Apple Day in Craven Vale

There's an apple themed event taking place on Saturday 27th February from 11am to 3pm at the Vale Community Centre in Hadlow Close.

There will be tree planting, a cookery workshop, mural painting, a choir, stalls, a wormery and bug hotel and much more.

Between 3 and 6pm an art group will be creating a shape in fire in Craven Woods.

For more information contact Amy on 450327 or amyallison@trustdevcom.org.uk

Your health, your family, your neighbourhood

After some meetings last night and today I thought I would highlight some services available to local residents that might be of use to them.

At a citywide school governors meeting last night there was a presentation by the Family Information Service, who offer a broad range of information and advice on all kinds of services and activities for parents, parents to be, children and young people covering the 0-18 age range. They have a great online directory which pull together listings of schools, youth centres, playgroups, nurseries and much more. Here's the listing for Whitehawk Primary School and the range of after school and extended school activities they offer, but you can search for others too: http://brighton.childrensservicedirectory.org.uk/service.aspx?zoneid=&serviceid=06f7d75e-e3fc-4627-865c-9049cabd30f9

This morning I went to a meeting of the East Brighton Healthy Living Partnership, who offer a range of free or very low cost services aimed at helping people lose weight, get fit, give up smoking or deal with any number of physical or mental health related issues.Their website is here: http://www.healthylivingcentre.org.uk/

From time to time neighbours can fall out over any number of issues, whether it's trees or noise or different lifestyles or behaviour. In Brighton and Hove there is a free, independent and impartial organisation that can help neighbours resolve these issues, called the Brighton and Hove Independent Mediation Service. If you have a problem with your neighbours that they might be able to help with, here's a link to their website: http://www.bhims.org.uk/

Report back from the hospital meeting

Along with my ward colleagues Gill Mitchell and Craig Turton, I attended the second liaison meeting between the hospital Trust and local residents last night. It was well attended with several coming along who were not able to attend in November.

Craig was appointed as the independent chair of the group/meeting, and Duane Passman from the 3T team at the Trust responded to points and issues raised from those present. No fresh designs are available as yet but should be ready for the next meeting due in March.

I was able to relate some of the issues that came up during the construction of the new Royal Alex Childrens Hospital, and my colleague Gill Mitchell was able to take residents further back to when the Government and the Trust committed to redeveloping the site back in 1993/1994.

Many present last night still hold to the view that Eastern Road/Upper Abbey Road/Bristol Gate is too small a site in a residential area for a major regional hospital/trauma site, and if the decision was being made now I would support that, but millions has been poured into the hospital over the past fifteen years so we are where we are and have to work to minimise the impact on the area in terms of traffic, construction noise and so on.

For more information visit the Trust website: http://www.bsuh.nhs.uk/about-us/hospital-redevelopment/hospital-liaison-group/