know about, so keep an eye out or you can visit this site…
Of course, CHT finger puppet made a special guest appearance to say hello. Our friend Russell is slightly attached to CHT finger puppet, but we don’t mind You can see the pictures here…
Peter 'The Cat' Bonetti and Ron 'Chopper' Harris (L-R)
Peter gets passionate and technical. Not unheard of for a football fanatic
Football fans speak to Ron and Peter about their time on the pitch
Friday 11th December, ’09
Shelley from Crawley Happy Times took CHT finger puppet into town to see what was going on. We popped into the Punch Bowl which was heaving! Unfortunately we felt the evening was slightly disjointed, if you know what we mean. We have a theory on this. There were alot of groups out for their Xmas work parties so most people had already had a few drinks over dinner. Our theory is if everyone get’s tipsy elsewhere then joins other people who have also gotten tipsy elsewhere, mixing on the same level can be hard to do. Probably a load of rubbish, but think about it Anyway we did get to meet some lovely people, as always. Then it was off to BarMed to see our friends Sam, Mark and the lovely doormen.
The Parkhouse Crew on their Xmas bash (think CHT finger puppet got in on the act there)
The Bucking Bronco at Bar Med attracted those who thought they could stay on....but couldn't
A very psychedelic picture of Bar Meds resident DJ Mark Elliott 'Strike the pose'
Bar Med have some great events and offers coming up for December and the New Year
Thursday 10th December, ’09
We were invited down to The Jar Jar Bar to say hello to the wonderful Cherry-Fly who was accompanied by a friend Funk da Fogs who played some excellent old school tunes along side our Cherry-Fly’s usual toe tapping happy house mixes. We had a wonderful evening, thank you to those who contributed to making it a fantastic evening out in Crawley.
The Jar Jar Bar 10th Dec, '09
Cherry-Fly and Funk da Fogs at the Jar Jar Bar
Great to see Del out and about and smiling again
The bar staff at The Jar Jar Bar were welcoming and friendly
A fun filled evening at the Jar Jar Bar
We were visited by three lovely gentlemen all dressed in their uniforms, from the Fire Station. They were in the town along with the Police with their anti drink drive campaign. It was so cold last night but there these dedicated servicemen were, trying to keep us all safe and handing out leaflets and flashing armbands. The message was very clear, DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE! You can read more about this here… While we were taking their pictures, the call came through and the Firemen were off, back to the station to do their duty. How amazing are these people! Thank you to all the servicemen and woman who keep us safe and well xx
Neil & Peter offering advise and safety bands
n example of what can happen if driving while drunk is on your mind
The wonderful work these Firemen do should not be about attending a crashed drunk driver!
Our local dedicated Firemen showing us the dangers of drink driving
Monday 7th December, ’09
Today was the Charity Family Christmas Concert on behalf of Crawley Shopmobility with the Crawley Millenium Concert Band hosted by the County Mall. What a fantastic evening it was. The band played some wonderful christmas favourites and some new and exciting tunes from film classics such as Grease and Pirates of the Caribbean. Attended by the Worshipful the Mayor Brenda Burgess and Consort Bob Burgess, the event definitely put us all in the christmas spirit. The event was well attended by the community of Crawley who were more than keen to join in on some of the carols. Crawley Happy Times were honoured to be sponsors (along with many others) of this event.
Crawley Millenium Band at the County Mall
The Choir were amazing
Millenium Concert Band entertained us with some great musical pieces
The Millenium Concert Band are lead by Musical Driector Sall Hartly
Wednesday 26th November, ’09
On Wednesday Joe Pasquale came to perform at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley. Joe, a well known performer both on the stage and on TV put on a fantastic show. Probably best known for his squeaky voice and funny comedy acts, Joe had the audience eating out of his hand! Let’s not forget Joe’s time in the jungle too! After the performance, Joe took time out to speak to fans, giving extra attention to some wheelchair bound fans. If you missed Joe this time round, we suggest putting a reminder in your diary for next year, or keep an eye on here for future appearances. In our excitement the pictures we took did not come out great, but here they are anyway.
Joe Pasquale giving time to speak to some fans who were wheelchair bound
Joe Pasquale joked with his fans
Friday 20th November, ’09
Bar Med is slowly becoming one of the hottest spots for a good evening out in Crawley and this Friday was no exception. The Outfit played for the crowd and sounded great! We took some footage but were unable to get any further info on them, except they are a local band. We look forward to meeting them again and knowing more about them.
