Putting a price on it
Please remember that you now need Photo ID to vote in person at the polling station. If you do not have an acceptable form of ID you can get a free Voter ID Certificate from CDC or register for a postal vote. Details in the link.
You might also like to watch this video from CDC’s elections team.
Last week we shared some important information from WSCC because our county has a higher than average percentage of people aged over 50, and this figure is set to increase further in the coming years: -
West Sussex Connect To Support is for anyone looking for support to maintain their independence, manage day-to-day tasks and improve their health and wellbeing.
The West Sussex Care Guide provides advice on improving health and wellbeing and information to support people to live as independently as possible. It includes information about the different care options available and the organisations which provide support.
Carers Support West Sussex offers a range of support services and free information, advice and guidance to unpaid carers aged 18 or older.
The Carewise care funding scheme helps you and your family make informed decisions on paying for long-term care. Book a free consultation and receive specialist independent financial advice from trusted advisors.
Scammers are imitating HMRC in fake tax refund emails, the Government has warned.
Please remember Citizens Advice also offer this online scam checker tool.
Let's use WhatsApp impersonation scams to illustrate things better. Criminals impersonate people you know and trust – even members of your own family. They’ll send a WhatsApp or message pretending to be a loved one. The message will come from a new, unknown number claiming that their old phone is broken or lost. They’ll go on to ask for money to buy a new phone or to pay an urgent bill. They criminal want you to act straight away, so they’ll tell a story to try and push you to take urgent action. Don't! Always speak to the person before making any payments, either face to face or by calling their old number - your money is at risk.
The Cross Market and More returns this Sunday between 10am to 4pm. It will also be back on 9 July (to coincide with the Summer Street Party), 15 October and 19 November.
Meanwhile it’s Selsey’s Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, in the Selsey Centre, at 6.30pm, where they will be celebrating our army of greatly valued volunteers.
Donna and Val are pleased with their progress in setting up a Youth Council in Selsey following another positive meeting at The Academy on Monday. The students are looking to elect a Chairperson and are designing their own logo. Donna finds them a treasure trove of information and ideas which are valuable to tap into. They already have an idea for their first campaign.
This month sees Councils doing a bit of ‘mopping up’ as May’s elections draw near and the legally required period of purdah starts in early April. The last ordinary Full CDC Meeting is coming up on the 21st, but Donna and I had the Budget Special on Tuesday at which our District’s Council Tax from April was finalised. The team is pleased that Selsey Town Council’s Band D precept is roughly two thirds of CDC’s, half the Police and Crime Commissioner’s and significantly less than a tenth of WSCC’s.
The latest on your Council Tax bill, wherever you live in our District, is here.
Regrettably the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Meeting this week has been cancelled because our Police and Crime Commissioner has declined to appear. This is particularly regrettable considering the large increase in their part of our Council Tax. I also wanted to ask her about the poor visible presence on the Peninsula, and share concerns about parking too near to the zebra crossing in Selsey’s High Street, and speeding in Manor Road, Selsey. Donna has just launched a community petition requesting WSCC install traffic calming measures there, something that needs her support as the local County Councillor to even be considered. Hard copies will be popping up in various places around Sesley but if getting to one when they are open might prove problematic, we may be able to bring a copy over for you to sign while we wait.
ChatGPT meanwhile has picked 12 must-visit places in “Scenic Sussex.”
On a more cautionary note, Norovirus levels are the highest in a decade.
It was Food Waste Action Week recently so with the cost of living crisis it seems appropriate to share their advice on how you can save time and money by making the most of the food you buy. Staying with saving on waste, it’s almost Mother’s Day: if you want to save on waste and get creative, homemade gifts and cards show you care and mean no plastic packaging. Alternatively, opt for a houseplant instead of flowers, as they last longer and produce less waste. If you're receiving this Mothers Day, flowers can be composted once they have done the job and leftover paper and cards from presents and cards can be recycled in your at-home recycling bin.
Wednesday was No Smoking Day so here is the full list of Stop Smoking services in West Sussex.
Wednesday was also International Women's Day, so in case you missed Donna's post, "Today is International Women's Day - a day when we celebrate women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. It’s a day when we challenge inequality, inequity and increase visibility. I'm no feminist but it's still largely still a patriarchy in politics, such attitudes have not been entirely consigned to the past and only some 24% of parliamentary seats globally, are occupied by women. In 1974, it was said that women are seldom seen as 'political actors' but are used as pawns in the 'political manoeuvres of men'. I don't think that's the case anymore, but we certainly still come up against outdated views. So, to all women out there who are holding families together, caring for relations or friends, those who have or are still contributing to our country's economic or social wellbeing, International Women's Day is for you. We've come a very long way."
It also seems appropriate to share advice about empowering women to stay safe online:
Do not respond or express a reaction to the perpetrator or those responsible for spreading the abuse, as this will only provoke further incidents including spontaneous intimidation.
Block the perpetrator and those spreading the violence.
If the violence takes the form of intimate content shared online, report it to the website or social media platform concerned, request that it is removed and the offending user blocked.
Report online bullying, image-based abuse or other forms of online abuse to police and the platform where it appears.
These links should prove to be of particular help:
Many of you may watch ITV’s Coronation Street, and will recall the recent story of a teenage character being groomed by extremists. What was interesting was that some of his friends and neighbours could have helped prevent this had they spoken up. It is worth remembering that we can all help prevent radicalisation and extremism by acting early, as Action Against Terrorism explain.
CDCl is moving forward with a project to refurbish five public conveniences across our District. The project, which is expected to involve an investment of around £700,000, will focus on five sites that have been chosen based on a variety of factors. These include public and partner feedback, as well as the level of use. The public conveniences that have been identified for refurbishment are: Priory Park, Chichester; East Beach, Selsey; Tower Street, Chichester; Bosham Lane, Bosham; and Market Road, Chichester. We are pleased to see East Beach on that list as Tim, Donna and STC have been raising issues regarding the state of the East Beach Conveniences for some time.
It is still a bit early for us to tell you about what we are doing in May's elections as we have more residents wishing to join us - which we are very pleased about. We know that many of you hope we can stand more candidates than in 2019, particularly for CDC, but it is not cheap to fight elections and unlike the national parties we are totally self-funding. Thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging.
Finally: -
As always, from the whole Team, stay safe.
Tim
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