by Jan Cosgrove, Editor

West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet completed the process started by the Early Help Review on Tuesday by agreeing to retain just 12 of the County’s 42 Family Centres, which developed from Labour’s nationwide Sure Start programme under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

In a year or two which have seen both Covid and a devastating Ofsted review of the County’s Children’s Services, where these were placed under a Government-appointed Commissioner from Hampshire County Council, these services have been placed under the closest scrutiny and pressure, coupled with a severe financial crisis for the authority.

It was…

Hi Jan,

It’s been a long time coming. If you recall some of us WASPIs met you on the train back to Bognor quite a few years ago, as we’d been at a WASPI Rally up at Westminster.

After three or four long years of trying to achieve action via the Ombudsman, this has culminated into a lengthy report by the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman. Unfortunately, this action kept being pushed back due to the court action being taken, appeals and further appeals since 2018, by other significant campaigners. We are now at this juncture. The report is extensive…

by Jan Cosgrove, Editor

In 1972, the former Bognor Regis Urban District Council decided to construct a residence, Flax Mean, at Felpham, for elderly residents needing supported living. The plans did not include baths of showers for each resident, these were to be communal. Arun Council replaced BR UDC in 1974.

There has been understandable pressure for individual facilities, Arun’s reply was to provide outdoor showers which these good folk have had to use in all weathers and conditions. Naturally, residents have pressed for a better deal, up-to-date facilities one would take for granted in the 21st Century.

One might…

by Jan Cosgrove, Editor

This is an update of an article I wrote in April last year. Since then I have awaited a response from Sussex Police to a Freedom of Information query, which should have been answered in 20 days. OK give Covid I allowed more time but in the end I had to go to the Information Commissioner, only when the IC intervened did I get a response.

Here is the result:

Dear Mr Cosgrove,

I write with reference to your request in regard to the following and apologise for the protracted delay, the inconvenience and the need…

Mid-week Update 28 July 2021 from Google News

View current Main Edition at: http://www.fairplay31.online/brh.html

Family Centres, Find-It-Out and Youth Centres WILL close as County moves towards confirming major cuts — Victoria Drive, Felpham and other local Centres will go.

by Jan Cosgrove, Editor