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The link we have all been waiting for to pledge our vouchers for the Fibre-to-the-Premises scheme is now live at:

Unfortunately the link in the second email does not take you to the correct portal.  This one should do so:

https://www.openreach.com/connectmycommunity

Yesterday, the project was opened incorrectly as the Haywards Heath project, but this has now been changed to Bolney, to avoid confusion. 

If you have already pledged, don’t worry, you have pledged to the Bolney project. As we explained previously, you can sign up for a residential or business voucher.  Please follow the instructions and make sure you enter the precise postal address for your premises. 

It turns out that all those whose addresses are in particular post codes on Openreach’s address list can get full fibre broadband by pledging on the website even if they have not already registered an interest.

Please contact the project team on fttp@bolney.com if you have any problems.

This really is the last chance to join this project as the next stage is to get it installed so don’t wait, please pledge your voucher right now

Bolney Broadband Project Team

Heads up everyone, white Transit van with RSPCA on the side of it doing the rounds. 2 men stopping dog walkers saying they are from the RSPCA and asking to check dog’s microchip to remove it from the dog theft data base. They are then taking the dog to the van to “check the microchip” before driving off with the dog. I have spoken with the RSPCA and they have and will not do anything of the sort. Police informed

West Sussex Unwrapped, brought to you by West Sussex Record Office and Screen Archive South East, is back for a second fun-filled series.

Premiering on Tuesday 16 February, this all new eight-part monthly series builds on the archival treats of last year and offers viewers a mix of films, photos, documents and fascinating facts on a range of West Sussex topics.

This series features:

• a Royal visit to Crawley in 1958;
• Women’s Suffrage in West Sussex;
• a new, computer designed, school in Eastergate in 1970;
• a glimpse of life at a real ‘Downton Abbey’ at Warnham Court, near Horsham;
• Scouts, picnickers and ramblers enjoying the majesty of the South Downs;
• Hurstpierpoint’s famous St Lawrence Fair – dating back to the 14th century;
• Shoreham Harbour at work in the 1960s,
• and a visit to the cinema in Haywards Heath – 1920s style.

Duncan Crow, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Fire and Rescue and Communities, said: “Following on from last year’s popular 10-week series, this second collaboration between the Record Office and Screen Archive South East promises to be another thrilling insight into the rich history of the county.

“I have no doubt that it will continue to capture the hearts and imagination of all who view it and will again allow us to live vicariously through the people and places we encounter in the video footage and the archives that are presented to us each month.”

Dr Frank Gray, the Director of Screen Archive South East at the University of Brighton said, “The very positive relationship we have with the West Sussex Record Office demonstrates the real value of like-minded heritage organisations working together to share our collections and reveal the county’s multi-media history. At a difficult time for all of us, it’s been a real pleasure putting this series together and reflecting on so many different aspects of our past.”

A new episode will be available every month from February to September.

For more information and to watch the series, visit https://westsussexrecordofficeblog.com/west-sussex-unwrapped-21/. 

The Bolney Volunteers were asked by Bolney school to demolish a redundant shed that was too close to the school building. The volunteers arrived on a sunny January morning and demolished it. The pieces were all cut into manageable sizes so that the wood could be used to make possible bird boxes and animal shelters in the future.

HAVE YOUR SAY!
A four week informal consultation is running until 11th February 2021 for the public to comment on draft proposals for the expansion of the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm.

Although the proposed additional 116 wind turbines will be located offshore, the underground cable to connect the generated power to the National Grid will run from landfall at Climping and across the South Downs to Bolney. Three potential sites for a new 4.5 hectare (11 acre) substation needed for the project have been identified in Bolney, Twineham and Cowfold.

Go to www.Rampion2.com to find out more about the project and in particular, the location of the three potential substation sites and the proposed cable routes connecting each of the substations to the National Grid. These are also shown on the map below.

An online feedback form can be found by clicking on a link in the 9th poster in the virtual exhibition on the Rampion 2 website where you can share your views on the project.

More than 20,500 potholes were repaired by West Sussex Highways in 2020 – that’s the equivalent of about 390 a week and compares to 16,000 pothole repairs in 2019.

Now the county council is inviting residents’ feedback on a new online pothole reporting form which is being trialled to make it easier for the public to report potholes.

A West Sussex Highways spokesperson said: “The county council is responsible for maintaining around 2,500 miles of road: A and B roads are ordinarily inspected monthly, C-class and main distributor roads on a three or six-monthly basis and declassified roads are typically inspected annually.

“Our highways officers cannot be everywhere, so the public’s eyes and help in spotting and reporting concerns are really appreciated.

“We would now welcome feedback from their experiences in using the trial, online pothole reporting form: this can be done by clicking on the ‘feedback’ link at the top of the website page.

“This feedback will help us to continue to make improvements, such as the changes made to produce the latest version of the form, which has been improved for mobile phone use.”

If a pothole is a significant and immediate risk to public safety, phone 01243 642105.

The Bolney Parish Magazine will only be available online on the parish church website for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic. www.stmarymagdalenebolney.org.uk/news/parish-magazine

As things have been moving at speed nationally over this week this short guide hopefully provides information around the different support available for families including children eligible for FSM Vouchers and support for those who have been financially impacted by the Pandemic.

