Archive for January, 2012

« Older Entries

On video – what a British Citizenship ceremony is like

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

A new film showing people from all corners of the world becoming British citizens in West Sussex has just been released.

Every year hundreds of new British citizens take part in special citizenship ceremonies organised by West Sussex County Council registration service.

The ceremonies are part of the Government’s efforts to help immigrants to this country feel at home and British.

The film gives a valuable insight into the ceremonies and features interviews with some of Britain’s newest citizens and their families.

Mike Coleman, Chairman of West Sussex County Council, said: “I hope this film will help people planning to attend a ceremony see what they can expect to find when they arrive.

“It should also help to give the wider community a better understanding of what it takes to become a British citizen.”

Under the National, Immigration and Asylum Act of 2002 everyone over 18 who’s successfully applied to become a British citizen must take an oath of allegiance and make a citizenship pledge.

The ceremonies are held every month in Crawley and Chichester with an average of 30 new citizens attending each time.

The film can be seen at www.westsussex.gov.uk/video and click the tab Where We Live

 

Posted in News Bulletins | No Comments »

Guiness World Record breaking training

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Up until the 8th April, two men can be seen walking around parts of Crawley and beyond. But not as you would expect.

Tom Vanhinsbergh and Ben Le Beau are in training for their Guiness World Record attempt, a three legged run/walk. The record so far is 40.02 miles within twelve hours, so Tom and Ben are going to walk 41.2 miles starting from the Plough Inn, Ifield to the pillars in Brighton, then back again.

Tom & Ben enjoying their first training session

The to men started their training regime at Tilgate Park under the watchful eye of their spouses. Joining them was Marilyn from the Olive Tree and Gary from Ifield Chestnut House.

We spoke to Ben who told us “our 3-leg record is raising money solely for the Olive Tree to start their ‘Move It!’ initiative as Marilyn mentions in the interview.

The Move It! initiative is as follows:

– The Olive Tree Cancer Support Centre –

The money raised will go towards setting up a ‘Move It!’ initiative (Macmillan) at The Olive Tree that encourages people living with cancer or after cancer to get involved in physical activity. Doctors used to advise people to rest as much as possible during treatment, but this has changed. They now know that too much rest results in loss of muscle strength and leaves you with low energy levels. One report I read said something like “if exercise were a tablet it would be headline news” …. which I think sums it up brilliantly.

Your money will also help The Olive Tree continue their great everyday work: complementary therapies, counselling, information and support for cancer patients and their carers and families.

The Pillars to Plough event is splitting the money raised between the Olive Tree, to support the bits I’ve just mentioned and also the Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice. This is where the money will be spent by them:

– The Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice –

The money raised for the Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice this year will go towards funding two specifically trained neonatal nurses to support families with new born babies that are unlikely to survive beyond a few days or weeks, or if they do then they will require constant care for the duration of their lives.

You can see your efforts and support do really make a difference, so please help your friends and family raise money for their Pillars to Plough attempts and feel free to enter, the more the merrier. Entry Forms on our website: www.ifieldchestnuthouse.co.uk“.

You can donate in many forms to this amazing record breaking attempt by clicking here. You can also keep up with the progress of the boys on their blog here.

We will be keeping a close eye on Tom and Ben’s training and will keep you all updated. We wish them both all the best.

Posted in Featured, News | No Comments »

Henry Smith Praises Gatwick Management & The Thousands Of Crawley People Who Work At The Airport In The Commons

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Henry Smith praised the management of Gatwick and the thousands of Crawley residents who work at the airport in a speech in the House of Commons last night.

Henry said:

“Over the last two years Gatwick has made significant progress that has helped to improve its efficiency and the passenger experience as a whole. More than £1 billion has been spent on these works with upgrades to both the North and South Terminals, the introduction of state of the art security facilities and improvements to Gatwick Train Station.

“I wanted to fully commend in the Commons the fantastic work everyone at Gatwick has done to improve the airport over the last two years. Thousands of Crawley residents work at the airport and their hard work has brought about a real difference in the experience for every passenger visiting the airport.”

