Members will decide whether to approve next year’s budget at the Full Council meeting being held at County Hall, Chichester, on Friday 14 February.

Additional funding for older and younger residents, funding for improvements to the Fire and Rescue Service, road schemes, and projects to generate income in future years, are just some of the proposals being presented to a West Sussex County Council budget meeting next week.

They will review the budget proposals which not only balance the budget for the coming year, but also cover the costs of an increasing demand for services.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting which starts at 10.30am. The meeting can also be watched online.

For further information about the council’s financial position visit our website.

Sign up to one of the free events for parents and carers to learn how to keep children safe online start this month to raise awareness for Safer Internet Day.

The Community Safety and Wellbeing team are delivering the digital online safety sessions, offering tips and advice on how to keep children safe online, including:

• What children are doing online
• Identifying risks children may face online
• Showing available help, support and resources
• How to report concerns

There will also be useful resources and the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about your child’s internet safety.

To find your nearest session and register, visit Eventbrite.

January saw the launch of our new fostering campaign “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” aimed at encouraging more people to foster UASC and to attract supported lodgings carers. UASC are children who have fled their country of origin without the care or protection of their parents.

Our campaign features Naqeeb who sought asylum in the UK for a safer life when he was 16. His foster carer helped him find his feet and took him to community clubs where he made friends. Watch his video ‘till the end!

It also features Rose and Phil who, after attending the skills to foster course, became foster carers in 2016. They talk about why they became UASC foster carers and how ‘their boy’ taught them to be resilient.

The campaign has already brought in enquiries and we hope it will continue to generate more opportunities for these children to be looked after in a supportive family-based environment. 

For more information on becoming a foster carer, visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/UASC

Community groups have until 13 February to put forward new initiatives and projects they would like to receive funding for via the West Sussex Crowd.

The West Sussex Crowd, run in partnership with civic crowdfunding website Spacehive, invites communities to come together and propose ideas to regenerate their local areas.

Since its launch, more than 2,800 local people, businesses, district/borough and town/parish councils have backed projects across the county, collectively raising over £750,000.

Visit the West Sussex Crowd to see the campaigns currently live and to find out more about how you can create, fund and deliver your project idea.

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is urging residents to show their kitchen some love for kitchen fire safety month.

The service is sharing fire safety tips by parodying well-known love songs such as You’ve lost that oven feeling by The Righteous Brothers.

During 2018/19 the service was called to 225 kitchen related fires.

Tips include:

• If you leave the kitchen while cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down
• Check the hob is off when you’ve finished cooking
• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob
• Avoid leaving unoccupied children in the kitchen and keep saucepan handles out of reach.
• Be careful that oil doesn’t overheat and catch fire.

Kitchen fires often involve a lone, older person. If you’re worried about someone over the age of 65, refer them for a free Safe & Well Visit. Find out more here: http://bit.ly/SafeAndWellWS.

All West Sussex libraries will be closed on Monday 10 February for the installation of a new IT system.

The online catalogue and library app will not be available from 10am on Sunday 9 February to midday on Tuesday 11 February and the telephone renewals line will not be available from Monday 10 February to midday on Tuesday 11 February.

All libraries will reopen as usual on 11 February, but some may have limited IT until the new system is up and running.

Midhurst residents – Please note that Midhurst Library will be closed on Sunday 9 February as well.

#SaveTimeGoOnline

1. How can I request a birth/marriage/death copy certificate? Order a copy or make amendments here.

2. How do I book a Registrar for my wedding? Click here for details on how to book.

3. How do I report a pothole? You can report it quickly via Love West Sussex.