Latest News of Local Interest

Frozen Ferret & Polecat Purity

Polecat-Ferret cross

Miscegenate, miscegenate, miscegenate!

Jess Price writes:

If you come across a polecat carcass and are prepared to collect it, please freeze it and contact the Vincent Wildlife Trust by calling 01531 636441 or email. They will arrange for a postage box to be sent to you for the body to be returned in free of charge.

There is a high occurrence of polecat-ferrets in Sussex, which means that this time the Vincent Wildlife Trust is looking for a good sample of polecat/polecat-ferret carcasses for the survey so that they can analyse polecat purity within the county.

More information here.

Can you help us to support older people in your local community?

RoyalVoluntaryService
The Royal Voluntary Service is a volunteer organisation that enriches the lives of older people and their families across Britain.

Volunteers are vital to Royal Voluntary Service. Without them we simply wouldn’t exist. Currently, more than 40,000 dedicated community volunteers deliver services that help older people live the life they want to. Whether it’s taking an older person to the shops, delivering a meal to them or even walking their dog – our volunteers make a big difference that is appreciated and valued. Through them, we want to help create a society where everyone feels valued and involved whatever their age. We believe old age should be celebrated, and so we should: we’re 75 years old and still going strong.

We are always looking for new, enthusiastic volunteers who can help us to make sure older people get the support they need and we’d really appreciate your help. I have attached a volunteer recruitment poster and would be extremely grateful if you could find a spot for it and encourage people from your local community to join us.

Anyone over the age of 14 can join and the great thing about volunteering is that it’s so flexible. You can fit it around all of the other things that you have to do. Whether you can spare a few hours once a week or fortnight or can give a couple of days each month we will have an opportunity for you.

We all know that the number of older people in our communities is set to grow in the future and we have to be ready. So over the next few years we will be expanding our services and developing new ones so our need for community volunteers will be even greater.

If you, or someone you know, think you can help then please contact our volunteering department on 0845 601 4670, email volunteer@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk or search for opportunities online at www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year,

Many thanks,
Jen Williams
Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator
Royal Voluntary Service

Have you lost a bird?

Mike Russell Sussex Wildlife Trust

Mike Russell

Finding Birds in West Sussex

Sussex Wildlife Trust is offering a package of five field trips, from February to November 2014, led by Mike Russell, and including the Henfield Levels (February); The Burgh, Burpham (April); Stedham and Iping Commons (June); Chidham and Cobnor (September); and Amberley Wildbrooks (November). The subjects covered will include bird identification techniques; migration and seasonal factors in bird distribution; and habitats. This is a multi-session package: individual trips cannot be booked.

** Booking and detailed course information sheet **

Call for contributors

Call for contributors on children, business and farming
This website managed to deliver an average of just over a post a day during 2013. However, there are three areas of interest to many locals where our coverage has been very weak:

  • Children — there are many more in the village now than has normally been the case in recent years. We could usefully include a lot more news about their activities, their schools, their successes, their failures (okay, perhaps not), and their parenting.
  • Farming — we all live surrounded by farms. We walk the public footpaths through the fields. We can see the crops and animals. Occasionally we see a tractor doing what tractors do. But, for those residents who are not involved in the farming, that’s about it. Many would be interested in learning more. For example, the implications of changes in policy or regulation for farming in Fulking.
  • Local businesses — relative to the the size of the population, there are many hidden away in Fulking and the immediately adjacent villages. They expand and contract, introduce new products or services, employ new people, enlarge their premises, and so on. All of which is of potential interest to readers of this website.

Unassisted, we are unlikely to be able to improve our coverage of these three areas in 2014. If you think you could help with one of them, please get in touch with John.

Fulking Parish Council – Meeting Thursday 9th January 2014 at 7.30pm

Please note there is a Fulking Parish Council meeting to be held on Thursday 9th January 2014 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

Members of the Press & Public are welcome to attend.

Agenda

  1. Chairman’s Welcome.
  2. Apologies.
  3. Declaration of Interest.
  4. Report from MSDC Councillor Colin Trumble and WSCC Peter Griffiths
  5. Approval of minutes 10th October 2013
  6. Matters Arising from the above minutes not on the agenda (to include Old Pump House, Lady Brook Spring, Operation Watershed,Footpath 4f, Winter Management, Precept).
  7. Standing orders amendment.
  8. North Town Field –Parish Matter Autumn article, Grass cutting 2014-15 and fencing.
  9. Rights of Way
  10. Defib machines
  11. Aerials
  12. Financial Matters (including Cheque List & Stubbs, Income & Expenditure to date, Budget v’s actual, quarterly bank reconciliation).
  13. Suggested speakers for Annual Parish meeting
  14. Comments from the floor.
  15. Dates of next meetings.

Andrea Dickson
Clerk to Fulking Parish Council
01444 451 060
12 Turners Mill Road
Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH16 1NN
andreadicksonfpc@gmail.com

Be an Angel – recycle your Christmas tree

christmas_tree_recyclefront_MSDC_LogoOnce the festive fun is over, local residents are reminded that they can recycle their real Christmas tree at a number of convenient locations right across Mid Sussex.

Mid Sussex District Council is keen to help get 2014 off to a green start and has set up a number of local collection points so there will always be a place nearby where residents can recycle their real Christmas tree.
Residents with a green garden waste collection bin can put their tree directly into it, as long as the lid can still close firmly. Alternatively, people can take their real tree along to one of the Household Waste Recycling Sites at Fairbridge Way in Burgess Hill or Imberhorne Lane in East Grinstead.

There are also a wide variety of local drop off points in towns and villages across the district.

Sites will be open between Friday 3rd January and Friday 17th January 2014.

Town/village Location Street / Road
Ardingly Ardingly Recreation Ground High Street
Ashurst Wood John Pears Field Wall Hill Road
Albourne Village Hall car park The Street
Bolney Recreation Ground The Street
Burgess Hill Cyprus Road Car Park Cyprus Road
Burgess Hill Football Club Maple Drive
Copthorne Humphreys Field Borers Arms Road
Copthorne Haskins Garden Centre Snowhill Lane
Crawley Down Haven Sports Field Hophurst Lane
Cuckfield Whitemans Green Recreation Ground Whitemans Green
East Grinstead Imberhorne Lane Car Park Imberhorne Lane
East Grinstead Chequer Mead Car Park De La Warr Road
Handcross Recreation Ground High Street
Handcross Country Garden Centre London Road
Hassocks Dale Avenue Car Park Dale Avenue
Haywards Heath Beechurst Car Park Butlers Green Road
Haywards Heath Franklynn Road Car Park Franklynn Road
Horsted Keynes Recreation Ground Car Park Lewes Road
Hurstpierpoint Trinity Road Car Park Trinity Road
Lindfield Lindfield Common, Bowling Green Car Park Backwoods Lane

For more information please contact Julie Blackstock on 01444 477240 or Julie.Blackstock@midsussex.gov.uk