Crawley MP, Henry Smith, was speaking in the Second Reading debate of the Civil Aviation Bill. Despite huge changes, legislation has not been updated in this area for over a quarter of a century.

Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp; www.youtube.com/user/HenrySmithMP; or www.henrysmith.info.

 

Tags: , ,
Posted in News Bulletins | No Comments »

CRAWLEY MP “SHOCKED” BY LOCAL JOBS BEING ADVERTISED ABROAD

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

In an interview in today’s Daily Mail, local MP Henry Smith, expressed his shock at the apparent number of local jobs that are being advertised abroad in countries such as Romania.

Henry Smith, speaking to the Daily Mail earlier, commented:

“I was shocked to learn that local residents are apparently losing jobs to foreign workers as positions are being advertised in countries such as Romania.

“We are currently in the middle of a global economic crisis and with our national debt having reached a £1 trillion, we should be ensuring that, where possible, jobs are filled by British people.”

The Daily Mail reports that Crawley positions advertised in Romania include chef, sales, hotel receptionist, taxi driver and massage therapist.

Henry continued:

“I can’t believe that in the Crawley and Gatwick area there isn’t a suitably committed chef who is a resident of this country and cannot see why there is a requirement to advertise this job abroad, and that goes for the other positions as well.

“As a country we have become increasingly restricted by our membership of the EU to ensure local jobs are going to local people who are from this country.

“This is still part of the problem, despite the Government introducing controls on people from Bulgaria and Romania and the dedicated work of our border patrols.

“I will be pursuing this matter in Parliament.”

Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp; www.youtube.com/user/HenrySmithMP; or www.henrysmith.info.

Tags:
Posted in News Bulletins | No Comments »

Local young graduate gets help in the job market – thanks to a major project in Crawley

Monday, January 30th, 2012

FINDING a job is difficult at the best of times – so when one young construction graduate from Sussex needed experience to get on the career ladder, he was pleased to be offered a part on a major project for the region.

Kisen Ghedia, 21, from Smallfield, has joined engineers Spencer on a project to build a new rail operating centre for Network Rail. The new building will be a hub for signalling in the region, and will bring up to 600 jobs to the area.

The new centre will have more advanced signalling tools and technology that will help reduce delays, improve performance, increase capacity, provide better information to passengers and offer better value for money.

Like many young graduates, Kisen realised he had to gain valuable work experience in order to compete in the increasingly tough job market. A graduate in Construction Management and Environment, he refused to let rejections dampen his spirits, and instead sought work experience from his local job centre in Crawley.

He said joining the main contractors on site was helping him realise his ambitions. “I’ve always been interested in building – especially unique build and the challenges they present. To me, this is the sort of job that instantly makes a difference; you are providing the basic infrastructure everyone needs, whether that is to travel, live or work,” he said.

“It’s great to be on site, and to be finally involved in the industry I studied for. I am with Spencer for six weeks, and by the end of that I think this will have increased my chances of employability.”

Marios Chrysanthou is the project director for Spencer on site. He said: “Kisen has been with us a short time and is already part of the team, on what is a fantastic project for Crawley.

“It is a difficult job market out there, in an industry which needs to make sure it nurtures the next generation of innovative construction specialists and engineers. Kisen is one of those people, and we are proud we can play our part in helping him.”

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Featured, News | No Comments »

Charity’s Call to Make the Leap Year Day Count and Fight Against Devastating Disease

Monday, January 30th, 2012

This coming leap year, a national charity is calling on the big-hearted residents of Crawley to make the extra day count and help raise vital funds to fight against devastating genetic muscle-wasting conditions.

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is organising a host of events on 29th February to raise money for research into treatments and cures for the conditions, which affect 70,000 people of all ages across the UK.

For the most hair-raising challenge, the charity is looking for 100 daring recruits to take to the skies for a 10,000ft sky-dive and make a leap of faith in recognition of the 100 children born in the UK each year with the life-shortening muscle-wasting condition, Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Aspiring dare-devils wishing to take part will be asked to raise £400 sponsorship for their efforts, and can choose from a variety of sky-dive sites, including Brackley Airfield in Northamptonshire.

