News and events

Car crime is a real problem in the UK. Alarmingly, one car is stolen every ten minutes.(1) With Covid-19 and the recent lockdowns, many people aren’t driving or checking on their cars as much as they used to. At Neighbourhood Watch, we need your help to remind car owners to remain vigilant about where and how they park their cars, in order to keep them safe.  

John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Network, says

"Most car crimes happen because cars are left unlocked.  There is a misconception that some cars are auto-locking and lock themselves if left unattended after a period of time. This isn’t always correct.  Another misconception is that your car is too old and no one will bother stealing it.  This is also incorrect – both new and old cars are at risk. Having a car stolen or broken into is more than simply a hassle, it can impact on people’s livelihoods.  The good news is that there are simple steps everyone can take to help reduce the risk to their car. With only a 46% recovery rate3 we’re reminding everyone to leave your car locked, lit and empty.”

Remember - Leave your car:

1. Locked A simple mistake that can prove calamitous, 44% of cars are broken into via an unlocked door: 
   Leave your car locked video.
2. Lit 80% of car crime occurs during the evening or at night.  Parking near street lamps or n a busy area can deter thieves.
   Leave your car lit video.
3. Empty (or with no items on show)  Owners often forget that personal belongings within the car are at as much risk of being stolen as the car itself.
   Leave your car empty video.

John Hayward-Cripps continues

“Car thieves are opportunists. Leaving items on a car seat or forgetting to lock your car can act as an invitation for crime. We want to instil the habit of double-checking where and how you’ve parked with our three simple steps: leave it locked, lit and empty.  As a local charity with a trusted voice in the community, we’re asking everyone to proactively support their neighbours and friends by sharing our three steps with three others. By spreading the word, we’re confident we can crack down on car crime which can be deeply distressing and debilitating for its victims.”

How to support our campaign:   

LEARN: Visit www.ourwatch.org.uk/protectyou... for top tips and advice on keeping your vehicle safe.

FOLLOW: Follow us on our social channels (Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn) to share our messages within your communities. Tag #ProtectYourCar

For more top tops visit www.ourwatch.org.uk/protectyourcar

There is still time to book your tickets for our fourth Spring virtual talk tomorrow evening – Sir Charles Burrell’s fascinating and inspirational account of rewilding of the Knepp Estate.   

Sir Charles will talk about the rewilding of all 3,200 acres of the Estate.  Begun in 2001,  he will describe  how this pioneering rewilding project, involving free-roaming herds of cattle, horses, pigs and deer as drivers of habitat creation, has created an open-ended, low-cost, landscape-scale restoration project where natural processes are allowed to perform.  This project is now influencing thinking across the conservation world.

You may have seen Knepp in the news last week as several major housing development sites being considered in the draft Local Plan may potentially block vital wildlife corridors.  You can find out more at  Pioneering rewilding project faces ‘catastrophe’ from plan for new houses | Conservation | The Guardian.

To book your ‘Rewilding’ tickets, please go to: https://www.cpresussex.org.uk/news/charlie-burrell-rewilding-at-knepp-castle-wednesday-31-march-7pm-2/.  All proceeds will be shared between CPRE Sussex and the Knepp Rewilding Charity. 

Elections take place on 6 May for West Sussex County Councillors and the next Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner. In some areas, district and borough councillors and town and parish councillors are also being elected.

Residents must be registered to vote several weeks ahead of election day on Thursday 6 May. For anyone not already on the electoral register, the deadline to apply to register to vote is midnight on Monday 19 April. Registering is easy and takes just five minutes online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. It is particularly important for anyone who has recently turned 18 or has moved home to act to ensure they are registered to vote.

Anyone who was registered to vote in the last election and whose details have not changed, does not need to act. If in doubt, check with your local district or borough council.

