School Closures in Crawley on Monday 6th Feburuary - Updated – 08:20 – 6/2/12
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
On Thursday 17th November Santa came to town and bought a special guest with him.
Santa and his guest Scott Maslen (aka Jack Branning of Eastenders) lit up the County Mall when switching on the lights. Over three thousand people packed the County Mall to wait for the switch on, which was delayed for around forty minutes due to Scott being stuck in traffic on the M25. Scott came directly from filming on set. Santa, on the other hand was on time and full of joy. Treating the children to lots of gifts Santa once again put big smiles on all the little faces.
As always, the County Mall were supporting great charities. The Springboard Project, Age UK and The Army Benevolent Fund. With a Peter Pan theme in conjunction with the local Hawth Pantomime, there was also lost boy jugglers, tinkerbell and Captain hook characters handing out chocolate to all the good girls and boys. Mayor Carol Eade and her two wonderful daughters Sharon and Lisa also came in support of the event.
The crowd went mad for Scott and loved all the entertainment from Santa and Chris Oxlade, back for another year playing the wheels of steel and all the favourite Christmas classics with games for special spot prizes and giveaways.
The VIP winners were then invited to the management suite to meet Scott Maslen on a one to one basis. Scott was more than a gentleman, paying them lots of attention and even speaking to some of their unsuspected family members on mobiles.
We would like to thank everyone who came along….it was a long night in the end but we believe it was worth the wait. Thank you to the staff and management at the County Mall, Scott Maslen for coming to Crawley but most off all, thank you Santa!! See you on the eve of the 25th December….we have been good 
On Saturday 5th November Crawley’s Central Sussex College was the hub for the Future Car Challenge for yet another year.
The purpose of the challenge:
More than 65 low-emission vehicles – some not seen on UK roads before – completed the second annual Brighton to London RAC Future Car Challenge this weekend. The challenge put to the entrants was who could use the least amount of energy whilst travelling the sixty mile route.
The vehicles:
Those taking part ranged from enthusiasts driving their own vehicles to major car manufacturers including BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Renault, smart, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Land Rover. Many of the vehicles, such as the Land Rover Range_e, BMW Active-e and Volkswagen Golf Blue e-motion will not be on sale for two or more years and had rarely been seen on UK roads. As well as low-emission conventional (internal combustion) engined cars, the entry list included electric vehicles, hybrid models and cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The entrants and the route:
The entrants started this morning from Madeira Drive, Brighton at 7.30am each were flagged off by the Mayor of Brighton Cllr Anne Meadows. Many of those who took part are wellknown motoring celebrities – including British Formula One legend and 1996 World Champion, Damon Hill OBE, Quentin Willson (TV presenter and magazine columnist), Gordon Murray (former F1 designer), Mark Goodier (Smooth Radio DJ) and Kevin McCloud (Grand Designs TV programme presenter).
Source: www.futurecarchallenge.com
Shelley got to meet some wonderful people at the event including our very own Mayor Carol Eade and Youth Mayor Pravin Sanasy. Along side the two Mayors, Shelley got to speak to the delightful Damon Hill, Robert Llewelyn and Mark Goodier.
Henry Smith MP has welcomed an £11 million investment in new online and telephone services which will help to support parents and families.
The Government is providing funding to eleven voluntary and community organisations to deliver a range of support including relationship advice, advice on educational issues and services tailored specifically for fathers.
Henry said:
“Every parent across the country can benefit from these services and I welcome the Government’s decision to trust organisations with a proven track record in supporting families to deliver them.
“Online and telephone support will give families in Crawley the help they need, when they need it, without interfering in family life.”
Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp; http://www.youtube.com/user/HenrySmithMP; or www.henrysmith.info.
Henry Smith MP, together with organisations such as the AA, RAC, Consumer Focus, Citizens Advice Bureau, Trading Standards, local and county councils and with cross bench parliamentary support, has successfully convinced the Government to introduce a provision for an independent appeals service for victims of unscrupulous parking firms.
