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Report: Climb every mountain, walk every path

25/8/2015

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The Ramblers has launched a campaign to walk every footpath, bridleway and byway in England and Wales by the end of 2015. The Big Pathwatch makes it easy for members of the public to “adopt” an area, log their walks and report any problems or positive features they find.
Footpath and stone marker
A recently cleared footpath with waymarking stone in East Sussex.
The Big Pathwatch is the biggest ever on-the-ground survey of English and Welsh rights of way. This ambitious campaign aims to build a national overview of the state of our path network. The Ramblers wants to gather reliable, consistent data about frequently encountered path problems and the severity of these problems.

While rapid undergrowth in summer and mud in winter can be addressed relatively easily with a pair of secateurs and sturdy boots, other issues are not so simple to overcome. Lionel Pringle, Treasurer of the Rother Ramblers, said, “Broken and difficult to negotiate stiles and footbridges, excessive use of barbed wire and blocking of paths with farm machinery and various forms of detritus can deter the average walker. The Big Pathwatch should help pinpoint any of these problems in our area and bring them to the attention of East Sussex County Council, who have a legal responsibility to ensure that our public rights of way are accessible.”

The Ramblers hopes the survey data will highlight patterns of footpath problems within and across different highway authorities. This is particularly important as continued central government cuts to county council funding have seen many areas direct resources away from rights of way maintenance.
Mid-Wales landscape and hiker
Walking in mid-Wales, note the waymarking post to the left and in front of the hiker.
But it’s not all doom and gloom! The Big Pathwatch app is also designed to celebrate the beauty and wonder of our countryside and rights of way, so data on positive features is also being collected. Participants are encouraged to upload photos and notes about great views, well-maintained paths, sites of interest, flowers and wildlife.

The survey is open to everyone, and the Ramblers hopes that many of the UK’s six million walkers will take part. “The larger the number of people who participate in this initiative, the more clout the Ramblers will have in seeing the project through to a satisfactory conclusion for all,” said Mr Pringle.

After registering for the Big Pathwatch, walkers choose a 1km by 1km square (based on Ordnance Survey data) and walk all the rights of way within that square. People can adopt up to 10 squares at a time in England and Wales - whether in their home parish or near their summer holiday destination. Walkers then record any features, as well as the general state of the path/s within the square, using the Big Pathwatch smartphone app or the online form.



(There is also an option to report features without adopting a whole square, for example, if someone is out on a walk and encounters a broken stile or overgrown path. This data won’t be included in the Big Pathwatch report, but any problems will be forwarded to the relevant highway authority to look into.)

The Big Pathwatch runs until 31 December 2015 and the Ramblers will be publishing their findings in spring 2016. Register here, or find updates on social media using the hashtag #BigPathwatch.

This article was first published in the Hastings Independent, Issue 36, 7 August 2015, p5.

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Report: Volunteers clean up Hastings Beach

11/6/2015

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A sunny Sunday in May saw around 50 people turn out to take part in the Big Hastings Beach Clean, organised by the community group Clean Seas Please. The beach clean was part of the community’s attempt to improve beach water quality in the area and meet the new bathing water standards.
Pebble beach, buildings and sky
"Hastings Beach, West Hill & Castle" by Andy Wilson (used under a Creative Commons license).
Volunteers spread out along the beach from the Stade to the Pier, armed with litter pickers, rubbish bags and gloves. By the end of the morning, Clean Seas Please reported that 10 full and several part-filled bags had been returned, while people continued clearing the beach well into the afternoon, all the way through St Leonards to Grosvenor Gardens.

Clean Seas Please volunteers were pleasantly surprised by the state of the beach, not finding as much litter as they expected.  Volunteers reminded each other that each piece of plastic or rusty metal was one less risk to birds, fish, animals and other beach users.

