School Closures in Crawley on Monday 6th Feburuary - Updated – 18:20 – 5/2/12
Currently there are no reported school closures.
Schools have been asked, where possible, to keep their own websites updated.
If you know of any schools that are not on the above list please Facebook Crawley Happy Times or email bry@crawleyhappytimes.co.uk
L-R Claire Brown, Apprenticeship Coordinator at MITIE, Natasha, Kim Smith, Administrator for Construction Apprenticships at Central Sussex College and Viv Brown, Training Coordinator for Construction at Central Sussex College
Crawley Borough Council is pleased to welcome a new apprentice plumber to the Crawley Repairs Team with its partner company MITIE.
Natasha Bartlett, aged 19, has been taking a plumbing course at Central Sussex College and is now in her third year of training.
The trainee plumber started with the Crawley Repairs Team in October and is exclusively site based. She will be attending jobs with a mentor. Natasha is the fourth apprentice welcomed to Crawley Homes in the last year.
As part of her apprenticeship, Natasha will be working towards her NVQ in plumbing and will be assessed and observed by a representative from Central Sussex College while on the job.
MITIE is currently working in partnership with Crawley Homes to provide responsive repairs work to council houses and refurbishment to empty council properties in the north of Crawley.
Speaking of her apprenticeship, Natasha said:
“I have really enjoyed my last two years training at college at I am now looking forward to getting some hands on experience. I feel really lucky to have been offered this apprenticeship.”
Councillor Lee Gilroy, Cabinet Member for Housing at Crawley Borough Council said:
“It’s really good news that we’ve welcomed an apprentice plumber to the Crawley Repairs Team. I hope Natasha enjoys furthering her experience with the council.”
Government funding has been awarded to Crawley Borough Council to support four new health and wellbeing services for Bewbush, Broadfield and Langley Green.
The council has invested eighty thousand pounds of reward money with local organisations for new services for parenting, heath inequalities and financial inclusion in these areas.
These new services include the Crawley Families Project, IMPACT Tasty Neighbourhood Watch programme, Crawley Talks Money and Get Started with Cooking.
Sussex Central YMCA recently merged with Horsham and Crawley Counselling Service which has been commissioned to deliver a new parenting intervention service for Crawley called the Crawley Families Project. This service will offer intensive and tailored intervention support to ‘new parents to be’ who have previously themselves experienced neglect or abuse. In addition to this work, it will be delivering a series of parenting courses for families with children aged eight to 11 years old.
IMPACT Foundation was successful in securing funding to deliver the IMPACT Tasty Neighbourhood Health Watch programme, a healthy cook and eat project. The IMPACT Tasty Team will deliver a variety of programmes to help, encourage and raise awareness of the importance of eating a well balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and knowing how to cook from scratch or on a budget.
Central Sussex Citizens Advice Bureau has been commissioned to delivering a light touch money advice service known as Crawley Talks Money. In addition to directly supporting local residents in Bewbush, Broadfield and Langley Green in managing their finances, the project aims to improve access to debt advice by training frontline workers and key members within the community to spot problems early on and refer those greatest in need of money advice for further help.
Also, The Prince’s Trust has secured funding to deliver Get Started with Cooking, an engagement programme for young people aged between 16 and 25 who are not in education or employment. The course focuses on developing skills and knowledge within the catering sector and includes a Food Hygiene Certificate. Following the programme, the young people will be offered 3 months of one to one progression support to get back into education, training or employment.
Councillor Nigel Boxall, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement at Crawley Borough Council said:
“I am delighted that the council has managed to secure the funding for such worthwhile services for Broadfield, Bewbush and Langley Green.
“This is a great opportunity for local groups and organisations to work with us and help to address some of the challenges faced by people living in the town’s more deprived areas.
“All of these projects are set to help many families and individuals live a happier and healthier life.”
