Rail chaos not good enough, say Greater Brighton chiefs

Greater Brighton leaders today are urging the government to act now to improve the City Region's rail network after days of chaos for commuters.

A signalling fault in south London has seen dozens of trains cancelled and tens of thousands of commuters stranded on the Brighton Main Line.

Greater Brighton, which is a signed up member of the Coast to Capital Brighton Mainline Alliance, is today calling for the government to improve connectivity and reliability for the nearly one million residents that live in the City Region.

Councillor Andy Smith, chairman of the Greater Brighton Economic Board and Leader of Lewes District Council, said:  “The Brighton Mainline is not just a commuter line; it is an essential transport corridor which is crucial to the economic development of our City Region.

"This week's disruption only highlights what tens of thousands of commuters are fully aware of: that the rail infrastructure in Greater Brighton is not fit-for-purpose.

"While transport ministers may be focused on sorting out the timetable issues of the north which have been ongoing for a few weeks, residents and businesses in Greater Brighton have been left to suffer regular delays and daily cancellations for years.

"We need investment now. Without much needed improvements, our vibrant and growing City Region will be unable to reach its potential."

The disruption comes just days after transport secretary Chris Grayling hinted that Govia Thameslink may be stripped of the franchise.

The Office of Rail and Road is set to run an independent inquiry into the chaos, with commuters dealing with cancellations, delays and switching of services, reports this week suggested.

Cllr Smith added: "Whether the operators are stripped of the franchise is something for the government to decide.

"All the one million residents and 40,000 businesses of Greater Brighton want is an efficient service which runs to time. If there are delays, then they want to be adequately compensated.

"We will continue to work with partners to make sure that the infrastructure is improved sooner rather than later."

Utilise Plus Energy Saving Grants + free energy audits

Eligible small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can apply for grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to cover up to one-third¹ of the cost of energy efficiency projects. SMEs must meet the Utilise Plus programme’s full eligibility criteria.

If your organisation is not eligible for the Utilise Plus programme, find out more about our other grant schemes.

 

Night to Remember raises £106,147 for St Barnabas House hospice

 

Over 1,000 people took on the 11th annual Night to Remember midnight walk to support their local hospice St Barnabas House on Saturday 30 June, raising a collective total of £106,147.

 

For the first time since the first event in 2008, men and children were also able to join in this year’s walk, making it a family friendly occasion.

 

The final fundraising total was revealed shortly before the walkers set off at an earlier than usual start time of 10:30pm.

 

Caption: A sea of teal shirts ahead of the start at Worthing Leisure Centre

 

As in previous years there were three different length routes for walkers, starting from Worthing Leisure Centre, including a steady 7 mile route, a half marathon distance 13.1 mile route, and a challenging 20 mile trek as far as Shoreham and back.

 

The first walkers to complete the 7 mile route were Vijaya Rudraraju, Rajini Kancheti, Jayatha Ponagoti, Kavitha Katti, Daniel Twine and Jade Twine who crossed the line together in a time of just over two hours.

 

Natasha Heppenstall, 45, and Lenka Bryning, 38, from Worthing were the first people to finish the 13.1 mile route, completing the walk in three hours and 25 minutes.

 

The first walker to complete the 20 mile route in a time of little under 4 hours and 40 minutes was Julie Homewood, 45, from Bordon, Hampshire.

 

She said: “I took part in Night to Remember back in 2015 and did the half marathon. I was amazed at all the stories I heard from people and all the memory stickers people had. This year I’ve come back and I’ve done the 20 mile.”

 

Many of those taking part in Night to Remember were walking in memory of a loved one, family member or friend cared for by the hospice.

 

Rosalind Froom, 42, from Haywards Heath took on the 13.1 mile route in memory of her father, Arthur Shearing, and mother, Janet Shearing, who both lived in Small Dole and were cared for by St Barnabas House having been diagnosed with cancer.

She was joined by her son Oliver Froom, 11, daughter Emelia Froom, 13, and sister Caroline Dixon, 40, who made up the Shearing Superstars team. Between them they have raised just over £1,500.

 

Caption: (left to right) Oliver, Rosalind and Emelia Froom and Caroline Dixon

 

Rosalind said: “St Barnabas House cared for both our mum and our dad at their end of life. The care that they received was fantastic and we just wanted to be able to give something back so that other families in the area can get the same support.

