Lancing Parish Council Lancing Parish NEWSLETTER Working in partnership with our community to make Lancing a better place to live, work, visit and enjoy.

Winter December 2020 Issue #1

New Features Have your Say • Competitions • Have you used our new outdoor gym • Councillor updates equipment yet? • Local events • What are your thoughts on the new • School news Beach Green promenade lighting? • Newsletter email address • Have you seen our new Widewater Footbridge? • Local organisations

• Photography • Wellbeing • Gardening tips

Please email our Editor about content you would like to see in our next newsletter; [email protected] A word from the Editor

Welcome to our new look, newsletter. My name is Danny Jackson, Editor and Lancing Parish Councillor for Churchill Ward. I am grateful to take on the opportunity to be editor of the Lancing Parish Council (LPC) newsletter. LPC has recently voted to refresh the newsletter with new content and activities to engage our residents. This newsletter is full of useful information, articles and creativity for all ages.

As a council, we are committed to giving you our best. We want to encourage our community spirit to help make our beautiful village even better. We have a vision, and our residents are vital to it. We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to attend our meetings, engage with our social media platforms (Facebook and LinkedIn) and share your ideas. Your input is vital to us evolving.

This year has been like no other, we have all had to make changes and adapt to different working, social and educational environments. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all of our local keyworkers. We have pulled together to ensure the lonely, vulnerable and elderly are all safe. These community values have been seen more throughout 2020. I would like to throw a curve ball into the mix, over recent years it has become unfashionable and potentially uneconomical to send Christmas cards, but this year I urge you to reach out to distant family or friends or maybe an old colleague or neighbour. Show someone distant an act of kindness. We have a small community here in Lancing, if we each make that extra effort during these unknowing times, it would make our beautiful village on the South Coast even more special.

If you have any articles or content you feel our residents would enjoy, and you would like to share for our next issue, we would be glad to discuss them with you. Despite this year’s challenges we should take note of our achievements as a community. I wish you happiness, love and good health for the year ahead.

A special thanks to the newsletter working group and officers for helping put together this issue. Best wishes

Cllr D Jackson

Lancing Traders Association

It was Autumn of 2019 when a group of local businesses owners from Lancing got together to see how they could help each other so that there could be a local thriving high street and business community. Today with steady growth, the LTA currently has 30 members, of which half are based in and around the high street. Run by a committee of volunteers, all of whom run their own local businesses. The LTA had a number of successes in 2019 such as the Summer Fair and obtaining free parking for Saturdays in December. Like many in 2020, LTA members have been affected by the pandemic. Whilst some businesses have traded throughout and become high street hero’s, others have had to cease trading or been severely affected by the trading restrictions. During 2020 the LTA has adapted its activities with the focus being on the promotion of its members through social media, sharing information and knowledge and ensuring latest news and business advice is readily available.

We are looking optimistically towards 2021, when they can turn their attention back to: 1. Increasing footfall across the High Street, South Street and Crabtree Lane shopping areas; 2. Making these areas interesting and attractive to visit so that new visitors will want to return; and 3. Spreading the word that Lancing has truly become an independent shopping area that serves its residents and visitors with a different shopping experience.

If your business would like to join the LTA, please get in touch.

Contact details [email protected] Facebook: lancingtradersassociation Lancing Parish Council – Cllr Lydia Pope, Chairman

As Christmas draws closer, we all start thinking about how we can celebrate this holiday with our families. For many, a full-blown, traditional celebration may not be possible this year and many may be looking at a 'back to basics' Christmas.

The giving, receiving and sharing of food is one of the most fundamental Christmas traditions, predating by far the Christmas trees, turkey'n'trimmings and tinsel that can so easily overshadow the celebration. Giving and sharing food with those we love and with those we don't even know is often a source of great joy and pleasure.

'We wish you a merry Christmas' makes quite a big deal of a figgy pudding, so I decided to make one a few weeks ago. The singers in the carol are very clear about how much they want their figgy pudding, which I discovered is basically a dense ball of carbs and fat with some figs, sugar and nutmeg thrown in. Think of one of those bird-feeding fat-balls, but for Victorian carol singers and you're there!

The process also made me wonder if their bold statement in the next verse of 'and we won't go until we've got some' was meant as a threat or a commitment, as this particularly calorific masterpiece takes four hours to boil. I imagine that, after four hours of unsolicited doorstep carol singing, the pleasure of giving them some pudding would be immeasurable. It also tasted really quite good!