• To find out more about the outcome 22 grants please visit www.crawley.gov.uk/outcome22
• To find out more about the Crawley Families Project, contact Elizabeth O’Shea on 01403 217900 or 07557855733
• For more details on IMPACT Tasty Neighbourhood Watch Programme, call Lucinda or Elisabeth on 01444 457080.
• If you would like more information on Crawley Talks Money, please call Julian Paszkiewicz on 01293 657100.
• If you are interested in Get Started with Cooking, please call please call Jo Tolley on 01273 221477 or email Joanna.tolley@princes-trust.org.uk
Gales Drive Parade, Three Bridges, will be undergoing some improvements as part of Crawley Borough Council’s programme of parade improvements.
The council will be holding an exhibition at the parade on Monday 3rd October from 12 noon to 6pm where it will be displaying its final plans for local residents and retailers to view before work begins
The main part of the parade improvements will see the car park get a new entrance and exit, which will help to improve safety, accessibility and the number of parking spaces.
Improvements to street furniture will include the installation of new paving slabs, replacement seating, additional street and under canopy lighting and new cycle stands. The footway leading to the parade between LB1 and New Lotus House is to be updated and a shallower gradient created to eliminate the steep ramp.
Construction will take approximately four months and will be completed in two phases. Phase one will start on 17th October and will finish on 16th December allowing a two week shut down for the Christmas period. Phase two will start on 2nd January and finish on 17th February.
Updates to the parade building itself have already taken place including the replacement of high performance felt on flat roofs, the decoration to the canopy, communal staircases and timber cladding to window boxes and the replacement of gutters and drainpipes.
Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of Crawley Borough Council said: We are pleased to continue the improvement programme for the Council-owned neighbourhood parades. With each project we have received favourable feedback from residents, which is one of the reasons that we accelerated the whole effort, even during the recession.
West Sussex County Council’s TravelWise team is encouraging residents to get on their bikes and save money during TravelWise Week (September 19-23).
The week coincides with European Car Free Day on Thursday September 22.
Commuters could save more than £700 a year by switching from car to bike. A seven-mile cycle ride which takes around 30 minutes will also improve fitness at the same time.
As a further incentive, a number of local cycle shops are offering special Travelwise Week discounts until the end of September. For further details visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/travelwise.
Car sharing is another way to reduce commuting costs. Sharing a journey just once a week could save a person more than £100 a year.
The County Council’s car sharing website, www.westsussexcarshare.com helps people that live or work in West Sussex to find a car sharing partner.
Buying a bus or rail season ticket can be much cheaper than driving and parking, particularly if bought online. A monthly rail ticket from Bognor Regis to Chichester is currently £61.10 and a monthly bus ticket for the same journey costs £70, compared with the costs of around £100 in petrol and parking fees.
The County Council’s 3in1 card for young people offers cheaper bus travel and discounts to a range of shops and local attractions, as well as acting as proof of age. The card costs £50 – but is free to those receiving free school meals – and is valid for up to three years. Further information is available at www.yourspacewestsussex.co.uk.
Pieter Montyn, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “Travelwise Week is all about raising awareness of the benefits that more sustainable modes of transport have to offer. The week also provides a good opportunity for people to try greener and healthier ways of travelling. Small changes in your travel behaviour really can make a big difference.”
Henry Smith is delighted that the Big Lottery Fund is to invest almost £20,000 in local community projects.
Henry said:
“Historically Crawley community projects haven’t done very well in winning lottery grants but I’m delighted that’s changing following a campaign I’ve pursued to highlight the possibilities which exist through the lottery. The latest awards are very encouraging.
“If local voluntary groups or charities need further information on how to bid then I would be happy to help them make the right connection with the Big Lottery Fund.”
The Northgate Youth Club has been awarded £7,279, to purchase equipment for the newly established youth club for local young people. This will enable the club to provide a fun and safe environment for young people.
Three Bridges Infant School has been awarded £10,000, to create a woodland garden within its grounds for the benefit of local children. This will create a safe woodland area for children to play in and learn about nature.