This year, residents in West Sussex will be voting in two or three different elections to select:

• County Councillors: Representatives of a local area (known as a division) and its residents. County Councillors contribute to the development of county-wide policies and services in areas such as roads, schools, public health, social care and the Fire and Rescue Service.
• Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC): The PCC oversees our local police force.
• District and Borough councillors: Councillors working on issues and services at district and borough level across the county.

We will make sure that polling stations are safe to use and that you can be confident in the arrangements for voting in person, but, as part of the county council’s current drive to help Keep West Sussex Safe, residents are being encouraged to consider postal voting, rather than travelling to attend polling stations, to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

Residents can apply for a postal vote, by visiting the Electoral Commission website to download, print and fill in the postal vote application form. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 20 April. Postal votes can be temporary for these elections only. Postal votes will be sent out in the run up to election day, with clear instructions on how to return them.

Voters can also appoint someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on 27 April. More information on proxy voting can be found on the Electoral Commission website.

For those who do choose to vote in person (or for those voting as someone’s proxy), polling stations will be safe places to visit on 6 May. For the most up-to-date information on the West Sussex County Council elections, including electoral nominations and the election results, voters can visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/elections

With the children spending a lot more time at home over the past year, parents may have exhausted all possible forms of entertainment and be struggling for ideas to keep them amused over the Easter holidays.

But fear not, as West Sussex Libraries has a wealth of activities planned to help children have fun (and learn) at the same time.

Over the holiday, the library service will be providing kids (and their families) with a new and exciting blend of virtual and face-to-face activities which will be available online each Tuesday and Thursday covering the following themes:

• Growing - Tuesday 6 April
• Fun with food - Thursday 8 April
• Fit & Strong - Tuesday 13 April
• Cooking and ingredients - Thursday 15 April

There are competitions and challenges based on some favourite stories about food and growing, as well as ‘science in your kitchen’ experiments to try at home.

For anyone not online, local libraries will have all the activities available bagged up and ready to collect from the door.

Duncan Crow, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Fire and Rescue and Communities, said: “West Sussex Libraries are always at the heart of the community, supporting residents in a number of ways. This Easter, they are supporting our Education and Skills team by providing fun food-related activities to help keep children entertained over the break.

“The mixture of online, digital and physical activities have been created to complement the work being done by Education and Skills, who are supporting the Government’s Holiday Activity and Food Programme.

“Primarily, these are fun activities for all the family to enjoy – the key aim of our Library Service. But they will also help children learn more about the importance of food for their growing minds and bodies.”

UK Harvest, the Chichester based food rescue charity, will also be supporting the holiday programme.

Liz Woodsell, Chief Operating Officer at UK Harvest said: “We are thrilled to be working with the team at West Sussex Libraries in helping to deliver the Government’s Holiday Activity and Food Programme. We will be promoting the issues of healthy eating, avoiding food waste and growing your own vegetables to support the library activities. Our team of volunteers will also have a pop-up presence outside a number of the county’s libraries during the Easter holidays with activity sheets, recipes, ideas and giveaways.”

More information on locations will be posted on the UK Harvest website www.ukharvest.org.uk or on the library social media accounts closer to the time via Facebook: www.facebook.com/WestSussexLibraries and Twitter: @WSCCLibraries.

The holiday activities are open to all whether or not you are a member, but joining the library is free for everyone.

For more information on the Easter holidays programme at West Sussex Libraries, visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/holidayactivity for more details.

West Sussex residents are making the most of their West Sussex eLibrary service with an incredible 80,000 downloads in February 2021 – double the number of downloads in the same month last year!

The figures show that residents have welcomed the increased eLibrary offering from West Sussex Libraries, helping residents easily access ebooks, magazines and other materials during the pandemic.

February saw more than 80,000 downloads from the extensive eLibrary (including ebooks, eAudio, eMagazines and eComics) compared to 40,000 in February 2020 – a staggering 100% increase.

This is also reflected when comparing annually year on year, as ebook usage is up 235%, eAudio borrowing is up 100%, eMagazines are at 80% and eComics at a massive 500%.