Going Local - Tom Viscont

Going Local is the social prescribing service operating throughout Adur & Worthing since 2016. Social prescribing enables GPs, nurses and other professionals to refer people to a social prescriber - who can help connect you to a range of local groups and services to improve your health and wellbeing.

We started work alongside each GP surgery in Lancing & Sompting back in 2018 - Ball Tree, New Pond Row and The Orchard. Since April 2020 we have supported over 200 people in the Lancing area. We were able to deliver this service in your area thanks to the contribution Lancing Parish Council made to the project.

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic we mainly supported the Lancing community with accessing food and essential prescriptions - while also helping the most isolated people to have social contact over the phone with our team of volunteers. More recent trends have shown financial and housing needs arise in the community - and an increase in people struggling with their mental health. We have been working with community groups to connect people to the most appropriate local support.

If you would like to find out more, please have a look at our website: www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/community- wellbeing/going-local

3rd/5th Lancing Sea Scouts. RN No 23 -Alan Luke, Group Scout Leader

What a changeling time we have been dealt this year, with COVID-19 and the loss of some of our Kayak and equipment, life must move on and thanks to our dedicated group of Leaders we stayed in contact with our young people throughout Lockdown 1 with the use of the internet, setting weekly challenges to keep the young people involved.

Once lockdown was lifted, we could meet in secure bubbles at the Scout Hut or at our camp site, Streamside, for open air activities. With no summer or weekend camps permitted we felt it important that the young people knew that we were still there for them. We could still Kayak on the Adur in line

with Government advice. Instead of our Summer If you would like to get involved in Camp in August, we ran a 6-day camp at Streamside (without the actual camping bit) which was very youth activities, please look up successful and enjoyed by all. what’s available in our Village.

A special thanks to all the parents/carers who support us in all our ventures and not to forget the There are also some great time given up by our Leaders. Without them none of the above could have been achieved. volunteering opportunities. Why Roll on the day when we can all meet freely again not muck in, get your hands dirty! without restrictions.

Councillor feature - Cllr Geoff Patmore

In 2013/14 a friend and resident Sean McShane approached me about the viability of converting the inaccessible steps at the A259 entrance to the bridge across Widewater Lagoon to a slope, to enable access. Sean had to use a mobility scooter because of poor health to travel around. He said he missed his walk to the Lagoon where he would relax and read his newspaper enjoying the tranquillity. Sean, his wife and I embarked upon the project for accessibility. Sadly, Sean passed away in 2015 but myself and Lynda continued lobbying, now assisted by Lancing Parish Council, West Beach Residents Association and World of Widewater.

A major breakthrough occurred in 2016 when County Council agreed disabled access was viable, and that the bund was not the main flood defence. West Sussex County Council agreed a new bridge was necessary as the original wooden structure was becoming unsafe. We faced delay after delay and finally in 2019 West Sussex County Council were all set to start in the September, however the project was put back another year. The project is estimated to cost about £300,000 and will be funded through developer contributions (Section 106 funds), with Council providing £103,000 of the Section 106 funds.

At last the project is now underway, Lynda McShane said "It is sad Sean could not be here to see the disabled access, without him this would not have been possible. I am sure he would have been pleased."

Friends of - Adrienne Stevenson

Thirty-one years of protecting a special place. Many of us have been seeking out places to visit in an attempt to forget about the pandemic for even a short while. Lancing Ring Nature Reserve has been one such place, and there has certainly been a rise this year in the number of people visiting this beautiful site on the edge of the South Downs. Given protected status as a local nature reserve in 1992, Lancing Ring is there for all to enjoy, but that very nearly wasn’t the case. In the 1980s a proposed A27 bypass threatened to cut right through the middle of the site and destroy it for ever. As people began to realise what might be lost, a local campaign was started and from that the Friends of Lancing Ring were formed.

These days conservation and the environment are popular issues, they are not recent concepts and the Friends of Lancing Ring members have been there protecting the site and its wildlife and keeping it accessible for people to use. We are even thought to be the longest running Friends group in the South Downs National Park. During our time we have planted lots of trees, including the replacement of many lost in the Great Storm of 1987, kept paths open and accessible, encouraged a range of habitats for birds, butterflies and insects and generally helped to keep the area looking nice. There will always be new challenges, for instance we now have the issue of ash dieback to address, but sometimes there are moments of encouragement too. Last year 33 different species of butterfly were recorded on the reserve – a sign, perhaps that the reserve remains in good shape.

