MINUTES of the meeting of the COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Committee on Thursday 14th November 2019 held at 8:00pm in the Village Centre, Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint. 

Committee Members Present 

Claire Majsai (Chair)   

Bob Sampson (Vice Chair) 

Michael Avery 

Duncan Ranger 

David Evans 

Seth Jee 

Also Present:  

Lorna Cooksey Assistant Clerk to the Council 

Stephen Hand 

Tony Lank 

Catherine Pardoe 

Allan Philip – PO 

Kelly McClume – PCSO 

CE19/025.  Apologies for absence and declarations of interest: the Committee received the following apologies for absence prior to the meeting which were accepted: Helen Olsen Bedford and Peter Griffiths. Declarations of interest were given from Seth Jee for the Sayers Common Society and Bob Sampson for the Hurstpierpoint Players. 

CE19/026.  Minutes of the Community Affairs Committee Meeting held on 5^th September 2019:  the Committee received and accepted the minutes which were then signed by the chairman.  

CE19/027.  Matters arising from Community Affairs Meeting held on 5^th September 2019:  There were no other matters which were not covered elsewhere on the agenda.  

CE19/028. Adjournment for questions from the public:  The Committee was not required to consider whether to adjourn the Meeting in accordance with clause 1(d) of Standing Orders.  

CE19/029. Police Community Engagement:   The committee received a brief presentation from a representative from 

Sussex Police. Details were given about the 2% increase in crime levels within Hurstpierpoint with violent crimes such as domestic abuse being the largest problem. A website (www.police.uk) was shown to the committee which breaks down all the crimes that were recorded including road names. Within Hurstpierpoint, Gatehouse Lane had the most recorded crimes but the actual road/lane has to be considered and factors such as buildings on that road/lane.  

The representative from Sussex Police discussed Operation Signature which is focused on elderly people who are becoming victims of crime such as fraud. Talks can be held within Hurstpierpoint by Sussex Police to help make this age group aware of problems and scams. The Parish Office will liaise with the PO to organise this.  

Operation REBOOT is another initiative set up by the police focusing on children between the age of 11-17 year olds who are known to the police or other organisation to try and intervene before they commit any crimes. The scheme consists of four stages working alongside schools, outside organisation and the children parents.  

Discussions were held regarding previous relationships with Police Officers and having a dedicated person for Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common. It was explained that the representative used to attend all Community Affairs meeting and was a valuable source of information. It was confirmed that although Hurstpierpoint would not receive a dedicated Police Officer walking the streets we would instead be given a point of contact. The person set to cover Hurstpierpoint is Police Officer Chris Allan. The committee asked if contact could be made with him straight away but it was confirmed this could not happen until next year when it was fully confirmed. Sussex Police also voiced that it has become an issue with crimes not being reported but instead being put on social media and it was asked as a council if we can help deter from this.  

CE19/030.YMCA Positive Placements:   The committee received a brief presentation from Catherine Pardoe regarding mentoring in rural areas such as Hurstpierpoint. The project looks to recruit local volunteers and match them with 16-25 year olds that are not currently in education or training and possibly being drawn into anti-social behaviour. The scheme works with the 16-25 year olds to help them grow and develop in areas they need support in such as CV writing, confidence, interview skills, life skills etc.. They receive referrals from Operation Re-boot, youth workers, career advisors and schools. The young people involved value the volunteers as they are not a parent or teacher but rather someone who can fight their corner. Catherine Pardoe has visited the Melting Pot café at Court Bushes Community Hub and confirms that she will be using the café for any referrals for this area. The Chair asked what support can be given from the parish council and it was confirmed that promotion of the scheme would be most valuable and it was suggested added an article in to our newsletters and Hurst Life. It was requested that information is sent to the Parish Office so we can advertise in the future.  

Catherine Pardoe, Allan Philip and Kelly McClume left the meeting at 8:43pm 

CE19/031. Parish Council Grant Applications:  The Committee was asked to consider and where appropriate approve Council grants to local groups.  In the current year 2019/2020, a budget of £4,000 is available for grants for local community groups Small Grants:  Small Grants applications are considered at every Community Engagement Committee meeting.   

The Chair gave a brief update regarding the grant application and the need for a refined process in the future. The chair also discussed the need to have outcomes from grants to ensure the money has been spent as agreed and to also use in our communication to the residents of Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common.  

The committee discussed the four proposed grants and it was asked by a committee member whether the midwife clinic covers women from Sayers Common. It was agreed the Parish Office would investigate this. The older people’s tea parties and Sayers Common Village Society were granted their amounts in full but an income & expenditure statement or balance sheet is required from Sayers Common Village Society and outcomes from both grants are to be requested. The committee decided to award the Hurstpierpoint Players Theatre half of the requested amount due to the grant that was given in March 2019 for £1,000.  

