The Weekly Surveillance report collates published national data to describe COVID-19 cases in East Sussex, how they change over time, and how this compares to other areas. It is available online together with the East Sussex COVID-19 Outbreak Control Plan. 

Walk-in vaccination sessions are taking place across our communities. You don’t need an appointment, and you can simply turn up to receive your vaccination. Click here for more information.

East Sussex Libraries is delighted to be launching Reading Friends this January. In collaboration with The Reading Agency, Reading Friends aims to tackle loneliness and isolation through reading and stories.

Adults can sign up as part of our Home Library Service and request visits from a Reading Befriender in their home. The Befriender will bring along some reading material with them that interests you, these will be for you to read together and/or chat about.

There will also be Reading Friends Groups at Eastbourne and Seaford Libraries to share stories and meet new people.

For more information about Reading Friends, please contact us on library.enquiries@eastsussex.gov.uk. If you are interested in volunteering as either a group facilitator, or as a befriender to visit people in their homes, please visit our volunteering page.

Free courses for all residents in Wealden and Eastbourne aged 19+. From family learning to sewing and cookery, there is a mixture of courses for everyone to enjoy.

More information can be found on our website www.wealden.gov.uk/streetlearning or email streetlearning@wealden.gov.uk.

Animator Lara Leslie from local company Press Play Films is hosting some free one-day Lego animation workshops for children aged 5 to 13 at venues in the Eastbourne and Uckfield areas.

Held between 12 and 17 February, the workshops are for children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals, or meet other criteria.

Children will work in pairs to design and build Lego sets and then produce films using stop-motion animation, cameras, laptops and sound effects. They will have the opportunity to learn about photography, animation software and working with music and sound effects. Afterwards all animations will be sent for children to keep and share with others.

Nutritionist and chef Lucie Simon from Eat Fresh and Feel Good will be providing a healthy, vegetarian lunch each day. Children will also have the opportunity to take part in baking their own healthy muffins. After lunch children will have the chance to run around outside and play some games to keep active.

All attendees will leave with a special animation pack, including Lego mini-figures and clay character designs, a batch cooking recipe booklet, food hamper pack with base ingredients, and an invitation to join a live cook along with Lucie via Zoom.

For more information and to sign up, click here. Early booking is recommended as we have only 12 spaces each day.

Adult Social Care clients and carers in East Sussex are being written to this winter with advice on staying safe, warm, and well during the colder months.

East Sussex County Council has been contacting people by letter or email during December and January to encourage take up of flu and COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, and COVID-19 testing. 

People are also being encouraged to have a plan in place should they need to make any changes to their care and support arrangements over winter, for example if their care provider needed to self-isolate. The letter includes a range of signposting information, including the Warm Home Check service.

National HIV Testing Week starts Monday 7 February.

Testing is free, quick and easy – you can even test from home.

Order your postal test kit from here.

The spring term programme for Discovery College has been announced. We are delighted to have three programmes on offer, all starting in February. Tech Tasters in Eastbourne, Street Art in Newhaven and Music Speaks in St Leonards.

Discovery College is a co-produced programme for young people wanting to better manage their mental health.

Not everyone finds it easy to sign up and register so if you have a young person who might be interested, you could ask permission for Dolmen, one of the joint leads for Discovery College, to call parents/carers and complete the booking by phone.

Learning Services offers a flexible way of learning which leads to nationally recognised qualifications in IT, Maths and English.

There are no formal or set teaching sessions, instead adult learners (19+) can work at home at a time and pace to suit them, or study at Eastbourne or Hastings Libraries. Students are well-supported by dedicated tutors who work with learners on a regular basis. 

Speaking up about feelings or problems can be incredibly difficult, but the more people who do it, the more inspired others may feel to do the same, especially in the workplace. Speaking up saves lives and Time To Talk Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness on speaking about mental health.

This year, Time To Talk Day is taking place on 3 February. With one in four of us experiencing a mental health problem in any given year, there has never been a better time for your workplace to get involved in Time to Talk Day.

You could host a coffee and chat event in your workplace, put some posters up, run a lunch and learn in the office – Time To Talk has a wealth of resources available to support your activities. It can be as simple as messaging a colleague. Find out some more ideas to get you started by clicking below.

Living Life Eastbourne has been working tirelessly to support children and their families with disabilities, along with mainstream families, throughout the year.

They have just had to give up their tenancy on a property in Eastbourne after three years as their lease ended.

They are looking for premises of around 1,000sqft, at a maximum cost of £500. The property can be retail or warehouse/workshop and within 15 miles of Eastbourne.

If you, or anyone you know, may be able to help, please call Mick Trott on 0750 893 4046. 

A free one-day multi-agency training opportunity to help staff work more effectively with people with a diagnosis (or traits) of ‘personality disorder’ is on offer. It is open to any community/voluntary service or staff who may benefit from a better understanding of personality difficulties.

If you are interested in booking for you or your team, please email the KUF Hub Training Coordinator.