Lancing Library - Kelly-Marie

West Sussex libraries including Lancing are currently closed for browsing and open for returns and collections. We are offering limited computer sessions which need to be booked in advance either by phoning or visiting Lancing Library. Fewer computers than usual will be available to follow social distancing guidance – if you know someone who relies on library computers to get online, please let them know that they are available for limited use and contact Lancing library to find out more. Face coverings must be worn in libraries in line with government guidance.

We are also offering ‘select and collect’ which works in two ways: Staff Select We realise that you may not know exactly what you want to borrow or may want a more general selection of books. So, if you cannot get out of the house, or just miss having the time to browse, why not ask one of our expert staff to choose for you by completing our free Staff Select form. Customer Select You can once again use the library catalogue to reserve specific titles for free in the usual way online or by telephoning your nearest large library. Collection of Items Once the items are available your local library will contact you by phone or email to enable you to collect your items.

Email: [email protected] Address: Penstone Park, Lancing, BN15 9DL Tel: 01903 839056

Men in Sheds

‘Men in Sheds’ Lancing and Sompting was set up in 2015 to "challenge isolation" particularly amongst older men by providing a safe place to meet, chat, learn and teach news skills. Some work on personal and community project, others come along for the company and banter. Ladies are welcome to join us. We currently have 17 members, our oldest in their late 8Os, our youngest in their 30s. Members are called "Shedders" and pay £25 pa and "pop a coin into the pot” when visiting. Once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, the Shed, located in Grinstead Lane, Lancing will reopen

We visit Scouts and Cubs to make up animal and bird boxes with them. “Mud kitchens" and equipment has been made for playgroups. Refurbished benches have been provided for a sheltered housing project. To get in touch, join our waiting list, support us and suggest community projects visit our Facebook page and website. We look forward to hearing from you.

Boundstone Nursery School - Jim Brannan, Head Teacher

Spending time with young children is always a privilege, they live in the moment and have an infectious energy which shows you all of the interesting things that the world has to offer.

In these strange times that we are all living through, I think we need this enthusiasm for life more than ever. The benefit of working in a nursery is that the children keep you completely grounded in the here and now. They are always looking for the next fun thing to do: whether that’s building a castle; making a home for a spider; or doing a silly dance and falling over. Young children are free from many of the concerns that adults have, and by spending time in their worlds, we as adults are able to free ourselves of some of those worries as well, even if only for a short time.

There is a wealth of evidence that laughing and having fun with those around us is hugely beneficial for our physical and mental health and this is something that we all need to focus on right now, adults and children alike. There is a very simple equation which every young child knows and can teach us: Play + Talk = Fun

All you need is a little bit of time and a willingness to get stuck in. Play doesn’t have to involve lengthy periods of time and lots of expensive resources. Playing a game like eye-spy whilst eating lunch is just as much fun as going for an afternoon walk in the woods to see who can find the biggest stick. What matters is being together and enjoying each other’s company; that’s what the best memories are made of. Take care, stay safe and have fun!

Keith Wells, Photographer

I like to go to all the wonderful free nature reserve on our doorstep such as Mill Hill, Lancing Ring, Brooklands and Widewater Lagoon. It would be good to encourage people to make use of these places for their exercise during lockdown. I think it is great when a local community comes together and I will always support this. Sunrise, Lancing Beach – Pair of Common blue butterflies, Mill Hill Nature Reserve - Firework Display, Lancing College

Climate Emergency – Cllr Jeremy Gardner Lancing was the first parish council in the county to declare that there is a climate emergency. Since then it has been taking action and more is on the way. A thorough review is underway on how the council can reduce its own impact on the environment as well as how we can help Lancing as a whole to be resilient against climate change.

We have installed new racks for eight bikes near the central path and skate park at Beach Green. These racks are designed to accommodate a wide range of bicycles, including bikes for people with a disability. Next year, we are looking to bring in a new “Nellie” (a giant fish fed by plastic bottles), which proved popular with children and adults at the beach this Summer. Wildflowers will be sown in some areas; we will have packs of wildflowers for families ready for spring next year. Trees and wildflowers are hugely important for our environment. We are looking at the council’s own activities. For example, we are assessing all of our buildings so that we can improve our energy efficiency.

Lancing’s first pocket woodland has been planted at Croshaw Recreation Ground. By the time this newsletter has reached residents, the pocket woodland at Croshaw Rec. will be planted and the Council will be on its way to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The Council was delighted that the excess turf was able to be offered to residents free of charge. The saplings have been donated to the Council by The Woodland Trust, and species include hawthorn, dogwood, silver birch, rowan and hazel. They are currently 20cm-60cm tall.