But participants did have a bone to pick with dog owners, as canine faeces featured rather heavily along the shore.  Jessica Fay, from Clean Seas Please, said, “Dog poo is a tragic sight to spoil any location, whether it's on the pavement, in the local park or on the beach. It's not hard to simply put it in a bag and in one of the bins along the beach.” Dog faeces contains a large amount of Escherichia coli (E. coli), one of the things tested when measuring water quality.

Last year, when the Environment Agency warned that Hastings beach might fail the new water quality tests, Hastings Borough Council and community groups including Clean Seas Please sprang to action. As well as the movement to clean visible litter from the seafront, Southern Water has undertaken an extensive programme of sewer investigations and improvement work, while Hastings Borough Council has focussed their efforts on cleaning up the stream that flows into the sea at Hastings beach.

The stream, which runs through Alexandra Park, was one of the sources of pollution in previous water quality tests. “We found that some houses were wrongly discharging waste water into this stream because of bad plumbing, and this has now been corrected,” explained Council spokesperson Kevin Boorman. “And we are taking action to enhance the quality of the water by improving its natural filtration, through the use of reed beds.” Hastings Borough Council is now “optimistic” that Hastings will meet the new bathing water quality standards in 2016.

Clean Seas Please thanked the volunteers who attended the beach clean, as well as more than 300 people who shared the event on social media. Jessica Fay noted, “Raising awareness is the first milestone for our campaign and support like that makes it all worth it.”

A version of this article first appeared as "We cleaned the beach! Now dog owners need to clean up their act" in the Hastings Independent, Issue 31, 29 May 2015, p10. Here's a selection of my articles previously published in the Hastings Independent.

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Interview: Former Children’s Library manager Pauline Crouch

14/5/2015

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Hastings Children’s Library manager Pauline Crouch has retired after 40 years’ service. I spoke to her about her decades of experience and plans for the future.
Three generations of Hastings children have come through the doors of the Children’s Library since Pauline Crouch began working there in the 1970s. Some people Pauline signed up as toddlers now bring their own children and grandchildren to the library.

I can see one of the reasons they kept coming back: Pauline’s enthusiasm is infectious. Her eyes twinkle as she recalls the events she’s run over the years. “One of my favourites was the ‘Libraries are Magic’ day I put on about ten years ago,” she says. “There were competitions all day, craft workshops, a Harry Potter family quiz with a Harry lookalike, magic show, puppet show and a fancy dress parade.” Pauline also used to run trips to Bodiam and Pevensey castles during the summer holidays, with author talks, craft workshops, face painting and high-energy games. “My abiding memories are of struggling to put up gazebos in the pouring rain, wearing publicity t-shirts several sizes too big and screaming maniacally at over-excited children playing parachute games!” Pauline shows me a photo of herself dressed up as the Good Fairy from the children’s book Little Rabbit Foo Foo. “Scarily, this is probably how I will be best remembered!” she says.


This is hardly the stereotypical image of a stern librarian, hushing and tutting children into meek silence. It’s clear from the passion she exudes that library work was Pauline’s vocation - although she laughed when, in 1971, a careers adviser told her as much. “I didn’t believe them at the time!” But after completing her A-levels, Pauline began working as a library assistant. A couple of years later she got a job in the Children’s Library, and there she remained until 2015.
Pauline Crouch
Pauline as the Good Fairy from Little Rabbit Foo Foo - with cake!
Illustration by Pauline Crouch
One of Pauline's mice - with cake! I sense a theme here.

Forty years of change: fun, filing and funding

So, what’s changed over the years? For a start, Pauline has noticed a dramatic shift in the reading habits of her young customers. “Reading used to be one of their main sources of entertainment, but now there are so many other things to do.” Children also demand more from story time. “Someone sitting on a chair reading a pile of picture books doesn’t cut it any more,” she smiles. “That’s why I was always trying to include other activities, games, crafts - something to catch their attention.” But children still come to the library, and Pauline believes that one thing has remained constant: everyone loves a good story.

