Sussex Magazines

People in Lewes District, Wealden District and Eastbourne Borough may wish to check the bus timetables as new operators come in to keep services going in the area.

From Sunday 20 May Compass Travel will be running a number of buses in the area including:

• 119, 123, 126, 128, 143, 145
• school journeys on 92A, 92B, 92C and 121.

The County Council sought out replacements for services in Lewes, Newhaven and Seaford after Renown Coaches gave notice to stop running some bus contracts for the Council. The bus company said the main reason for doing so was due to significant increases in fuel costs since they took on these contracts in 2009.

We wrote to consultees immediately before Christmas 2011 and asked for comments on the proposed replacement services. We are grateful to those who responded. Following this consultation and a competitive tendering process, the contract for taking over the majority of these Rider services was awarded to Compass Travel, funded by the County Council. The company will be taking delivery of six brand-new fully-accessible low-floor buses.

Cuckmere Community Bus has already taken over the 120 Seaford – Bishopstone service to an improved timetable.

Councillor Carl Maynard, Lead Cabinet Member for Transport & Environment, said: "We have been working to make sure these routes continue to serve Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford and Hailsham. Feedback from service users shows these buses are highly regarded so being able to keep very similar services with our limited budget is great news. If you use one of these routes, please check the new timetables for any changes to your bus times."

Check the new timetables at:

• Bus travel in East Sussex

Compass Travel has produced a new timetable booklet and timetables are also available in the latest Brighton & Hove Bus Company's "Bus Times".

A Creative Learning Centre in Crowborough that provides new ways of learning for teenagers has won a prestigious design award from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The Learning Centre was runner-up in the design and innovation category in the RICS Awards, ahead of major design projects from across the South East. The award was presented at an event at the Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water in Surrey on 3 May.

Based at Beacon Community College, the Creative Learning Centre is for young people aged 11 to 19 and includes new technologies to transform the way teenagers learn. Downstairs there is a central 3D cinema system and an immersive area with images on four walls and the floor. The building also has digital ‘vertables' onto which pictures and text can be projected and manipulated using a digital pen.

The building can also be used for teacher training, for pupils with special educational needs and by visiting schools, both primary and secondary. The Learning Centre is the main hub in a network of outreach centres based at other schools and colleges.

Councillor Keith Glazier, Deputy Leader of the County Council said: “We're delighted with the RICS award and really pleased that students are now using and benefiting from the Learning Centre. This accolade highlights the importance of innovative design which helps to provide a better environment and supports new ways of learning for our young people.”

The Learning Centre project was led by East Sussex County Council with construction carried out by Vinci Construction of Maidstone. Ramboll UK Ltd of London, ECE Architecture of Worthing and Brighton-based surveyors, Robinson Low Francis were part of the project team.

The Learning Centre has also been shortlisted for an award by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

This May East Sussex Library and Information Service will be holding health and wellbeing drop-ins across the Eastbourne area.

All of the sessions are free and will give library users and non-users alike the opportunity to pick the brains of an expert.

Sussex and Kent ME/CFS Society

• Eastbourne library, Friday 11 May, 11am to 1.30pm

The Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society is the registered charity that informs, supports and represents those affected by Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) across Sussex and Kent. If your life has been affected by ME or CFS stop by and have a chat.

The Arthritic Association

• Polegate library, Tuesday 15 May, 10am to 12 noon
• Willingdon library, Friday 18 May, 10am to 12 noon

The Arthritic Association will be on hand to offer information and advice on a drug free approach to dealing with arthritis.

'WELmind' drop-in events – please note, the events due to take place at Eastbourne Library on Thursday 17 May have had to be cancelled. We are hoping to re-schedule them for a later date. Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

For further information on any of these sessions please call 0345 60 80 196.

People with a curiosity about Hailsham in by-gone days are in for a treat. A free exhibition at Hailsham library contrasts present day images of local buildings and streets with those taken by Edward Isaac Baker, a prominent Victorian photographer who ran his business from a shop on the High Street.