Our objective is to help Lancing to play its part in reducing the impact of climate change.

Did you say Green Fingers?

If you are a keen gardener, why don’t you send in your tips? There’s plenty to keep you busy in the garden during the Winter. Make the most of any crisp dry days to nip outside and get a head start on next year. If you can plant seeds and bulbs now, it will pay dividends next year.

This time of year, is ideal for sewing: broad beans. Try sowing broad beans in December for an early crop of tasty beans. Why not plant some Winter lettuce. Certain lettuce cultivars, such as 'Winter gem', are specially bred for their ability to grow at low temperatures and provide a healthy harvest. You could also still plant tulip bulbs or Plant bulbs in large pots of compost ready to fill any gaps in spring borders. If you have a sweet tooth then Plant blackberries any time between now and the spring, Strawberry plants can be planted now ready for a summer crop too. This is an ideal time to tend to your roses, if they have gotten rather large, cut them back by half. This will ensure a healthy growth next year and prevent the wind causing any damage to the roots.

Gardening is a great opportunity to improve wellbeing and relationships. Reach out to a neighbour, grandparent or grandchild. More and more people are keen to grow their own produce or cut flowers.

Have you thought about having a gardening buddy? Someone to boast about your crop to? Someone to help you with the weeding? Why not try and form a bond with someone in the garden, someone you can call when your flowers have been eaten by slugs that you can laugh and cry with.

Keep Lancing Lovely - Andrew Brook

At Keep Lancing Lovely, COVID-19 restrictions curtailed many public events but, in the background, we are active within the rules. September was our annual “forensic” litter pick on Lancing beach, cataloguing items picked in a specific area and adding to our database at Marine Conservation Society. Plastic is the main litter problem along with cigarette ends, food packaging and fishing debris. The team have put in a big effort to keep Lancing Railway Station looking lovely throughout the year by planting up our garden/bed areas, watering and replacing spent blooms. In November, we decorated the area near the footbridge opposite the Railway pub for Remembrance Day. The area is also adorned with poppies, flowers and a plaque made for us by Men in Sheds Lancing and Sompting. The ticket office has become a museum with displays, photographs and research items featuring those who worked at Lancing Carriage Works or the station and lost their lives fighting. The station is 175 years old and banners proclaim that on the railings near Asda and Sompting Road.

Lancing refill goes from strength to strength with over 20 local businesses that will (when government restrictions allow) top up your water bottle and save buying water in plastic bottles.

Sir Robert Woodard Academy

Well done to all who took part in our Children in Need event last week. We had an exciting day of knock 'em down, egg and spoon races, beat-the-Chelsea-champion-in-goal plus cakes and fun. Those who won their games received a raffle ticket which can be exchanged for a treat in chapter base. A huge thank you for all your generous donations and helping us raise a fantastic amount for charity! Total raised * £1,186.84 *

We were delighted to be able to use some of the money raised from this year's highly successful Read-a-thon to invest in Book Buzz - a scheme run by The Book Trust that works to inspire a love of reading in 11 to 13-year olds. Membership of the scheme means that every year 7 student gets a free book so our year 7s have been able to choose from 17 current titles which arrived in the library last week.

English teacher, Ms Elton said: "We have been delighted to get behind this important scheme. We recognise that embedding a love of reading is essential to developing vocabulary in our students and is the skill that supports them across all subjects. Now all students have another book to read during lockdown!" On the front cover you see Ms Elton's 7Y2 class with the books they have chosen.

Monks Recreation Ground Improvement project - Sarah E Parker

I am the (fairly) newly appointed part-time Project Officer for Lancing Parish Council. My current priority is to project manage Monks Recreation Ground Improvement Project. I have been really fortunate to work in some wonderfully prestigious buildings such as Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, HM Tower of London.

I am really looking forward to making this project happen. I was immediately drawn to the rich history of Monks Rec, such as the World War two hidden bunkers.

I am happy to be part of the team that will deliver improvements to the local community including new and improved football pitches; new pathways, which can be used by cyclists, joggers, dog walkers etc; making it safer for all with better lighting; new landscaping features including tree planting in association with the Woodland Trust; and a new woodland inspired play area. In the next few weeks, we will be launching the council tender documents for Phase I of works. It is hoped that this will attract suitably qualified local contractors. So, just to say that we are busy behind the scenes. Keep an eye out for the first spade in the ground for new pathways in 2021.