Willingdon Trees Community Centre, Holly Place, Eastbourne | Starts 20 January 2022 | 10.00am-12.30pm

Come along to this welcoming, friendly and free four-week course. Learn how to:

• Break the chain between the past and the future.
• Recognise you can create your own future.
• Set goals in alignment with your talents and abilities.

Places are free but limited, so please register asap. Call 01323 504438 or email eastbourne@sussexcommunity.org.uk.

Microsoft Teams | 26 January 2022 | 3-4pm

One You East Sussex is running a one-hour session about the core principles of behaviour change and how these can be used to tackle difficult conversations around weight management within the confines of a primary care consultation.

We will be joined by guest speakers Dr Heather McKee (Behaviour Change Specialist and PhD in Weight Maintenance Psychology) and Dr Richard Pile (GP partner, GPSI in Cardiology & Lifestyle Medicine, CCG Wellbeing lead, author and Thrive Tribe clinical lead). 

Part 1: Behaviour Change: Key Principles (30 minutes) - Dr Heather McKee

Understand the key principles of behaviour change that underpin our Tier 2 Weight Management offering. Including topics such as:

• Unlocking intrinsic motivation.
• Moving away from the willpower trap.
• Helping clients establish habits that last. 

Part 2: Behaviour Change in Real Life Consultations (30 minutes) – Dr Richard Pile

How to tackle difficult conversations with patients around weight management using behaviour change principles. 

Schedule

3-3.30pm – Behaviour Change: Key Principles

3.30-4pm – Behaviour Change in Real Life Consultations

RSVP – sign up here. An invite link will be sent to you upon signing up. If you cannot make the event but would like to receive a recording, please RSVP and you will receive the recording via email.

Online | 26 January 2022 | 12pm–2pm

Capa First Response and The Rita Project have partnered to create a support network for professionals across Sussex working with child or adolescent to parent abuse. We understand that child to parent abuse is an issue that impacts many children and their families and we want to support the professionals working with them.

Following two successful introductory events late last year, we would like to invite you to a Pan Sussex Child to Parent Abuse Network event. Our guest speaker is Pam Nicholls, who was a social worker and spent many years working with familial violence both in the statutory services and voluntary organisations.

Recovery Partners is pleased to announce its latest Heart Matters Project. 

This free online art and mental health peer support programme, for adults (45+) with mental health challenges and disabilities, delivers eight weeks’ free professionally facilitated online arts-based workshops by trained inclusive arts practitioners. Mental health peer support is delivered by trained, experienced and peer support specialists.

The project is looking to work with 24 people who are:

• 45+.
• Living in the Eastbourne and Hastings areas.
• Facing mental health challenges and isolation due to Covid, post lockdown or other issues.
• We are keen to work and engage with older people, particularly men.

Alongside the art workshops, there is the option for participants to access group and one-to-one peer support sessions.

The project will provide all art equipment and, where required, an electronic device to access the workshops with.

Workshops run weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays for four weeks, starting on 8 February. From 7 March workshops will run on Mondays and Wednesdays for four weeks. 

We are happy to receive both self-referrals and supported referrals from statutory and non-statutory organisations. For an application form or further information, please contact Anthony Stevens, Heart Matters Project Coordinator, email a.stevens@recovery-partners.org.uk or call 07826 094 533.

Willingdon Trees Community Centre, Holly Place, Eastbourne | 3 February 2022 | 9.30am-4.30pm

Learn about first aid regulations and how to manage an incident safely in this practical and theoretical session. Obtain a certificate recognised by HSE and employers.

Places are free but limited, so please register asap. Call 01323 504438 or email eastbourne@sussexcommunity.org.uk.

A great place to network and look at ways of enhancing our collective understanding of what is happening in the local communities you work in and how the voluntary and public sectors can collaborate effectively to address the relevant issues.

Open to representatives from voluntary and community groups, community social enterprises and people working in the public sector.

Eastbourne

• 22 February, online 10.30am – 12.30pm
• 17 May
• 13 September
• 22 November

Lewes District

• 8 February, online 10.30am – 12.30pm
• 24 May
• 19 July
• 18 October

Wealden

• 1 March, online 10.30am – 12.30pm
• 10 May
• 6 September
• 15 November

Online | 15 February 2022 | 11:00am-12:30pm

A regular meeting space bringing together voluntary groups and organisations working to support older people. We exchange good practice, access information, find shared solutions to shared challenges and explore opportunities for working together. This informal, friendly, and supportive event takes place every third Tuesday of the month.

Zoom | 23 February 2022 | 10am-1pm

This new one-module online training session will cover:

• What chemsex is.
• Breakdown of the different drugs that are used during chemsex.
• Findings from the chemsex survey.
• The impact of chemsex on individuals.
• Guidance around support for people involved in chemsex.

For more information, or to sign up, please email brightontraining@tht.org.uk.

Lewes Community Kitchen | 12 & 13 April 2022

Two days of inspiring and comprehensive training for people wanting to teach cookery, set up cookery and food activities, create social enterprises and promote good food in their communities.