The Outfit at Bar Med
Wednesday 11th November, ’09
Today is the official Day of Remembrance for our heroes and survivors of wars past and present. Shelley from Crawley Happy Times was in town for the two minutes silence and took some footage. We are sure you bowed your head in silence, where ever you where.Two heroes told us some of their tales about the war they fought in
The Mayor Brenda Burgess takes time to speak to some attendees
MP Laura Moffatt with one of our heroes
It was a very moving two minutes. Shelley got to speak to some lovely people. One gentleman told Shelley about how he feels our boys and girls should not be fighting the current war, whereas two other gentlemen told Shelley they think any war is worth fighting if it made our country safer and helped others at the same time. Very different views but all the same, they were all present to remember! There were plenty of tears from the crowd. Very moving.
In our eyes, today is also a celebration for all those who did return to their families, wealding heroic tales and honoured by medals. Let us be grateful to those who returned and respectful to those who came home injured. We thank you for your bravery, which to this day, keeps us the great nation we have always been
An amazing show of medals showing real bravery & heroism
Another hero proudly shows us his medals
Friday 6th November, ’09
On Friday Shelley & Michelle had the honour of interviewing Dave Whithouse from the Phil Collins Tribute Band who were performing at the sell out concert at The Hawth.
The band members are from Horsham bar one, who is a Crawley man. It was a pleasure to speak to and meet the band. They are really lovely people who are passionate and professional about what they do. Together they are called ‘No Jacket Required’ which for those who may not know, is the name of one of Phil Collin’s best selling albums. For anyone who may have missed this amazing band, keep an eye out for future dates, coming soon!
Tribute band 'No Jacket Required'
We then went to the Wingspan to enjoy the wonderful array of fireworks. There were loads of people who came along and it all went with a ‘bang’. The Wingspan opened up the two rooms (normally seperated by a big partition) and put on a disco (which we thought was excellent, a great mixture of good tunes). There was a hog roast and good beer on tap. Well done to Jo and all the staff at the Wingspan for putting on such a splendid evening
Friday 30th October, ’09
It was off to the Half moon to see The Analysir, Curly Debs and DJ Mac play their sets. Always a great night to attend. We believe they are playing again next Saturday, so don’t miss it!
DJ Mac showing off his talents on the decks at the Half Moon
The Half Moon providing great music from The Analysir, Curly Debs & DJ Mac (pictured here)
We then made our way to the Wingspan where we had the pleasure of listening to Ray Owen’s Juicy Lucy band play. We took some footage for those who were unable to attend.
Afterwards we made our way to The Tilgate where we heard DJ Gordon Skeggs was playing. Gordon is a renowned DJ in Crawley, originally playing at the Roller Disco, many moons ago. Still got it though Gordon!
Gordon Skeggs playing at The Tilgate, Crawley
Thursday 1st October, ’09
This evening we nipped into town to see our Cherry-Fly spin her decks at the Ja Ja Bar, High Street Crawley. The staff were wonderful and very polite and friendly. The atmosphere was revelling with great tunes and happy customers
Cherry-Fly is a new addition to the Ja Ja Bar, and we feel they have made an astute move bringing such a talented female DJ to entertain.
Cara Ryan has worked at the Ja Ja Bar for 6 months and told us Cherry-Fly is a refreshing addition to the Ja Ja Bar. This type of music makes a nice change. Penny Dryer has worked at the Ja Ja Bar for over 2 years now and told Crawley Happy Times “I think it’s really good. It’s nice to have a female DJ here, and she is cute too!”.
Stephanie Lewis (aka Fuzzy Lishush) was present in support of her friend Cherry-Fly and said “it’s a great fortnightly event which is going to cement itself as a regular Thursday haunt for Crawley’s finest, who appreciate good music”.
Cherry-Fly plays at this event every other Thursday. Cherry-Fly’s next appearance will be Thursday 15th October, ’09. Try not to miss out on this wonderfully talented young lady. Once she is famous, we will not get so much time with her now will we x
We took some pictures for you to sample.