Budget for Small Grants 2019/20: £4,000  Remaining:  £2,900 

RESOLVED:  The Committee approved a grant of £848 for the Midwife Clinic, £180 for Older Peoples Tea Party, £500 for Hurstpierpoint Players Theatre and £1,000 for Sayers Common Village Society. 

CE19/032. Parish Plan 2016 – 2021 and Action List 2018/2019: The Committee was handed a document called Parish 

Plan Action List by the Chair and was given a verbal briefing regarding this document. The Chair discussed the direction she felt the Community Engagement committee should be focusing on for the future including aspirations of maintaining and where possible improving the quality of life for all, now and in the future. The current action list was reviewed including how we can develop this for the future including the monthly Hurst Life page, on-going maintenance to the website and email system, next stages for dementia friendly initiative, provision for young people, village garden planters and earlier organisation of the St Law Fair. The Chair of Council commented about possible links with other groups in the Village and it was suggested contacting the HPP monthly social group to ask them to come in and talk to the committee to explain what they do and to see if we can support them in the future.  New ideas the committee would like to include for the future on the action list included improvement to the mobile reception for Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common, improving the Annual General Meeting to try and increase turnout in May e.g. by organising a speaker, health and wellbeing of residents especially vulnerable groups/person’s, building better links with organisation such as the medical centre and library. The chair requested more time to review the action plan following the discussion and keeping it in line with the budget for 2020/2021. She confirmed that the proposed new outlined action list for Community Engagement would be emailed to everyone for their approval asap.  

CE19/033. Community Engagement Committee Budget 2020/21:  The committee discussed over spending in this 

financial year with the newsletter and it was asked to review the printing costs by the Parish Council Office. The chair explained reasons behind proposed increases in figures and the new additional line for Health and Wellbeing. The committee supported the added Health and Wellbeing line but were concerned that the budget was not enough to actually be able to achieve anything. The Chair requested further time to work on the budget before it has to be presented at the Finance and Governance meeting on 5^th December 2019. The chair confirmed that the budget draft would be sent to the committee for approval.  

RESOLVED: The Chair will make changes to the budget draft 2020/21 and circulate before the Finance & Governance meeting 5^th December 2019.  

CE19/034. Community initiatives and projects: The committee noted the following: 

CE19/034.1 Midwives: Issues were raised around storage at Court Bushes Community Hub at the Community Affairs meeting on 5^th September 2019 as the Midwives would need to store a couch and screen to enable the clinics to go ahead. The Facilities Manager has confirmed that both these items can be stored in the cupboard in the Club Lounge. The Midwife team has confirmed that they will fundraise themselves for the couch and screen and links have been made with the Sexual Health team who are also interested in using Court Bushes and have their own couch available. The Midwives have submitted a grant for consideration by the Community Engagement committee to cover their additional costs of using Court Bushes for a year including storage.  

CE19/034.2 Sexual Health Clinic: The Chair and Vice Chair attended a Mid Sussex Health and Wellbeing Network meeting and interest was made by two sexual health workers about starting clinics at Court Bushes Community Hub. One of the workers has visited Court Bushes and expressed interest in bringing their colleague down to view the room as they felt it could work for their clinics. The colleague is currently on holiday but a further viewing will be organised once they return and the committee will be updated on any progress.  

CE19/034.3 Mental Health Pathfinder Service: The Chair and Vice Chair attended a Mid Sussex Health and Wellbeing 

Network meeting and interest was made by a young person’s coordinator for the mental health service about organising drop-ins during the Melting Pot Café at Court Bushes. Contact has been made with this co-ordinator and he has confirmed that he will be attending the Melting Pot café to familiarise himself with the space and he believes moving forward he would be looking at the New Year at the earliest to arrange any drop in/sign posting support links.  The Parish Office has offered support and asked to be kept updated with any drop in’s that happen in 2020.  

CE19/034.4 Dementia Awareness update:  A meeting was held on Thursday 7^th November with a representative from 

Dementia Action Alliance, the Chair of Community Engagement, Assistant Clerk and a trader from the high street to discuss the Hurstpierpoint safe place initiative. Plans on how to move this project forward were discussed including training, promotion and possible links with shops and local facilities such as the library. The representative from the traders informed us that she had six shops that would like to become involved with this project. The representative confirmed she would help the Assistant Clerk with producing a diagram. This diagram would be given to all shops showing a flowchart on how to deal with situations. The representative also confirmed she would carry out several one hour training sessions free of charge to anyone who would like to attend. Consideration needs to take place around the sticker that would be displayed in the ‘safe place’ windows, including the design. It was suggested using the dementia symbol of the flower plus wording such as ‘Hurst Safe Place’ would be more appropriate than using ‘Dementia Safe Place’. The Chair requested that links are made with Know Dementia and the Rotary Club to help support us in the project and to try and make it a sustainable going forward. The only cost to this project would be designing the sticker and printing which will need to be investigated. At the meeting it was agreed that once the diagram and stickers were produced then the training would be arranged to ensure that the traders were armed with all the information they needed for this project. The chair suggested sponsorship for the stickers or to investigate whether there is any budget in 2019/2020 once we have received quotes.  

