Dear Members of the Council,
Community Engagement Members are summoned to attend the MEETING of the Community Engagement committee to be held on Thursday 8th April 2021 at 7.30pm using Microsoft Teams.
Members of the public have a right to and are invited to attend the virtual meeting using Microsoft Teams. If you wish to attend, please email the office@hurstpierpoint-pc.gov.uk before 4pm on 7th April 2021 to be sent an electronic invitation.
Sarah Groom, Clerk to the Council
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence: To receive and accept apologies for absence.
2. Declarations of Interest: To receive and record any declarations of interest.
3. Minutes of the Previous Meeting of the Community Engagement Committee: To receive and adopt the minutes of the 14th January 2021 Community Engagement meeting.
4. Adjournment for Questions from the Public: To consider adjourning the meeting, to receive questions from members of the public in accordance with Standing Orders.
5. Police in the Community: PCSO Nathaniel Wales will be attending the meeting to discuss what the Parish Council would like from the police and vice versa and the best way to build a working relationship with our community. The Police would like to discuss if anyone has had any issues arise within the community and if there are any areas that lack or need police presence.
6. The Monday Group: The Monday Group are invited to update the Parish Council on their work within the parish including their relationship with landowners.
7. Parish Council Grant Applications:
Grants awarded in 2020/21 totalled: £2,699.50
| Organisation | Grant Request For | Grant Approved | Date Grant Approved |
| Knit ‘n’ Natter | To help the group continue | £220 | Granted in 19/20 budget but paid in 20/21 budget |
| Hurst Covid-19 Neighbours Support Group | Thank you posters, thank you cards and street banners produced to thank everyone involved in the Neighbours support group. | £165.51 | November 2020 (Paid from budget line 3020) |
| West Sussex Mediation Services | To support the provision of free mediation services to the residents in your parish who are experiencing conflicts in their lives. | £150 | January 21 |
| Victim Support | Support for victims and volunteers’ expenses. | £300 | January 21 |
| St Peter & St James Hospice | Patient transport services delivered by our 40 volunteer drivers. A free door to door service for patients attending wellbeing services. | £400 | January 21 |
| Albourne, Sayers Common & Twineham Parochial Church | To assist with the maintenance of fabric and the grounds of Christchurch, Sayers Common; and to assist with disability access. | £500 | January 21 |
| The Monday Group | To support the work of the Monday Group to maintain and improve rights of way for footpath users. | £500 | January 21 |
| Hurstpierpoint Cricket Club | Battery replacement for defibrillator. | £148 | January 21 |
| Sussex Clubs for Young People | Support to allow the youth club provision to remain in Hurstpierpoint in 2021. | £500 | January 21 |
Grant Applications to be considered 2021/22:
Grant Budget 2021/22: £4,000
| Organisation | Grant Request For | Amount Requested | Grant Approved |
| Hurst Re-think | To help finance the Hurst Garden Re-think campaign. | £500 | |
| Victim Support | Support for victims and volunteers. During the last 12 month’s figures show that in the parishes postcode there were 208 reported crimes with 80 being domestic violence cases. | £300 |
7.1 Health & Wellbeing Budget
Grants awarded in 2020/21 totalled = £1,500
| Organisation | Grant Request For | Grant Approved | Date Grant Approved |
| YoungMinds | Helping children and young people with mental health issues. | £500 | January 21 |
| Citizen Advice | Advice on debt, employment, housing and other disputes. | £500 | January 21 |
| Refuge | Helping people suffering with domestic violence. | £500 | January 21 |
Grant application to be considered for Health and Wellbeing Budget 2021/2022:
Health & Wellbeing Grants budget 2021/2022 £1,000
Health & Wellbeing Projects budget 2021/2022 £1,000
| Organisation | Grant Request For | Amount Requested | Grant Approved |
| Downlands School | To fund our school counsellor to be in school for two days a week. They are currently with us for one day. We have had a significant increase in need for our counsellor since the first lockdown and after the second one, it has increased again. We have many students that need emotional support. We are currently supporting as many students as we can but have an ever-increasing waiting list and want to do more to help our students. | The total we need to raise is £10,000 this will provide enough for us to have our school counsellor in school for a second day every week. Any amount that you are able to grant us towards this would be gratefully received. |
8. Community Initiatives and projects
8.1 Budget Monitoring: To receive the budget monitoring report for the Committee.
The committee are asked to note that the Chair has requested that the Finance Officer combines both the newsletter and hurst life budget lines for 2021/22 budget. The new budget line will be called Communication.
Ref: 8.1 CE Nominal Ledger
Ref: 8.1 Detailed Income & Expenditure
8.2 Review of Action Plan: To note the content of Action Plan version 15 and to discuss and review in detail the Community Engagement action points.
Ref: 8.2 Parish-Action-Plan-Revision-15
8.3 Hurst Festival Update: Cllr Hand confirmed that there has not been a further update from the 8th October 2020. Cllr Hand did express that he had encouraged for the Hurst Festival to use Court Bushes as well as the Village Centre this year. The Assistant Clerk can confirm that provisional bookings have been made for both the Village Centre and Court Bushes. The committee are asked to nominate a representative to liaise with the Chair of the Hurst Festival due to the resignation of Cllr Hand. The representative will need to discuss the Hurst Festival supplying a breakdown of costs for the Super Sunday event that we fund.
8.4 Heritage Trail: Several elements have delayed the progress of the Heritage Trail. In the Full Council meeting held on the 25th February 2021 branding was discussed and agreed (minute: C20/21.103). The confirmation of branding means the map can now be produced.
