006_007_LS507_news_council_PhilMills_editorial 23/12/2010 14:20 Page 2
06 LATEST NEWS
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L7 NEWS in brief >Brighton and Hove festive
Usual collection
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Rescheduled collection
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>Fly to Falmer
Falmer Bridge officially opened to traffic last month. The £5m scheme, funded by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and led by Brighton & Hove City Council, was a condition of planning permission for The Amex Stadium. As well as being linked to the stadium project, the new road layout will improve access to academic buildings along the Lewes Road. The junction offers access to Stanmer Park and major buildings nearby, while the 300m flyover enables traffic from the Lewes direction to bypass this and head straight into central Brighton. Council leader Mary Mears was joined by Gilly Bartrip, from SEEDA, David Kirkwood from Sussex University and the Albion’s chief executive Martin Perry to officially open the bridge. Its completion comes just in time for the new year and the long-awaited completion of Brighton & Hove Albion’s new home ground at Falmer.
>A first in Sussex
watersports Lagoon Watersports has announced the arrival of the first cable wake boarding system on the South Coast. The popular System 2.0 will be operating on Hove Lagoon from spring 2011, giving the community accessibility to one of the fastest growing sports. The straight-line cable system will be located at the Eastern section of the Lagoon, driven by a quiet motor cable and high enough for boats and windsurfers to sail under if the system is not operating. System 2.0, perfect for all levels from beginners through to advanced, has many unique features and allows riders to maximise their time on the water. Opening times, prices and membership options will be announced shortly.
Improved customer services for Brighton and Hove are now being shown on YouTube. Residents can look forward to improved customer services at a refurbished City Council centre, which is set to open in summer 2011. The centre designed to ensure residents have access to information and advice they need faster and more easily. Brighton & Hove City Council’s new customer centre on the ground floor of Bartholomew House will save public money by combining three sites into one. The centre is also fully wheelchair accessible. ‘Meeters and greeters’ will provide short and simple answers where possible, set up specialist interviews in one of the 21 interview booths or direct residents to the self-help area where they can access information online. A ‘walk through’ animation on YouTube has been produced by the council to illustrate the benefits of the new centre. See: http://bit.ly/gIncvL. Councillor Jan Young, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “This is an exciting project that will ensure Brighton and Hove residents have the high quality customer services they deserve.” Laura Hayward
Charity run Public places for Brighton Half Marathon may be sold out but there’s still a chance to run in aid of The Sussex Beacon
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t’s the last chance for runners to register and take part in the Brighton Half Marathon on Sunday 20 February 2011. General public places are now sold out but the organisers, Grounded Events, have announced that limited Sussex Beacon VIP Bond Places are still available. The Sussex Beacon VIP Bond Runner exclusive package guarantees you a place. Runners also receive a Brighton Half Marathon technical running T-shirt, discount vouchers from selected Brighton Half Marathon partners, an invite to the Brighton Half Marathon runners advice and gait analysis day with Brooks at Sweatshop in Brighton on 14 and 28 January 2011, plus a 10 per cent discount on the exclusive Brighton Half Marathon Training Day on Saturday 22 January 2011 (subject to availability). Sussex Beacon VIP Bond Places
cost £75. Visit the marathon at www.brightonhalfmarathon.com to register or phone 01737 814 844 to secure your place now and contribute to raising valuable funds for The Sussex Beacon. The Brighton Half Marathon is organised by and is the main fundraiser for Brighton-based charity The Sussex Beacon. It is one of only two care centres of its kind in England providing innovative services to meet the changing needs of people living with HIV. Entries for the Youth Races are still open. Details about the Brighton Half Marathon, registration, route maps and how to join the volunteering team can be found on www.brightonhalfmarathon.com You can also join the Facebook page www.facebook.com/ BrightonHalfMarathon or follow ‘BrightonHalf’ on Twitter. Laura Hayward
Safe squads S
imon Kirby MP met with Safety Net’s Participation Worker Emma Lacey in December 2010 to learn more about the work achieved through engaging 8- to 13year-old children on issues that affect their safety funded by the Young People’s grant of the Big Lottery Fund. One group called the SNAP Kids (Safety Net’s Assertiveness Project) made a catchy and meaningful song as it describes techniques children can use to stand up to bullies in a positive way. The song is called ‘BullyProof’ and is available to download at www.snapkids.bandcamp.com. Emma is forming Safety Squads across the city where children can meet and discuss concerns that affect their safety in their local community. The Bevendean Safety
Squad made an animated movie showing how graffiti on their local play equipment makes them feel unsafe. It is hoped that there will be interest from high schools in the area for this to be shown at assemblies as a deterrent to those who may be causing the graffiti. Simon also saw footage of Playground Buddies from 12 schools explaining in their own words how the scheme has made a difference in their school and on them as individuals. “The work Emma and the children do here is absolutely fantastic,” Simon said. “I am pleased to know more about it and look forward to helping in any way I can.” Emma said: “The consultation groups of children I now have across the city all work very hard to promote the clear message that children can
Image: Adrian Carey www.icanfoto.co.uk
holiday recycling and refuse collections If the weather disruptions and festive Bank Holidays have left you confused as to when your recycling and refuse will be collected, the handy list below should get you back on track. Normal collection dates resume after 21 Jan 2011.
Den McCartney, (schools’ co-ordinator, Safety Net), Fiona Dempsie (Head of Region – South East, Big Lottery Fund), Simon Kirby MP, Brighton Kemp Town, Emma Lacey (Safety Net)
be empowered to learn techniques, skills and confidence in being aware of safety issues and protecting themselves. To have recognition from an MP who has committed to return to speak to them directly is great for their continued morale.” Harriet, aged 12 years and a member of SNAP said: “Simon was very supportive when he said that what we were doing was great and to hear that from an MP is amazing!” For more information on Safety Net’s participation work contact Emma Lacey on 01273 96622 or emma.lacey@safety-net.org.uk