 

“Mum wanted to go to St Barnabas because that’s where dad passed away and she couldn’t fault the care he received so she knew what she was getting. We couldn’t fault it, they were just fantastic.”

 

Twins Samantha and Hannah Wisden, 25, were taking part in Night to Remember for the first time in memory of their grandfather, Tony Martin from East Preston, who died in March 2018 under the care of the hospice’s In-patient Unit.

 

Caption: (left to right) Samantha Wisden, Ben Wolstenhulme and Hannah Wisden

 

Along with Ben Wolstenhulme, 35, Samantha’s partner, the pair completed the 13.1 mile route, raising over £500 in the process.

 

Samantha said: “My grandad was terminally ill and was a patient at St Barnabas at the beginning of the year. The care he received was amazing. He said he felt safe. Although it was the end of his life it gave him that quality of life.”

Two ladies who have cancer and have received care through the Day Hospice at St Barnabas House took on the walk on mobility scooters.

 

Caption: Kate Laker and Della Heath (6th and 7th from right) and Chris Hepworth (far right)

 

Kate Laker, 53 from Rustington and Della Heath, 47 from Lancing decided to do the 13.1 mile route in memory of Nina Hepworth who they became close friends with having met at the hospice.

 

Kate said: “They give so much back and we have to give so little to help. They need the money. At the end of the day they don’t get much government funding and we need to keep these services going. They are absolutely necessary.

 

“In any event St Barnabas House do, the staff and volunteers are everything. They are happy to be here. The atmosphere is always really good. I never see a sad face when people talk about St Barnabas.”

 

Kate and Della were joined by a team which also included Chris Hepworth, 46, from Upper Beeding, husband of Nina.

 

Chris said: “Nina was the inspiration for taking part. She passed away at St Barnabas and they gave us the opportunity to have as good a death as you can have. I had the opportunity to be there throughout. This is just a small token of appreciation.

 

“She was cared for in the In-patient Unit for about ten days and the care shown by all the staff was absolutely faultless. I was provided the opportunity to stay there with her. When time is short and time is limited every moment is precious.”

 

Janet Smith, 65, from East Preston and Dee Heppenstall, 67, from Ford were walking in memory of their friend Gill Pearson from Worthing who had pancreatic cancer and was cared for by the hospice before she passed away in August 2017.

 

Caption: Janet Smith and Dee Heppenstall took on the 7 mile route

 

Janet said: “When our friend Gill was taken ill she spent her last few days at St Barnabas and we were just overwhelmed by the kindness and the individual attention she got. She was treated with immense respect by everybody there, whether it was reception, the doctors, nurses or volunteers. It made her last days bearable.”

 

Dee added: “When I was getting ready to come out tonight I felt proud to be doing this for Gill and for St Barnabas.”

 

The pair, who took on the 7 mile route, have raise around £500 for the hospice.

 

The money raised from this year’s Night to Remember will go towards funding the St Barnabas House Hospice at Home Service, which provides care for patients in their own homes across the Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield areas.

 

During 2017/18, 395 patients were referred to the Hospice at Home Team for end of life or palliative care in the comfort of their own homes.

 

Over that period, the team made a total of 4,724 daytime visits and 326 night sit visits to patients, delivering a total of 9,912 hours of care.

 

As a result of the Hospice at Home service, 91% of patients referred were able to die in their own homes, rather than the unfamiliar surroundings of a hospital or hospice.

 

The money raised from this year’s Night to Remember is enough to pay for 52 days of all the care services provided by the Hospice at Home team.

 

A team of Hospice at Home nurses consisting of Emma Kamau, Kathy Mardle-Aylett, Louise Grundy and Sam Hawkins, took part in Night to Remember.

 

Caption: Hospice at Home Team including Kathy (fourth from left)

 

Hospice at Home Manager, Kathy, gave a motivational speech before the start of the walk, explaining how the walkers would be supporting the hospice.

 

She said: “Our Hospice at Home service was launched in 2012 and provides care for patients in their own homes. The service makes a really big difference to the care experience for local people and the demand for this service is ever growing.

 

“In 2014 we launched the Hospice at Home night service which allows our team to be there throughout the night, often the most difficult time for patients and their families, and there is a Hospice at Home night sitter out there tonight.