Our aim is to empower and motivate you to promote good food, cookery, health, wellbeing and a sustainable food system within your communities.

This training will help you to:

• Plan a cookery course, club or community food project.
• Be a better cook.
• Understand more about the food we eat.
• Support others in improving their cookery and everyday nutrition skills.
• Work effectively with groups and share your enthusiasm for good food.
• Develop a social enterprise.
• Make healthy cohesive communities.
• Create a sustainable food system.

We will also cover running online cookery classes and setting up Covid-19 secure cookery environments.

In addition to the two days of training, participants receive ongoing mentoring and support. Course includes a recipe book, training manual, lunch, refreshments and food to go.

We have some bursary places available. Please get in touch with us directly if you would like to be considered for one. You can book a place here, or for more information, contact Robin Van Creveld, Community Chef, tel 07766 526217, or email robin@communitychef.org.uk.

Deadline for responses: 30 January 2022

The Sussex Health and Care Partnership is developing a refreshed weight management tier 3 service and is interested in hearing about your experiences of using these services within Sussex.

The survey will take between 5-10 minutes to complete.

Lewes District Council is now accepting applications from businesses that are eligible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant. The scheme was announced by the Government on 21 December in recognition of the rise in the Omicron variant and the impact it was having on those sectors.

Applications open this month

Grant applications are opening for small capital expenditure and the money must be spent by the end of March. Email office@UKYouth.org for more information.

The Afghanistan Veterans’ Fund aims to increase capacity in services and initiatives that offer supportive comradeship, engagement and wellbeing efforts for those in the Armed Forces community impacted by events in Afghanistan, and the wider veterans community.

The Office for Veterans' Affairs has asked the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to run programmes that will award grants to improve wellbeing, resilience and promote good mental health. There are four funding strands and you can only apply to one strand. 

These grants are aimed at community-led arts and culture projects, with a focus on equality and inclusion, and which approach the subject of dying in an innovative or creative way.

We're looking for activities which take place in communities, outside of formal healthcare settings, which help make it easier for people to talk about death and dying.

We welcome applications from community arts and culture groups. For more information, visit the website here.

Deadline for applications: 10 February 2022 but opportunities available quarterly

The Screwfix Foundation is accepting funding applications for consideration at its next Trustee meeting.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to fix, repair, maintain and improve properties and community facilities specifically for those in need.

Deadline for applications: 11 February 2022 at 5pm

Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne is inviting organisations across the county to bid for funding to help keep Sussex safe.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available for groups that provide a positive and lasting impact on the local community in Sussex.

To qualify, projects should demonstrate how they will increase or promote community safety within the local area and have a positive long-term impact. They should also be able to offer evidence to support the need for the project and show how it helps to prevent offending and reduce re-offending.

Application deadline: 25 February at 11:59pm

The Green Match Fund is a match funding campaign for charities which are working on environmental issues as part of their core mission.

All public donations made to participating charities via theBigGive.org.uk during the week of the campaign (22-29 April 2022) will be matched up to a specific amount.

Each participating charity will be awarded a ring-fenced amount of match funding which will be used to match public donations - either £2,500, £5,000 or £10,000.

Match funding is being provided by The Big Give’s Champions. For further information on the Green Match Fund and how to apply, please click the button below.

East Sussex County Council continues to partner with Crowdfunder to support community projects to raise funds to create positive change in East Sussex.

For more information, click here.

Deadline for applications: 18 March 2022 at 5pm

Grants of up to £2,000 are being offered to promote ecological science, thanks to the British Ecological Society.

It supports projects that:

• Increase public understanding of, and engagement with, ecology.
• Stimulate discussion about ecology and its implications for society.
• Inspire and enthuse people of all ages about the science of ecology, especially those not previously interested.
• Develop skills in communicating the science of ecology.

Application deadline: No set deadline but payments must be made by 31 March 2022

The Voluntary & Community Sector Emergencies Partnership has ring-fenced an incentive pot of £20,000 to promote the engagement of organisations both within and beyond the partnership, to provide insight and/or intelligence on topic(s) that are emergency focussed in either preparedness or response and that ‘fill a gap’ in our collective knowledge.

Find out more about 3VA's high-quality, evidence-based free and low-cost learning opportunities. 

More learning opportunities for voluntary and community groups and organisations.

The lifelong impacts of trauma and adverse childhood experiences are well documented and it is important that services working with those who have experienced such trauma are able to offer services in a way that:

• Recognises the impact of those experiences and how trauma may influence children and young people’s behaviours and relationships.
• Enables people to engage with the support available.
• Avoids inadvertently causing further trauma.

For free trauma-informed care training, please visit Safe:Space Sussex.

Deadline for applications: 23 January 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 24 January 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 24 January 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 27 January 2022 at 5.00pm

Deadline for applications: 30 January 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 30 January 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 31 January 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 7 February 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 10 February 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 31 March 2022 at 12.00am

Deadline for applications: 31 January 2022 at 12.00am