Generous employers in Crawley are being asked to dig deep too, and raffle off a day’s annual leave on the 29th February amongst their staff, who will donate £5 to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign for a chance to win the day off work.

Sarah Jenner, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s South East Volunteer Fundraising Manager said:

“Anybody can get involved and make the extra day count this year by holding a fundraising event and helping us to fund vital research, which could change the lives of thousands of people across the South East. By taking on the challenge of a life-time and jumping and of a plane for us, persuading the boss to raffle off a day’s annual leave, or even organising an event for friends and family on 29th February, you will be helping to take us one step closer to a cure for muscular dystrophy.

“As an additional bonus, the adrenalin involved in leaping out of a plane at 10,000 feet is also more than likely to burn off any lingering Christmas calories.”

Muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions cause muscles to weaken and waste over time, leading to disability and in the case of some types of the disease, significantly shortening life-expectancy. The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign has been funding research into treatments and cures for the conditions for over fifty years, and has helped pioneer specialist care for patients.

To find out more about Make Today Count visit www.muscular-dystrophy.org/maketodaycount or to find out more about sky-dive locations across the UK, please call the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s Fundraising hotline on 0845 872 9058.

 

Tags: ,
Posted in News, Whats On | No Comments »

Make sure you can vote on 3rd May

Monday, January 30th, 2012

With local elections taking place on Thursday 3rd May, Crawley Borough Council is urging voters to make sure they are registered to vote in time.

It only takes a few minutes to register. Either call Electoral Services on 01293 438346 or print off the form from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

Thirteen seats on Crawley Borough Council are up for grabs in the borough elections.

This year there are elections in every council ward except Furnace Green and Northgate. This is because the council is elected in thirds, which means that the council holds elections in three years out of four, with a few different wards not having an election each year.

Elections are your chance to influence the way your town is run. It’s your democratic right to vote for the candidates of your choice. But only those who are on the electoral register will be able to vote.

Everyone who is entitled to vote in the elections will receive a polling card three or four weeks before. This gives details of where your polling station is and your poll number but you don’t have to take it to the polling station with you.

For more information call Andrew Oakley, Electoral Services Manager, on 01293 438346 or email andrew.oakley@crawley.gov.uk or visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk

Tags: ,
Posted in News Bulletins | No Comments »

There’s fresh new GAPS

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

The new year pantomime is coming to town!

Yesterday Crawley Happy Times had the pleasure of speaking to one of the many volunteers who help organise and arrange the annual pantomime which raises much needed funds for charity. This year their chosen charity is St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley.

Julian Portch, a professional photographer, is helping out for the 6th year running. Julian told us “the cast and crew are all volunteers who are dedicated to putting on a great performance while raising money for charity, and this year is no exception. Starting at the beginning of February, we would like to see everyone there”. With an injection of ‘new blood’ to the organisation and cast, this years Dick Whittington and his cat is billed to be another great success.

A big thank you to this years sponsors, BA & Waitrose

Last years performance of Cinderella was a vibrant explosive performance that had the audience wowed with excitement.

GAPS 2011 Cinderella

Shelley interviews Julian:

Here are the flyers with the details, but you can see them better here

Posted in Entertainment, News | No Comments »

CRAWLEY’S GOT TALENT : THE GRAND FINALE

Friday, January 27th, 2012

The countdown continues to the final of Crawley’s Got Talent on Saturday 11th February with the announcement that Heart Sussex DJ Garry Wilson will host the event

at the Hawth. Garry will be joined by three judges; Kevin Eason, Head of Arts Service for Crawley Borough Council, Steve Evans, Manager of Crawley Town Football Club and Vision in Youth Collective member Erin Witton.