Henry said:
“I am delighted that the Government has included a provision to create an independent appeals service which will finally ensure that parking firms can be effectively held to account. For too long now these firms have been allowed to inflict hefty penalty charges on individuals, often vulnerable people, for no offence at all. These penalty charges are often increased within a matter of days and in some cases accompanied by unacceptable threatening letters and has been a real problem for many residents using the former Sussex House site car park.
“Having introduced my Private Parking Bill earlier this year, I received a great deal of support both from the public and other ministers. In a meeting with the Home Secretary she kindly offered to look into the matter and has since decided to amend the Government’s Protection of Freedoms Bill to reflect local concerns. I see this as a triumph for direct democracy that local concerns originating in Crawley can be heard and indeed acted upon.
“I hope that the independent appeals service will ensure that private parking operators are finally accountable to their customers and will put an end to the rogue element of an industry which is largely responsible.”
Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp; http://www.youtube.com/user/HenrySmithMP; or www.henrysmith.info.
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.
Crawley’s Got Talent (CGT) is an exciting event that will showcase Crawley’s diverse talent across all age groups.
CGT want to hear from you or your group if you sing, dance, act, make people laugh or have an unusual talent or skill.
Auditions will take place at the end of October and the live final will be early February 2012.
For more information contact Vikki Jacobs vikki.jacobs@crawley.gov.uk 01293 438565 or Liz Hart liz.hart@crawley.gov.uk 01293 438156.
Live Auditions at;-
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Record results for GCSE examinations have been achieved in West Sussex maintained schools and Academies.
West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Schools, Peter Griffiths, has praised the achievements of students and teachers following the provisional results.
Early indications show that a significant majority of schools have improved their performance, with provisional results indicating a 5 per-cent improvement compared with 2010 for students achieving 5 good GCSE’s including English and mathematics, continuing the upward trend of the last 5 years.
Peter said today: “I am absolutely delighted with these results for schools and Academies, and offer my congratulations to the students, staff and governors for their achievement.”
On Saturday 20th August, Crawley was treated to a surprise visitor.
Barry with Son Shane and boxer Carl 'the jackal' Frampton
Champion boxer Barry McGuigan came down to Crawley Amateur Boxing Club with his up and coming talented young boxer Carl ‘the jackal’ Frampton who is training for his European title match in three weeks time in Belfast. Barry told us he had come down to make use of sparring partners Ross Payne, Ben Murphy and Ben Jones, all renowned boxers. Barry is the Manager of Carl in association with Matchroom. Barry’s son Shane is assisting his father with the training of Carl and came along on this day.
Shelley went along to speak to Barry. We would like to thank the Hopcraft family and Micky Alldis for this great opportunity.
Interview:
Pictures:
Henry has welcomed Government proposals for tougher community sentences that will see offenders forced to spend longer in their homes, keeping the streets safer.
Extending the maximum daily curfew time from 12 to 16 hours, and the period for which they can be imposed from six to 12 months, will better protect communities and ensure offenders face meaningful punishments that help stop them reoffending. Curfews not only restrict liberty but they can bring order to chaotic lives.
These new proposals are part of the Government’s plans to reform sentencing and tackle the root causes of offending.
Henry commented:
“After last week’s sickening disturbances in London, I’m pleased that the Government has reacted swiftly and effectively to curtail the freedoms of those who continually flout the law by extending curfew penalty sentences. I firmly believe that with rights come responsibilities and this is a message which needs to be rammed home with some people!”
“These tougher curfew conditions will keep offenders in Crawley off the streets for longer, stop them socialising in the evenings and keep them away from situations that could land them in trouble again.
“This is part of the Government’s proposals to reform the Criminal Justice System and will help to keep communities safe whilst important work is done with offenders to turn them away from a life of crime.”
Follow Henry daily via: www.facebook.com/henrysmithmp or visit: www.henrysmith.info for further details.
A youth participation co-ordinator at West Sussex County Council has set up a project to give young people in India opportunities to play sport.
Lara Pearce set up the ‘Youthivate’ project working with the Centre for Tribal Rural Development in India. The project will directly engage with young people to improve their health and wellbeing.