 

“By joining together to walk in Night to Rememeber, we can face the night united and show our support to hundreds of local people and families facing life-limiting illness.”

 

Mayor of Worthing, Cllr Paul Baker, was also in attendance with Mayoress, Sandra Baker, and Worthing Youth Mayor, Katie Waters.

 

Caption: Youth Mayor Katie Waters, Mayoress Sandra Baker and Mayor Paul Baker

 

Before the walkers set off, he said: “This, over the years, has become such a major event in the town, and such a major fundraiser, everybody doing a wonderful job for a wonderful cause.

 

“You people are so inspirational in what you’re doing. I wish I could come round and thank everyone personally but I think we’d be here until the dawn. All I can say to all of you is thank you so much, everyone appreciates what you do.”

 

Lucy Brady, Events Fundraiser at St Barnabas House, was delighted with the turnout at the event.

 

She said: “We decided to make some major changes to this year’s event by allowing men and children to take part and moving the start time forward to 10:30pm in order to make Night to Remember more family friendly. It has definitely paid off as we had the most walkers we’ve had taking part since 2015.

 

“We had lots of excitement on the night, including the energetic warm up led by Jo Clark from Fit4, entertainment by David Cunningham from More Radio, face painting by Tick Boom Face Painting and a Funky Photo Booth.

 

Lucy said that without the wonderful support of the community and local businesses, the hospice would not be able to run the event.

 

She added: “There are so many people we need to thank, including Worthing Leisure Centre for hosting the event, Jade Foster and Kate Easkiovitch who provided post-walk massages and Lorraine Hannah who provided stretching.

 

“Thank you also to Richard John Hair and Beauty, Blakemore Spar, F&G Transport, Winners Tool Hire, Epione Medical Services Ltd, Edgars Water and Sussex 4x4 for supporting the event.

 

“Finally, I’d like to reserve a very special mention to our incredible team of over 200 volunteers, including those who marshalled out on the route, keeping walkers safe and offering refreshments and encouragement to walkers throughout the night. We wouldn’t be able to make the event such a success without them!”

 

Since the event first started, walkers have raised around £1.6 million for the hospice. The current cost of providing all of St Barnabas House’s care services each year is £6.5 million, and only 21% is covered by statutory funding.

 

To find out more about St Barnabas House, please visit www.stbh.org.uk.

Open-Air cinema comes to Worthing as the seafront goes from strength to strength 
  

Open-air seaside summer cinema is coming to Worthing as the Borough Council continues its programme to make the town a key leisure-time destination.

 

Denton Gardens will be spectacularly transformed into the town’s first-ever alfresco cinema with a giant LED high-definition screen showing three movies a day between August 10th and 12th.

 

Famous tunes - some singalong, some not - will waft through the summer air as a selection of famous classic films are aired, some of which will be free to view.

 

From the famous thrum of danger signalling the approach of Jaws to the King of the Swingers in Jungle Book to the defiant singalong of This is Me from The Greatest Showman, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

 

Place and Economy Manager Fiona Burn said: “We’re really excited about putting these shows on for the first time in Worthing. We hope that everyone will find at least one film they like and there’s nothing better then watching them on a big screen under a summer sky.”

 

Denton Gardens, which will be fenced off, will be the perfect natural auditorium for the shows and cinema goers will be invited to bring their own cushions and blankets or else deckchairs will be available. A full bar and food stalls will also be on offer.

 

Day-time screenings from 2pm are free and include family favourites such as Horton Hears a Who, Jungle Book (1967), Grease, Top Gun and Titanic. The public are welcome to come and go as they please by the capacity is limited to 499 people at anyone time..

 

As the sun sets movie lovers will be able to settle in and enjoy classics such as Jaws (Sunday 12^th) , sing – along with the soundtrack of the year from The Greatest Showman (Friday 10^th) and get stuck into Time Warp classic The Rocky Horror Show (Saturday 11th).

 

Tickets for evening screenings, priced at £7.50, will be available to purchase in advance from Worthing Theatres Box Office or online at www.worthingtheatres.co.uk.

 

The cinema forms part of a wider programme of projects by Worthing Borough Council designed to stimulate the town centre’s visitor and night-time economies and promote Worthing as a visitor destination.