Library work has also changed considerably since the 1970s. Back then, the Children’s Library didn’t open until after school hours. “People often wonder what I did during the day, but you have to remember that everything was done manually back then,” Pauline explains. “Placing reservations was time consuming and keeping the catalogue up to date was a laborious task. Each book had its own numbered card and it all had to be filed - accurately! - by hand. If one card was out of place it took hours of searching customers’ tickets to sort out the mistake.” When the first computer system arrived, staff spent days sticking barcodes into books. At the end of each day, lending data was recorded onto a spool of tape and sent off to the main computer, which Pauline recalls “looked like a big washing machine.”

Funding levels for the library have dipped and peaked over the last few decades, too. “There have been good times with plenty of funding to promote reading to children of different ages,” Pauline tells me. Hastings Children’s Library has also been fortunate to have a separate location since 1979, which has meant more space and flexibility for activities. “But with every tough time, we’ve had to reduce activities and services,” notes Pauline. “And I’ve never witnessed it as bad as it is now.” Are the current restructures and cuts one of the reasons she’s leaving? “The honest truth is that I probably wouldn’t have retired quite this early had the situation not been changing at work,” Pauline tells me. “But the job brought me a lot of satisfaction and pleasure and now I am about to embark on another adventure.”

A new chapter, a new adventure

For Pauline, this adventure includes time painting in the little studio at the bottom of her garden. She cites Helen Oxenbury, Michael Foreman, Inga Moore and Barbara Firth as influences, and she hangs Quentin Blake illustrations on her walls. Pauline is also inspired by the natural landscape, getting out for long walks around Hastings and the “truly wild” places of the Peak District and Yorkshire when she can.  Her pencil and watercolour illustrations appear in Glenda Quinnell’s The Tooth Recycler, as well as Pauline’s own Find and Seek Trails, a series of Hastings walks with clues and puzzles for children to solve. She is typically modest about her publications, but they have been popular among customers. Her sweet pictures of mice are also much-loved by her friends and colleagues, who hope she can find a publisher for them. Pauline also has plans for art shows, craft projects and charity events.

But the Hastings Children’s Library will always hold a special place in her heart. Pauline still remembers the shiver of excitement she felt when she first picked up The Snowman by Raymond Briggs back in 1978. “At that moment I just knew that sharing the love of stories and illustrations with children, being able to encourage them to read for pleasure and introducing them to new authors and illustrators was what I wanted to do. Imagination fuels discovery, invention and creativity. That’s why the library service is so vital. It’s not just about the books, but the expertise, the encouragement, the enthusiasm you find there.” Indeed, I think. These are qualities Pauline has in abundance.

I ask Pauline if she has a message for all the people she’s inspired over the years. “Where did all the time go and how can I possibly be old enough to even contemplate it?” she says. “Thank you to everyone, staff and customers, who have made my almost forty years at the Children’s Library so wonderful. I hope I have instilled a passion for stories in several generations of children. Keep reading, everyone!”

Addendum, November 2018: Sadly, Pauline died this month. She will be missed.

Thank you to Pauline for sharing her story! A shorter version of this article titled "New chapter for librarian Pauline" first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 29, 1 May 2015, page 11.

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Do a wilderness first aid course

27/4/2015

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A couple of months ago, I did some things that I hope I’ll never, ever have to do again. Warning: this post contains simulated blood, gore and stressful situations.
Hypothermia first aid

I arrived on the scene of a road traffic collision to find a motorcyclist wedged beneath a car. I held his head and supported his neck. Another person removed his helmet and cleared his mouth of vomit so he could breathe.

I’ve done bits and pieces of first aid training before. I remember every year in PE classes throwing a life-belt or rope into the pool, bandaging snake bites, fiddling with triangular bandages and trying to memorise complex combinations of breaths and compressions to resuscitate a plastic dummy. I vaguely remember my mum doing a first aid course, too, when I was a kid: practicing a bandage-twisting thing (doughnut roll) and a slightly different but no less complex combination of breaths and compressions.

