Dogs Trust Shoreham’s Annual Open Day and Fun Dog Show is a great day out for all the family, two and four legged. There will be attractions such as a bouncy castle, other children’s rides and games, a raffle, a tombola, Dogs Trust merchandise for sale and refreshments including a beer tent. There will also be a Have-A-Go Agility contest and a Doggy Dash for your dogs. At Dogs Trust, Brighton Road, Shoreham by Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5LT on Sunday 25th May, 11:30am–4:00pm.
Latest News of Local Interest
Steyning Grammar events
Steyning Grammar will be celebrating 400 years of existence at the end of May with a variety of events including:
- 24th May: the opening of the Church Street School and grounds to the public with archive material relating to the school’s history on display;
- 24th-25th May: three performances each day of ‘Carvings, Corridors and Timbres’, a musical about the school, at the Church Street site;
- 26th–28th May: a heritage quilt will be on display in the Church of St Andrew and St Cuthman;
- 29th May: Janet Pennington will give a talk on ‘Steyning Grammar School, 400 Years of Education’ at 2:00pm in Bolton House;
- Until 31st August 2014: an exhibition titled ‘The Scholar’s Tale — 400 Years of Schooling in Steyning’ at Steyning Museum.
Further details about these and other events can be found here.
Upper Beeding Post Office
The West Sussex County Times reports:
A Post Office spokesman said: “We know how important having a post office is to residents in the village and we want to keep a post office in Upper Beeding. We are working with sub-postmasters to help them to develop the retail side of the businesses at their current or a new location, or for the current sub-postmaster to give up their Post Office and to receive compensation if the branch relocates to a suitable new operator at new premises.”
On Thursday the Post Office announced the launch of its £20 million ‘Community Branch Fund’ to help secure the long-term future of branches in remote villages that may be the last shop in the community. But Upper Beeding post Office will see none of this money as it is classified as a ‘local’ branch.
Steyning Country Fair at risk
The Shoreham Herald reports that the Steyning Country Fair may expire, absent new volunteers. Sounds like a good opportunity for a takeover bid from the Fulking Fair team.
Setting a benchmark
Trevor Beattie explains to the BBC how an overspend of £2.5m on a budget of £1.5m is ‘leading by example’ and ‘setting a benchmark’ for the National Park as a whole.
Fight back against fraudsters
Date: 6 May 2014
Press release number: PR5939
Residents across West Sussex are being urged to fight back against fraudsters as Scams Awareness Month officially launches this week with a focus on online swindles.
West Sussex County Council’s Trading Standards Service is supporting the national month long initiative and is warning people to be on their guard and look out for others who might fall victim to scammers.
New research from the Citizens Advice Bureaux has concluded that fraudsters are “picking the pockets” of up to four million people each year.
Fraud offences in England and Wales rose by 25% in 2013, compared to the previous year, with 207,252 cases reported to Action Fraud.
Moreover, Citizens Advice has calculated that up to four million people could be conned each year as many scams go unreported. West Sussex Trading Standards will look at phone scams, mail hoaxes and doorstep fraud during this month.
Lionel Barnard, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, which covers Trading Standards, said: “It’s so important that we raise awareness of scammers who prey on the most vulnerable members of our society, whether through the post, via the phone, over the Internet, email or a knock on the door.
“Scammers employ very clever and persuasive tactics to snare their victims so it’s vital residents are made aware and are advised who they can contact to report a scam or for help if they are a victim of a scam.”
Online shopping and auction scams was the biggest single fraud type with almost 40,000 recorded cases nationally and WSCC Trading Standards has advised that non-secure websites asking for financial details should be treated with the utmost caution.
Additional analysis has also revealed that hoaxes over the phone and via text messages are just as likely:
- Over a third of scams (34%) were over the phone.
- Almost a quarter of scams (24%) were through visits to a web site.
- 16% were letter or fax scams.
- One in ten scams (10%) were through emails.
The Council’s trading standards service this week gave the following top tips for dealing with scams:
- If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
- Never give out your bank details or send money unless you are certain you can trust the person contacting you.
- Contacted out of the blue? Be suspicious.
- Your bank and the police will never collect your bank card, ask for your PIN or come to your home.
- Make sure the website’s secure, if you are buying online – check for the padlock or “https” next to the web address.
- It you haven’t bought a ticket you can’t win it.
- You shouldn’t have to pay anything to get a prize.
- Pressure to make a decision straight away? Take your time and just say: “No thank you”.
- Walk away from job ads that ask for money in advance.
- Computer firms do not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer.
- Don’t suffer in silence – tell others about scams.
What to do if you have been scammed:
- Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to help stop it happening to others.
- Often you can’t get your money back if you’ve been scammed, especially if you’ve handed over cash.
- If you’ve paid for goods or services by credit card you have more protection and if you used a debit card you may be able to ask your bank for a chargeback.
Get advice and report scams to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service on 08454 04 05 06 or online support.
If you know someone who has sent money in response to a scam or has fallen victim to doorstep callers you can also report your concerns direct to West Sussex Trading Standards Service online.
Best Regards
John
John Wright MBE
Chair.
Sussex Neighbourhood Watch Federation.
Mobile: 07917385213
Business:01444 247368
Email:enquiries@sussexnwfed.org.uk
Web: www.sussexnwfed.org.uk
Take the Lead
This rather vulgar SDNPA cartoon appears to be aimed at dogs and children rather than their adult human carers. You will want to position your dog or child in front of the computer and then leave the room as quickly as possible. It morphs into an SDNPA endorsement for a brand of commercial dog food at the end.
The garden is open
Colin Langridge of Rushfields, who donated the bench, cuts the ribbon for the formal opening of the restored Village Hall garden on Sunday 11th May. From left to right, Peter Jones, who carved the inscription, Michael Trist, Vice Chair of the Parish Council, Gill Milner, Colin, Jen Green and Chris Gildersleeve. Unable to attend, Helen Zeilinger designed and implemented the garden restoration. In addition to Rushfields in Poynings, local sponsorship was provided by AVS Fencing in Woodmancote, who assisted with the fencing, Swains Farm in Henfield, who offered turf, and Hamfelds of Henfield, who supplied many of the plants.
Wolstonbury Orchid Safari
An evening walk around one of the best hills on the South Downs to find these fascinating plants. This is a chance to see up to nine species of orchid and discover the ancient history of this enigmatic hill. More details here.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014 6:00–9:00pm, early booking essential, 01273 857712.
Ecobluff called
Michael Brown of CPRE writes in the Mid Sussex Times:
Both Horsham and Mid Sussex District Councils are in advanced stages of developing long term plans for their Districts: neither of their plans calls for any new market town to meet their Districts’ housing needs. As to location, it is difficult to envisage somewhere less suited to a mega-development than the lovely open countryside around Wineham with no significant local unemployment, with no road, rail or other infrastructure, and on low lying fields prone to flooding from the Adur. Not to mention the barn owls, nightingales and other wonderful wildlife.
We challenge Mayfield to publish the ecological and flood reports that it claims to have commissioned so that we can all judge for ourselves.