Further details of the prizes on offer have also been announced. The top prize is £500 cash and now local recording studio Pittaz Productions Ltd have donated a recording session in their Tilgate based facility. Spaceship Media Video Production Company, a creative team who specialise in music promos and moving image have donated time and staff to create a promotional video. Organisers Liz Hart and Vikki Jacobs from Crawley Borough Council have been delighted at the response to the project. ‘We’ve been working with lots of people whose time and commitment to the project has been invaluable but to have two such fantastic prizes donated by local businesses is just brilliant’.

Crawley’s Got Talent, an intergenerational project that saw over 180 acts, featuring nearly 400 people, audition across town last year.

Crawley’s Got Talent is sponsored by Crawley Town Football Club, Crawley Lions with further support from Crawley Young Persons Council, Vision in Youth Collective and Crawley Borough Council.

Tickets: £8.50 (discount: £6.50). Family of Four: £25.

To book tickets for the Grand Finale at The Hawth call The Hawth Box Office on

01293 553636 or visit www.hawth.co.uk. Hurry as tickets are almost sold out!


Posted in Events, News | No Comments »

Crawley’s Council Tax set to be frozen again

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Crawley residents are set to benefit from another Council Tax freeze.

If Councillors agree to the freeze, Crawley Borough Council will have had two consecutive years without a rise – and the previous four years had the lowest Council Tax rise in Sussex.

Cabinet will make a decision on the council’s 2012/13 budget at its meeting on Wednesday February 8. The decision will then go before Full Council on Wednesday February 29.

The Government has helped fund a freeze by giving local authorities additional grant equivalent to a 2.5 per cent rise.

West Sussex County Council and Sussex Police are also recommending Council Tax freezes. If this is agreed, Crawley residents will not pay a penny more in Council Tax than this year or 2010/11.

Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of Crawley Council said: “Historically we have seen low rises in Crawley and this year is no exception.

“The past year has been tough for many people and I hope this proposed freeze goes some way to helping those who are struggling financially.”

Crawley residents’ Council Tax bills are made up of three elements – Crawley Borough Council, West Sussex County Council and Sussex Police Authority.

Last year, for every pound paid in Council Tax, Crawley Council received 13p, West Sussex County Council received 78p and Sussex Police received 9p.

Councillor Lanzer added: “We try hard to balance our budgets to avoid using our savings. This means we are clear about our priorities for spending and ensures the services we deliver represent excellent value for money.”

A total of £793,000 of savings have been identified in the next financial year as well as £90,000 of additional revenue expenditure on flood alleviation and streetscene maintenance.

A new capital expenditure budget of £10.279m is set to be spent on priorities like the Mill Pond, residential parking improvements, improving community facilities in Ifield, an extended Disabled Facilities Grants programme, improving the 3G pitch in Broadfield, new equipment at K2 Crawley, improvements at The Hawth and more.

Councillor Lanzer added: “The money we have in our reserves means we can make these significant improvements to our town, for example the large-scale works to the Mill Pond. We are spending more than £10m making our town better.”

The council will also pay back its housing debt of £261.383m on 28 March but in return manage its own housing account.

The current subsidy system sees the Government work out how much we need to spend on our council homes and if rental income is more we have to pay back the difference to them.

The council currently pays more than £16million to the Government from council rents.

The council will need to borrow to cover this amount, with a repayment term of up to 30 years. The interest on the debt will be significantly lower than the amount currently paid to the Government. This will provide an opportunity for the council to increase its investment in housing over the coming years.

Posted in News | No Comments »

Ambition for Ifield West

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Almost two years of work by Ifield Councillor Ali Burke and Crawley Borough Council officers, has resulted

in a successful bid of £750,000 to the Budget Advisory Group for funds to be invested in Ifield West – which

Cabinet on 8th February is asked to approve as recommendation to the budget-making Full Council on

29th February.

 

Cllr Ali Burke has been lobbying for funds to enhance the facilities for the residents of Ifield West by

applying for investment for a “Life Centre” which is planned to include permanent youth facilities,

dedicated medical consultation rooms and a community cafe. The intention is to extend the existing

community centre so that additional services can be provided, alongside the current community groups

that already utilise the centre.