And then a couple of years ago I did a First Aid at Work course with Andy Sullivan from Emergency Life Support Team (ELST). We were tucked away in a small, boring meeting room, ready for a small, boring PowerPoint presentation. But Andy didn’t teach like that.

“If one of you collapsed right now and went into cardiac arrest, would you be alive or dead?” he asked. We shuffled our notebooks, waited for someone else to say something, mumbled a few things: we’d be alive; alive for a few minutes; alive until a doctor said otherwise; alive if our brain was still alive. Andy let us have our discussion and said, “Let me put it to you: if someone’s heart is not beating, that person is dead. They’re not going to get better without intervention. They are dead. So anything that you do now, as a first aider, is not going to make them worse.”

It was a lightbulb moment for me: what matters is not so much choosing the right sized bandage or perfecting the doughnut roll (not generally taught in first aid courses any more) but potentially keeping someone not-dead-enough until the emergency services arrive.
Embedded object first aid

I bandaged the profusely bleeding hand of a farm labourer who had hammered an enormous nail through the middle of it. I called 999 and watched a hypothermic teenager go into cardiac arrest, then debated whether to move them to a clear area for the ambulance crew or continue administering CPR in the current position.

Since doing the First Aid at Work qualification, I’d only had to put my training into practice once: cleaning, bandaging and elevating a person’s arm after a minor onion-slicing accident. But in the back of my mind I’d been thinking about consolidating and refreshing my first aid knowledge.

Sure, I knew how to perform a jaw thrust to open a partially blocked airway, but what was the the protocol with compressions - was it really to the rhythm of “Staying Alive”? Had Andy said that mouth-to-mouth was optional? Plus, I’d forgotten about embedded objects, what to do to protect a casualty’s spine and what all those different bandages in the first aid kit were actually for.
This is important stuff to know. There are so many accidents on the A21 between Hastings and John’s Cross, it’s probably only a matter of time until I’m first on the scene. Or what if we’re out walking and find a farmer who’s overturned her tractor and is pinned underneath? Even more likely, what if we’re having dinner with friends or family and someone has a heart attack?

I was a bit concerned that knowing something in theory wouldn’t help me in a crisis. After all, I’ve completely forgotten things before - like trying (twice!) to call the UK emergency services on 000 (the Australian number) instead of 999 (the UK number). So I jumped at the chance to do a two day Wilderness First Aid course with ELST. 

I discovered a mountain biker wedged in the fork of a tree after a nasty fall - his bone was sticking out through his thigh - and I found his Ventolin, tried to keep him calm and gathered his medical history as my companions did what they could for his leg.

The first day started with introductions. There were four other participants - two from Sussex Wildlife Trust, a school sports teacher and someone who is setting up a kayaking business. Andy was joined over the weekend by a number of other instructors, too. Andy himself has spent 17 years in the Fire Service as a firefighter and instructor and three years as an NHS Resuscitation Officer. Mark Pittock has spent 27 years in the Fire Service and has been on one tour of Afghanistan as an RAF Reserves Medic. Rob Wilkinson is a paramedic and nurse with 14 years service with the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance.
Motorcycle helmet first aid
The day was spent in conversation, learning through storytelling, props, questioning, talking and examining first aid equipment. Every now and then, we’d pop outside to put the theory into practice on the plastic dummies, then head back inside for a debrief.

I was really interested to hear about the emergency services system in East Sussex and surrounding counties: call centre protocol from who’s taking the call to who decides what to send (paramedic, ambulance, air ambulance), what each service is trained to do (e.g. who can and can’t administer drugs), which hospitals casualties can be sent to for what, and so on. There is so much going on behind the scenes every day that is so easy to take for granted.  When you call 999, an enormous, dedicated and hopelessly overstretched service snaps into action. While one of the messages I took from the course was, “Don’t hesitate to call 999 if you think it’s a real emergency,” the other was, “Don’t call 999 if it’s a problem you could just as easily take to your GP to solve.” (I hear stories of people drunk dialling 999 after a night out hoping to get a free lift home and I despair. Take a good hard look at yourselves, people!)
Traffic accident first aid

I ran through the woods in the direction of panicked yelling to find an arborist had cut his arm off with a chainsaw. I helped guide him down (put him on a jacket - don’t want him getting hypothermia) and watched my companions improvise a tourniquet out of rope.

