Councillor Becky Francomb

River Ouse free citizen 'Ecology 101' training opportunity


Would you like to learn new skills and get involved in a 'citizen science' project dedicated to the River Ouse?

Love Our Ouse are running a series of one-day training courses entitled 'River Ecology 101' which are free and open to all residents.

The skills you learn will enable you to complete a survey of a stretch of the river of your choice. You will contribute to a body of knowledge and evidence generated by the community.

The course is for any local people aged 16 and over with an interest in taking action for the future benefit of the Ouse. No previous training or experience is necessary.

Training sessions will take place on the following days:
• Sunday 14th April 2024 – Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park
• Sunday 21st April 2024 – Linklater Pavilion, Railway Land, Lewes
• Newhaven training TBC in June – details will be shared on the Love Our Ouse website soon

Love Our Ouse are offering FREE community River Ecology 101 training sessions in April!

The course will enable you to complete a baseline river survey, access resources and monitor a stretch. Nominate a site you would like to investigate and help us build a community of knowledge & evidence.

Available dates
Sunday 14th April 2024 – Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park
Sunday 21st April 2024 – Linklater Pavilion, Railway Land, Lewes
Newhaven training TBC in June – we will circulate details soonThe course is for one day and will run from 10am to 4pm.

The day will include time in a training room and out on the riverbank (river level and weather permitting).

Booking is required and spaces are limited, so register now by visiting: loveourouse.org/citizen-science-101-training

The project has been supported by funding from Ouse Valley Climate Action and the National Lottery Community Fund.

Citizen Science 101 training – Love Our Ouse The course will enable you to complete a baseline river survey, access resources and monitor a stretch. Nominate a site you would like to investigate and help us build a community of knowledge & evidence.

East Sussex is home to wondrous and iconic wildlife including internationally rare habitats and species. But like the rest of the UK, nature in Sussex urgently needs our help.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new approach to help us do that, and everyone in Sussex can take part. Find out how to get involved at the link below:
https://sussexnaturerecovery.org.uk/

Electrical recycling - Where to recycle & donate - Recycle Your Electricals Electrical recycling near me. Put your postcode in our recycling locator to find local drop-off points to recycle or donate your electricals.

Great news about the planned local investment, well done Councillor Emily O'Brien for keeping the pressure up! 👏🙏

Lots of fabulous stuff going on at the Mecread Centre!

Mercread's Newsletter! March 24's Edition First of all, a big thank you for signing up and supporting our charity! What can you find in our Newsletter you ask? An update on our Youth Clubs activities but also our coming plans. Our centre is also used by a variety of local groups so we’d like to give them a shout out in here as well. So le...

Great news for our local residents and the environment. 👏

Seahaven Swim and Fitness Centre in Newhaven has given a boost after Lewes District Council successfully secured £149,650 from the Swimming Pool Support Fund.

The money is part of a £20 million national fund being delivered by Sport England for energy efficiency savings at swimming pools in response to increased operating costs.

Seahaven Swim and Fitness Centre has been awarded £109,650 towards Photo Voltaic (PV) panels for heating the water and £40,000 for pool covers.

Councillor Johnny Denis, Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Leisure, said: “Our swimming pools play a key part in helping residents of all ages to keep healthy in body and mind, so I welcome this funding for at least one of our pools.

“I look forward to these energy saving efficiencies being installed, bringing environmental benefits and helping to bring down operating costs which have risen sharply due to increases in energy bills.”

Duncan Kerr, CEO of Wave Active, which operates the site added:“ This is great news and a significant contribution to the sustainability of the site due to the reduced energy costs and CO2 emissions.”

Hello - below you'll see some information on free workshops taking place at Lewes Football Club on Tuesdays between April and June.

Scan the QR Code or call the number to book.

Many thanks

Tenant Involvement

Great news for tenants and great news for the environment. Congratulations to our excellent LDC officers for securing this funding.

Lewes District Council has announced it will invest nearly £2.7 million in decarbonising 267 council homes, supported by a £2 million grant from the government.

The government grant was part of a consortium bid with Eastbourne Borough Council.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund invited applications for grant funding to help the council meet its target of net zero carbon by 2030.

The announcement follows an in-depth study by council officers that looked at the most realistic decarbonisation solutions, such as retrofitting eligible homes to improve their energy performance.

Councillor Zoe Nicholson, Leader of Lewes District Council, said: "I'm delighted but not surprised that our excellent bid was received so positively.

"To now have nearly £5 million to invest in this critically important work is very exciting for us all.

"Our progress to reduce carbon emissions in the district is very encouraging and this project will help accelerate the gains we are making."

In November 2023, the council reported a 16.8% reduction in carbon emissions from 2018/19 and a 13.8% reduction in fleet emissions.

With the help of this grant funding, the council will reduce the carbon footprint of local council homes by implementing affordable retrofits, subject to their eligibility. By simply upgrading windows, doors and draughtproofing to the highest standards, a 20% reduction in energy use is possible.

Councillor Mark Slater, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: "Decarbonising our housing stock has so many benefits for everyone. It reduces our impact on the planet and brings down energy bills. At a time when so many people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, this is a win win.

"I'm hugely grateful to all the officers who worked so hard to prepare the bid. Their research has revealed the most efficient and cost-effective ways in which we can reduce the carbon footprint of our homes."

Are you a creative business in Sussex?

Create South East is here to champion investment in the creative sector and encourage businesses in their growth through our business support programme.

