Category: News

Mid Sussex District Council has posted out Poll Cards to every registered elector in Mid Sussex ahead of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner election on Thursday 5 May.

Anyone who has not received their Poll Card by Tuesday 5 April 2016 should contact Mid Sussex District Council immediately because it could mean they are not registered and are therefore not eligible to vote.

Paying Council Tax or logging details with another Council department does not automatically entitle people to vote. Voter details must be entered onto the Electoral Register separately.

“The deadline to apply to be included on the Electoral Register for the Police and Crime Commissioner election is Monday 18 April 2016, so there is still time to sign up,” said Tom Clark, Returning Officer for Mid Sussex District Council. “Registering to vote only takes a few minutes so don’t miss out on the chance to make your voice heard.”

The quickest and most convenient way to register is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you have any questions regarding registration or the electoral process then please contact the Mid Sussex District Council Electoral Services team on 01444 477003 or email elections@midsussex.gov.uk.

The Greater Haywards Heath Bike Ride and Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend are working together to recruit event volunteers and seek local people to invest their time to help realise far-reaching benefits.

Mention the word “volunteering” and how do you react? “I haven’t got time”; “I won’t get paid”; “it won’t benefit me”? You wouldn’t be the only one. But two prominent local events, The Greater Haywards Heath Bike Ride and Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend, are trying to alter opinions by raising the profile of their volunteers and identify the true value of volunteering.

The community relies on its volunteers, not least sports clubs and events. Some ground-breaking research released in 2015, found sport to be the single biggest sector of volunteering in the UK, with 3.2 million people investing their time. The figures were revealed by Join In as part of their work to identify the hidden value of sport volunteers. Join In was established in 2012 to capture the enthusiasm generated by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and channel it into local sport. After the Bank of England’s Chief Economist noted that the social worth of volunteering was rarely valued, Join In set about quantifying the real benefit.

The results offered a different perspective of how volunteers should be viewed, as “investors” rather than a cost-saving or a free resource. The return on time invested into sport was valued at £16,032 per volunteer; over 30 times the previous valuations of sport volunteering.

How does one volunteer make such a difference, you may ask? Firstly, let’s consider the benefit of a volunteer’s role on other people. Research discovered that one volunteer in a club creates the capacity for 8.5 players. The economic benefits of additional players and members to local and national economies, along with the wellbeing gains the volunteers will experience were valued at over £12,500. Then we should contemplate the volunteers themselves, who were found to have a higher sense of happiness. This resulted in greater emotional and physical wellbeing, making volunteering an effective way for people to alleviate the symptoms of depression, loneliness and isolation. The findings demonstrate that the longer someone volunteers the greater their wellbeing, and these benefits continue long after they stop volunteering.

“It is increasingly difficult for events like The Greater Haywards Heath Bike Ride and Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend to recruit volunteers year after year”, said Simon Adby, Event Director of Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend. “This research helps demonstrate the true value that we get from our volunteers and will hopefully encourage more people to get involved, knowing that they have a much more significant and longer lasting effect than perhaps is initially anticipated.

Mike Oliver, Chair of The Greater Haywards Heath Bike Ride added: “Both events collectively hope to provide over 1,500 participants with a memorable sporting opportunity this year, so we require 150 individuals to help us stage safe and fun experiences for the cyclists and runners. We hope people can now put more of a value on the few hours we are asking them to invest in our events.”

Both events will provide opportunities for participants to raise money for causes close to their hearts. In addition, The Greater Haywards Heath Bike Ride registration fees are going to the Maternity Unit of the Princess Royal Hospital and the Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend profits will be re-invested into community sport projects.

Organisers of The Greater Haywards Heath Bike Ride, to be held on Sunday 10th April 2016, are seeking 40-50 volunteers to marshal the 4 different race routes in order to provide participants with a safe and enjoyable experience. Marshalling roles are required on all routes with volunteers being required for no more than 2 hours each from 9 am to 3pm. For more information about the event please visit: http://www.haywardsheathlive.org.uk/hh-bike-ride/

The Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend will held over 3 days (30^th April to 2^nd May) in the 3 towns of Mid Sussex; East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill. Volunteers will be asked to marshal each race route, attending from 9am to 1pm. If you would be happy to give up your time on any of the days please register your interest at www.midsussexmarathonweekend.co.uk.

 

The Greater Haywards Heath Bike Ride:

• Sunday 10^th April – starting and finishing on The Broadway, Haywards Heath.

For further information please visit http://www.haywardsheathlive.org.uk/hh-bike-ride/ or contact Mike Oliver (Chairman); mike@moaifa.co.uk or mobile: 07973 847973.

Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend:

• Saturday 30^th April 2016 – East Grinstead (East Grinstead Rugby Club):
  • 9:30am Mid Sussex Wellbeing Mile Fun Run
  • 10:30am East Grinstead 10 Mile
• Sunday 1^st May 2016 – Haywards Heath (Victoria Park):
  • 9:30am Mid Sussex Wellbeing Mile Fun Run
  • 10:30am Haywards Heath 10 Mile (Sussex Grand Prix race)
• Monday 2^nd May 2016 – Burgess Hill 10k (Oakmeeds Community College):
  • 9:30am Mid Sussex Wellbeing Mile Fun Run
  • 10:30am Burgess Hill 10K

All races are UK Athletics affiliated.

For further information please visit www.midsussexmarathon.co.uk or contact Simon Adby (Event Director); simon@activehousesolutions.co.uk or mobile: 07415 020861.

Outset Youth Awards Evening was held last weekend at the Fontwell Park Racecourse, to celebrate the work of the young people who volunteer throughout West Sussex and who are registered with Outset. Among those receiving awards from East Grinstead were Ben Ferris and Daisy Stahl (seen in photo with Town Mayor Dick Sweatman).

Outset Youth Action is a registered charity who work with young people aged 13 – 25 years. Each Outset Youth Advisor will work with and allocate volunteer placements within their local community, such as schools, care homes for the young, disabled and elderly, libraries, museums, wildlife centres, charity shops, just to name a few. During 2014/15 over 1,100 young individuals were engaged in a large variety of activities. The young people give up their time willingly, without any reward.

A house in East Grinstead that has stood empty for almost 20 years is set to be brought back into use.

Mid Sussex District Council has agreed to obtain a Compulsory Purchase Order for 125 Queen’s Road, East Grinstead following a number of complaints from local residents about the poor condition of the property and the state of the gardens.

The Council has been working with the owner for many years to try and persuade him to carry out the necessary improvements to the house but the property remains empty and in a poor state of repair. Three separate Section 215 planning notices have been issued on the property that legally require improvement works to be completed. The rundown property has become a blight on the neighbourhood and has caused considerable distress to neighbours.

“It’s such a shame to see empty properties going to waste when we have so many local families who are struggling to get on the property ladder,” said Councillor Norman Webster, Cabinet Member for Health and Community.

“We work with the owners of long-term empty properties around the district to try and help them bring their properties back into use. These homes can be empty for many different reasons and most issues can be overcome with time and support. But, in some cases it’s just not possible to reach an agreement and we are left with no choice but to step in.

“We always give the owners of long-term empty properties every opportunity to bring their properties into use or arrange a private sale. However, where the owner won’t work with us to improve the situation, then a Compulsory Purchase Order is our only option.”

Once the Compulsory Purchase Order is obtained, the house will be put on the open market with an agreement that whoever buys the property ensures all improvements works are completed and it is lived in once more.

As a grand finale to the town’s Fairtrade Fortnight a Rich Man – Poor Man lunch was held by the organisers on Sunday at St Peter’s School. Joining the guests were Town Mayor Dick Sweatman and Deputy Town Mayor Bob Mainstone. The Fairtrade Fortnight included Fairtrade breakfasts, stalls at Imberhorne, Sackville and St Peter’s Schools, a visit from a Fairtrade banana producer from Columbia and the Town Mayor and his Deputy representing East Grinstead at the Celebrating Fairtrade in West Sussex event in Horsham on Friday night.

Deputy Town Mayor Bob Mainstone joined a group of fellow Trustees of the Museum together with many of its volunteer staff at the Museum on Sunday morning. Bob, who is the nominated Town Council representative on the Museum’s Board of Trustees, was full of enthusiasm for the new plans to enhance the Museum’s displays about the work of Sir Archibald McIndoe and the Guinea Pig Club. “It certainly is an important year for the town’s association with the Guinea Pigs”. Said Bob, “So we are all very excited that the Museum will be able to play an even bigger part in telling the story to a wider audience both of townsfolk but also a national and  overseas audience.”

Later this year the Town Council will welcome the last remaining Guinea Pigs to their final annual meeting at East Court.

Last summer contractors working for the water supply company undertook major engineering works to pipework underneath the Market Square in the High Street.

The work went on for several weeks and the area was placed off limits while the work was completed. Several of the paving slabs were replaced by metalwork covers and as a result gaps were left to be filled in.

These gaps did not use the original stone and left the Market Square looking in a poor state.

The Town Council have been in frequent discussions with West Sussex Highways, the body responsible for the paved area, and at long last a suitable natural stone replacement has been sourced and plans are now in place to reinstate the area.

Town Clerk Julie Holden said “Although this has taken longer than we wished, the end result means that the heart of our historic High Street will be picture perfect once again. The new stone will need time to weather in to match the existing pavings, so it may not look a perfect match to start with.”