This is not a comprehensive list as I know there are other local Hardship grants, foodbanks and other networks providing support.

Free School Meals – There has been some questions around the Free School Meals below overview hopes to provide further information or links including criteria and process FAQ’s. 

• The eligibility criteria for a child to be entitled to a free school meal or free school meal voucher are set out nationally https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals
• Schools hold lists of identified children within their school of those who are eligible and will have access to vouchers through nominated contractors to provide lunches for any child. Schools access vouchers (normally electronically) for each eligible child on their list directly from the nominated contractors providing FSM vouchers, they are not issued by Government or WSCC to individual schools. 

Free School Meal Vouchers 

• School Holidays – Christmas and February Half Term (West Sussex County Scheme)
  • COVID Winter Grant Scheme – Government provided funds to upper tier authorities to support families with at least 80% earmarked to support with food and essential utility costs. Decision Details 7^th December 2020 https://westsussex.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s20559/FRC02_20_21_COVID_Winter_Grant_Scheme%20Report.pdf 
  • £675,000 has been allocated to support children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) over the Christmas and February school holidays within West Sussex. Eligible families are entitled to a £30 (£15 per week) food voucher per child, distributed by their school, which can be used in a variety of supermarkets to cover the two-week December break. This mirrors the national approach used during the Easter and summer holidays and will be replicated for the February half-term.
  • Every school in West Sussex (including Academy’s and Free Schools) were contacted via school news letter who would have contacted parents on their eligibility lists. Many of who would have participated in the previous National FSM Voucher schemes earlier in the year.
  • Free School Meal Voucher scheme providers are Edenred and Wonde 

• Redeeming Vouchers – The providers have a list of main supermarket and retail chains that have signed up to accept the vouchers https://www.edenred.co.uk/dfe-freeschoolmeals-administrators

https://www.wonde.com/free-school-meals

• Term Time – 4^th January to 18^th January
  • Schools have an obligation to provide free lunches to eligible children in school and those learning from home
  • They have been working with their catering suppliers to provide food parcels for eligible children learning from home

• National Lockdown 3 – Term Time from 18^th January (National Government Scheme)
  • Government announced on 13^th Jan 2021 that the National Voucher Scheme will be available from Monday 18^th January
  • Free School Meal Voucher National scheme provider is Edenred https://www.edenred.co.uk/dfe-freeschoolmeals-administrators/
  • FAQ’s for parents on the scheme and how it works can be found on their website https://www.edenred.co.uk/Documents/Select/clients/SelectGrocery_FSM_ParentCarerFAQs.pdf
  • Every School in West Sussex (including Academy’s and Free Schools) have been contacted today 13^th January as soon as the Government announcement has been made. Including information on the national scheme reopening with the aim to move over to the Government scheme commencing Mon 18^th Jan.

Other support available 

Apart from the FSM Vouchers other support is available for families who are experiencing financial hardship during the pandemic. This includes support with fuel or utility bills, council tax and rent as well as food.

• WSCC Community Hub Families with children who aren’t eligible for FSM but who are experiencing financial hardship are encouraged to contact the Community Hub in confidence to seek practical support and advice. The Hub will be open seven days a week between 8am-8pm on 033 022 27980 https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-and-information/community-hub-covid-19/ 
• WSCC Children Services will be supporting families and most vulnerable children. They also work closely with the Community Hub on requests for support where appropriate
• Mid Sussex DC https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/coronavirus-community-business-support/coronavirus-community-business-support/  or  https://midsussex.entitledto.co.uk/home/start 
• Citizen Advice along with advice, have a number of grant funds that can support families https://www.advicewestsussex.org.uk/ and 
• Supporting residents facing fuel hardship this winter – To support residents who are facing fuel hardship this winter, the DWP Covid Winter Grant Scheme has been launched by Citizens Advice in West Sussex (North, South, East) and Arun and Chichester Citizens Advice in partnership with the County Council.
  

What can it do It can help with paying for gas, electric and water bills, boiler repairs, purchasing blankets, slow cookers, heaters. Other help may also be available such as mobile phone top ups, energy advice, benefit checks referrals for specialist debt advice. 

Examples of who could be eligible:

· Families who have had to claim Universal Credit and don’t have significant savings

· Families on Universal Credit, home schooling and worried about heating their home

· Families in debt and struggling to pay their gas or other bills

· Care leavers on a low income

· People with disabilities who are worried about putting their heating on.

• Government expansion of the Holiday Activates and Food Programme statement https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools 

The government announced that the Holiday Activities and Food programme will expand in 2021. Disadvantaged children in England will be offered free healthy meals and enriching activities over the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays next year. Local authorities will receive separate funding to co-ordinate delivery. Some may co-ordinate it themselves, and others may choose to work with another organisation to co-ordinate provision on their behalf. The programme will make free places available to children who are eligible for free school meals for a minimum of 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, 6 weeks a year. This would cover 4 weeks in the summer, and a week’s worth of provision in each of the Easter and Christmas holidays. Funding to local authorities would reflect the participation rate among eligible children, based on what we have seen in the pilot stage of this programme. We will work with local authorities over the coming months and will put in place additional measures to support them, including guidance and best practice based on our pilot phase.