District Dispatch - 27 July 2022

Our Novium Museum is running a variety of events and activities, from summer art workshops through to a family geology day. All of the events available are listed on The Novium's What's On page. (opens new window) The museum also has a number of fascinating exhibitions to visit this summer, including 'The Art of Chichester: 60 Years of Creativity'; '200 years of Chichester's Canal'; and 'The Novium Museum at 10.' Admission to the museum is free. For further ideas, it is worth visiting our Chichester District Council events calendar which includes events from across the district. And don't forget to refer to our 'What's On' pages in our magazine 'initiatives', which has recently been delivered to all households.

While on the subject of summer, we are encouraging you to look out for vulnerable friends and family during the hot weather. During the recent heat wave, our local health services saw a significant increase in older people who were very dehydrated and needed urgent kidney care. This is why it is really important to encourage family members to take steps to stay cool and drink plenty of water. For further advice, please visit the NHS hot weather advice page. (opens new window)

I'm also pleased to tell you that we have agreed to fund a new holistic service to help residents who are struggling with the cost of living. The new service will be delivered by a specialist team of trained advisors who will be able to extensively support people with a range of issues. The team will help people access support through the council, such as financial help to pay bills, help with housing, and health and wellbeing support. The service will also help people access help from partner organisations, such as Arun and Chichester Citizens Advice; Arun and Chichester Food Partnership; and, the Community Hub, for debt and energy advice, food support and employment. This service will be launched later this year. We know how difficult it is for people at the moment and so a top priority for us is to make sure that people can easily access the support that is available to them.

We are also busy working on our 'Supporting You' campaign, which will be launched in September, in partnership with the Observer Series. The campaign aims to highlight the range of support available from both the council and its partner organisations. We have already created a 'Supporting You' leaflet which you can find on our Help With Finances page which I know many people have already found very useful. I would also encourage you to sign up for our initiatives+ email newsletter which highlights the latest news and updates and is issued monthly. We are also signposting people to the support that is available on our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Next Door and LinkedIn. 

We are also more than aware of the continued support that is needed for those who have been affected by the war in Ukraine. Councillors agreed last week to passport government funding from the Homes for Ukraine scheme to Voluntary Action Arun Chichester and Sanctuary in Chichester, to strengthen the support offered to Ukrainian guests who are living in the district. This funding will enable these voluntary organisations to further develop their response to those living in the district who have been affected by the war in Ukraine. I know how welcoming and supportive our communities have been to Ukrainian guests and I would like to thank all of those who have played their part and gone above and beyond to help those who need support.

Have a wonderful summer.

Best Wishes

Cllr Eileen Lintill

Leader of Chichester District Council