 

After many meetings with the residents of Hyde Drive, Cllr Burke listened to the hopes and aspirations of

the residents to seek further investment after the success of the Playbuilder park in Dobbins Place.

Councillor Burke stated, “Ifield West has been neglected in terms of investment over the last 30 years.

Since becoming a Councillor I have been speaking with residents to see what facilities they would like to

see for the area and how facilities could be improved. The response of the residents has been very positive.

 

One of the requests was for the area around the small pond at Dobbins Place to be cut back and opened

up to reduce the enclosed spaces that encourage drinking and fly tipping, and making the area safer for

residents. This was completed and the area looks much better now, although the pond itself still needs

further work.

 

Other ideas for the area were medical facilities of some kind and a community cafe with seating area so

that parents can watch their children on the new play facilities and have somewhere to meet and socialise.

 

There was a significant request for facilities for teenagers such as a designated Youth Club and Skate

Park. This is quite a list – but I am very excited and pleased that the £750,000 looks set to be awarded

to this project to provide these much-needed facilities. As a Councillor my job is to listen to residents and

help wherever I can.”

 

Once the Budget recommendations are approved in February 2012 by the Full Council, the process will

then begin to look for partners for the new community centre so that we can maximise the offering to the

residents.

 

Tags: ,
Posted in Featured, News | No Comments »

Stepney’s Cafe – The Hub of Maidenbower

Friday, January 27th, 2012

(l-r) Andrée Stepney, Wayne Stepney, Councillor Lenny Walker, Sophie Marshall

Crawley Borough Council has helped an enterprising couple open their first café – and provide a community hub at the same time.

Stepney’s, run by husband and wife team Andrée and Wayne Stepney, opened in the council’s new Maidenbower Pavilion in December and has become an instant hit.

Stepney’s serves hot and cold drinks as well as all day breakfasts, sandwiches, paninis, soups, jacket potatoes, burgers and a children’s menu. The café also does the catering for children’s parties and family social events.

Andrée said: “Things are going well. We’ve had really good feedback from our customers. We want this to be a community café by creating the right environment for everyone to be made to feel welcome.

“We’ve had lots of support from Crawley Borough Council. It’s not easy opening a business in these difficult economic times but the help we’ve had from the council has been very good.”

Councillor Lenny Walker, Cabinet member for Leisure and Culture, said: “The Maidenbower Pavilion is becoming the hub of the neighbourhood and Stepney’s has the ability to draw people to it.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to help Wayne and Andrée set up this business. I wish them every success and hope they are serving not only the people of Maidenbower but the wider Crawley community for many years to come.”

The café is open from 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday and 9.30am-4.30pm on Sundays.

(l-r) Wayne Stepney, Councillor Lenny Walker, Andrée Stepney

Tags:
Posted in Breaking News, News | No Comments »

Crawley Resident’s involvement is Recognised

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Crawley Homes has been recognised for its resident involvement work in a national publication.

The National Tenant Organisation is publishing a tenant panel consultation guide in February and will feature Crawley Homes’ resident involvement work as a case study.

The publication, Tenants Panels: Options for Accountability, has been written by Nic Bliss and Blase Lambert on behalf of the National Tenant Organisation. The project has been funded by Department for Communities and Local Government and has involved other housing professional bodies such as Chartered Institute of Housing and Local Government Association.

Councillor Lee Gilroy, Cabinet Member for Housing at Crawley Borough Council said: “This is a really positive recognition of the resident involvement work that we have been doing.

“The new resident involvement panels were launched last year and are going from strength to strength.

“Resident involvement is crucial to help monitor the work of Crawley Homes and ensures that we can provide the best services for our tenants and leaseholders.”

The main panel, the Tenant and Leaseholder Action Panel (TLAP), monitors the work of Crawley Homes, independently checks its performance and offers advice. It also checks complaints to ensure they have been dealt with correctly.

