The week ahead
A busy week ahead, after watching Whitehawk FC today and meeting residents with Des Turner MP tomorrow, on Monday I have the Joint Commissioning Board (the council/NHS committee that covers care services) and the Bristol Estate Community Association on Monday night. Thursday sees the visit of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to the new Crew Club and Children's Centre in Whitehawk, followed by full Council that afternoon.
In a few week's time this blog and my web pages will be suspended in the run-up to the local elections on May 3rd. I will continue to post entries on my own independent blog separate from this service provided by the council.
Planting Sudeley Place
The council's Environmental Improvement Team are putting in plants in a bed cleared of weeds and bushes in Sudeley Place over the weekend. Many residents have said they are pleased with the works and have offered to help with watering. I'm pleased that this urban area is being tidied and "greened", and that many of these corners of Kemp Town are being reclaimed.
Whitehawk's Royal visitors
On Thursday afternoon the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Whitehawk after having lunch at the Racecourse. The Queen saw the new Roundabout Children's Centre with its sustainable design and wind turbine, while the Duke came to the Crew Club's recently opened and very impressive new building. He met with the Crew Club staff and members, and I was amongst the Club trustees to whom he was introduced. The event was a real credit to everyone at the Club as is the new building itself.
Blogging
In a few weeks time this blog will be suspended during the local elections. A reminder that you can read my own personal blog here - bookmark it now!
(My own blog is run independently of Brighton and Hove City Council.)
Recycling every week
I'm very pleased that the weekly recycling collection currently enjoyed by the Kemp Town part of my ward is being extended next week to include Whitehawk. I know many people in Whitehawk are as keen to recycle as those in Kemp Town, and this will give them the opportunity to stop even more glass, plastic, cardboard, paper and cans from going to landfill. I'm sure future generations will wonder why we went for so long burying huge amounts of rubbish in holes in the ground.
Meeting the Minister
This afternoon I was pleased to welcome the Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden MP to Whitehawk. I talked to him about the success of the local Crime Prevention Forum and the new Crew Club, both down to the Government-funded New Deal regeneration body eb4U. Afterwards we went across to the Roundabout Children's Centre to meet with a parent about social exclusion. Unfortunately I had to head off for today's Adult Social Care and Health Committee meeting, but my ward colleague Councillor Gill Mitchell was due to meet up with the minister further along in his tour at the Whitehawk Inn adult education centre.
Carer's Forum
I'm pleased to be able to attend the regular Carer's Forum hosted by the Carer's Centre at Hove Town Hall later this morning. Carer's are a too often unrecognised but vital part of our social care economy, so it is good news that the city council is to get £124,000 towards providing an emergency respite care service for carers. How this is delivered is something that the council's adult social care team will discuss with carers themselves so that the service best meets the needs of those who will use it.