And a further £875 have been awarded to a local World War II veteran & his partner to cover travel expenses to return for a commemorative visit to Belgium this coming month.
Follow Henry daily on Facebook by visiting: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp
A ‘friendly’ re-match has been arranged between young people from the Escape Youth Project in Broadfield and Sussex Police.
The football matches – one for the under-16s and the other for the under-20s – are taking place on Friday 26th August.
The event is being organised by the West Sussex County Council run Escape Youth Project – a drop-in service which hosts youth facilities for 11 to 19 year olds on Sundays at Broadfield’s youth centre – and the police, in partnership with Freedom Leisure, Inspire Broadfield and Crawley Borough Council.
It comes after an initial match was held in April, which aimed to improve relations between the police and young people in the area.
The matches are being held at Broadfield’s 3G pitches, with kick-off at 12pm.
The Hawth has two children’s shows in the Studio this Autumn that are out of this world for little ones aged 3 plus.
A Bird In Your Ear gives young audiences the chance to enjoy a collection of stories that won’t be found anywhere else – because every crazy character and potty plot has been born from the endlessly imaginative minds of children from UK primary schools. Genies in teapots and hat munching squirrels are just a few of the characters you can look forward to seeing on Saturday 24 September at 2.30pm.
From the moment you step into the Studio be prepared to find clues to stories above, behind and all around you. Each story is brought to life with puppets, original songs and opportunities to jump on stage and join in.
On Sunday 2 October at 2pm & 4.30pm a little boy will be asking for the Way Back Home when he finds a plane in his cupboard. He doesn’t remember leaving it there, but he decides to take it out and have a go. He flies his plane higher and higher until he runs out of petrol and lands on the moon. He is frightened, lost and alone until a passing Martian lands there too. Who is the strange alien? Can they really be friends? And how will they find their way back home?
This exciting new production for young children and families has been created by the team behind the hit show Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive The Bus! and includes original music by the composers of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom.
Tickets for each show are £6.50 (Family of Four: £24). You can book by calling
01293 553636 or visit www.hawth.co.uk.
Be a rock star – with West Sussex Music Service
Did you play along to your favourite records as a teenager and dream of being in a rock band? If so, West Sussex Music Service (WSMS) can make that a reality.
WSMS Rock Academy will be holding adult rock workshops at Northbrook College, Worthing, on Thursday evenings, starting in late September. Keyboard players, guitarists, bassists, drummers and vocalists of all abilities can go along and play in a band-type format, with the chance to play a gig at the end of term.
Peter Griffiths, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Education and Schools, said: “Our Music Service has been running the rock workshops for youngsters for several now, and they have been a great success.
“Now we are offering the chance for adults to expand on their musical skills, and perhaps re-live their love of music, as well as meet new people.”
The workshops will be held from 6.30pm to 7.30pm and 7.30pm to 8.30pm. They will cost £60 for 10 lessons.
For more information, contact 01243 642361 or email music@westsussex.gov.uk
Crawley Borough Council’s noise experts carried out free MP3 headphone checks in County Mall yesterday (Thursday 4th August) – and were shocked at what they found.
Of the 30 tests carried out, six people were playing music at volumes above 100 decibels, which should only be listened to for a few minutes each day. They admitted to playing music this loud for at least an hour every day – at this level they are likely to be damaging their hearing.
Fifteen people were playing music at volumes above 90 decibels for more than an hour each day, which is above recommended guidelines.
The council’s Environmental Health Team urges MP3 owners to take three simple steps to protect their hearing:
1. Avoid volume levels that completely block out other background noise
2. Take regular breaks from using your headphones
3. Use the ‘smart volume’ feature if you have one.
For more information visit www.crawley.gov.uk/noise and www.noiseactionweek.org.uk
The Bluebird Pub in Tilgate Park is set to reopen as an American-style family restaurant after Smith & Western signed a lease to take over the building.
Smith & Western’s Tilgate Park restaurant will be the company’s sixth in Sussex, Surrey and Kent and is expected to reopen in the winter.
