time to look ahead

Happy new year - we hope the Festive period brought you some joy and a well earned rest. It is many people’s favourite time; everything stops and the period between Christmas and New Year can feel like a week of Sundays. Not everyone has the luxury of the ‘twixmas’ period off, though - so thanks to all who continued to work throughout Christmas and New Year.

I collected some interesting reads over the holidays, none of which (in view of the cost of living crisis) are behind a paywall: -

• Parts of Sussex, based on burglary rates, are some of the safest places in England. 

• As its Veganuary, the story of how it began (less than a decade ago.) 

• More than 1 in 10 species could be lost by the end of century, a study has warned.

• Somewhere that might be on several peoples’ bucket lists, is a trip to Antarctica.

• Tangemere was the inspiration for an Alfred Hitchcock film.

• Slow Gardening In 2023: What Is It and How To Embrace It. 

More locally, in case you missed them: -

• St Richard’s is going to have a new, modular Outpatients built, and; -

• Bus fares will be capped at £2 for a few weeks.

• The SDNP fared well when The Express rated its readers favourite national parks.

• WSCC announced a new speed limit policy.

• Thorney Island is recommended for being a quiet beach worth braving the cold for. 

 

The start of the year is as good a time as any to remind you about the older person's bus pass. In our last post of 2022 we talked about looking back. Over the Festive period Donna shared this memory, "A few weeks ago we were queuing behind a young woman who was clearly struggling to find enough money to pay for her, very modest, shopping, so she asked that a carton of apple juice be put back. Straight away, our daughter offered to pay, although the lady concerned wouldn't hear of it. I was really pleased that our daughter offered to 'pay it forward' but mindful that we can all be victims of circumstance, and although asking and accepting help is hard, we can all need help with something, sometimes." It is no longer Christmas but please remember the foodbanks, and voluntary and council run organisations, e.g. the Supporting You Team at CDC on 01243 534860 and The Community Hub at West Sussex: 0330 22 27980. If you are in Selsey, the Town Hall can give you foodbank vouchers too. 

Life has resumed after the Festive pause: Donna had Planning at CDC this week, whilst I have Corporate Governance and Audit on the 9th and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 17th. Later this month, on the 24th and 31st, there are two Full CDCs: the 24th is a Special Meeting to consider the Local Plan, followed a week later by bi-monthly Ordinary Meeting. Town/parishes are back in action too, for instance Wednesday, the 11th, the next Full meeting of Selsey Town Council will take place. 

Even though last year was the warmest on record, Winter is far from over. If you are struggling with condensation or mould, plants people recommend include spider plants, sansevierias (snake plants) and peace lilies. You could also try filling a small bowl with baking soda and placing it on the window sill. 

The start of a new year is a time to look forward and hope for better times. There is a small glimmer of hope, with European natural gas prices dropping back to their pre-Ukraine war levels, but we are all aware that the overall picture could be much better than it is. Nearly everyone is struggling more than a year ago, and many families simply could not afford to meaningfully celebrate Christmas. This week's petition, appropriately, reminds us of an often forgotten group of unsung heroes who get paid very little, and calls for carers to be given a proper pay structure and better status. 

Because many of us start the year worried about our diet and general health, you might be interested to learn that Rheumatoid arthritis could be linked to gut bacteria. I also understand that there is other research into whether certain food dyes could be triggering IBD in children. 

In this vein, have you come across Oddbox who deliver wonky veg sourced direct from growers to your door? Even if you don’t want to buy from them, their website has an interesting blog and loads of free recipes you can try out.

West Sussex Youth Justice Service is looking for volunteers to support young people aged 10-17 years when they have been arrested and held in police custody. If you would like to find out more about what the role involves and how you could make a difference, please email volunteerunit@westsussex.gov.uk. 

Finally: - 

• CDC’s app

• Suicide in Sussex

• Help for local businesses

• Help for households

• WSCC's cost of living information

• Other suggestions from CDC

• Warmer Homes help site

• CDC Meetings

• WSCC

As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.

Tim