With the children spending a lot more time at home over the past year, parents may have exhausted all possible forms of entertainment and be struggling for ideas to keep them amused over the Easter holidays.

But fear not, as West Sussex Libraries has a wealth of activities planned to help children have fun (and learn) at the same time.

Over the holiday, the library service will be providing kids (and their families) with a new and exciting blend of virtual and face-to-face activities which will be available online each Tuesday and Thursday covering the following themes:

• Growing – Tuesday 6 April
• Fun with food – Thursday 8 April
• Fit & Strong – Tuesday 13 April
• Cooking and ingredients – Thursday 15 April

There are competitions and challenges based on some favourite stories about food and growing, as well as ‘science in your kitchen’ experiments to try at home.

For anyone not online, local libraries will have all the activities available bagged up and ready to collect from the door.

“Primarily, these are fun activities for all the family to enjoy – the key aim of our Library Service. But they will also help children learn more about the importance of food for their growing minds and bodies.”

UK Harvest, the Chichester based food rescue charity, will also be supporting the holiday programme.

More information on locations will be posted on the UK Harvest website www.ukharvest.org.uk or on the library social media accounts closer to the time via Facebook: www.facebook.com/WestSussexLibraries and Twitter: @WSCCLibraries.

The holiday activities are open to all whether or not you are a member, but joining the library is free for everyone.

For more information on the Easter holidays programme at West Sussex Libraries, visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/holidayactivity for more details.

Click to access public-notice-old-holbrook-horsham.pdf

Adults in West Sussex who have to leave home for work or caring responsibilities can now book a symptom-free Covid-19 test.
As efforts to combat the spread of the virus continue, more local testing is being rolled to help identify as many people as possible who have Covid-19 but not the symptoms.
The pan-Sussex Community Testing Programme launches this week as a partnership between West Sussex County Council, East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council.
It offers free, rapid lateral flow tests to anyone who isn’t showing signs of Covid-19, who can’t work from home and who can’t access testing via other means.
Anyone over the age of 18 can book a test at a participating pharmacy anywhere in Sussex, or at one of two dedicated testing sites, one at the Moulsecoomb Leisure Centre in Brighton and one at Hove Town Hall. The most local pharmacy to North Horsham offering this service is Day Lewis PLC, The Park Surgery, Albion Way, Horsham RH12 1BG.
Further details, including how to book, are available on the West Sussex County Council website http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/communitytesting
Chair of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board Councillor Amanda Jupp said: “It is encouraging to see the rate of infection fall across West Sussex, but it is still the case that a third of people with Covid-19 may be passing it on without knowing it.
“The ability to test people who need to leave home for work, but who don’t have symptoms, is another important step that will help us return to normal life as soon as possible.
“I’d like to thank our partners in East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council for working with us on launching the pan-Sussex Community Testing Programme, and to the pharmacies who are on board supporting the rollout.”
Dr Tony Hill, Interim Director of Public Health at West Sussex County Council, said: “We know that around one in three people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms, so you could be passing the virus on even if you’re feeling fine.
“Symptom-free testing is an additional tool in the fight against the pandemic and keeping West Sussex safe. It will help us to identify more people who have the virus and encourage them and their contacts to self-isolate in order to further protect our friends, families, colleagues and communities. This form of testing is especially important if you have to leave home for work, and you’re unable to access testing by other means.”
More pharmacies will be available across Sussex in the coming weeks, making it even easier to get a test close to where you live or work.
People across West Sussex are urged to continue to ‘act like you have the it’ as the best way to avoid spreading coronavirus, keep West Sussex safe and help us come out of lockdown.
Go to http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/coronavirus for further information and support.

The Met Office has extended the Level 3 Cold Weather Alert. There is a 95% probability of severe cold weather/icy conditions/heavy snow between 0900 on Wednesday 10 Feb and 0000 on Saturday 13 Feb in parts of England.

View the full warning at the Met Office Cold Weather Alert site.

Cold weather can affect your health. The people most likely to be affected are the elderly, the very young, and people with pre-existing medical conditions.

If you know or look after someone that may be susceptible to the effects of this cold weather period please help make sure that they stay warm and well, and if possible check in advance that they are prepared for this cold spell.

• Stay tuned in to weather forecasts
• Check room temperatures and maintain it at 18C or warmer
• Keep warm and active, and if you have to go out dress warmly and wear non slip shoes.
• If you are concerned about your own health or welfare or that of others please alert the emergency services.

For more information:

• Met Office Cold Weather Alert
• NHS Keep Warm Keep Well leaflet
• WSCC Dealing with extreme weather
• WSCC Preparing for emergencies
• West Sussex Report a road and footway issue
• East Sussex Report a road or footway issue
• Follow WSCC on Twitter for regular updates @WSCCNews @WSCCResilience @wspublichealth