The iconic, chalet-style building has been empty for more than 18 months.
Councillor Lenny Walker, Cabinet member for Leisure and Culture, said: “I’m delighted that Smith and Western have signed up to bring a new restaurant to Tilgate Park.
“This, along with all the other improvements and new activities we’re looking to bring in, will make a visit to Tilgate Park better than ever before.”
Improvements and potential new activities at Crawley Borough Council’s flagship park include:
The Environment Agency work on the new dam at the northern end of Tilgate Lake should be completed this month. The lake is refilling naturally with rainwater and fencing around the lake will be removed soon
The council will encourage family-friendly fishing when the lake is full, while carp fishing will continue in the adjacent Silt Lake
The council is looking into providing a wider range of leisure activities on Tilgate Lake, for example boating, canoeing, windsurfing, etc.
The council will also be working with partner organisations to provide a range of exciting land-based leisure facilities in the park and its woodlands, such as aerial walkways in the trees and more activities for children
The fisherman’s car park, behind the new dam, is being improved with better surfacing and more parking spaces
The council is aiming to update the animal enclosures in Tilgate Nature Centre and improve the café and gift shop facilities. The animal collection will be reassessed to include more animals popular with children, while maintaining a strong conservation focus
The council could help with the creation of a Friends of Tilgate Park group, similar to those already established for Goffs Park and Worth Park.
Technology-savvy residents are using the web and text messages to tell the council who is eligible to vote in their households – and saving the council money too.
Crawley Borough Council is asking residents to fill in their electoral registration form so they are eligible to vote.
Every household will have received a form on Friday or Saturday which needs to be completed and either sent back to the council or confirmed by phone, text or the internet. Only then will the eligible people living at that address be added to the 2012 Register of Electors.
The best way for residents with no changes to their forms is to return them electronically via www.register-online.co.uk, via text to 020 317 9094 or by automated phone by calling 0808 141 0740.
You have to be registered in order to vote and often to open a bank account or obtain a mortgage or other financial services.
Crawley Borough Council has elections in May 2012.
Residents are reminded that even if there are no changes to the eligible voters at the property the form must either be returned, confirmed over the phone or via the internet address on the form.
For more information call Crawley Borough Council’s Electoral Registration Team on 01293 438346 or 01293 438705.
How to register by freephone or the internet
If all of the printed details on your voter registration form are correct, you can register by telephone or the internet.
Telephone
1. Dial 0808 141 0740
2. When asked, key in the 10-digit unique reference number on your registration form
3. When asked key in 0
4. You will now be told that you have registered no changes. You will be asked to confirm this by pressing 0
5. Your registration is complete and you should not return the registration form.
Internet
1. Visit www.register-online.co.uk
2. Key in the 10-digit unique reference number and password, which are printed on your registration form
3. You will now be asked to confirm that there are no changes by pressing the confirm button
4. You can print a confirmation of your registration.
Text
1. Text your 10-digit unique reference number to 020 3137 9094
2. You will be sent a return text confirming your registration
3. Your network will make its normal charge for sending texts.
LONDON TO BRIGHTON VIA CRAWLEY – Saturday 3rd December @ 07:00 until Sunday 4th December @ 23:30
Stuart Bourne, David Lilburn, Gordon Cooper Summers, Stuart Baldwin and Stuart Power will be pulling a sledge to rasie funds for HELP OUR WOUNDED ROYAL MARINES over the weekend of Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th December 2011 stopping at Crawley where there will be a fundraisng event on the Saturday evening! Gordon is the pround father of Royal Marine Scott Summers who tragically lost his life in afghanistan in feb 2007! rest easy Royal,never forgotten!
Aswell as raising funds we will be asking for donations of xmas presents so that we may pass these onto the children of those brave royals who have given their lives and will not have their fathers around this xmas so lets do all we can to try and raise a smile and show we do care and will never forget them!