Alongside the rising popularity in borrowing digitally, last week, West Sussex Libraries moved their eLibrary to the popular Libby app provided by Overdrive.

Libby is easy for first time users and offers a tailored collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks, including bestsellers and new releases on a variety of topics.

Readers of all ages can select from virtually every subject ranging from crime, romance, thrillers, children’s, business and more.

The service is compatible with all major computers and devices. Titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period and there are no overdue charges.

Duncan Crow, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Fire and Rescue and Communities, said: “Since the start of the pandemic, residents across the county have been discovering our eLibrary for the first time. Many have been downloading eBooks for their children, listening to audiobooks on their daily walks or saving themselves a trip to the newsagents and downloading magazines or newspapers.

“We quickly saw the increasing use in this service and decided to invest in providing many more titles that people can borrow digitally. We hope that the new Libby app makes the experience of reading or listening to items online even more enjoyable and the service can’t wait to hear how users are finding the experience.”

Libby’s eBook reader makes it easy to customise how you read. Users can adjust an eBook's font size, book layout, and lighting. As they read, they can also add bookmarks, create notes and define words. It is intuitive, user-friendly and a great way to access the West Sussex eLibrary.

Find out more about how to download Libby at the West Sussex Library Service website www.westsussex.gov.uk/elibrary.

For further queries please phone 0330 222 3455, or email [email protected] and someone will get in touch as soon as possible.

Funding of £3 million has been allocated by West Sussex County Council to extend support for residents struggling to pay council tax.

The funds are for additional discretionary relief, administered by district and borough councils, for residents who are claiming Council Tax reduction.

The Council Tax support grant was introduced by the government last year in response to the pandemic. Working age residents claiming council tax reduction relief benefit from having their Council Tax bill reduced by up to £150.

This latest announcement means districts and boroughs can consider continuing the additional discretionary relief for a further year.

West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Finance, Jeremy Hunt, said: “I’m pleased that we are able to allocate funds to help council taxpayers in the greatest financial need.

“This year has been a challenging time for everyone, and many people have struggled financially.

“This news means we can work with our district and borough councils across West Sussex to reach residents who need support.”

Adults in West Sussex who have to leave home for work or caring responsibilities can now book a symptom-free Covid-19 test.

As efforts to combat the spread of the virus continue, more local testing is being rolled to help identify as many people as possible who have Covid-19 but not the symptoms.

The pan-Sussex Community Testing Programme launches this week as a partnership between West Sussex County Council, East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council.

It offers free, rapid lateral flow tests to anyone who isn’t showing signs of Covid-19, who can’t work from home and who can’t access testing via other means.

Anyone over the age of 18 can book a test at a participating pharmacy anywhere in Sussex, or at one of two dedicated testing sites, one at the Moulsecoomb Leisure Centre in Brighton and one at Hove Town Hall.

Further details, including how to book, are available on the West Sussex County Council website www.westsussex.gov.uk/communitytesting 

Chair of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board Councillor Amanda Jupp said: “It is encouraging to see the rate of infection fall across West Sussex, but it is still the case that a third of people with Covid-19 may be passing it on without knowing it.

“The ability to test people who need to leave home for work, but who don’t have symptoms, is another important step that will help us return to normal life as soon as possible.

“I’d like to thank our partners in East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council for working with us on launching the pan-Sussex Community Testing Programme, and to the pharmacies who are on board supporting the rollout.”

Dr Tony Hill, Interim Director of Public Health at West Sussex County Council, said: “We know that around one in three people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms, so you could be passing the virus on even if you’re feeling fine.

“Symptom-free testing is an additional tool in the fight against the pandemic and keeping West Sussex safe. It will help us to identify more people who have the virus and encourage them and their contacts to self-isolate in order to further protect our friends, families, colleagues and communities. This form of testing is especially important if you have to leave home for work, and you’re unable to access testing by other means.”