If you’re a Crawley Homes tenant or leaseholder and want to know how you can get involved, please visit www.crawley.gov.uk/residentinvolvement or call 01293 438434

Posted in News | No Comments »

“Our Town’s Post Offices Are Now Secured”

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Henry Smith has welcomed the news of a ten year deal between Royal Mail and the Post Office, securing the future of services in Crawley.

The deal follows the Government’s other measures to protect Post Office services including additional funding, new local and national contracts, a successful piloting scheme to transform many local post offices and improvements in the services offered.

Henry commented:

“I am delighted that a new deal had been signed between Royal Mail and the Post Office that will protect Post Office services in Crawley. Across the country Post Offices are also benefitting from additional funding, new contracts and a variety of schemes to improve the service offered to customers.

“Locally I campaigned to overturn Labour’s cuts to our Post Offices, which saw them close over 6,500 in a decade across the UK. The Government’s announcement means that our towns’ Post Offices are now secure for the future, guaranteeing this valuable service for local residents.”

Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp; www.youtube.com/user/HenrySmithMP; or www.henrysmith.info.

 

Tags:
Posted in News | No Comments »

West Sussex libraries celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender history month

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

West Sussex libraries are celebrating the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender history month in February with three exciting events.

The service has been working closely with the LGBT group in the county, called Glo-West, in a bid to bring some of the UK’s most popular authors and performers to the Crawley, Worthing and Shoreham branches. These include:

• Novelist Stella Duffy at Crawley Library on Wednesday 15th February: The two-times winner of the Stonewall Writer of the Year award will be answering questions about her books from 7pm. She will be joined by author Jonathan Kemp – whose novel, “London Triptych”, about the UK’s gay underworld, won the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award.

• Writer and alternative historian Rose Collis at Shoreham Library on Tuesday 7th February: The East Sussex-based artist will perform excerpts of her new one-woman musical show, “Trouser-Wearing Characters”, before it goes to the Brighton Fringe Festival in May. The event starts at 7pm.

• A talk on The Bloomsbury Group of Charleston House at Worthing Library on Monday 13th February: Visitor’s manager Darren Clarke will be speaking from 7pm about how the farmhouse was once a meeting place for writers and painters, known as the Bloomsbury group, which included Virginia Woolf and Lytton Strachey.

West Sussex County Council Deputy Leader, Lionel Barnard, who oversees the Library Service, said: “We are pleased to help mark the celebrations of this national event by showcasing some of the UK’s finest talent in our area.

“Everyone is welcome and you don’t have to be a library member or part of the LGBT community to attend.“The events cost just £3 each but places are limited and may need to be booked in advanced.”

For tickets contact Crawley Library on: 01293 651751, Worthing Library on: 01903 704 809 or Shoreham Library on: 01243 454 438. Alternatively visit: www.westsussex.gov.uk/libraries.

 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in News Bulletins | No Comments »

Highlighting Stillbirth & Maternity Issues In Parliament

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Henry Smith has parliamentary event in the House of Commons, organised by Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, for the launch of their new report, Preventing Babies’ Deaths: what needs to be done.

Approximately 6,500 babies are stillborn or die shortly after birth every year in the UK. The charity’s report proposes that 1,200 babies’ lives could be saved every year through a combination of more research, better care and greater awareness of the risks of stillbirth and newborn baby death.

Henry commented:

“From personal experience I know the pain of stillbirth and so am keen to highlight that even in this day and age 17 babies are stillborn or die shortly after birth every day in the UK. Of course these deaths have a devastating impact on parents and their families, and therefore I fully support Sands in their call for urgent action to prevent baby deaths in the future.

“Though advances in neonatal medicine have brought a small but welcome reduction in the number newborn babies dying, I am concerned that the stillbirth rate is still too high and I really hope more can be done to bring these rates down in the coming years.

“Indeed I raised the issue as part of a wider debate I led in the House of Commons regarding the future of maternity services both nationally and in Crawley.”