 

Cllr Kevin Jenkins, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “I am delighted we are putting these great series of films on. I’d love to see as many people down there enjoying themselves as possible.

 

“This is all part of our ongoing work on making Worthing a seafront destination. As residents will know we have great plans to modernise and open up our seafront with tree lines streets and alfresco eating. We know that when we build it people will come as we saw when the Worthing Wheel came to Steyne Gardens in the Spring and despite the poor weather thousands queued to ride.

 

“We have two blue chip restaurant companies looking to open up eateries on the seafront and this year our range of concessions down there is excellent. I’m told paddle boarding is a big favourite.”

 

As for Cllr Jenkins pick of the films, what would he be going along to?

 

He said: “Grease is my favourite. I love it because it takes me back to 1978, I was still at school and with a large group of friends we must have gone at least 5 or 7 times over the first few months to see it when it was first released. It was the sheer simplicity and innocence of the film that captivated us.”

 

Van Accessory company climbs Mount Snowdon BAREFOOT for charity

Whitebox UK, a van accessories company based in Lancing, climbed Mount Snowdon BAREFOOT to raise money for West Sussex Coastal Mind mental health charity.

Mental health has become an epidemic in the last 10 years and now affects 16 million people in the UK. Right from the start, Whitebox have always been passionate about helping the local community which lead them to be proud owners of the Business in the Community award at the Adur and Worthing Business Awards in 2017. Following on from the award, Whitebox UK wanted to do bigger and better.

On Saturday 16th June, three members of staff at Whitebox UK embarked on a barefoot trek to the summit of Mount Snowdon (1,085-metre/3560 ft) in Snowdonia, Wales. 

Torrential rain and dangerous winds nearly put the expedition into jeopardy. The team managed to successfully complete ¾’s of the climb to the summit barefoot, before being urged by experienced mountaineer guides to consider putting appropriate footwear on or heading back down, as the weather conditions were getting increasingly dangerous by the minute. it wasn’t worth the risk of not only their own lives, but those around them. The thought of their commitment to West Sussex Coastal Mind and all of those that would benefit from what they have raised so far, was what kept them going and therefore completing the rest of the climb in shoes to descend back down via a safer route.

Mark Cropley, (Director of Whitebox UK) says, “One of the most challenging things I have ever done, mentally AND physically. This has opened up my eyes to the world of mental health. Local charities are often overlooked by the larger, more well known charities, but it’s the local ones that need the most funding!”

Sheralee Pace, (Racking Designer) says, “The risk of slipping and having to call the mountain rescue was not even an option. It was an absolute achievement regardless and hopefully the money we have raised will help make a difference.”

Jerry Hopkins, (Social Media & Marketing) says, “When you introduce high speed winds, piercing rain and awful weather conditions, along with people telling you you shouldn't carry on, it does put that doubt in the mind when your body is already exhausted. Not many people can say they’ve climbed a mountain barefoot!”

With donations still to come in, so far Whitebox UK have raised over £1000!

To donate to a great cause and find out more,

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/whiteboxbarefoot and please give what you can.

Dalai Lama India Trek blog: Trekking in memory of family and friends

By Sam Skilton, St Barnabas House Marketing Co-ordinator

Having written primarily about the challenge from a personal perspective in my last Dalai Lama India Trek blog, this one is all about my fellow trekkers.

For those of you who didn’t read the last blog, from 18-28 October a team of around 50 trekkers, myself included, will be taking on the challenge of a lifetime as we take on a 67km trek through the Himalayas in Northern India.

Everyone taking part in the trek is fundraising for St Barnabas House, and almost all the trekkers are doing the challenge in memory or honour of a friend, family member, loved one, colleague, or whoever it may be.

With most of our challenge events for St Barnabas House, it’s usually the case that the majority of people choose take part and fundraise because they have a personal connection to the hospice in one way or another.

One of the trekkers taking part in the Dalai Lama India Trek is Tracey Shaughnessy who is participating in memory of her stepfather, Richard Sampey.

Caption: Richard Sampey sat on a Harley Davidson when Hogsback Chapter visited St Barnabas House

She said: “My dad died when I was 12. Two years later a wonderful man (Richard) came into my life when he married my mum. Over the years we had up and downs but he came to be my close friend and advisor.