The Assistant Clerk received in principle an agreement to place the Heritage Map on 71 High Streets wall. The Clerk is looking into a new license agreement for both the new Heritage Map and noticeboard as requested by the owner of 71 High Street.
The Clerk was asked to contact Mid Sussex District Council regarding the advertisement application. The Clerk emailed Mid Sussex District Council on 16th February to challenge the opinion that advertising consent is needed for the Heritage Map. On the 25th February an email was received confirming that consent was required. On the 4th March an email was sent to the Clerk from the Estate Surveyor from Mid Sussex who requested an initial call. The Estate Surveyor confirmed that his department would have no objection to erecting the sign on the wall, however they asked for the Parish Council to indemnify against any claims including costs made against Mid Sussex District Council due to the sign. The Clerk is now looking into this.
8.5 Communication Strategy: A Communication Strategy meeting was held on 23rd February 2021 via ‘teams’ and attended by the Chair of Council, Chair of Community Engagement, Clerk and Assistant Clerk. Aims and objectives for the future were discussed and set out in the outcomes document. A follow up communication meeting is planned for September 2021 to review the Parish Councils current position.
The Councillors are asked to discuss whether one member of this committee would volunteer to become the High Street representative. This role will help build up a relationship and communication between the traders and the Parish Council.
Ref: 8.5 Outcomes from Communication Strategy meeting.
8.6 Christmas Lights: Councillor Sampson has received lots of positive feedback about the possible idea of introducing Christmas lights within Sayers Common. The preferred location is from the Community Shop to the Reeds Lane roundabout. Councillor Sampson will bring further information to the meeting with regards to amount of lamp posts.
Ref: 8.6 Email regarding costs for Christmas Lights attached to streetlamps from Merlin Lighting
8.6 Christmas Light Information
8.6 Christmas Light Information
8.6 Tourism & Attractiveness budget 2021/22
8.7 Annual Parish Meeting: The Events working group have been regularly meeting to discuss the Annual Parish Meeting which will be held on the 18th May 2021 via a Zoom webinar. The evening will be themed around the environment and will be called: Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common Annual Parish Meeting – Working Together for a Sustainable Future. The working group have confirmed speakers including Colin McFarlin, Georgina Judd, Ed Goodall and a member from Hurst Re-think. The Annual Parish meeting was advertised in the latest Hurst Life article. Anyone wishing to attend has been asked to register their interest on the Eventbrite link which is live on the Parish Council website. This link has also been shared on the Parish Council Facebook page. Cllr Sampson has created posters that will be displayed in the parish and the Assistant Clerk has emailed the poster to groups/organisations who may be interested in attending. All Councillors are encouraged to promote the meeting and attend on the evening. A trial run is proposed for the 4th May at 7:30pm for the speakers and parish office staff to ensure the evening runs smoothly. The Chair would like to personally thank Co-opted member Olsen-Bedford for her expertise in organising and helping to run this event.
8.8 Youth Club Provision in Hurstpierpoint: A meeting is scheduled for April 20th via Microsoft ‘teams’ to discuss the youth club provision in Hurstpierpoint. The purpose of this meeting is to try and find a sustainable solution for funding to ensure the youth club can continue to run. Invitations have been sent to representatives from Sussex Clubs for Young People, Clarion Housing, Mid Sussex District Council, West Sussex County Council and Hurst Music Club.
9. Publicity: The Committee is asked to note the following:
9.1 Communication: The Parish Office and Councillors have received several positive comments about the new layout of the Hurst Life pages and the information that is being included. The newsletters have been put on hold for the foreseeable future until there is a need to use them due to the high cost of producing and distributing them. The budget for Newsletters and Hurst Life will be combined for 2021/2022 to cover the cost for the additional page in Hurst Life each month. The Hurst Life editor has contacted the Parish Office to make us aware that from May 2021 the page charge will increase from £100 + VAT to £125 + VAT. The Parish Office is now promoting the Parish Councils Hurst Life page on our Facebook Page and website each month.
The Facebook page continues to be used to help communicate with the parish and includes posts relevant to the community. These posts are now being regularly commented on and shared. The Parish Office are organising a weekly ‘Stay up to date with the Parish Council’ information post on the website and Facebook page. These updates include news items, work that has been carried out in the Parish, Councillor updates etc..
9.2 Website: The website continues to be developed and used to communicate to the parish. The Assistant Clerk has been making changes on pricing fees (buildings, cemeteries), grant information, meetings calendar etc.. to ensure all information is up to date for the new financial year.
New pages have been created for volunteering information and history on the Parish. The Assistant Clerk has been gathering information on street names in the parish and a member of the Hurstpierpoint Society is kindly looking at this information which will then be taken to Council before it is added to the website. Changes have also been made on our enquiry/contact forms and the layout of the announcement page.
9.3 Social Media: The Assistant Clerk organised a Facebook campaign to promote the Parish Councils Facebook page for five days in January. The campaign achieved 44 new likes however with the added increase of community posts through this week and the campaign it boosted our actual totals to:
26th January (before Campaign) 205 Likes and 244 Followers
1st February (after campaign) 285 Likes and 338 Followers
31st March (current total) 395 Likes and 479 Followers
The Assistant Clerk has also contacted 16 local groups/charities to offer them the opportunity to send the Parish Office updates/news and events. The majority have replied and accepted the offer. The Assistant Clerk has also emailed the Hurstpierpoint High Street shops to ask them if they would like to advertise their business (as a one off) on our Facebook Page. The reason behind this was to encourage the parish to shop locally and for the traders to see the Parish Council would like to support the High Street through what has been a very difficult year. We have had some good feedback regarding this, and posts are active on the Facebook page.
10. Information Items, Correspondence Received and Requests: To note any items.