Create South East is free to businesses and offers strategic workshops, expert mentorship, and networking opportunities to help you get your business investment ready.

To be eligible for our programme you must be a registered commercial creative business, operating in Sussex.

The first application deadline for the final cohort is Tuesday 16 of April at 12pm.

To apply or find out more head to https://buff.ly/40CGzRk

Find out all the details about our upcoming screenings in and from our website - tickets are going fast, so book up to avoid disappointment! (links to booking are included on this webpage): https://walkthechalk.org/documentary/

We have a really exciting opportunity for an experienced planning professional to join our team at STC and really get involved with helping the Town Council in its role with protecting and shaping the town 🏘️🌲🛣️ View our website for full details and how to apply: https://www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/vacancies/

Europe is not prepared for the rapidly growing climate risks it faces, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has said in its first risk assessment.

Europe unprepared for rapidly growing climate risks, report finds Dangers of wildfires, extreme weather and other factors outgrowing preparedness, European Environment Agency says

Join us in Newhaven on Wednesday 13 March for a Community Advice Drop-in!

Our Neighbourhood First team will be working with East Sussex Fire and Rescue to provide help and advice on:

• The cost of living support, claiming pension credit and other benefits
• Accessing health care services
• Accessing food
• Home safety information
• Energy saving

🗓️ Wednesday 13 March
⌚️ 9.30am - 12.30pm
📍 Newhaven Community Fire Station, Saxon House - https://buff.ly/3X9Gz8P

No need to book, just drop in to chat to the teams.

Our new recycling, refuse and food waste collection rounds begin from today! Please refer to your new collection calendar from today and please put your bins out by 6am on your collection days.

You can download a copy of your calendar from www.environmentfirst.co.uk

We also begin the first phase of our roll-out of refuse wheelie bins from today, starting in rural parts of the district. Our crews will be delivering new refuse bins to the villages in phase 1.

To find out more or to request a particular size bin, visit:
lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/wheeliebins

Don't forget, we now collect food waste separately from refuse (but still on the same day), so please leave your bins out until they have both been emptied, which will be at different times of the day.

To join our food waste scheme or find out where to pick up a free roll of food caddy liners visit: lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/foodwaste

*UPDATE*

Until you have your new refuse bin, please continue to put your waste out in black sacks or your usual bin and these will be collected as normal.

For information on ordering a new bin and downloading a copy of your collection calendar, visit https://www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/wheeliebins

𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻!

Do you know of anyone who has gone above and beyond for the community of Seaford?

Seaford Town Council is pleased that it will once again facilitate the Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday 30th April 2024 where the Mayor’s Awards will be presented. Full details can be found at www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/community/nominations-for-the-2024-mayors-awards-are-now-open

There’s no such thing as a typical day at Pells Pool - that’s what makes the role so special. Here, you could be doing anything from lifeguarding the pool and setting up the kiosk or seating areas, feeding the local ducks who come to visit, serving locally roasted coffee from the kiosk, and checking everything is perfect for our customers.

If interested please contact us through our email -
pellspool.org.uk

Or apply through this link -
https://uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=49d26fd3c18cf094

We are seeking a Retirement Housing Advisor to join our team.

This is an exciting role where no two days are the same and you will need to enjoy working with people and be keen to play a key role in improving the lives and independence of our tenants.

This role requires the candidate to be multi skilled, managing a range of tenancy related tasks, you should have experience in managing tenancies within the social housing sector or similar transferable skills.

The post holder will manage all aspects of housing management in retirement housing and be expected to work flexibly across all the Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough areas.

Salary: £24,286 - £30,816
Hours: 37 hours a week
You must have a full driving license and have your own vehicle to use for work.

Applications close at 12 noon on Thursday 7 March, find out more and apply at https://buff.ly/49pBQ9K

Our U11 Girls are recruiting new players if you know anyone who would be interested please contact the coaches on flyer

📢 Has your business been trading for less than 3 years? You could even have just started-up…

If you want to grow and need some support, don’t miss this great opportunity to receive some fantastic freebies and invaluable business advice!

The Ready To Grow programme has just launched and is hitting the Lewes District first…

🔸 Free series of workshops on a range of topics including finance, marketing, HR, strategy...
🔸 Free 1:1 support and mentoring from a business advisor

And, if you come along to the Content Event in Lewes on 20 March between 12 and 3pm, you could be one of the lucky ones to get a:

🔸 Free Headshot Photo
🔸 Free Promo Video (15-30 second clip of you talking about your business)

And, whether you make it or not, you could be in with a chance of winning

🔸 a free 1 page website with domain and hosting for 6 months!

If you think this all sounds like a no-brainer (which it is!), you can get your name down via this Eventbrite link (link in bio) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ready-to-grow-free-content-event-lewes-tickets-840221293507

To find out more about the Ready To Grow programme, click over to the East Sussex Business Hub - https://eastsussexbusinesshub.mn.co/ . Join up and book in a chat 😃

Please share to spread the word with your fellow Lewes-area entrepreneurs - thanks 🙏

How come all this is free?

Well, there is funding from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund that is being used to support businesses like yours. Gavin McWhirter from Digital Islands is delivering the programme, in conjunction with East Sussex County Council, Wealden, Rother and Lewes District Councils and Eastbourne Borough Council.

Did you know that online renewals for our Garden Waste Collection service are now open?

Visit https://buff.ly/41TQhzN to renew your service before March 31, for collections from April 2024 to March 2025!