Through setting up and running a variety of sports sessions in the villages, Youthivate hopes to create opportunities for young people to become sports leaders and organise tournaments and festivals for children.
The project also aims to improve the quality of life of children in southern India through sport.
Lara said: “Young people who live in the villages enjoy watching sports but do not have the resources to play themselves.
“By building strong partnerships with local charities such as Cricket Without Boundaries which has donated equipment, Yellowave Beachsports which has donated volleyballs, and the Rugby Football Union, plus fundraising locally, we are able get sports equipment out to areas of severe poverty in southern India.
“Huge thanks also to myparceldelivery.com, which has been pivotal in this project’s success and is transporting all the equipment to India in September.”
To keep up-to-date with the project’s news, sign up to its blog at http://youthivate.wordpress.com
UPDATE - World War II grenade defused, flights only delayed for 9 minutes
Staff working for UK Power Network discovered what appears to be a World War II grenade whilst carrying out construction work close to Gatwick Airport.
As a precaution all construction work has been stopped and the British Transport Police has safely cordoned off the area.
The Explosive Ordinance Division are now in the process of carrying out a controlled explosion which, for safety reasons, will involve the temporary suspension of flights and train operations.
Inevitably this will result in disruption to flights in and out of Gatwick and to transport links serving the airport.
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.
‘Buccaneer Rangers’ at Buchan Country Park in Crawley - Young people do not have to be pirates to take part.
Unaccompanied eight to 14 year olds can take part in exploration (August 9), fieldcraft (August 10) and conservation (August 11) outdoor activities to see what the life of a countryside ranger is like. Activities are from 10am to 1pm. It costs £5 per child per session. Booking and consent forms are essential.
Other events at the park this month are:
• Guided Wildlife Safaris – explore the wilder parts of the park in a two-hour session with a countryside ranger. Take part in activities such as navigating, pond-dipping, bug hunting and related games – you decide which ones you want to do with the ranger. Sessions run from August 15-19 and August 22-26, starting at 10.30am and 2pm. This event is suitable for all the family, and children aged from four years. Tickets cost £3 per child and accompanying adults are free, or £3 for adults without children. An adult must accompany children.
• Family Bushcraft – practical hands-on day for all the family from 10am to 3pm on August 31. It consists of shelter building, firelighting and fireside food. Booking is essential. Tickets cost £7.50 per person, or £25 for a family of four. This event is suitable for children aged from four years. An adult must accompany children. Booking and consent forms are essential.
For more information about the events, or to book, phone 01293 542088/544120, or email buchan.park@westsussex.gov.uk
The County Mall are holding their Wildlife Programme every Thursday for the next couple of weeks to entertain the children during the school holidays.
We thought we would pop in last Thursday to see what it was all about.
Don’t miss out next Thursday when the Cute Cuddly Pets are coming to the County Mall in Crawley.
For times and dates on the forthcoming events please click here…
FIREFIGHTERS WARN OF BULB DANGER
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is reminding people of the dangers of leaving clothing close to exposed light bulbs after a family had a lucky escape in Storrington last night.
Two fire crews from Storrington were called shortly after 9pm last night to a detached house on Bracken Lane after the owners discovered smoke filling a first floor bedroom in their home and called 999.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the bedroom and discovered a pair of socks had become wedged beside the bulb of a bedside lamp which had been left on. The socks had started smouldering, creating thick smoke logging in the room. Crews removed the lamp to the garden and used a positive pressure fan to ventilate.
The family managed to leave the property safely prior to the arrival of the Fire Service. One male was treated for mild smoke inhalation by paramedics at the scene but did not need hospital treatment.
Watch Manager Martin Mckilligin, the Incident Commander, said afterwards:
“People often don’t realise just how hot exposed light bulbs can become so it’s really important to check nothing is placed on or near them. In this case it was a pair of socks that had become inadvertently wedged down the side of a bedroom lamp in a child’s bedroom while the family were all downstairs. We’d suggest it’s much safer to switch lamps and other electrical equipment off when not in use.