Gorgeous bar staff (L-R) Cara Ryan & Penny Dryer
Cherry-Fly bringing some class to the Ja Ja Bar
Thursday nights have been transformed into a great night out, at the Ja Ja Bar with the one and only Cherry-Fly on the decks
Friday 25th September, ’09
Shelley & Becky from Crawley Happy Times were invited down to the Brewery Shades public house in Crawley to experince the new resident DJ, Sweetbeatz. We also had the priveledge of having a chat with Nicki Cheek, Landlady of the Brewery Shades for the past eleven years!
We found ‘the Shades’ (as locals refer to it) has grown from it’s past history of being a bit off sorts to being welcoming and friendly. There were alot of young people sat around tables chatting and generally having a great time. The new DJ seemed to be making his mark too. Playing some great uk garage, funky house, reggae. hip hop and R’N'B, we found Sweetbeatz to be very natural and talented.
The Brewery Shades is a landmark in Crawley Town
Sweetbeatz on the decks at the Brewery Shades
VIDEO – Interview with Nicki Cheek, Landlady of the Brewery Shades
Friday 25th September, ’09
Crawley Happy Times popped down to the 107 Clubin the High Street, Crawley to see Judge Jules play.
Although the visit was brief, The Judge made his mark. His enthusiasm and professionalism exuded in the music he played. It was a pleasure to shake his hand and speak to him briefly. A really nice man, and and good on the decks too. Here are some pictures, but we apologies for the darkness. We also took some footage of The Judge for you to watch.
This amazing picture was donated by Jace Ren, Professional Photographer
Crawley Borough Council has been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant to restore Worth Park.
The park, formerly known as Milton Mount Gardens, has received a first-round pass of £2,189,000, including £237,000 development funding to help return the area to former glories.
The development funding will be used to detail how Worth Park will be restored and used by more people. This will include detailed drawings of how the park should look in the future and will be finished by next summer.
A first-round pass means that the HLF believes the funding can deliver high quality benefits to park users. It’s an endorsement of outline proposals and having been awarded a first-round pass, the project now has two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for almost £2 million.
The next stage for the council will be to develop the project into a bid to restore and improve the park. If we are successful we are likely to find out in December 2011. The three-year project would start soon afterwards.
The bid follows consultation with more than 200 park users over the past few years, which identified a great strength of feeling and affection for the park. Local people value the park as part of their heritage and are very proud of the history of the gardens. The majority of people listed restoration of the Clock Tower, gardens, camellia walk, fountain and lake as their top priorities.
Worth Park covers eight hectares and consists of formal gardens, recreational parkland and a lake area, which is a site of nature conservation interest. It was originally a medieval deer park and formed part of the Forest of Worth, which stretched from Slaugham in the south to Worth in the north. The park hides the remnants of a high status late Victorian pleasure garden and landscape, constructed by James Pulham and Son.
Energy use at K2 Crawley has plummeted over the last two years making it a greener place to get fit and have fun.
This month the state-of-the-art leisure centre received a good C rating for energy use compared with its poor G rating in 2008
The good news comes after 18 months of hard work following an energy management plan drawn up by Crawley Borough Council and Freedom Leisure; all the savings will help the council hit its 10:10 target of reducing carbon emissions by 10 per cent in 2010.
Councillor Keith Blake, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Heating an Olympic sized pool and running an extremely busy gym, along with the masses of other facilities and services on offer, makes saving energy at K2 Crawley a tough task.
“It’s a huge building with a lot of staff so they’ve done tremendously well to make such big savings in energy and also money.”
In 2008/9 K2 Crawley was using enough energy to power 517 homes which fell by 8.1 per cent in 2009/10; it now uses enough energy to power 475 homes (42 houses less) and saves around £16,000 each year.
And 40 per cent of all electricity used and 27 per cent of heat used came from renewable energy.
Some of the measures to bring such significant improvement include fitting infrared sensors in stores and offices to make sure lights go out when the room’s empty; removing unnecessary light fittings; Installing electrical sub-meters highlighting areas of high energy use so they can be reduced; and a lot of raising staff awareness.
There’s still room for improvement; Matt Hunt, Freedom Leisure’s Area Manager for K2 Crawley, said: “We’re looking at future measures to lower our carbon emissions even further. We hope to install a second combined heat and power unit and a device which changes voltage used to what you actually need rather the standard (voltage optimisation device).”
The 10:10 campaign is an international project to encourage as many individuals, businesses and organisations to cut their carbon emissions by 10 per cent in 2010.
More dates added to Local Transport Plan roadshows
Further dates have been added to a series of roadshows being held to gather people’s views on transport in West Sussex.