We hope as many people join in around the country and mirror what we are doing and to make this an annual event so take up the challenge and get pulling for HELP OUR WOUNDED ROYAL MARINES!
Follow them on Facebook
Looking for a family day out with a difference? Then why not join firefighters in Crawley as they host their mid Summer Open Day on Saturday 30th July.
The Fire Station on Ifield Avenue will be throwing open its doors to the public for what should be a great day combining exciting firefighting and rescue displays, fun activities as well as tips and advice from fire crews including staying safe in the kitchen while cooking and how to plan an escape route in the event of a fire.
There will be an opportunity for people to chat to the firefighters, get a rare up-close look at the fire engines and specialist equipment and learn more about the work the Fire & Rescue service do in the community. Partner organisations Sussex Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service will also take part in the day and be on hand to offer safety advice to residents.
The day runs from 10.30am until 3.30pm and admission is free.
Watch Manager at Crawley Fire Station, John Convey, said:
“Our aim is to put on an enjoyable, exciting day packed with lots of activities, drills and demonstrations, while at the same time raise awareness of some really important fire and road safety messages.
“We don’t want the only time people see their local fire crew to be if they dial 999 in an emergency so this is a great opportunity for them to get to know us better and ask questions in an informal setting. If people leave with a smiles on their faces as well as with extra knowledge that helps keep them safe, then the day will be a success.”
For information on other upcoming Open Days and for fire safety advice visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire
COMPARE WEST SUSSEX CARE PROVIDERS ONLINE
A checklist of benefits and payments to which people are entitled to in order to fund their care in a care home is now available in the latest online version of the West Sussex Care Guide.
As well as the benefits and payments checklist, the 2011/12-care guide lists domiciliary care services and care homes in West Sussex registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It also includes a raft of information on: day care and community care services; extra care housing schemes; and support for carers.
The guide is jointly produced by West Sussex County Council and the West Sussex Forum, which is the largest representative body of independent care providers in the county.
This year’s care guide together with the benefits and payments checklist is available on-linonlinee West Sussex County Council’s website at www.westsussex.gov.uk in PDF formats. It is also accessible via the Caringinfo website www.caringinfo.com which has links to providers’ most recent CQC inspection reports. The Caringinfo website also shows the current vacancies in care and nursing homes.
County Council Deputy Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services Graham Tyler said: “The interactive website is an extremely useful way of comparing care providers in West Sussex.
“For most people funding the cost of their care home fees represents the second largest purchase of their lifetime. Yet it is believed a significant number of people are not receiving the benefits and other payments to which they are entitled. These could help them towards affording the fees of their chosen care home.
“This is why we have included the benefits and payments checklist to make sure people know what they maybe entitled to if they have total assets in excess of £23,250.”
Henry Smith will this week be advising local activity groups that Sport England has launched a £50million fund for sporting facilities. The programme will invest in refurbishment or improvement of existing facilities and opening up facilities for community sport. These are local projects developed and delivered predominantly by community and voluntary sector groups. Round 1 applications will begin in August 2011.
Henry said:
“This investment is aimed not just at sporting organisations but also at voluntary and community groups with an interest in running sporting activity. Given the importance of clubs to sport at the community level, Sport England is proposing to make available up to a thousand grants worth between £20,000 and £150,000.
“I am pleased to see that, even in the tougher economic times, we still fully recognise the value of sports to our local communities and continue to invest both in a healthy, active lifestyle and our sporting achievers of the future. I would urge local groups to carefully consider applying for a grant to support their services.”
For full details of the catalogue and the key eligibility criteria please call 08458 508508 or email funding@sportengland.org.
Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp or visit: www.henrysmith.info for further details.
ALL WELCOME AT WORTHING FIRE STATION OPEN DAY
Everyone will be guaranteed a warm welcome at Worthing Fire Station on Saturday 30th July as firefighters host their annual Open Day.
This popular event, one of the biggest of its kind on the South Coast, attracts up to 6000 people and is guaranteed to be a fun-filled day out for the whole family.