“Thankfully, because of the sensible actions of the homeowner, who closed the bedroom door and immediately dialled 999 when he discovered the smoke filling the bedroom, the smoke damage was contained to the room of origin and everyone was able to leave the property safely.”
Firefighters offer some simple tips to keep your family safe from fire:
. Wherever possible make sure that electrical equipment is switched off and unplugged at the wall when not in use.
. Get into the habit of closing doors, this will help slow the spread of fire.
. Make sure you have a smoke alarm fitted on each level of your home and test it weekly – it can give you that vital early warning to a fire.
. If you do discover a fire – get out, stay out and call 999.
Need fire safety advice? It couldn’t be easier! Simply call the Community Fire Safety team on 01243 642789 or visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire
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
On the 21st July at 7:20pm the first guests at the Crawley NCT (National Childbirth Trust) event ‘The Do!’ began to queue outside Club 7878 in Horley. They had been told that the first 50 guests through the door at 8pm would receive a gorgeous goodie bag (some of the details of which had been posted on the events Facebook page over the last few weeks). The first people admitted were greeted by the branch co-chairs – Alexis Ozmen and Clare Hoggan who presented them with their much anticipated bags. The club was decked out in balloons in NCT colours, there were cupcakes and nibbles for all to enjoy as they dipped into their goodie bags to discover the treats within and sipped their first drink. They were also treated to some close up magic by magicians Rob Sharp and Simon Archer.
While the DJ played some excellent party tunes, the guests continued to arrive before they were welcomed by the Co-Chairs, followed by an address by Member of Parliament for Crawley Henry Smith who shared his experience with the NCT having attended Ante Natal Classes in the Branch. After the final speaker Jules Jones who spoke about being a parent and volunteering with the NCT Henry Smith pulled the first 3 prizes in the fabulous prize draw then the lights were dimmed and the music cranked up and everyone concentrated on enjoying themselves.
MP Henry Smith helps pick the lucky winners of the raffle
The NCT is the UK’s largest parenting charity providing support in pregnancy with our excellent antenatal classes, supporting post-natally with breastfeeding support and early years classes all held locally within branches. Crawley branch have a weekly drop in – Bumps, Babes and Tiddlypeeps (Held on a Tuesday morning at Furnace Green Community Centre, Ashburnham Drive 10– 11:30am – everyone is welcome for a suggested donation of £1 to assist with hire costs) and hold Nearly New Sales twice yearly (in March and November) where anyone can buy and sell good quality pregnancy, baby and child related items. As well as these regular events there are also ad hoc social events for parents and their children (for example a Teddy Bears picnic and Christmas party as well as coffee mornings and soft play gatherings) and evening events for the hard working parents such as pamper evenings and fashion shows.
The night was danced away
In order to put on all these great events the branch is in need of volunteers. Volunteering is great fun and does not need to be time consuming – there are roles to suit everyone, committee posts which are a regular role as well as the smaller one off things like hosting a social event (large or small) and helping out at our nearly new sales. Whatever role a person takes on they can rely on the fact that they will be part of a fantastic team, have great fun meeting new people and will receive full support in their role. To find out more about the branch visit the facebook page by clicking here, email the chairs chair@nctcrawley.org.uk or call our branch enquiries line 08442436098.
Shelley interview Clare Hoggan & Alexis Ozmen
‘The Do!’ is the first event of its kind and was an enormous success. Its purpose was to thank all the volunteers of the branch past, present and future and everyone enjoyed themselves, lots of guests won prizes in the draw which were all donated by local businesses and the goodie bags were very well received. Alexis and Clare would like to thank Ian Metcalfe of Club 7878 (and Bar 429) for the use of the venue which was perfect, Sabine Edwards of Pendleton Events who donated her time and ensured the event ran smoothly, all the donors to the prize draw and goodie bags, Rob and Simon for wowing people with card tricks and the sponsors of the cupcakes and nibbles.
A great night was had by all and everyone is now crying out for more!
Source: Clare Hoggan, Crawley NCT Branch Co-Chair
We would like to thank Sabina and Clare for the great hospitality and the invite to this fab event
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.”
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