West Sussex County Council has drawn up a blueprint for transport in the county from 2011- 2026 and the roadshows are being held to find out what people think about it.
The Local Transport Plan looks at issues such as roads, bus services, cycling and walking.
It will set out the County Council’s transport policy, what improvements are planned and how they will be funded.
Several roadshows have already been held and now further dates have been added.
Lionel Barnard, Deputy Leader of the County Council who has responsibility for Highway and Transport issues, said: “We have had a good response to the roadshows so far and have received some valuable feedback.
“It really is important to us that we hear from as many people as possible so we can do our best to give people the services they want and need.”
The roadshows will give people an opportunity to talk to County Council Highways experts and fill in a questionnaire with their views and opinions.
The extra dates have been arranged in the following areas:
• Horsham – Wednesday August 4 – 10am-6pm – County Hall North, Parkside, Chart Way. (There will also be an opportunity for people to ask questions about proposed transport improvements at Horsham Railway Station at this event. A separate exhibition on the Railway Station improvements is being held at County Hall North from August 4-27.)
• East Grinstead – Friday August 6 – 10am-6pm – Chequer Mead Community Arts Centre, De La Warr Road. (There will also be an opportunity for people to ask questions about proposed transport improvements at East Grinstead Railway Station at this event. A separate exhibition on the Railway Station improvements is being held at Chequer Mead Community Arts Centre until August 9 before it moves to East Grinstead Library where it will remain until September 3.)
• Burgess Hill – Thursday August 19 – 9am-5pm – Council Chamber, Burgess Hill Town Council, Church Walk, Burgess Hill.
• Crawley – Tuesday August 24 – 9am-5pm – County Mall shopping centre.
• Worthing – Thursday September 2 – 9am-5pm – Richmond Room, Assembly Hall complex, Stoke Abbott Road, Worthing.
A further date is still to be arranged for Bognor Regis.
New partnership launched to help employers say yes
Peter Catchpole and Chief Speaker at the launch Susan Scott-Parker OBE, Chief Executive for the Employer's Forum for Disability
A new-look Steps to Work Partnership has been launched.
Steps to Work helps vulnerable adults in West Sussex with a wide range of disabilities and challenges to access employment, learning, training, volunteering and work support.
The scheme has been running since 2000 and used to be funded externally by European Social Fund and Local Area Agreements. However, it is now funded by West Sussex County Council and NHS West Sussex.
(L-R) Anthony Wake, service user from Aldingbourne Trust, Irene Loft, Steps to Work, service user Caroline Benson and her hearing dog Belle, Carole Robertson, Regional Diversity Manager from Environment Agency, and Andrew Juniper, Steps to Work.
The new partnership consists of three providers:
• Southdown Supported Employment – which work with adults and children over 16 with mental health needs.
• Impact Workability – which work for adults who are recovering from drug or alcohol dependency and who may be offenders or ex-offenders and for adults with a physical or sensory impairment or an acquired brain injury.
• Aldingbourne Trust – which work with adults and children over 16 with learning difficulties.
The new-look partnership was held at County Hall North, Horsham, and was also attended by other organisations, including Job Centre Plus.
County Council Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services, Peter Catchpole, said: “Last year the Steps to Work Partnership helped 96 people into paid employment, helped 34 people retain employment, which they may have otherwise lost, and helped 149 people to voluntary work or work placements.
“On top of this 162 people were helped to access training to help them move towards employment.
“The Steps to Work Partnership is a wonderful example of how good partnership working can make a difference.
“It helps clients raise their confidence and self esteem, and can change lives.
“We look forward to working with the new providers and move forward with the
Every Thursday the Crawley Youth Theatre meet at Dormans to plan, act, perform and have as much fun as possible.
On arrival we got to see the youths in action. Playing team games, working together and enjoying every minute. The sessions are extremely productive. Talking of playing, the CYT have performed one, if not more if possible, successful live stage performances each year since starting in April 2005. Last year they performed Arabian Nights and a Terry Pratchett show. Led by Gemma LeGrand and volunteer Dodie Browne, the children have learnt to express themselves in a constructive and dramatic fashion while role playing or taking on various challenges.
It was the last session of the school term so there was lots of food and fizzy for the teenagers to enjoy. We spoke to some who told us they come along to make new friends and to display their drama skills. Some are drama students who wish to take it further, some just like attending.