To mark the centenary of Edward's death in 1912, Hailsham Photographic Society, Hailsham Historical Society and the library embarked on a one-year project to build a photographic record of Hailsham town centre between 2011 and 2012. The images replicate many of those from Edward's original collection taken between 1868 and 1886.

Edward ran a bookshop and stationers at 21 High Street and in 1868 installed photographic equipment to take portraits at one shilling a copy. After he emigrated to America in 1886 his friends and neighbours filled an album with his images of local buildings, landscapes and people spanning 30 years.

The album is now is possession of Susan Guhm, Edward's great grand-daughter, and are showcased on a website – The Photos of Edwin Isaac Baker. Some of these are included in the library display.

The exhibition runs until Saturday 2 June 2012 during library opening hours – see the Hailsham Library page for address and times.

Residents in the Eastbourne area who want to know more about the digital switchover are being invited to an information event later this month.

Television is going digital and East Sussex County Council will be joining with partners Age Concern, Digital UK and Action in Rural Sussex to help local people to get ready for the TV signal changes.

The information event takes place on Wednesday 16 May (10am to 4pm) at The William and Patricia Venton Centre – Age Concern, Junction Road, Eastbourne BN21 3QY.

• Digital TV Switchover Information Event

The existing analogue TV signal will be switched off and replaced with a new, stronger digital TV signal. The first part of this process for the majority of East Sussex is at the end of May, with a further stage in June.

Councillor Carl Maynard, Lead Member for Economy, Transport & Environment at the County Council said: “Our Trading Standards Officers are keen for people – especially older residents – to find out all they can about the switchover. Everyone attending the event will get all the information and advice they need for the switch from analogue to digital.

“We'll also be using the event to highlight our approved trader schemes – Buy with Confidence and Support with Confidence – which promote honest and reliable traders.”

You can find out more information about the switchover by visiting our page about Digital TV switchover.

For more general information about Trading Standards visit our section Trading Standards – help and advice for consumers.

Further information

Most of East Sussex will begin the process on 30 May when BBC2 is turned off the analogue signal. On 13 June the analogue signal will be turned off for good. Some parts of East Sussex, such as parts of Crowborough and Forest Row which receive from the Crystal Palace relay, have already gone digital.

Places like Rye and some parts of Hastings, which receive from the Dover transmitter, will follow the same process on 13 and 27 June. If people are not sure which transmitter they receive from they can check by going into the information captions that are sent to their television sets from the transmitter, as this will carry the dates that will affect them. However, the majority of East Sussex will be on the Heathfield and Hastings transmitters.

Have you ever wished you knew more about adoption and whether it might be right for you? An event organised by East Sussex County Council could give you the answers.

Recently rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, the Council's Adoption Service has organised another drop-in information event to give people the chance to pick the brains of staff and talk to parents who have adopted.

The event will be held at Uckfield Civic Centre from 11am to 2pm on Saturday 19 May and is the latest of a series of such events to recruit more adoptive parents across the county.

For the full list of events and to find out more, please see our main section:

• Adoption

Cllr Colin Belsey, Lead Member for Children and Families, said: “The atmosphere will be completely relaxed and informal. People will not only get the chance to quiz the team about what the adoption process involves but they'll also get the opportunity to chat to adoptive parents, who will be happy to talk about their experiences.”

Each year, East Sussex County Council places around 40 children, who cannot live with their birth families for a variety of reasons, with adoptive parents. These children range in age from babies to approximately eight years old.

Cllr Belsey said: “Ofsted recently inspected out Adoption Service and concluded it was outstanding across the board. That included the way we support and work with adoptive parents. So anyone coming along to the event on Saturday can know that they'll be talking to some of the best professionals in the business.”

He added that the County Council was constantly talking to adoptive parents and people who have been adopted to improve the process and the support it provides. He said: “The feedback we have from people that go through the adoption process is very positive.”

The Council is always looking for prospective adoptive parents to ensure the best possible placements are arranged for the children concerned and is urging anybody who might be interested in adopting to come along to the event.