More pharmacies will be available across Sussex in the coming weeks, making it even easier to get a test close to where you live or work.

People across West Sussex are urged to continue to ‘act like you have the it’ as the best way to avoid spreading coronavirus, keep West Sussex safe and help us come out of lockdown.

Go to www.westsussex.gov.uk/coronavirus for further information and support.

As if we haven’t all had enough to deal with and worry about since the outset of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, the situation has unfortunately been exploited by fraudsters with fake offers of vaccinations. At times of disasters and other crises, there is invariably an increase in fraudulent activity, for example, bogus charity donation requests. The current pandemic, unprecedented in its effects and global reach – is no exception. A massive increase in reliance on the internet and people’s concerns about their and loved ones’ health, wellbeing and finances have combined to create ideal conditions for fraud. 

Over the last year, commonplace COVID-19-related scams have included fake advertisements for PPE to priority online shopping slots, HMRC monetary grants to travel refund services, and fake NHS Test & Trace messages informing recipients that they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, and need to buy a home testing kit. A more complete list can be found at www.getsafeonline.org/news/coronavirus-scams-you-should-be-aware-of. 

With the UK vaccination programme in full swing, the most recent wave of scams has focused on fraudulent offers of vaccinations, attempting to persuade recipients that they can ‘jump the queue’. 

The scams, which are perpetrated via email, text or telephone call, either request payment for a vaccination, or link to authentic looking but fake websites which harvest your confidential information. Those who fall for such scams fall victim to financial fraud, identity theft or both.

Avoiding COVID-19 Vaccination Scams – Top Tips: 

Remember that COVID-19 vaccines in the UK are available only via the NHS of England, Wales and Scotland, or from Health & Social Care Northern Ireland. 

 Remember that the NHS will never:

• Charge you for a COVID-19 vaccination
• Ask you for your bank account or card details
• Ask you for your PIN or banking password or memorable details
• Arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine
• Ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as passport, driving licence, bills or payslips.

If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up.

How you will be contacted to get your COVID-19 vaccination

The NHS will contact you when it is your turn to have the vaccination, by letter, text or email, with information on how to book your appointment. The vaccination is free of charge without exception. The vaccine is being offered at larger vaccination centres, pharmacies and some local NHS services such as hospitals or GP surgeries.

Acting like you have it is the best way to avoid spreading coronavirus, keep West Sussex safe and help us come out of lockdown, according to health leaders.

The infection rates in West Sussex continue to drop, with an average of 86.1 positive cases per 100,000 people across the county in the seven days from 13 to 19 February, compared to the national average of 119.9 per 100,000.

At the same time, more than half a million COVID-19 vaccinations have already been given to protect people across Sussex in the most vulnerable groups.

West Sussex County Council is now reviewing the government’s lockdown exit plan and the impact it will have on our services.

The easing of restrictions relies on infection rates coming down even more. Therefore, health leaders in West Sussex have asked people to stick to the latest restrictions which currently remain in place.

Dr Tony Hill, West Sussex County Council’s Interim Director of Public Health, said: “As more and more people receive their vaccinations, each one takes us a step nearer to coming out of lockdown.

“I’m pleased to see the cases in West Sussex fall, but COVID-19 is still present in our community and numbers will rise again if we don’t stick to the rules.

“We must continue to keep West Sussex safe by following the current guidelines, washing our hands regularly, wearing face masks whenever necessary and keeping a social distance from those outside of our households.”

Amanda Jupp, Cabinet Member for Adults & Health and Chair of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board, said: “The pandemic has been a difficult time, especially for those who have lost loved ones, battled coronavirus themselves or who have suffered hardship.

“The lockdown exit plan, along with the ongoing vaccination programme, hopefully offers some optimism for the coming months.

“However, it is still vital that we all play our part by following the rules to make sure everyone’s efforts to get us back to normal have not been in vain.”

Visit our website’s COVID-19 pages for the latest information on our services and the support available.