On day two, Andy went through a few questions we had from the previous session, showed us some burns dressings and gave us a few more pointers and tips. Then the fun really began. The difference between this course and many other first aid courses is the real life scenarios, presented by actors in casualty make up.

First, there was a nasty fall. The kid had a huge bruise around one eye and was lying at the bottom of a cliff. Don’t fall over the edge yourself. Is he responding? No: he’s unconscious. Is he breathing? Can’t tell. Listen, feel, watch. Ten seconds feels like an age . . .

We went back to the tent to debrief. Only inside was a man complaining of intense pain in his chest and arm. He’s just eaten lunch. He’s very pale. The pain is getting worse. Call 999. Any allergies you know of? We stand around a bit helplessly watching this guy have his heart attack. And then he’s out. We pop him on the floor and begin CPR . . .
CPR first aid
We went through both scenarios afterwards. Who called 999? Did we get all the information we could have from the cardiac arrest patient while he was awake and conscious? We should use the SAMPLE mnemonic if it helps. Wasn’t it strange that we all felt something a bit like relief when the man in the tent finally passed out - relief that we could finally do something.

Then there was the motorcyclist under the car; the hypothermic teenager; the arborist with the severed arm; the cyclist with the extravagantly fractured femur. Each scenario presented a different set of problems and, despite being fully aware that these were staged scenarios, it was all too easy to feel the panic, adrenaline surge and queasiness as we dealt with each one.

But with each scenario I found I could remember more. Danger, response, airway, breathing. Call 999. Support the C-spine. Recovery position. SAMPLE. Continuous compressions. Pressure and elevation.
Road traffic collision first aid

I was in a car accident - I collided with a pedestrian who was sprawled unconscious and bleeding from his ear on my windscreen. My airbag didn’t deploy. I had a bloody nose, a suspected broken rib and - scarier still - I couldn’t feel my legs. Then the car caught fire. Let me tell you: I was extremely relieved at that point that all three passers-by happened to be trained first aiders.

It’s not often an instructor finishes a two day course by saying, “I hope I’ve just wasted your weekend.” But as we wiped the golden syrup and red food dye off our noses and legs, the bruises off our faces, and the mushed up digestive biscuits off our mouths and hands, we understood exactly what Andy meant.

I hope I never have to put this knowledge into practice, but at least now I know what to do and I’m pretty sure I could do it. Could you?

ELST is based in East Sussex, but Andy also runs courses in Kent, Surrey, West Sussex, Hampshire and beyond. Check their website for further information. Oh, I should also mention that if "Staying Alive" is too hard to remember for compressions, you could try an even less appropriate song, "Another One Bites the Dust".

Casualty makeup

I sometimes undertake freelance work for ELST. I was not paid to write a positive review of this course. All images courtesy of Andy Sullivan, ELST.

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Report: The challenge starts here

23/3/2015

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Have you ever stood on West Hill on a bright morning with the sun glinting on the silver sea, looked out over the ruins of Hastings Castle and thought about extending your weekend walk… maybe all the way to Scotland?
Silhouetted lighthouse and sunset
Destination: Cape Wrath Lighthouse (Photo by Bruce McAdam)

North by Northwest 800 Challenge

A new adventure challenge takes Hastings Castle as its starting point and ends at Cape Wrath Lighthouse on the northwest tip of Scotland. It’s a distance of over 700 miles as the crow flies, or around 800 miles by the most direct road route.