Cllr Belsey added: “Adoptive parents come from various backgrounds and they have many reasons for wanting to adopt a child. But we don't expect people coming along to be sure this is what they want. We hope people will simply use this opportunity as a way of finding out more.”

A major conference on the future of adult social care took place in East Sussex last week.

More than 100 organisations attended, including independent care providers, voluntary and community groups, the NHS, the district and borough councils and user representative groups. Almost 200 people gathered from across the local care sector to discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

The audience heard from the Care Quality Commission, the Social Care Institute for Excellence, Skills for Care and the latest from the Department of Health on the major issues for national adult social care reform.

In his welcome, Keith Hinkley, the Council's Director of Adult Social Care, acknowledged the significant contribution that care providers make to the local economy as employers, as well as to people's quality of life. Afterwards he said:

“There are almost 20,000 people who use care services in East Sussex, including carers. We have to deal with the challenges of a difficult financial climate, an ageing population and a rising demand for services.

“This conference was an excellent opportunity to bring together all the key partners to discuss how we can respond to these challenges, by working together to ensure we provide social care in East Sussex that is fit for the future. Our dialogue with service providers is integral to achieving this”.

There was discussion on how things have already changed – with people in East Sussex now having more choice and independence in how they are cared for. There was also debate on what needs to be provided in the future to ensure that services continue to meet the needs of the community.

During the day there were several workshops looking at different issues in detail. Topics included how to deliver social care services, dealing with dementia, safeguarding vulnerable adults, working with a diverse population and delivering quality care at the end of life.

The conference also launched a blueprint for the future development of the social care market in East Sussex. This will help and guide businesses and organisations which provide adult social care services. The ‘2012 Market Position Statement' looks at local population trends, future demand for services and current supply – signalling areas for potential development and change. A start has been made by looking at services in three areas – older people, learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

More detailed information can be found here:

• Presentations from the 2012 Personalisation Conference for providers

Further information

The Personalisation Conference took place at the East Sussex National Golf Club, near Uckfield on 1 May 2012.

Presenters who gave keynote speeches were:

• Robert Templeton – Head of Transforming Adult Social Care, Social Care Institute for Excellence
• William Vineall – Deputy Director Operations, Department of Health
• Karen Stevens – Area Officer, Skills For Care
• Ian Biggs – Regional Director, Care Quality Commission.

Some examples of organisations that attended were:

• Horizons Community Learning Project
• Sussex Oakleaf
• Age UK (East Sussex)
• East Sussex Disability Association (ESDA)
• Southdown Housing Association
• Blind Veterans (previously St Dunstans)
• Greensleeves Home Trust
• Mencap
• Equal Access Consultancy
• The Lighthouse Rehab Centre – Alliance Medicare
• Autism Sussex
• People Inspiring People
• The Chaseley Trust
• Crossroads Care
• The Regard Partnership
• East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
• Skills For Care
• Home Start
• Support with Confidence
• Sussex College Hastings
• South Coast Ambulance Service
• SCIE – Social Care Institute for Excellence
• East Sussex Seniors' Association

Street lighting in East Sussex is changing… and the next in our series of events for you to tell us your views is taking place in Seaford.

We're proposing to turn off some street lights after midnight, reduce the number of lights in some streets and dim others between midnight and the early hours.

We know you're likely to have comments about this, so we're holding events across the county where you will be able to see detailed maps of your area.

The next event is in Seaford on Saturday 12 May. If you live, visit or work in the area, please come along to Downs Leisure Centre in Sutton Road between 9am and 1pm where a map of your street will be on display. There is free parking available.

You'll be able to tell us your thoughts and talk about any concerns you might have. All your comments will be considered before any final decisions are made.

If you can't make it to the leisure centre, you'll be able to find all the information and comment online between 12 May and 28 May:

• Street lighting in Seaford is changing

Information and comment forms will also be available at the temporary Seaford Library at Elm Court, Blatchington Road, and the town council offices at 37 Church Street.

Why are we doing this?

The extent of the savings we have to make over the next few years has been widely publicised and funding cuts of this scale mean we can't carry on providing all our services in exactly the same way.

