Observer Article February 2023.
This winter has been extremely tough for many people and there has been an explosion in demand for help accessing services and funding. It is heartening to see Green councillors coming up with innovative neighbourhood solutions to providing help and support.
Last week saw the first Keep Well and Warm event at Castledown School thanks to Councillor Glenn Haffenden and the head teacher Mark Rankin. Held in the gym and timed for school pick up time it provided an easy way for residents to access advice and support from a variety of organisations including Southern Water, local housing associations and various advice groups. Everyone who took part is keen to see this model rolled out to other schools in the area.
Earlier in the month, Glenn held a jobs fair at West Hill Community Centre with Hastings Let’s Do Business Group and East Sussex College after hearing from residents that they struggled to access support to look for work. At least fourteen residents found jobs with others taking up training courses and apprenticeships. More are planned for the future in different areas of town.
Many people struggle with filling in forms so Councillor Claire Carr came up with the idea of Form Filling Fridays to help anyone including those who don’t doesn’t have access to a computer. Supported by Hastings Voluntary Action it is going on the road as the Form Filling Café pop up at various community centres across Hastings with free food provided by the Grumpy Cook. Many of the organisations who took part in the Winter Wellness event at the school are keen to be part of the pop up cafe as well.
Loneliness and isolation are also on the rise so it’s great to see more opportunities to get outside, meet your neighbours and help green our streets through new gardening groups that are springing up across St Leonards, Tressell and Old Hastings, supported by Green councillors. A new one is starting at the Isabel Blackman Centre in Winding St on Mondays in March.
Another easy way to meet your neighbours and keep your streets green is through taking part in the weed killer free streets trial being run by East Sussex County Council thanks to pressure from Green councillors.
You can ask for your street to opt out of being sprayed with the weed killer glyphosate this spring. Locations will be assessed for suitability, and once selected, 60% of the residents will need to support the idea for the street to be opted out and commit to regular weeding sessions to keep the pavement clear. Email your county councilor if you want your street to be considered for the trial. The deadline is Friday 3 March.
The thread running through all these initiatives is that building support and connections at the neighbourhood level needs to be at the heart of how we work as a town. It is why Greens worked hard to put building a new relationship with our fantastic local voluntary organisations at the heart of the council’s corporate plan.