Charity & Community

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Sussex Snippets In November new named Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) began being assigned to their areas. Every community across Sussex will now have one or more dedicated PSCO to enhance public confidence and collate vital community intelligence. Sussex is also well underway with the recruitment of the extra 250 police officers as promised in last year’s precept. www.sussex-pcc.gov.uk Sussex Wildlife Tust are selling calendars and Christmas cards, all profits support the Trust’s work. www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop Local business owner Carol Ives is organising and participating in the World’s Big Sleep Out raising awareness and money to combat homelessness. The local event takes place at Hove Lagoon and will be supported by DJ Norman Cook. Carol will be sleeping out in just a cardboard box. To donate please visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/carol8ives The Aldingbourne Trust is one of this year’s finalists for the Sussex Business Awards 2019, having been shortlisted for the Charity of the Year award. They are hosting a disability friendly club night on Wed 4th December to provide a full on clubbing experience for people with a learning disability and/or autism. www.aldingbournetrust.org Chestnut Tree House (CTH) children’s hospice are inviting schools and groups to have “Reindeer Fun” this December. CTH will provide free reindeer antlers and red noses, posters, helpful hints and sponsorship forms. www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/reindeer-fun Local Solar farms are generating more electricity than expected. Tangmere solar farm is out-performing original predictions and Westhampnett solar farm, opened on a former landfill site in October 2018, is also well on track. WSCC is also installing solar panels on more than 80 schools and plans to develop other energy projects, including a large battery storage facility on a former waste site in Sompting. From 2 December, opposite sex couples can give notice of intent to form a civil partnership The signing of the schedule or a ceremony can then take place from New Year’s Eve. www.westsussex.gov.uk/ registration. Small Business Saturday on 7th December is the UK's most successful small business campaign. Now in its seventh year, last year saw an estimated £812 million spent in small businesses across the UK on the day, according to research commissioned by founder and principal supporter American Express. www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com The Planning Committee of the South Downs National Park Authority voted to approve 31 new gateway signs at locations across Sussex and Hampshire. The

Charity/community notices to: info@sussexlocal.net new signs, made from iron or a mixture of wood and iron, will be installed during 2020. Following the resignation of Ms Louise Goldsmith as Leader of WSCC, Paul Marshall will be appointed as the new leader of the Council for the remainder of the four-year term to 2021. During October this year there was a 7,000 increase in 101 callers compared to 2018. However call waiting times have improved. In October 2018 there was an average wait of 17m 57s for the 101 nonemergency number, that has now reduced to an average of 7m 39s. From 1 December anyone using a West Sussex household waste recycling site (HWRS) will need to provide proof of residency in West Sussex. The sites are funded by West Sussex council tax payers and access will be denied if proof of residency is not shown. www.westsussex.gov.uk Organisations across Sussex now have the opportunity to bid for funding of up to £5,000 to help keep Sussex safe. To qualify, projects should demonstrate how they will increase or promote community safety within the local community. Applications are open until 11 December. For more info and to apply please visit: www.sussex-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/apply-forfunding/

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£250,000 funding available for Chichester District communities New children’s play equipment, improvements to community buildings, and traffic calming measures are just some of the projects that have been funded as part of a scheme overseen by Chichester District Council. More than 40 projects in 28 parishes have received a share of over £250,000 through the council’s New Homes Bonus (Parish Allocations) Scheme, including Midhurst’s recreation ground at Carron Lane, and Chichester Rugby Football Club. The scheme is open to all communities that have taken new homes. The Grants and Concessions Panel reviewed the applications and distributed the money for local projects within the district. See the full list of projects at, www.chichester.gov.uk/newhomesbonus Tools With A Mission For more than 30 years, Tools With A Mission (TWAM), a Christian charity based in Ipswich, have been recycling tools and sending them across the world to enable those without means to earn a living and bring their families out of poverty. These otherwise unobtainable resources, provide dignity and independence to those who need it most. Tools are sorted into trade kits and 20 containers filled with over 300 tonnes that are sent every year. 4 tonnes are processed by the Chichester group attached to Chichester Baptist Church. The impact on a community is huge. Having been trained to use and maintain them, the kits are given to men and women who go on to set up businesses and invariably employ others. One inspiring story came from across the world, where the women from a Ugandan village called Nakakabala, formed a cooperative and applied to TWAM for a sewing machine. Now they can afford to feed their families, send their children to school, and in uniforms they have made themselves. TWAM having seen the transformation have sent more machines. Potential donors can contact the nearest collector on twam.uk

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to the event make a great gift as well as raising vital funds for The Children’s Trust, the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury. The Supercar Event is a two-day family festival celebrating some of the world’s most luxurious and high-performing sports cars whilst raising vital funds to support the work of The Children’s Trust. The event is on 24th & 25th July and as well as supercar rides on the historic circuit, there are other attractions for all ages including helicopter rides, a driving school for teenagers and a dedicated children’s area. www.thesupercareevent.com The Arts Society Boxgrove The Arts Society Boxgrove (formerly Walberton) is now enjoying its new venue at Boxgrove Village Hall for monthly lectures. The Arts Society Boxgrove is a friendly, sociable and vibrant society and is welcoming new members to join and share their enthusiasm for the arts. 10 monthly lectures are held each year, membership is £45 p.a. and guests £6. However, to introduce their society to the new community, they are offering a first free lecture and anyone joining before 31st December will be extended an invitation to attend their surprise relaunch party in January. For information: www.tasboxgrove.org.uk

Community notices printed free email info@sussexlocal.net

The team at Tools With A Mission

Children’s Trust Supercar Event Building on the success of last year’s event, The Children’s Trust Supercar Event will be back at Goodwood for two days next year. They have a pre-Christmas offer of 20% off all entrance tickets, so if you don’t know what to buy “petrolheads” for Christmas, tickets

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Spooktacular Charity Event Visitors were thrilled during the Halloween Spooktacular event at the Aldingbourne Country Centre near Chichester. With record numbers of over 4,000 people attending this annual event held in their woodland walk, which was transformed into a spooky wood extravaganza. There was also a non-scary trail and story time, and everyone was invited to dress up for the occasion, with witches, wizards, skeletons, princesses and fairies attending over the three-day event. The Country Centre is now busy getting ready for their Breakfast with Santa days on the 7th, 8th, 14th and 15th December. For more information, visit: www.aldingbournetrust.org/breakfast-with-santa Healthwatch West Sussex They have a simple ambition - to make local health and social care services better for people that use them. They are here to listen, take action, and influence positive change for local people living in West Sussex. Healthwatch are supporting the proposed Midhurst Integrated Health Hub engagement work by

Notices to info@sussexlocal.net providing updates on their progress. Watch their latest video update: www.healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk If you have any feedback about the proposed Midhurst Integrated Health Hub contact Cheryl Berry at cheryl.berry@healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk Resources for charities Are you a local charity or community group working in Arun or Chichester? Would you like help with fundraising or recruiting volunteers? Perhaps you need help to put policies and procedures in place? Or maybe you just want the chance to meet other local organisations to swap ideas and best practice? Whatever you need, whether you’re just starting out or have been active for years, then Voluntary Action Arun & Chichester (VAAC) can help you! Membership of VAAC is free and as well as one-to-one advice and support from the development team, it also entitles you to: access to training and networking events, weekly e-bulletins with news and events from the local voluntary sector, the monthly Funding Focus newsletter, funding searches, publicity and policy templates, help with volunteer recruitment, as well as resources and equipment to borrow. If you would like to speak to VAAC, or find out more about how they can help your organisation, see their website at www.vaac.org.uk, call 01243 840305 or email admin@vaac.org.uk.

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