But the North by Northwest 800 Challenge (NNW800) is not a race and there is no prescribed route. Nor is it focused on endurance, strength or Bear Grylls-style wilderness survival - in fact, it is open to walkers, motorcyclists, vintage car enthusiasts, mountain or road bikers, horse riders, skaters and anyone in between.

Instead, the challenge encourages participants to use the experience to document their journey in a short film or photo essay and create a unique, cross-section portrait of England and Scotland.
Boat on a pebbly beach
The Hastings boats are eager to get going... are you? (Photo by Elvin)

Learn something new and share your discoveries

Iain Harper, the brains behind NNW800, has a good reason to include artistic creation as part of the challenge. “People undertaking adventurous trips often become very focused on the physical challenge of getting from point A to point B,” he says. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it potentially misses the opportunity to get under the skin of the communities and landscapes being travelled through, to learn something about them and then to share those discoveries with a wider audience.”

Iain hopes that participants will choose to focus on a theme or topic close to their hearts. “How about looking at attitudes towards issues like climate change, sustainability, green energy, population growth or community?” he writes on the NNW800 website. “Alternatively, you could think of a sweepingly-open philosophical question to ask everyone you meet to answer in a single sentence.”

Based in Hertfordshire, Iain originally conceived the Hastings-Cape Wrath challenge as a personal cycling expedition in 2013. He planned to explore attitudes towards climate change across the country. “I arranged to visit all sorts of wind farms, exploratory fracking sites, nuclear and conventional power stations,” he says. “Then my appendix burst while on a training ride, life got in the way for a while and the trip didn’t happen.”

But the concept stayed with him. “It seemed like an idea with proverbial ‘legs’ and I was keen not to let it go to waste,” Iain explains. So, he added a page to his adventure news website and launched the challenge quietly in January this year. “Feedback from the adventure travel community has been very positive so far,” he says. “I’ve had a few people get in touch already to say they’re thinking about doing it.”
NNW800 graphic
I would walk 800 miles... (Image courtesy of Endeavour 360)

The way is straight, but not narrow

Apart from the added element of creative production, there’s only one other guideline for completing NNW800: travel on or close to the straight line between Hastings and Cape Wrath.

Having said that, Iain acknowledges that there will be a few notable detours on the way from the English Channel to the northwestern tip of mainland Britain, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea. Most participants won’t fancy swimming 22 kilometres (17 miles) across the Firth of Forth, nor diving into the River Thames or the other rivers, inlets and lochs that intersect the route. He also imagines that most people will do the challenge in April-May or August-October, “to avoid any high summer temperatures and the worst of the Highland midges.”

So, next time you stand up by Hastings Castle on a fresh morning, why not turn your face north by northwest and, with the sun on your back, take the first step towards Scotland?

Are you up for it? For more information, visit the NNW800 website or follow the NNW800 Twitter account. This article first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 24, 20 February 2015, p4.

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Report: Making Hastings count

25/2/2015

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National Numeracy charity launches campaign in Hastings.
Maths. No, please don’t shut this tab! And try not to let your eyes glaze over as you consider this...

You’ve got £107.52 and you need to pay a £64.25 bill - how much will you have left for your weekly grocery shop? If you owe £595 on your credit card, which has a monthly interest rate of 14%, how much interest will you be charged? The branded sauce is on special at £2.35 for 200mL and the supermarket’s own brand is £5.09 for 450mL, so which one is better value?

If you struggled to figure these out, you’re not alone. The 2011 Skills for Life survey showed that across the UK, almost half the adult population only had a level of maths skills expected of primary school aged children. Hastings adults’ skills levels were slightly worse than average, with 52% demonstrating primary school level maths competency.
National Numeracy brochure
National Numeracy was founded in 2012 to address these issues and improve numeracy skills throughout the UK. The East Sussex-based charity is about to launch a special campaign in Hastings, noting that the town’s record of low-level skills, high unemployment and low incomes are all factors that align with poor numeracy. 