We currently spend close to £1.4 million on electricity for our street lighting. Making these changes will help us save money by reducing our bill. It will also help us reduce our carbon emissions and protect the environment.

Councillor Carl Maynard, Lead Cabinet Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, said: "The pilot schemes in other areas seem to have been well-received by residents and businesses in the area, and the local police say there has been no increase in incidents reported to them. But we know each town or village will have different needs, so it is really important you come along, look at the proposals and talk through your comments with our staff."

Look out for an event in your area over the coming months. Dates for these are not yet confirmed, but we will give you plenty of notice.

The search for new foster carers returns to Hastings and St Leonards this month with the latest in a series of information and recruitment events organised by East Sussex County Council.

Staff from the Council's “outstanding” Fostering Service are urging anyone from the Hastings area who wants to find out more about caring for a child, to come along to the informal drop-in event.

Planned for the 10 May at the Azur Marina Pavilion in St Leonards the event is the latest in a series aimed at raising the profile of fostering and finding new families for children in care. The event starts at 5pm and finishes at 8pm.

Once again staff and foster carers from East Sussex County Council will be on hand at the event to speak to anyone who wants more information. The foster carers will also be available for a chat about what it means to be a carer.

The event will have information about all the different types of short term or permanent fostering, as well as fostering for parents and babies, and for disabled children.

Cllr Belsey, Lead Member for Children and Families, said: “This is the latest information and recruitment event and they really are informal occasions giving people the opportunity to have a chat with us about what's involved.

“Ofsted has rated our Fostering Service as outstanding so anybody coming along to the event knows they're going to be talking to first class professionals whose dedication to helping children is second to none.”

Cllr Belsey added that the children we care for come from all walks of life and from all kinds of backgrounds – so we need the same from our foster carers. The one thing they all have in common is to want to help children.

“These are children who need love and a safe and secure home. The challenges for foster families can be big but, talk to any foster carer and they will tell you, so are the rewards.” he said.

The St Leonards event is the fifth in a series of recruitment events being run by the County Council's Fostering Service throughout 2012. For further information about fostering, phone: 01323 747407 or visit our Fostering pages.

Grove Park Special School near Crowborough celebrated the official opening of a new hydrotherapy pool this Monday.

A special educational needs school, which caters for pupils with a whole range of physical and learning disabilities, Grove Park project-managed the build with £400,000 of funding from East Sussex County Council.

Construction work began back in Autumn last year, and the school has been closely involved in the progress of the build, ever since the ceremonial 'first dig' by some of its students in October.

Councillor Nick Bennett, Lead Member for Learning and School Effectiveness, for East Sussex County Council, said:

“I am very pleased to see this project come to fruition and the new pool open for pupils to use. It's a fantastic facility and having the pool on site means the pupils will be able to easily access this special facility and enjoy the many benefits that hydrotherapy has been proven to bring.

“The children will be able to exercise and improve muscle strength, balance and co-ordination by pushing against the resistance of the water, but as the water also supports them, they can practice their mobility without the fear of falling.”

Angie Wellman, Head of School at Grove Park, added: “Hydrotherapy enables staff and pupils to work closely together and develop relationships around trust and 'fun'. Developing the ability to communicate is fundamental to our children and hydrotherapy encourages eye contact, turn taking, and anticipation amongst many other skills. For those children with limited mobility, hydrotherapy gives them a unique opportunity to move freely and with whole body support.

”I would like to thank everyone from the local community who offered their support as well as those who worked directly on the project to make the new pool a reality.

“The school has raised over £50,000 to purchase specialist equipment and facilities for the pool. The hydrotherapy pool will be available to people in the local community with hydrotherapy needs for limited periods of time when the pool is not being used by the pupils.”

• Grove Park School

Further information

Hydrotherapy – a hydro pool is a specialist warm water pool used to provide therapeutic treatment to people who have physical problems or special needs. The immersion of all or part of the body helps facilitate movement, can provide pain relief, and can promote healing from injury.