“He was diagnosed with COPD six years ago. This disease robbed him of the ability to laugh as it led to stressful coughing. In March 2017 he was referred to the St Barnabas House Day Hospice where he found care, counselling and happiness.

“He died suddenly from a heart attack in Worthing hospital in September 2017, so he never ended his days within the hospice but those short months gave him and, in turn, my mum so much that I wanted to do something to help St Barnabas.”

I was delighted when I heard that Tracey was doing the trek in memory of Richard. I first met Richard not long after he started attending the Day Hospice as he was very keen to share his story to help promote St Barnabas House and its services.

Over the following weeks I came into regular contact with Richard, who whenever I saw him came across as a true gentleman and a popular man in Day Hospice. He spoke with such openness and honesty when sharing his story with me.

I was sad to hear of Richard’s sudden passing, just days before Hospice Care Week when we had planned to share his story.

Thankfully, with the blessing of his family and as per Richard’s wishes, we were still able to share his story after he died.

Caption: Tracey (left) taking part in her fundraising lungeathon

Tracey is doing really well with her fundraising. She has raised an amazing £2,352 of her £3,000 target so far, helped by her recent “lungeathon” where, together with a team of friends, family and people she had never met before, she walk lunged 66km. I’m told that’s the length of the PW Physique & Fitness studio 5,500 times, which must have been some feat!

Since joining the gym, Tracey says she has lost two stone and found a love for exercise!

If you’d like to sponsor Tracey you can do so by making a donation to her JustGiving page which can be found here: www.justgiving.com/tracey-shaughnessy.

Trekkers have been coming up with some really fun and unique ideas to raise funds so far. One recent event which was a real success was Fiona Walsh’s ‘Tea and Tarts’ party which raised nearly £1,000, taking her well over her £5,000 target!

Caption: Fiona Walsh (left) and her friend Debbie Darling who attends the Day Hospice

Hosted in a friend’s garden, Fiona said the party was an opportunity to “drink tea, eat cake, and maybe some Pimms and fizz too” – sounds like inspiration for a Big Get Together this summer I think!

Fiona is doing the Dalai Lama India Trek in honour of her friend, Debbie Darling, who attended the Day Hospice at St Barnabas when needed during illness.

When she heard Fiona was taking part, Debbie said: “I’m really chuffed that you will be raising funds for St Barnabas because I know from personal experience just what a wonderful hospice it is. Hospices help you to live your life fully and not just give up and die.

“The staff are kind, caring, supportive and dedicated to making end of life experience as positive as it can be. I'm fortunate that at the minute my cancer appears to be stable, but it is tough at times knowing that it won't always be like this, and everyone at St Barnabas has been truly ace!”

To sponsor Fiona, visit her JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fiona-walsh8

Other upcoming fundraising events include Katie Barrett’s clothes swap on Sunday 24 June from 11:30am to 3:30pm at the Warren Room, East Preston and Kingston Village Hall. Katie works as a Nursing Assistant at St Barnabas House.

As well as fundraising, many of my fellow trekkers have been taking part in training walks to improve their fitness and prepare for the big one in October.

Caption: India trekkers taking part in a training walk near Pulborough

On Sunday 22 April we had our first official group training walk as 17 of us trekked a route around Pulborough. It was a really good opportunity to socialise and get to know some of our fellow trekkers who we had never crossed paths with before.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather either. Here’s to hoping the next one from Arundel on Sunday 22 July is just as hot and sunny!

That’s all for now until my next blog, but if  you need any help with fundraising for St Barnabas House, please don’t hesitate to contact to get in touch with our Fundraising Team on 01903 254777 or email fundraising@stbh.org.uk.

Thank you for reading!

Join Museum Curator Emma Walder in conversation with Photographer Julia Horbaschk for a unique talk this July 

Worthing Museum curator Emma Walder and photographer Julia Horbaschk are
holding a public talk on Saturday 28th July to support the museum’s celebrated
exhibition “Safe European Home?” in which Julia’s work features.
 
The ‘in conversation’ session will focus on the story behind the museum’s
archive of letters and paintings, while outlining the ‘making of’ Julia’s body of
work “Labour of Love” which looks at Eastern European migrant workers and
their status in the UK.
 
