Dear <<First Name>>

There’s hope on the horizon for a ‘changing places’ facility at Langney Shopping Centre in the form of a bid to a new government fund.  I hope it proves successful but I am going to push for these facilities to be required as standard in new developments when planning permission is sought.  If we want to build a truly inclusive society, providing fully accessible toilets is not a luxury and shouldn’t be an afterthought.  It was the top issue raised with me at my advice surgery on Saturday, at the Centre. There was also quite a queue at the petrol station there that day.     

It appears the situation across Eastbourne’s filing stations is starting to ease with fuel supplies now becoming more available. With community nurses, school run drivers and so many more dependent on everyday fuel, it couldn’t be soon enough.       

It is a real shame panic buying set in when there was never any shortage of petrol or diesel at the refineries and enough tanker drivers to deliver it to forecourts in the vast majority of cases.  The national media painted such a misleading picture of the situation it was no wonder people reacted and fuel shortage quickly became a self-fulfilling prophesy.   

The issue of a shortage of HGV drivers is an ongoing, long standing problem and one that is affecting many countries in Europe and the US.  The industry needs to respond and it appears pay has risen significantly and that’s a good start; better roadside facilities also need to come online. HGV drivers are vital, they did an amazing job keeping us supplied during lockdown and they need to be treated better if more people are to consider going into the industry or return to it. Just 1% of drivers are women. There’s potential there too.  

I had a virtual call with some of the very dedicated team at Eastbourne’s JobCentre Plus this week.   

I asked if the centre could now look to prioritise care jobs in the same way it highlighted tourism and hospitality work opportunities in the summer. Care is a big sector in Eastbourne and there are vacancies. 

I was also briefed about the £2 billion Kickstart scheme to find work for 16 to 24-year-olds with the Government paying the wages and costs for six months to give young people much needed work experience. 

The scheme is fully up and running in Eastbourne and Willingdon and I was delighted to hear the town’s first Kickstarter, who took a position at a local nursery, has now been taken on there as an apprentice.   

 

LATERAL FLOW TESTS - OUR NEW NORMAL
Where to pick them up and how to do the test.

Our vaccination programme is rightly a big driver in getting back to normality but so is testing and we need to make it as normal as brushing our teeth to protect our progress against the virus and community transmission. 

Recent openings will inevitably mean more cases, but free testing for those without symptoms is an important new line of defence to protect our recovery.  I now TEST regularly.  It is pretty easy and comforting to see a negative result when so many can have the virus without symptoms.  You still have to keep the usual safety measures but it feels good to step out knowing.

 Testing will help us
 Keep on the roadmap to freedom
 Stop the spread
 Protect the NHS

TESTS: Now available free to all without symptoms and you can do  at home, order online or collect locally.

You can get a pack of 7 tests sent to your home. Order rapid lateral flow home test kits on GOV.UK
If you do tests at home, you'll need to report your results online or on the phone.

The video below explains how to do the test.

Community Collect Site

 A.E. Pharma Limited, 11 Grand Hotel Buildings, Compton Street, BN21 4EJ - Pick up site - for at home test kits

 A & S Shillam Limited, 82 Seaside,  BN22 7QP - Pick up site - for at home test kits

 Asda, Crumbles Harbour Village, BN23 6JH - Pick up site - for at home test kits

 Boots, Princes Park Health Ctr, Wartling Road, BN22 7PG - Pick up site - for at home test kits

 Day Lewis, 2 Furness Road, BN21 4EY - Pick up site - for at home test kits

 Day Lewis, 10 Freshwater Square, BN22 0PS - Pick up site - for at home test kits

 Osbon Medicals Limited, 116-118 Cavendish Place,  BN21 3TZ - Pick up site - for at home test kits

 Tesco Stores, Lottbridge Drove, BN23 6QD - Pick up site - for at home test kits

You can find further details 
at   https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/#/location/Eastbourne

And finally...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Bedes school and dropped into the JPK cafe.  Today I have a busy morning where I will be holding a Saturday advice surgery before making my way to the jobs fair in the Enterprise Shopping Centre. More  about these next week. 

Later I will be out delivering. I have put together a very positive 8 page A5 colour booklet which communicates just some of my work and our government’s investment.  This will be going out across Eastbourne & Willingdon - an immense near 50,000 homes! - over the next two weeks.

If you live in the Langney you may find one dropping on your doormat today!


Until next time, take good care and keep in touch,