Category: News

Local children and their families are invited to come along and enjoy a free afternoon of fun and activities in East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill at the end of the month.

Mid Sussex District Council has organised a variety of live performances, games and creative activities for local families to enjoy on 30 July, 31 July and 1 August to celebrate national Play Day 2019.

The theme this year is the Circus and all the free activities inspired by the magic of the Big Top. A dedicated performance area will play host to captivating magic by award winning children’s entertainer Tomfoolery and spectacular demonstrations of circus arts by the experts at Poi Passion.

An arts tent will enable children to be creative and trained Circus performers will be on hand to show them how to juggle, hula-hoop, tightrope walk, and balance on stilts.

Places for People Leisure will be organising lots of fun sporting activities and children are encouraged to bring their bikes and scooters along to take part in a specially prepared obstacle course. Local DJs will ensure the afternoon is filled with music and youngsters can bounce along to the beats on two bouncy castles. WSCC will be bringing their sensory bus and will be providing activities.

Councillor Norman Webster, Cabinet Member for Community said:

“Our Play Days are always tremendous fun for the whole family and we have another terrific selection of free activities for people to enjoy this year. There’s no need to pre-book, just come along on the day and join in the fun.

“Please think about using sustainable methods of transport when planning your journey by walking, cycling or using public transport if possible, as parking will be extremely limited at all three venues.”

The free Play Day events will be held at:

• King George’s Field in East Grinstead from 11am until 3pm on Tues 30 July
• Victoria Park, Haywards Heath from 11am until 3pm on Weds 31 July
• Fairfield Recreation Ground, Burgess Hill from 11am until 3pm on Thurs 1 August

The Burgess Hill Play Day will be held at Fairfield Recreation for the very first time in order to provide more space for the activities.

Play Day is a celebration of children’s right to play and a campaign to highlight the importance of play in children’s lives. The 2019 events have been organised by Mid Sussex District Council with support from Clarion Futures, Places For People Leisure, Burgess Hill Town Council, East Grinstead Town Council and Haywards Heath Town Council.

For more information contact Sally Blackmore, Mid Sussex District Community Engagement and Events Officer on 01444 477057 or email communityservices@midsussex.gov.uk.

Situated only minutes away from East Grinstead’s town centre, the East Court Estate is nestled within the countryside of Sussex with sweeping views overlooking Ashdown Forest. The Meridian Line passes through the award – winning formal gardens making East Court a truly unique venue for any event to be held where East meets West.

Licensed for civil ceremonies and perfect for special events such as weddings, conferences, seminars and training sessions, East Court offers a choice of layouts that can accommodate your needs indoors and outdoors together with the flexibility of individual catering choices.

The Town Council is proud to announce that the latest room to be licensed for ceremonies is the Council Chamber and our enthusiastic staff can help you deliver a value for money solution to all your wedding and hospitality requirements from an intimate ceremony to a large celebration.

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East Grinstead Town Council is pleased to announce that the Bow Bells Mile marker on the A22 at North end has been repaired with the kind support of Mark Ridley of Oakhurst Builders who repaired the brickwork and Jenny Watson and Luc Pineau of the Town Council who repaired and repainted the Bow Bells.

The milestones lining the A22 from Lingfield to Hailsham are believed to be the longest and most visible sequence of milestones in the country. They were erected in 1754 by the turnpike trusts that ran the London to Eastbourne coaching road The provision of distance markers to London, each a mile apart, had to be provided by the turnpike trusts under acts of Parliament. Each milestone contains an image of a bow and three bells which represent the Bow Bells of London, on top of which is the mileage remaining to said destination. They were topped with either a dot or from the 44 to 54 mile markers (Uckfield to Horsebridge) a buckle representing the Pelham family who were large landowners who lived in nearby Halland at the time and were involved in financially backing the turnpike’s extension southwards in the 1750s.

There is a program of works scheduled by the Town Council to improve the appearance of the other markers through the town.

Chairman of Amenities and Tourism Committee Cllr Christine Mainstone, EGTC head Gardener Jenny Watson and EGTC Handyman Luc Pineau and Mark Ridley of Oakhurst Builders.

We’re looking for friendly and confident people to join our team of Temporary Electoral Canvassers – perhaps you, your friends or family would like to join in!

Each year, everyone in the UK must confirm their electoral registration details are up-to-date by responding to the annual electoral canvass. As a Temporary Electoral Canvasser, you will visit properties that haven’t yet responded to provide help and encouragement to reply.

You will help people to record or update their electoral registration details using a simple App on a handheld tablet. The hours are flexible and no experience is necessary because we will provide full training in August.

The household canvass starts on 26th August and runs until Mid-November. All canvassers will be paid at a rate of £9.00 per hour with the potential to increase this amount with each property you visit.

Full information about the roles can be found at www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections-voting/annual-canvass/

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Aidan.gaff@midsussex.gov.uk or call 01444 477073

Click here for the survey

As part of St. Swithun’s, East Grinstead Festival of Arts, East Grinstead Meridian Rotary invited students from Imberhorne & Sackville schools to exhibit their artistic talents. The exhibition, in the church, included fine art, photography, 3D ceramics and textiles. The Festival of Arts will also include floral displays, music and choral entertainment. On Tuesday 2^nd July there was an award ceremony at 5.30pm when the Town Mayor announced the winners in each category, as voted for by the visitors to the Festival. Sackville School choir gave a performance prior to the ceremony.