CE19/034.5 Christmas Tree: The Parish Council Office investigated alternative solutions for a Christmas Tree. A meeting was held with the contractors who supply the high street lights and a proposal was put together for a lighting display using the flag pole. This has now been ordered and will be in place by the end of November 2019. The total cost for the high street lights, double cone lighting on the flagpole and picket fence is £3,181.00 ex VAT. This amount will come out of the Tourism & Attractiveness budget leaving £2,519.00 for 2019/2020.  

CE19/034.6 Village Garden: The Facilities Manager and Chairman of Community Engagement met with Greenscene Landscapes to discuss the Village Garden and improving the planting. The contractors have outlined a yearly plan to produce a mass of colour all year round. This includes new planting to the two borders either side of the bus shelter and removal of the dead tree and large amount of dead shrubbery in the walled garden. Totalling a cost of £960 + VAT. In May 2020 the proposal is to introduce four new Fountain Planters which will have summer bedding plants but these will then be removed in October and stored. 

The cost for the new planters is £1,620.08 + VAT.  

RESOLVED: The Committee agreed to award (1) Greenscene Landscapes the contract for the three beds totalling £960 exc VAT to come out of the Tourism & attractiveness budget 2019/2020. (2) £1,620.08 + VAT is confirmed to be allocated in the budget for 2020/21, for the installation of four Fountain Planters on the Village Green to be awarded to Greenscene Landscapes.  

(Ref: Hurst Village Green Planting Scheme & Hurstpierpoint Council Village Green Planting Quote) 

CE19/034.7 Defibrillator: The Parish Council Office has been investigating the provision of defibrillators at both the Village Centre and Court Bushes Community Hub. At the Estate & Facilities Meeting held on 29^th October 2019 it was agreed to use the Village Centre funds to purchase 1 defibrillator unit including training for £1,834.80 and be placed outside the Village Centre.  Please note the purchase of a defibrillator at Court Bushes Community Hub has been investigated including any funding streams and as agreed by Finance & General Purposes Committee 12^th September 2019;   

“F19/042.2 The committee agreed that an unlocked cabinet was not feasible at Court Bushes Community Hub and that alternative funding is investigated such as WSCC County Local Committee and if nothing forthcoming then review in January 2020 to see if funds are available within the Council 2019/20 budget, if not then to place in the 2020/21 budget.” 

CE19/035. Publicity: The Committee noted the following 

CE19/035.1   Newsletter – The committee noted that the autumn newsletter will be going out to residents around the 9^th December. This newsletter contains information about the winter plan, Christmas opening times, staff changes, Hurst Meadows, thank you to all residents, new bench in memory of Rosalind Mead and the new bus shelter in Sayers Common. A councillor asked to confirm that Sayers Common would not be missed off the winter plan this year, it was confirmed by the Parish Clerk that they are included.  

CE19/035.2 Website – The committee were given a verbal update from the Chair and Assistant Clerk with a supporting document: Website Proposal Meeting 14^th November 2019. The committee discussed the chosen website designer and future for the Parish Council website. The committee agreed to award the contract to Wasabi Design subject to review of their contract by the full Council. The Chair briefed the committee on the issues with the current email system and the failures that the Parish Office has incurred this year. It was stressed how important it is to change the current system for our security, GDPR and freedom of information point of view. The Committee agreed that moving to Office 365 was a suitable solution. The chair of the council deemed the proposed budget solution to be unsuitable and requested to speak to the Clerk regarding this.  

RESOLVED: (1)The committee agreed to award the contract to Wasabi Design, subject to full council reviewing the contract and deciding how the budget is allocated for 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. (2) The committee agreed to implement Office 365 for all Councillors and Parish Council staff subject to full council reviewing the contract and deciding how the budget is allocated for 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. 

CE19/035.3 Social Media – The committee noted that facebook posts are regularly being uploaded and that the facebook page will be included in all newsletters going forward.  

CE19/036.  Information Items and Correspondence Received:   

CE19/036.1 Litter Picking Report for Hurstpierpoint: The Committee noted the following summer litter picking report received from the co-ordinator of the group. The litter picking group attended the Council Offices on Wednesday 2^nd October to receive equipment that was applied for from the Community Clean Up Grant. The chair suggested support in advertising the Litter Picking Group and asking for volunteers. 

(Ref: Summer litter picking log 2019) 

 Protocol for filming and recording at public meetings:  The Council has a protocol for public filming, recording and photography at its meetings, which is available on the Council’s website or on request at the Parish Office.