The CYT runs in term times and anyone can go along to see if it is for them. The first session is free, so pop along to meet the members, they are a great bunch of teenagers. The sessions run from 18.30 till 19.30 for 13 to 16 years, then 19.45 till 21.15 for 16 plus. Gemma said “it doesn’t matter if you are at school, college or even in work, the sessions are for everyone. We cover all aspects of drama and put on at least one show each year which involves both the younger and older members”.
Gemma told us “we are very grateful to Kenny who runs Dormans. Kenny provides the space for free. Without this generousity we would not be able to afford the sessions. Each child pays £3.50 to attend, which goes towards the cost of the productions or any outings we may go on. We are also very privileged to have Dodie help out. Dodie comes all the way from out of town and volunteers her time to assist me with the older sessions here at Dormans, also producing the last play Arabian Nights”.
We were impressed with the relationship between Gemma, Dodie and the youths. Gemma told us about one member in particular called Tim who had come along when the CYT first started but is now preparing to go to University. Gemma felt they had been on a journey together and was sad to lose Tim from the group.
Dormans supports many activities including Rock Music Nights, Crawley Youth Activities Projects, A freestyle Club and the Friday Phab Club. More details can be found under leisure.
We would like to thank Gemma, Dodie, Kenny and all the members of the Crawley Youth Theatre for allowing us to come down to meet them. We enjoyed the cake and biscuits too
West Sussex Buy With Confidence scheme teams up with Which?
THE Buy With Confidence scheme run by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards Service to protect consumers from rogue traders has forged a link with Which?
The UK’s largest consumer group is promoting good businesses and trades people through the development of Which? Local, a recommendation website for Which? subscribers.
Which? Local has agreed with West Sussex Trading Standards Service to list for free all of its Buy With Confidence members on the site.
Peter Evans, County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Although Which? is best known for testing household products, it is also committed to helping people find reliable local businesses that provide an excellent service – just like our Buy With Confidence members.
“This is an excellent opportunity for our Buy With Confidence members to further promote their business because it highlights how highly regarded our members are.
“It also underlines the effectiveness of the vetting procedures our Trading Standards Service has in place to reassure customers seeking a business they can trust.
“This means being featured on Which? Local adds further value to joining our Buy With Confidence register and being a trader or business that can reassure potential customers they’ve been approved by West Sussex Trading Standards.”
Three of Crawley’s attractive parks have again been awarded the prestigious Green Flag.
Beautiful Tilgate Park has received the award for the ninth consecutive year while Goffs Park, in Southgate, and the Memorial Gardens in the town centre have picked up their third Green Flags – the national standard for quality parks and green spaces.
Tilgate Park, set in 400 acres, scooped its first Green Flag in 2002.
Winners are judged to be welcoming, safe and well maintained and involve the local community.
Tilgate Park boasts a nature centre, golf course, lakes, lawns and gardens, woodland walks and bridleways.
Goffs Park has a lake, 18-hole pitch and putt course, miniature steam railway, state-of-the-art play facilities and is home to Crawley Museum.
The Memorial Gardens are an oasis of calm in the middle of the bustling town centre, with lunching office workers and sunbathers enjoying the lush lawns and vibrant plants.
Councillor Lenny Walker, Cabinet member for Leisure and Cultural Services,
said: “This is a fantastic achievement and we are delighted to have won these awards.
“It demonstrates the commitment of the council and its dedicated staff to keeping these great parks and open spaces so special. It is also just reward for a huge contribution from the Friends of Goffs Park.”
The Green Flag Award is sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government, English Heritage and Natural England.
Buchan Country Park achieves prestigious Green Flag award
Buchan Country Park in Crawley is celebrating after receiving the prestigious Green Flag Award.
This national award is the national standard for parks and recognises welcoming, well-managed, high quality green spaces.
Buchan Country Park, owned and managed by West Sussex County Council, is a haven for a variety of wildlife and good for walking or enjoying a picnic. The Park also runs a series of events throughout the year aimed at encouraging people to enjoy the park and learn more about it.
The award is based on eight criteria:
• a welcoming place
• healthy, safe and secure
• clean and well maintained
• sustainability
• conservation and heritage
• community involvement
• marketing
• management
The Green Flag will fly at Buchan Country Park for 12 months.
Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy, said: “This award recognises the hard work that both staff and volunteers have put into ensuring that the Country Park remains a special piece of Sussex countryside.