In addition, voters choose their favourite from four winning dinner plates in the Create a Plate competition, created by children from Estcots, Halsford Park, St. Mary’s & Lingfield Primary schools, based on the theme ‘My Favourite Book Character’.

The winner of the Create a Plate competition was Charlotte Campion from Lingfield Primary School.

The overall winner of the Arts Society East Grinstead Award was Ellie Sargant from Imberhorne School for her painting on a bearded man and was included in the Drawing and Painting Section. Ellie’s statement on why she painted this was “This painting is based on a photo taken of a stranger in Horsham. I became particularly fascinated by this old man as I had been successful in capturing this man in his surroundings. I feel some people stand out from the business of towns and cities, and this man was one of them. I chose him as a subject as I feel that through his aged face, a story of his life can be seen. I hope to catch his inner peace as well as his loneliness.”

Meridian Rotary festival co-ordinator commented “I am constantly amazed at the quality of artistic abilities of our young people from primary school age to sixth form levels as shown in this exhibition. Rotary is appreciative of St Swithuns Church making the church available for the exhibition.”

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As nominations open for the Mid Sussex Applauds community recognition scheme, local companies CAE, Caravan and Motorhome Club, idverde and Places Leisure show their support.

Mid Sussex Applauds is the new Awards programme which asks local people to nominate companies, groups and individuals across a variety of categories in recognition of their positive work.

Chairman of Mid Sussex District Council, Councillor Colin Trumble said:

“As we launch our new awards it is fantastic that local businesses have got behind this and will be helping us recognise positive stories in our community. I’d like to thank them and also to encourage other companies to come forward, we still have some very worthy categories which would benefit from support.”

Stronger Communities (sponsored by CAE) – a community group or organisation that has helped to bring together cultures and communities through a local project or community activity

Take Pride in Mid Sussex (sponsored by idverde) – This award will recognise residents who dedicate their time and energy to keeping Mid Sussex clean and green, take pride in their local area by creating community gardens, painting local spaces, upcycling or encouraging others to recycle.

Good Sport Award (sponsored by Places Leisure) – a club or individual who has made an outstanding contribution to supporting activity or sport in Mid Sussex

Business in the Community Award (sponsored by Caravan and Motorhome Club) – recognising a business which supports or makes a positive contribution to benefit and enhance community life

Young Achiever Award – against all the odds, someone who has overcome significant obstacles and made a positive difference to their own lives or to other young people through education, campaigning or helping another overcome a difficult situation or personal problem

Young Volunteer of the year – recognising those young people who have made a difference in their local community

Lifetime Achievement Award – an individual who has made a substantial commitment to the community in their lifetime

Stronger Together – an individual who has helped to bring together cultures and communities through a local project or community activity

The awards are also being promoted by Mid Sussex Voluntary Action (MSVA) which co-ordinates community and volunteer opportunities across the area.

Opportunities are still available for local businesses and employers to get involved in supporting Mid Sussex Applauds – contact comms@midsussex.gov.uk to find out more. Media support is being provided by the Mid Sussex Times and by the designers Sublime.

To nominate a person, business or group for an award please visit www.midsussex.gov.uk/applauds

Mid Sussex District Council has awarded grant funding of over £12,000 to help local micro businesses grow and expand.

The Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Grants Panel met on 18 June to discuss the first round of grant funding this year and the funding allocations to eight local businesses were confirmed on 27 June.

Micro business grant applications only opened in May this year and already 35 businesses in Mid Sussex have applied for funding. The micro business grants are allocated on a first come, first served basis and local businesses are encouraged to apply now to avoid disappointment.

Strawberry Moon Skincare in Burgess Hill has been granted £1,748.25 to help expand their product line and purchase new equipment. The business produces handmade skincare products, which are environmentally friendly and are packaged with zero plastic waste. There is growing interest from retailers looking to stock Strawberry Moon products and this grant will help them to speed up the production process and meet increasing demand.

Active 1^st, a Turners Hill based business which provides a variety of after school clubs and gymnastic classes, has been awarded £3,500 to upgrade its facilities and take on an apprentice. Plans include the installation of new purpose fit flooring to improve safety and the purchase of new British Gymnastic Standard equipment. The improvements will help Active 1^st increase the opening times of the gym and enable new health and fitness classes to be established.

Gary Nation, Company Director at Active 1^st said:

“Active 1st are delighted to have received a grant from Mid Sussex District Council. It will make such a difference by enabling us to have a safe and state of the art facility which will enable us to attract and coach lots of budding gymnastic stars of the future. The grant will be spent on new gymnastic equipment and a much need renovation of the business space.”

The funding has been provided by West Sussex County Council, reinvesting Business Rates back into the local business community. Grants of up to £2,000 remain available to support the growth of any Mid Sussex business with fewer than 10 employees and an idea for a project that will help their business grow. Up to £1,500 is also available to help micro businesses take on an apprentice and businesses may apply for both kinds of grant at the same time if they wish.

For more information about micro business grants visit www.midsussex.gov.uk/businessgrants.