The Open Day, held between 10am and 4pm at the Station on Ardsheal Road, is an opportunity for people to get a rare peak behind the scenes of a busy Fire Station, get a closer look at all the 999 appliances, find out more about the role of a professional firefighter and chat informally to their local crews about a range of fire and road safety issues.
Worthing firefighters will be joined by 999 colleagues from South East Coast Ambulance Service, Red Cross and Sussex Police with their appliances, both old and new.
There will be plenty to see and do throughout the day, including:
. Firefighting and RTC rescue displays
. Fire engine rides and fire engine simulator
. ‘Barley’ the Fire Investigation dog
. Various craft and charity stalls
. Bouncy castle, bowling alley, face painting and children’s rides
. Model trains & boats and mini car display
. Plenty to eat and drink
Darren Wickings, a Watch Manager at Worthing Station who organises the Open Day, said:
“We really look forward to welcoming people to the Fire Station. The focus of the day for us is, of course, to raise awareness of both fire and road safety – our aim is to make Worthing a safer place to live, work and visit. What we hope is that people have a really enjoyable family day out but also take away a few really important safety tips.”
Admission to the Open Day is free and any proceeds will be donated to the Firefighters Charity and other selected local charities. Ardsheal Rd will be closed for the duration of event.
Make your ideas a part of Crawley
Regenerating the town centre’s Station Way is vital to the success of the area and Crawley Council is asking people to help design it.
Station Way is a key town centre gateway, linking it with rail, bus and taxi transport and is important to wider town centre regeneration initiatives including Town Centre North.
The council wants the area to be more attractive, inviting and functional, reflecting the aspirations for the rest of the town and helping to create a successful town centre economy.
Local people can make themselves part of the vision by getting involved in a series of workshops and consultation at the beginning of August.
A specially appointed design team will be working in the County Mall on August 2-5 where an ever-changing display of design ideas for the area will be exhibited and the public are encouraged to join in and share their thoughts.
A feedback session and design workshop organised by Crawley Borough Council will also take place on August 3rd at 6.30pm at the Town Hall.
Councillor Claire Denman, Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development said: There’s absolutely no doubt the area can be improved to increase the attractiveness to visitors and the functionality for local people, as well as start to portray a positive image for the town as a whole.
To meet our objectives we need to really understand how it will look, how it will work and how were going to meet the challenges. We want it to be innovative and aspirational but it also needs to be realistic and deliverable.
It’s certainly a challenge getting the design right but well also need to work in close partnership with a diverse range of land owners who may well have different ideas. It’s very exciting.
If you want to help design Crawley email Sarah Brown atsarah.brown@architecturecentre.org
CRASH COURSE IN ROAD SAFETY FOR HAYWARDS HEATH SHOPPERS
Firefighters will be giving shoppers a ‘crash course’ in road safety when they visit Orchards Shopping Centre in Haywards Heath on Wednesday 27th July.
The wreckage of a crashed car will take centre stage in a special road safety display by local fire crews and create a stark visual reminder of the dangers that drivers face on the roads.
Firefighters will be on hand from 8am until 6pm for people to chat to about all aspects of road safety and they will also be encouraging shoppers to test out special ‘beer goggles’ to experience for themselves how even a small amount of alcohol can impair their co-ordination and judgement.
The demonstration is just part of West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s ongoing campaign to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads. In Mid Sussex, in the past 6 months (Jan 1st-June 30th 2011) there have been 179 accidents on the roads and 3 people have lost their lives.
Crew Manager from Haywards Heath, Gary Miller, said:
“The crashed car certainly won’t be what people will be expecting to see when they are out shopping but we hope it will be an effective way to show the results of a road traffic accident up close and raise awareness of the risks posed by dangerous driving.
“As firefighters, cutting people out of car wreckages is, unfortunately, a job that we are frequently called upon to do. We will continue to work alongside other road safety partners to promote safer driving habits and reduce the number of accidents on local roads.”
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