“The park is enjoyed by many families and there are lots of events going on during the school summer holidays.
“Congratulations to all involved with Buchan Country Park, this award is a credit to them.”
For more information about Buchan Country Park and events, visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/buchan, email buchan.park@westsussex.gov.uk, or phone 01293 542088.
You can ‘Meet the Buchan Bushcrafters’ on video at www.westsussex.gov.uk/video and scroll down to the ‘Where we live’ tab.
The Friends of Goffs Park are having a green day on Wednesday August 4.
The fun starts from 5-7pm with a plant swap. Visitors can meet at Crawley Museum to exchange surplus plants.
Then, from 7pm Trees and Teas takes over. This is a guided walk from Crawley Museum with a tree expert from Crawley Borough Council, followed by tea and biscuits.
Other fun includes children making leaf faces with a local artist.
Major resurfacing and maintenance work planned for the A24
A £1 million scheme to resurface large sections of the A24 between Horsham and Findon is due to start on Monday August 9.
The West Sussex County Council project will also involve various road maintenance works including tree cutting, crash barrier repairs, bus stop improvements, hedge trimming, renewed road markings and sign improvements.
The work will take up to five weeks, weather permitting.
The road will be resurfaced in sections with work being carried out overnight from 8pm to 5am.
The material selected for the resurfacing is designed to be hard wearing and provide good quality skid resistance for high speed roads with heavy traffic. Anti-skid surfacing will also be refreshed where needed.
During the night work there will be localised road closures with signed diversions.
Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council Deputy Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highways and Transport, said: “We realise there will be some disruption for motorists but we hope that by carrying out the work at night there will be minimal inconvenience to road users.
“Also by scheduling in the road maintenance work at the same time as the resurfacing we can avoid further disruption by getting everything completed in one go.”
The work will be carried out by teams made up of staff from West Sussex County Council and its contractor May Gurney.
Signs are already in place at both ends of the A24 giving details about the proposed works. More signs will be put in place for each section of the road before resurfacing takes place.
West Sussex rises to the ‘challenge’ on London 2012 Open Weekend
Thousands of people across West Sussex joined in activities to mark the two year countdown to the Olympics during Open Weekend (July 23-25).
The theme of this year’s event was ‘challenges’.
Highlights included:
• The colourful ‘Crawley Diego Garcian Society Fair’ at K2 Crawley, which challenged the public to learn about different cultures through dance, music and food.
• ‘Field of Flags – Dysarticulate’ at Chichester Library and Pallant House Gallery where hundreds of recycled flags were made and then planted around the city.
• The ‘GO 5 Freedom Challenge’ at Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead, which encouraged people to try five sports.
• The ‘One World Carnival’ at ‘Sparks in the Park’ was watched by thousands of people as it weaved its way through Horsham Park. The Carnival included costumes designed by disabled and non-disabled people involved in ‘Blue Touch Paper Carnival’ – a West Sussex project awarded the Inspire Mark.
West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy, Deborah Urquhart, said: “With only two years to go until the London 2012 Games, the enthusiasm shown by those taking part this weekend is an indication of the excitement to come.
“The variety of events demonstrates the different ways the Games are already touching our lives, and we will continue to ensure West Sussex has lasting benefits.
“I would like to congratulate everyone who was involved in the many Open Weekend activities.”
To view a gallery of photos from the events, and to find out more about West Sussex–Ahead of the Game, visit www.westsussex-aheadofthegame.com
Young people’s watchdog to take second look at Youth Service proposals
A COUNTY Hall watchdog will meet to discuss for a second time the review of West Sussex County Council’s Youth Service.
The County Council’s Children and Young People’s Services Select Committee will meet at County Hall, Chichester, on Thursday July 29, starting at 1.30pm. A webcast of the meeting will be able to be viewed live at http://www.westsussex.public-i.tv/site/
The Select Committee first discussed the Youth Services review at a meeting earlier this month. County Councillors had been asked to:
• Consider the results of a recent consultation.
• Consider options and proposals to implement £2 million in savings.
• Give their comments on the options and proposals to the Cabinet Member for Children and Families, Pete Bradbury, who will take the final decision.
However, the Select Committee called for more detailed information and voted to hold a further meeting before giving its views.
Additional evidence has been supplied to the Select Committee and it will be asked on Thursday to support the new direction of the Youth Service, which will achieve £2m savings.
