The Royal British Legion, founded in 1921, is the UK’s leading Service charity.  It provides care, advice and support to serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans of all ages and their families and dependents.  If you have served in the Forces for at least seven days, or are the dependent of someone who has Served then the Legion’s services are available to help you.  Around 9 million people in the UK are eligible for the Legion’s support and they spend nearly £1.7 million a week helping those in greatest need.

The Horsham Branch of the Legion is trying to raise awareness locally of the help they can bring to the people who need it.  They have two trained Welfare Caseworkers who will be glad to talk you through the procedure for making a claim and explain further the type of help the Legion can give.  If you, or someone you know, are struggling to make ends meet we can help you in all sorts of ways.  You can call the Sussex County Office for advice on 01444 441470 or contact the local Horsham Branch direct by emailing hrbl.welfare@hotmail.co.uk giving a contact telephone number if possible, to find out more.

Following on from the inaugural meeting of the Roffey Local Action Team (LAT), as per this previous post, the second meeting is scheduled to take place this coming Monday 25th June 2012 at the Roffey Millenium Hall, beginning at 7pm.

The Local Action Team is a community led group involving both the Horsham Community Safety Partnership and Sussex police, so is therefore an excellent opportunity for local residents to have their say on issues relating to crime and disorder.

For more information please contact PCSO Claire Bonnyman on 07917 501716 or Neil Worth, Community Safety Officer, on 01403 215116.

The next West Sussex County Council North Horsham County Local Committee meeting is due to take place on Monday 25th June 2012 at 7pm, in the Goodwood Room, County Hall North, Chart Way, Horsham.

The Committee meets in public 4 times a year and provides a forum for local residents to come and directly discuss any issues or concerns with your elected representatives. These may be to do with your street, your village, your town or your county; whatever it is your voice will always be welcomed.

The North Horsham area is a mixture of urban and rural communities, therefore the Committee represents a broad range of interests and concerns. The Committee have an understanding of the pressures of the urban environment and are committed to sustaining Horsham’s vibrancy as a shopping centre and safeguarding its security as a residential area.

The Committee also keep an eye on the welfare of its communities by having a representative from the Police at each meeting to provide updates on crime figures for the area.

For further information, and for copies of minutes and agendas, please click here.

On Tuesday the 19^th and Wednesday the 20^th of June between 0800hrs and 1800hrs the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) team will be carrying out a training exercise at Brookhurst Wood.  The exercise will involve a number of ambulances and fire service vehicles visiting the site.

It is necessary for the USAR team to conduct ongoing training and assessment in line with National procedures and risk assessments.  This ensures that the West Sussex USAR team can mobilise in a timely manor and conduct search and rescue operations effectively in real life scenarios throughout West Sussex.

Please don’t be alarmed if you hear sirens or see the fire engines and ambulances as this will be part of the training exercise.

With summer just around the corner, residents in the Horsham District are being urged by the Horsham District Community Safety Partnership to keep their homes safe from burglars.  Despite being one of the safest districts in the country, with extremely low rates of burglary, some residents are occasionally victims, which can be a very distressing experience.

The vulnerability of houses to burglary varies depending upon the actions of the occupants and residents can make their homes significantly more secure by following some simple advice.

Tips from the Horsham District Community Safety Partnership include the following:

• Ensuring that the property is lit, inside and out.  Burglars prefer to operate in the dark so an outside automated light can act as a deterrent.
• Leaving lights and a radio on a timer in the house can give the illusion that someone is home so burglars are less likely to try and break in.
• Doors and windows should be kept secure with a good quality lock to stop it being easily broken.
• Sheds and garages should also be kept secure so thieves aren’t able to access tools or ladders to assist with a break in.
• Make sure all keys, including car keys, are hidden out of sight and that keys to the property aren’t left outside, such as under a plant pot.  Valuables such as passports, bank statements and wallets should also be hidden away.
• To help keep the whole of their street safe, residents can get involved with their local Neighbourhood Watch team.  Looking out for others’ properties mean burglars will have to work much harder.  More information about Neighbourhood Watch can be found at http://www.nhwhorsham.org.uk

If anyone notices someone acting suspiciously or experiences any suspicious callers, they should report it to Sussex Police – call the non emergency number 101 or call 999 in an emergency.

The Horsham District Community Safety Partnership advises residents to make a note of the person’s description or car registration as this may provide the police with useful information.