“Labour of Love” complements an exhibition that serves as a tribute to the
extraordinarily talented and inventive local artist Damian Le Bas who
unexpectedly died in December 2017.
 
The exhibition features Damian’s work and that of his wife, Delaine, as well as
paintings by friend Alex Michon.
 
“I am delighted to be included in the show,” said Julia. “By holding the sessions
with the Museum’s curator we’ll reveal fascinating stories from the archive and
explore how my work evolved in light of current Brexit negotiations.”
 
‘Safe European Home?’ which Damian and his wife Delaine have been
showing throughout Europe since 2011, encompasses their broader protest
against the phantom of fascism they believe to be stalking the continent.
 
First shown outside the parliament building in Vienna in 2011, ‘Safe European
Home?’ comes back to the artists’ home town in Worthing and with this show
they have opened it up to involve two artists working on similar themes.
 
“I'm literally putting Gypsies on the map”, Damian Le Bas would say of his
cartographic representations of Europe.
 
The title itself is taken from a Clash song, a band well known for taking an active
anti-fascist stance. Refusing to be history-blind, the pioneering work serves as a
timely wake-up call to remind us that the human soul has no borders.
 
”Safe European Home?” Runs until 13th October 2018 at Worthing Museum.
Art and installation by Delaine and Damian Le Bas and Alex Michon, photo installation by Julia Horbaschk.      

For further information visit worthingmuseum.co.uk or call Worthing Museum on 01903 221 448.

Public speaking workshop in Brighton: Learning from standup comedy: July 24

Newly launched adult ed organisation Yurt Academy is offering a workshop for those who would like to improve their public speaking and presentation skills and confidence, run by Gerry Thompson of Positive Comedy Training.

Details:

Tuesday July 24th 2018 18.00 to 2100, Brighton
To book a place, visit https://yurtacademy.com/event/public-speaking-and-presentation-learning-from-standup-comedy/#session-landing
Discount offer:
15% Off first session: use code: YURT2018LAUNCH

About Yurt Academy:

Yurt Academy has just launched in Brighton, and will be opening soon in London and elsewhere. It’s about the sharing of ideas on culture and society, and offering personal and professional nourishment to ignite a passion for knowledge and life-long learning. For further info visit https://yurtacademy.com or contact the founder Alex Pearson at alex@yurtacademy.com

About Gerry Thompson and Positive Comedy Training:

Gerry Thompson is an Irish standup comedian and public speaking coach who has run Positive Comedy for 20 years – helping people develop speaking and communication skills, by learning from how standup comedians do it. Gerry has coached many thousands of individuals and companies in speaking and presentation.

Contact Gerry by visiting http://www.positivecomedy.com
or email info@positivecomedy.com, or call 07986 561 860

About the workshop:

Just about everyone needs to be able to speak in public or make a professional presentation – whether it’s a regular work requirement, or perhaps just the occasional one-off such as a speech at a wedding. Either way, it can be a very challenging experience – about 60% of the population suffers from Glossophobia or fear of public speaking.

In this workshop we explore how the techniques used by standup comedians can help with this challenge, enabling us to be both more confident and more effective. After all, standups are extraordinary speakers/presenters, often in the most challenging of circumstances – so they must know a thing or two about overcoming the difficulties involved. 

What you will get from the session:

• How to engage with an audience
• How to build confidence and overcome nerves or anxiety
• How to structure a talk or presentation
• How to begin well, and how to end well
• How to generate and use appropriate humour to enhance your impact and memorability
• How to think on your feet, respond to unexpected developments, & turn disaster into advantage
• The importance of being yourself

Conquer Mount Snowdon for St Barnabas House For the first time ever St Barnabas House is taking a team of trekkers to hike Mount Snowdon on 8 September 2018 and, as if this wasn’t enough, the team aim to reach the summit as the sun sets and then descend in darkness with head torches lighting the way! This amazing group of trekkers will raise at least enough money to pay for two whole days of all the care services provided by St Barnabas House at the hospice and in the community.

Trekking Mount Snowdon (1,085m) during the daytime forms a great adventure, but trekking to its summit for sunset and descending in the dark brings another exciting element to this famous trek.

