Your Town and Parish Council News - September 2020

Help Keep West Sussex Safe

We are continuing our ‘Keep West Sussex Safe’ campaign as case numbers continue to rise across the county. The campaign aims to encourage residents, businesses and communities to follow government guidelines to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus in West Sussex and therefore reduce the need for local lockdown restrictions. As part of the West Sussex Local Outbreak plan, on our website you'll also find a weekly testing update report for West Sussex, which is broken down into district and borough areas.            

A Keep West Sussex Safe communications pack is also available that contains advice, key messages, social media posts, a digital poster and information about materials in other languages. You can access the toolkit on our dedicated COVID-19 website section.

Please use the resources yourselves and share it with your councillors, local community groups and organisations. If you need any further information about the toolkit or the campaign materials please email communications@westsussex.gov.uk

Thank you for your support as we try to do all we can to prevent the spread of the virus in West Sussex.

Back to school with confidence

Please help us share a new webpage which has been created to help West Sussex children, their families and carers feel ready and confident to get back to school.

The Back to School resource has videos, guidance and key information on the changes put in place to keep all pupils and staff safe.

There is information on going back to school in a bubble, transport and mealtimes as well as support with exam results, emotional wellbeing and for children with additional needs. The page includes a video from pupils who went back to school last term reassuring those who might be feeling nervous about some of the changes they will experience.

Cycleways - update

Chichester’s pop-up cycleway is now open. Would-be cyclists are being encouraged to leave the car at home and to try the cycleway for themselves. Tell us what you think in our survey. There are seven government-funded temporary cycleways planned for West Sussex. They are an emergency response to increase travel options as part of the Government-led recovery plan from COVID-19 and will create safe space for active travel and encourage people to cycle rather than use the car.

Rural broadband boost with Gigabit Voucher Scheme

Thank you to all town and parish councils who have contacted us so far about the West Sussex Gigabit Voucher Scheme – there has been lots of interest.The scheme provides extra money for gigabit-capable broadband for residents and businesses in rural areas. Please help raise awareness of the scheme and connect together interested individuals in your area. If you are aware of residents/businesses who would like to improve their broadband, we would still like to hear from you.

Project funding available to community groups 

The County Council’s Community Initiative Funding (CIF) window is now open to organisations seeking financial support to deliver local projects from October and November. We need your help to reassure groups that CIF funding will continue to be awarded remotely, should the autumn round of County Local Committees not be held in person. The process for submitting applications to the Micro Fund and crowdfunding pitches, via West Sussex Crowd, still applies. The deadline to upload a project idea to the Crowd and submit a crowdfunding pitch is Thursday 1 October. To request paper copies of the poster promoting this funding round, please email talkwithus@westsussex.gov.uk

Record Office and your local library reopen

All 36 West Sussex Libraries are now open, having closed earlier this year because of the Covid-19 outbreak. New safety measures are in place and libraries have opened with reduced opening hours for the time being. Your local library opening hours are on the library door and in this link. The ‘Select and Collect’ service is still available and libraries are offering a limited IT service – these one-hour sessions will need to be booked in advance by phoning or visiting your local library.

The West Sussex Record Office, Chichester, has also reopened its doors to the public after months of being closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Record Office Searchroom is now open two days a week (Tuesday and Wednesday) for pre-booked appointments in the morning (9.30 am to 12 noon) or afternoon (2pm to 4.30pm). All visitors must pre-book a slot via email and pre-order documents to allow for a 72 hour quarantine.

How can we help you?

Are there any county issues that you need more information about, any toolkits or communications assets that would help you? If you need more info or have any questions about the articles in this edition, please email us at: 

townandparishcouncilnews@westsussex.gov.uk

Special Recognition Volunteer Award: nominations now open

The High Sheriff of West Sussex has launched a unique award to celebrate residents who have shown exceptional acts of kindness during the coronavirus pandemic. The Special Recognition Volunteer Award is aimed at any resident in West Sussex who has acted in a voluntary capacity throughout lockdown and beyond.

Nominations can come from those who have either received support or have observed a volunteer doing great things for others. To be eligible for the award, the following criteria needs to be met:

• the candidate must demonstrate outstanding voluntary activity in the community to support individuals or groups;
• the candidate has shown selfless acts of thoughtfulness and kindness;
• the candidate’s voluntary acts have benefited the community, particularly during the pandemic;
• the nominator must demonstrate why the care given has been so remarkable and special.

All individuals who are nominated will be acknowledged and those that are successful will receive a special certificate. If restrictions are lifted, they will also be invited as special guests to join the High Sheriff at a prestigious celebration event in 2021. The closing date for the award is Wednesday 30 September. Nominations are open now and the nomination forms can be requested by email to: hswestsussex2020@icloud.com

Our latest communication campaigns 

Take a look at four of our latest communication campaigns:  

• Keep West Sussex Safe
• Change a life with foster care
• Jobs in care
• Back to School

Feel free to share these links, and the information contained within, to help keep your residents updated and informed. 

Have your say on local issues that affect you

Have your say on matters that affect you and your local communities - and get your residents to do the same - by visiting our Have Your Say Consultation Hub. From major road schemes and Joint Area Action Plans, to premises licence applications and safeguarding in our schools; we want to hear your residents' views to help shape future policy and decisions.

Go to the Have Your Say Consultation Hub for details of all of our current consultations.

Your Voice: The People's Panel

Alternatively, encourage your residents to join Your Voice: The People's Panel where they'll be regularly consulted about a number of important local issues. Once registered they'll receive links to surveys, reports and outcomes and occasionally links to other public surveys.

Find out more information and subscribe here.