Thanks to all those who helped make the Pensioners’ Fair on Friday at the Guildbourne Centre such a success. There was plenty of advice on everything from benefit and pension entitlements to keeping your utility bills down, eating healthily and keeping secure. I have posted some of the photos and contact details for the organisations that took part on my website.
The mood at my latest ‘Talk to Tim’ meeting at Southwick’s Barn Theatre the following day was again overwhelmingly in favour of Brexit. I am looking forward to the hustings which various local groups are organising so I can get to grips with the opposition who want us to stay in because they have been conspicuous by their absence locally so far, and they cannot just rely on President Obama sweeping in to rescue them!
I paid a visit to the fire station in Broadwater to see the refurbishment there which has brought great improvements in the training facilities and working environment for our firefighters, with even facilities for physios to be based there. ‘Firefighter’ is becoming an increasingly redundant term as typically only 2% of their time is now actually spent dealing with fires. Instead they are having to be increasingly versatile dealing with the constant scourge of traffic accidents, flooding and arrange of other operations where they are now working much more closely with other emergency organisations. As we saw in the Shoreham Air Show tragedy they do a formidable job looking out for us and it was good to be able to recognise that again.
It has been a great week for other local institutions to receive the recognition they deserve. Worthing College was rated ‘Good’ by OFSTED having settled well into their now not so new Hill Barn Lane site whilst our hospital trust was one of only 3 hospital trusts in the whole of England to be rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The report is a joy to read and I have posted a link to the full account in my newsletter with special commendation for staff and management teamwork and being prepared to learn from mistakes. It seems incredible now that just 8 years ago we had to launch the KWASH campaign to save both St Richard’s and Worthing hospitals from being downgraded. Thank goodness we did and now have a hospital which is the envy of the country.