It will also be asked what further involvement it would wish to have as the Youth Service takes a new direction.
Select Committee Chairman Nola Hendon said: “We called for a second meeting because we wanted to take a balanced decision when it comes to commenting on the future of an excellent service.”
Adults’ and Children Executive Director to retire after 13 years
West Sussex County Council Executive Director of Adults’ and Children services John Dixon is retiring at the end of the year, after 13 years in charge.
John’s career at West Sussex County Council began in 1997 when he was appointed Director of Social Services. In recent years he has been Director of Adults’ Social Services and then Executive Director for Adults’ and Children as well as Deputy Chief Executive.
He started his social work career as a residential worker in a therapeutic community for drug addicts, the Cranstoun Project, in Surrey. He then qualified as a probation officer and worked in Surrey for seven years before moving to Surrey County Council’s Social Services and heading up their County Youth Offender Team.
John was Head of Commissioning and Deputy Director at Surrey Social Services before coming to West Sussex County Council.
He said: “There have been many changes over the years in social services nationally and within West Sussex. I’ve worked with a fantastic team and will miss my colleagues in the Council and in partner organisations, and the residents who’ve benefited from our service over the years.”
Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services Peter Catchpole said: “John has provided outstanding leadership and he will be sorely missed. He leads a strong team, proven by our good reputation nationally for social services.”
Lead Cabinet Member for Children’s Services Peter Griffiths said: “There have been many challenges and changes over the years for social services. John and his team have tackled all these with great dedication and we have a service residents can be proud of.”
A highlight of John’s career was when he was appointed President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) in 2008. The organisation represents directors of adult social services in local authorities in England and works closely with the Government on national issues.
John said: “West Sussex has benefited greatly from being represented in the national arena. One of our biggest achievements has been the introduction of self-directed support, that the County Council helped to pilot and is now being rolled out nationally.
“I believe the personalisation approach we have helped to pioneer in West Sussex will continue to shape national thinking and I am pleased that it is being strongly supported by the new government.”
The County Council will look at the best way to replace John’s position over the next two months.
Sports award helps promote new East Grinstead 10k event
EDF Energy Networks has stepped in to help an athletics club promote the first East Grinstead 10k event by providing funds for new running vests and T-shirts.
The £250 grant means that East Grinstead Athletic Club won’t have to spend its own money on the new kit which in turn will free up funds to promote the race in September. Members hope the event will help to put their club in the spotlight and encourage more people to become members.
EDF Energy Networks employee Kerry Day applied for the money under their Team Sports Awards scheme which provides grants of up to £250 for sports and community organisations. Kerry is acting as the treasurer for the East Grinstead 10k and her husband Colin is on the club committee, also heading up the committee formed to organise the 10k race.
Kerry, a management accountant based in one of EDF Energy’s Crawley offices, said: “We’re a relatively small club which means that we have a tight budget. Funding new innovations is difficult without proper finance so this grant will make a lot of difference.
“We’d like to increase our membership and, since East Grinstead didn’t have its own 10k event, we thought it was a good idea to launch one. Hopefully it will get us more attention and ultimately more members.”
East Grinstead Athletic Club was founded in 1978 and has about 140 members of all ages and abilities. The club is keen to grow – particularly the road-running section which is looking for fresh runners to join their ranks.
The club meets at Imberhorne School in East Grinstead where they have access to a grass running track and a floodlit six-lane straight, as well as an area for field events. The road runners meet on a Tuesday and Thursday evening, running various routes around the town and tracks.
Colin Day, who is organising the race, said: “We’re really grateful to EDF Energy Networks and without their contribution for this year’s shirts we would have found it difficult to fund the 10k from this year’s club budget.”
EDF Energy Networks’ Team Sport Awards allow staff to apply for a £250 grant for projects that involve the local community. The awards are designed to encourage staff to volunteer in the community and are aimed at promoting healthy living, teamwork and development of sporting opportunities.
A total of more than £75,000 has been donated to hundreds of community and sports groups in the South East, London and the East of England in the last five years. So far this year, cash awards have been made to dozens of clubs and charities that our staff are involved with.
As the first sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games EDF Energy will help ensure London 2012 will be a truly sustainable games, uniting people to address climate changes and leaving a lasting legacy, not just in sport, but through environmental benefits.
The first East Grinstead 10k is on Sunday, September 26. More information is available on the website – www.EG10k.com .
