Charityand CommunityNews

News from across the counties

West Sussex County Council have set their budget for the forthcoming tax year 2022/3. Council tax will rise by 2.99%. This includes a 1.99% general increase, plus an additional 1% dedicated for adult social care. West Sussex Wellbeing has helped more than 60,000 adults since it was established countywide in 2011. The service is delivered through partnership between West Sussex County Council and the seven district and borough councils. It offers impartial and friendly advice and support about health issues. Full details can be found on the website, which also contains details of local Wellbeing Hubs in Adur & Worthing, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex. www.westsussexwellbeing.org.uk Since 2002, the Sussex Search & Rescue charity has helped find numerous missing people across the county. Most callouts are to search for vulnerable missing people such as the elderly, people living with dementia, despondents, children, and anyone else deemed to be a high risk. The team’s task is to locate them having been given a briefing by the police, and to return them to a place of safety. The team, which entirely consists of volunteers drawn from all walks of life, marks its 20th year of operation in 2022. www.sussar.org.uk. The public consultation into the proposed Rampion 2 wind farm off the coast of Sussex is open until April 1 1 t h . C a m p a i g n group Protect Coastal Sussex (www.protectcoastalsussex.org) say the new turbines (in purple on the map) will be more than twice the height of Rampion 1 (shown in blue) and cover four times the area. www.rampion2.com/consultation. Children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities are being encouraged to sign up to a new-look register that will help West Sussex County Council develop better services to support them and their families. From 1 April 2022, the West Sussex Library Service will take over running the disability register for those aged under 25. Those who sign up or renew from that date will be entitled to either a £5 shopping voucher or a Max Card, a national discount card providing hundreds of offers and valid for two years. For details email: SENDCommissioningTeam@westsussex.gov.uk Are you an experienced driver or passenger assistant? West Sussex County Council is recruiting School Minibus/Car Driver or Passenger Assistants. Work Location: Countywide, with base locations including Horsham, Drayton Depot (near Chichester) and Worthing. Permanent & Casual roles available - Hours (Split Shift: 7am -10am / 2pm – 5pm). For more details you can visit www. wes tsussex.g ov.uk/j obs/featured-jobs / school-transport-jobs or call 01243 753530. West Sussex Trading Standards is offering to install call blocking devices free of charge to help stop nuisance calls. Residents need to satisfy certain criteria to qualify for the devices, which are proven to block up to 98% of nuisance calls. Search “callblocker” at www.westsussex.gov.uk or call 01243 642124 (Option 2). Stories to info@sussexlocal.net

Hugh Bonneville Opens New Community Space

Chichester Community Development Trust (CCDT) celebrated the reopening of the doors of Graylingwell Chapel as a community and events space, hosted by acclaimed actor and West Sussex resident, Hugh Bonneville. From Monday to Saturdays, 8am-5pm, The Chapel will be open to all. There is a new café extension; children’s interactive play area; open space with armchairs, tables and seating to relax, meet with friends and family or enjoy the space for remote working; and two interior meeting or workshop rooms. An extensive programme of activities range from art and drama wellbeing workshops, to ‘story and supper’ times for younger visitors – providing an inspiring book reading followed by dinner, giving the kids a treat and their parents an evening off cooking. Many evenings will see the Chapel transformed to a performance space seating up to 175 people for events including live music, and comedy. www.graylingwellchapel.com Citizens Advice Volunteering

Arun & Chichester Citizens Advice is looking for volunteers to fill roles both remotely and in its centres as advisors, focused debt advisors, receptionists, research and campaigns, fundraising roles, as well as social media and marketing roles. www.arunchichestercab.org.uk. Free Wellbeing Courses

Weigh Better Life, which is run by Chichester District Council’s Wellbeing Team, takes place over 12 weeks, offering face to face and virtual support. It aims to help residents improve their health and wellbeing while focusing on sustainable weight loss. There are courses in Petworth, Midhurst (starting late March), Chichester, Selsey and online. For more information email weighbetterlife@chichester.gov.uk or call 01243 521041. Chichester Men’s Shed opens

Chichester Men’s Shed meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month at Chichester Boy’s Club, 34A Little London, Chichester, PO19 1PL from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Apart from plenty of chat, tea, coffee and biscuits they have started by making bird boxes, and having a talk and demonstration on silversmithing and jewellery making techniques. They are actively looking for their own premises in order to establish a fully equipped workshop and social space. Anyone aged over 18 is very welcome to join. See their Facebook page or email chichestermensshed@gmail.com. Jubilee Street Party Applications

Chichester District Council is reminding residents to check if they need to apply for road closures. A Road Closure application is not needed for parties organised by and for residents in one or two small streets without external publicity. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 20th April. Stories to info@sussexlocal.net

Chichester Art Trail in May

The Chichester Open Studios Art Trail is a traditional and very popular event where you can visit up to 159 artists in 132 studios in the first two weekends of May. It is the chance to see all kinds of art in the making, and to view and purchase original works of art. The Trail Guide, with its maps showing Venue locations and a profile of each artist, helps visitors to plan their route. Printed Guides are available from Chichester LIbrary, Pallant & Whitewalls Galleries, Chichester Festival Theatre, The Novium Museum or download a copy at www.chichesterarttrail.org Rotary Photo Competition

There were more entries than ever before for this year’s Rotary Young Photographer at Midhurst Rother College. The competition is aimed to encourage young people to experiment with photography, using digital and/or traditional methods of photography, to demonstrate interpretation of the theme and e x p r e s s i d e a s through the medium o f ph o t og r a ph y. There were twenty Intermediate entries (aged between 11-13) and seven Senior (14-17). The judges were main sponsor Michael Chevis, Steve Morley and Rosa Woodrow, and the winners were (Intermediate) Jessica Dunn and (Senior ) Jacob Thompson. Boxgrove Village Café opens

Boxgrove village has always had a strong community ethos and in March the Village Hall launched a new, weekly ‘Boxgrove Community Café'. which will be run by local baker Laura Hammond of Laura’s Cake Corner. The café opens every Friday from 9:30am-3pm and offers hot drinks and delicious cakes and hot food, the new café promises to be a friendly, welcoming place for everyone to chat and socialise. www.boxgrovevillagehall.co.uk