The challenge will begin at St Barnabas House with coach transfers to Llanberis, North Wales where trekkers will have lunch and briefing before starting the 5-7 hour ascent along the Llanberis Path. The team aim to summit as the sun sets and witness the amazing views across Snowdonia National Park before descending through the night. The hike should finish around midnight where trekkers will celebrate with breakfast and a glass of bubbly, before travelling through the night back to Worthing on Sunday arriving 24 hours after they began their challenge. If you would like to join the team and take on the Snowdon Sunset Trek you only have a few weeks left to register! Seeing the sunset from the summit of Mount Snowdon will be a memory never forgotten! **Registration closes 20 July** If this challenge isn't for you why not forward this email to a friend who you think might be interested? And make sure you check the St Barnabas House website where we have details of all our events so you can find a challenge that appeals to you.

Growing Communities scheme benefits residents and our green spaces.

A scheme that helps residents with their wellbeing through work, rest and play in our green spaces is going from strength to strength.

Growing Communities, a sometimes literally groundbreaking project, has now worked with scores of residents in Northbrook in Worthing and Eastbrook in Fishersgate, helping them to thrive in open spaces and take control of their environment.

Woodland maintenance, Green Gyms, community orchard growing, wildlife walks, Tai Chi,  and gardening are just some of the projects a growing number of local residents are joining to improve their own wellbeing and also enhance the local environment.

The Growing Communities scheme is run by a national group The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) with support from Adur and Worthing Councils who have donated officer time, land and buildings. It has been primarily funded by the Big Lottery Fund to the tune of £660,000 for its three-year life span.

Now Growing Communities is reaching out to even more citizens of Northbrook and Eastbrook asking them to come and join their neighbours in really making things happen.

Growing Communities’ Engagement Officer Gwenn Parker-Tregoat said, “My main duty is to engage the community and work out what they would like to do and how they can make it happen. The best way for people to engage is to turn up to an event which has already been organised, see whether they like it and hopefully embrace the benefits of it.

“So I’m asking everyone in the communities to get in touch with me to find out what we can do for them or just come along and join in,” says Gwen who runs a drop-in sessions every Tuesday where people can come and share ideas for projects and activities.

For example at Whitebeam Woods in Northbrook a team is currently working on the ground, finding small pockets in the undergrowth, turning the soil, a process called scalloping, so that wildflowers can begin to grow.

At Longcroft Park, the Growing Communities project is helping with a scheme involving Hawthorns Primary School and The Pines adult day care centre to build a community orchard.

In Eastbrook, with the help of Growing Communities, local residents have set up the Eastbrook Explorers offering walks everyone can join from the very young to the elderly. On their seafront ‘walk on wheels’ some children came on roller skates and elderly residents joined on their mobility scooters.

Every Thursday at Eastbrook Manor Community Centre, Growing Communities also runs a Gardening Tots group for mothers and under fives, and also a Green gym.

Growing Communities Operations Leader John Haigh said, “Local communities identify what projects we are going to deliver, we then work with them to deliver that project. The aim is that once funding runs out, we have ensured that local people have got the skills and capabilities to carry this on, and see the value of carrying this on which is the most important thing.”

Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing at Adur District Council, Cllr David Simmons,  said, “The projects are examples of people coming together to put their local area on the map. With the help of TCV and the council, they become really impressive community assets which we hope will continue once funding ends. Self-sufficiency is the end goal and the community in Eastbrook should be proud of how it is doing.”

Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Digital and Environmental Services, Cllr Edward Crouch said, “ I’m delighted we are supported this excellent project. It has been proved that people’s wellbeing is improved working or taking part in leisure activities out together in the environment.

“It also helps break down isolation which is a real issue. It’s just great to come out and see these people enjoying working in these woods and we get the benefit with the improvement on these green spaces.”

To find out how to get involved with Growing Communities or to share your ideas for projects and activities, for Northbrook, see Gwenn at the drop-in sessions every Tuesday between 9.30am - 12 noon at Durrington Community Centre, 2 Romany Road.

For Eastbrook, drop-in sessions run every Wednesday between 1pm - 3pm at the Meet In Place on Laylands Road, and Thursday at Eastbrook Manor Community Centre between 9.30am and 12 noon.

 

To find out more about Growing Communities go to a new Facebook page here, and also view their webpage here. Alternatively Gwenn can be contacted at gwenn.parker-tregoat@tcv.org.uk