Neal Long, Chief Executive of Sands added:

“A third of stillborn babies – around 1,200 babies – are perfectly formed and born at gestations when they might safely be delivered. But routine antenatal care is failing to detect far too many babies who need help. These babies’ deaths are those that Sands, researchers and clinicians working in obstetrics, believe are avoidable deaths.

“We want to see real national commitment to tackling this ignored tragedy and preventing all avoidable baby deaths in the future. We want lives saved and families spared the desperate heartbreak of losing their precious baby.”

Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp; www.youtube.com/user/HenrySmithMP; or www.henrysmith.info.

 

Tags:
Posted in News Bulletins | No Comments »

Crawley MP “Speaks Out” Against Prejuice by Signing Holocaust Memorial Day Book Of Commitment

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

This week Henry Smith signed a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons, in doing so pledging his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who died during the Holocaust.

Friday 27th January will mark the 67th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentration and extermination camp which is the site of the largest mass murder in history – and in the weeks running up to the day, the Holocaust Educational Trust placed a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons, giving MPs the chance to honour those who were persecuted and killed during their Holocaust and encouraging constituents to actively speak out against prejudice and bigotry today.

In signing the Book of Commitment Henry paid tribute to the extraordinary men and women who having survived the Holocaust, work to educate young people about what they endured, through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Outreach programme.

In the weeks around Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. This year, people will also be encouraged to take a stand against racism and prejudice today – and to speak out against hatred wherever they encounter it.

Henry Said:

“Holocaust Memorial Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and is an important opportunity to both remember the victims of genocide and highlight the problems of racism and discrimination that still exist. I encourage all local residents to mark the day and to commit to ‘speaking up and speaking out’ against prejudice today.”

Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:

“We are proud that Henry is supporting Holocaust Memorial Day this year. It is vitally important that we both remember and learn from the appalling events of the Holocaust – as well as ensuring that we continue to challenge all forms of bigotry.”

Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp; www.youtube.com/user/HenrySmithMP; or www.henrysmith.info.

Tags: , ,
Posted in News Bulletins | No Comments »

Little District….Big Hit!

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

On the 14th January Crawley was treated to the premier of the new film by Callum Andrew Johnston, Little District.

Attended by Crawley MP Henry Smith, his wife Jennifer Smith, cast, crew, friends, family and film buffs the screening of Little District was a great hit with the audience.

Mr & Mrs Henry Smith

Some of you may remember Callum from his work on RH11 and Crossed Paths. RH11 was directed by Callum. It was a massive hit, selling 100′s of DVD’s and being watched well over five thousand times on youtube. Crossed Paths was a short film produced with the intention of  being shown in schools across the country to help educate the young population about extremism. Callum’s next step was to produce another feature length film, Little District. Callum is a local young film producer who is aiming high. Bringing in new talent

Michael Oram, Mr Oram & Callum Andrew Johnston

to help him like Jerrone Daley and Darren Enright on the production side and using some old and new cast members such as Michael Oram, Hannah Charlton, Ali Storm, Billy Lenson, Gareth Biddle, Elana Di Troya, Darren Enright, Ryan Palmer, Jamal Hue-Bonner and many more, the film was electric with entertainment.

Little District:

The RH11 estate waits in anticipation on the sentence for the two men who kidnapped and murdered Tommy King. John Vincent and Derick Turner find themselves looking at a 15 year stretch in prison for the kidnap and murder of Tommy.

Jess’s (Hannah Charlton) life begins to spiral out of control. With no support around her she begins to blame herself for the death of Tommy.

Danny Jones (Michael Oram) moved abroad when he found out about Tommy, but is forced to move back to the estate to try and get Jess back on the right track. But with a woman involved and heavy twists throughout, this small task for Danny isn’t easy!

To kick the evening off there were some brilliant performances by some of the musical influences for Little District. With Ghost Writers, KK & Brydon (Rishi Rai & Nathan Maxwell) and Snooze (Jerrone Daley) hitting the stage, the audience were treated to an electrifying and exciting start to the evening.  We took some footage of the performances for you to see and then the address by Callum to the coiled audience who could not wait to see this brilliant film.