Lancing and Sompting Churches Foodbank - Peter Johnston, Coordinator

Lancing and Sompting Churches Foodbank wish all Lancing people Peace and Joy at Christmas and it is our sincere hope that no-one will go hungry. Despite the restrictions still upon us we will remain available over Christmas and the New Year to those in real need. Anyone in need of food can text or phone the foodbank on the dedicated number 07719 196735.

Though we are getting increasingly busy with new visitors to our services each week there are still people who are not aware of us and many who question if they ‘qualify’ for our help. The only qualification is that you have hit such a financial crisis that you cannot put food onto your table or a parent has to go hungry to make sure their children are fed. We will be advertising the foodbank Christmas service on our Lancing and Sompting Churches Foodbank Facebook page and anyone can message us through that.

Although benefits problems continue to send people to seek our help many more are being affected by the impact of Covid19 especially through redundancy. We are planning to give special Christmas support to as many of our most needy families as we can and we are being supported in that by kind and generous people in the local community and local businesses and charities. More information can be found on our website – lancingtab.org/foodbank if you feel you can help or if you think someone you know is in need and could benefit from out help.

U3A Photography Group

North Lancing Primary School - Lynn Carter

Children at North Lancing came to school in non-uniform to raise money for Children in Need. They raised an astounding £843.50 for Children in Need via online donations alone! We are absolutely delighted that so many of you are walking/cycling/scooting to school when possible. This not only helps congestion around the school at the beginning and end of the school day, it is great for the environment and helps to keep you fit and healthy as well! We would like to remind everybody to be extremely careful when crossing roads or when crossing with Keith our lovely lollipop man.

We love our school and would really like to share it with everyone but we have worked incredibly hard to keep our school community safe and therefore will be adhering to advice. Instead we are pleased to offer a virtual tour and a dedicated new parent’s page. Please see our virtual tour: https://www.northlancing.w- sussex.sch.uk/index.php/virtual-tour/. We know that choosing your child's first school is an incredibly big decision and parents will no doubt have many questions. A dedicated contact form for any questions you may have is located on our new parent’s page on our website. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further information.

Electric Storm Youth (EYS) – Karen

ESY is a youth work charity based in Lancing, supporting young people in Lancing and the wider Adur and Worthing area. We have been lucky enough to have had two rounds of funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. We work to support local young people by providing free drop-in youth sessions on a Saturday evening, a youth forum/ Duke of Edinburgh award group, young carers support at the Sir Robert Woodard Academy mental health support with a dedicated counselling service and we also run multiple detached youth work projects in Lancing and Shoreham, some of which are council funded.

This year has presented many challenges. When the first lock down began, all of our face to face youth work had to stop, however we adapted to the situation and moved our provision online with a dedicated webpage for young people with fun activities, details of where to get support, and information on looking after mental health during lock down. Our counsellors also shifted to providing support to young people via video calling. We recently had our mobile provision van branded with the ESY logo so if you spot us driving around the village, please give us a wave.

If you know of any young people who need our help or support, or are worried about a young person in your care, please feel free to get in touch with us at [email protected] or you can speak to our senior youth worker Mark Carrell directly on 07525 727199

Clerk’s report - Helen Plant, Clerk to the council

Behind the Scenes…

This year has certainly thrown a lot of challenges into people’s lives, and this has been the case for the work that goes on in the background of Lancing Parish Council, but especially when lockdown was announced back in March.

There was the challenging task of setting up virtual Council meetings. We hope that the phrases “you’re on mute” or “all we can see is up your nose” are not heard in 2021! All Hall hirers had to be contacted to let them know that their bookings would have to be cancelled until further notice, not an easy task when a building is used a regularly as the Parish Hall, and the play areas had to be locked and outdoor gyms sealed off from public use - such a sad sight to see. The good news came that they could all be opened up again from July, there was reams of guidance that had to be ploughed through to make sure everything met relevant precautions. The small team of staff at the Parish Council ensured the public were able make use of the facilities as soon as was practicable.

Here’s looking forward to the Hall buzzing again with activities, entertainment, hobbyists and Council meetings in person instead of by Zoom!

Activity Page – Prizes to be won!

Email pictures of your colouring, crosswords and answers to: [email protected] Please include your age, name, and interesting fact about yourself. We will publish a winner in the next newsletter along with the answers.

Riddle - ‘What gets wet when drying?’ Crossword

Colouring in Page