The Hawth hosted the premier of RH11, Crossed Paths and Little District. Supporting local artists is one of the main aims of the staff at the Hawth and they delivered once again.

Hannah Charlton & Ali Storm

Crawley Happy Times were invited along and got to speak to some of the cast and crew after the premier. We would like to wish Callum and all involved all the best for a very bright and successful future.

Crawley Happy Times attended the premier

Little District will soon be available on DVD…information to follow.

Special thanks goes to LM Solutions and Blake Retter Photography for their help with covering this event.

Posted in Cinema, Entertainment, Events, News | No Comments »

West Sussex Fire Service Renew Appeal for Scrap Cars

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Got an old car you’re thinking of scrapping? Would you like to help support your local firefighters?

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is once again appealing for people to donate scrap cars and help firefighters hone their road traffic collision rescue skills.

A number of Fire Stations across the county are in need of extra cars for crews to train on and practice the latest preparation, stabilisation and cutting techniques they need when they are rescuing casualties from life-threatening car crashes.

Richard Davy, West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s Deputy District Commander for Crawley & Mid Sussex, explains why the supply of scrap cars is so important:

“Attending road traffic collisions and being able to quickly and safely rescue people trapped in their cars is a core part of a firefighter’s role and undoubtedly saves many lives each year. Getting practical ‘hands on’ training is obviously a vital part of maintaining and developing those rescue skills.

“It could be a matter of life or death when we arrive at an incident, with often only a narrow window of opportunity to either make space for medical stabilisation or rapid casualty removal to facilitate some of the more complicated medical procedures, so having cars to practice on is crucial.

“That’s why we are urging anyone thinking of scrapping their car to consider donating it to us. We can arrange for the car to be picked up free of charge, have all the necessary paperwork processed and the car dropped at the station to us.”

If you are interested in donating your car to West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, in the first instance, please contact 01243 642880 (office hours) or email frs.media@westsussex.gov.uk

 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

New volunteer website launched

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Volunteers from Natures Way Foods Ltd supporting Seal Primary School, Selsey, to rebuild their Garden Club vegetable patch.

West Sussex County Council and the West Sussex Council for Voluntary Service Network (CVS) have launched a website supporting volunteering in the county.

‘Skillshare West Sussex’ promotes volunteering opportunities of between one day and two weeks duration. Social enterprises, voluntary organisations and community groups can use the website at www.skillshare-westsussex.org.uk to advertise their volunteering opportunities and these can be matched against the skills and availability of registered organisations and individuals.

County Council Deputy Leader Lionel Barnard, who has responsibility for enterprise, said: “The County Council recognises the value of promoting volunteering and of supporting both host organisations and volunteers to find opportunities suitable for them.

“The new website will complement many initiatives run by businesses, including the County Council’s own Employee Volunteering Scheme, which aims to encourage and support staff to take part in volunteering schemes that contribute towards active and independent communities.”

Kate Scales, Chief Executive of Voluntary and Community Action Chichester District, which manages the website, said: “Voluntary and community groups across West Sussex rely on the support of volunteers, but we appreciate not everyone has the time to commit to long term volunteering placements.

“This scheme aims to attract a new audience to volunteering and to support local communities with employee volunteering schemes to find placements for their staff. And as the slogan says, giving a little means a lot.”

The scheme has been designed to run alongside the service provided by the Volunteer Centres. But whereas the Volunteer Centres focus on longer term placements, the website will focus on short term opportunities. The site also enables organisations to showcase their volunteering achievements.

Natures Way Foods Ltd, from Selsey, was the first company to sign up to the new initiative. The company’s 500 employees are given one day a year to volunteer in their local community.

Its Community Partnership Advisor Nicky Upton said: “The Skillshare website is the perfect exchange platform between local community groups and businesses. Employees have the opportunity to use and share their skills in projects outside the workplace, benefiting from team building experience and meeting new people while at the same time giving something back to their local community.”

 

Tags: ,
Posted in News Bulletins | No Comments »

« Older Entries