Starting on Monday 9 February, National Numeracy will be dropping off leaflets across Hastings and St Leonards, talking to community groups and encouraging people to take the National Numeracy Challenge Online, a free service to help people improve their everyday maths skills. As well as helping to improve people’s numeracy skills, National Numeracy aims to change attitudes to maths, showing how maths is used all the time in daily life, and how everyone can improve their numeracy skills with effort and support.

“Being numerate means being able to use numbers and think mathematically, which is essential for so many aspects of everyday life and work,” says National Numeracy’s chief executive Mike Ellicock. “The National Numeracy Challenge is responding to this need and enabling everyone to start to improve their maths.” The charity notes that poor numeracy can make it hard to manage chronic health conditions like asthma and diabetes, while people with lower numeracy skills can struggle to manage their money and are more likely to get into a spiral of debt. Better numeracy skills can also increase employment opportunities.

Mr Ellicock adds, “To anyone tempted to say ‘I can’t do maths’, we say, ‘Yes, you can’.”

This article first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 23, 6 February 2015, p13.

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Report: Do you want to play American football?

16/2/2015

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I wrote this as a follow-up to my previous article about the Hastings Conquerors in the Hastings Independent. The 'rookie days' mentioned in this article have now been and gone, but the club is still interested in hearing from anyone keen to get involved.
It is set to be a big year for the Hastings Conquerors. The club is about to enter the national league and is looking for new players and shareholders to join their ranks.

The Conquerors are running a number of ‘rookie days’ in January, to give prospective players a taste of American football (gridiron). The first session in Eastbourne on Sunday 11 January proved popular, with 51 participants including 18 rookies. Potential recruits enjoyed playing alongside established team members and got a feel for the atmosphere of the club.

“Rookie days are a way of getting new people involved in the sport,” said Luke Boorer, the club’s Commercial and Community Manager. “For someone who’s never followed the sport, or only started recently, it can be nerve wracking to come along to an established team. Rookie days are run by our trained coaches to give newcomers the chance to play in different positions and to get a taste of the training, the drill and the pace which all the squad are expected to go through.”
Taster session
Photo courtesy of Ree Dawes.
Forthcoming taster sessions will be held in Hastings (Tilekiln Rec) from 10am on Sunday 18 January and Battle (Battle Sports Centre) from 11am on Sunday 25 January. Anyone keen to take part needs to wear suitable footwear for grass or 3G (artificial turf), appropriate clothing (tracksuit bottom and a top) and bring a bottle of water and a positive attitude. There will also be a sign-up evening from 7pm on Saturday 31 January at Riley’s Sports Bar in Hastings.

Its not just on the pitch that the club is looking for new members. “We need people to help on the sidelines on the chain crew, coaching assistants, camera operators, statisticians and so on,” said Mr Boorer. “Without these people, teams wouldn't be able to run. We are also on the lookout for new shareholders.”

The Conquerors is a fan-owned, co-operative club, which means all supporters can purchase shares. Each shareholder owns one share and thus has one vote when it comes to decision making time. “It's our shareholders who make us the fantastic club that we are,” said Mr Boorer. “They are a great bunch of people who really are keen to see the club grow and flourish. We have shareholders from the UK to Norway and Hong Kong too, which just shows you don't have to be a local to get involved!”

A share costs £30 initially, but the club recently made the decision to drop annual renewal costs to £10. The club hopes this will encourage more fans to continue their membership. Shareholder Liaison Officer, Clive Raines, said, “The club wants to keep its supporters engaged for years to come and build on its current strong standing.”

For more information about playing with the club, email recruitment@hastingsconquerors.co.uk. To find out more about shares contact committee@hastingsconquerors.co.uk.

This article first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 22, 23 January 2015, p14.

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Report: 2,000 miles of paths "under serious threat"

13/1/2015

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East Sussex County Council is running a survey to find out how people use open access land and the county’s 2,000 miles of public rights of way. But a spokesperson from the local Ramblers group says the paths are not being adequately maintained and are "under serious threat."
ESCC is reviewing their management of rights of way and ten countryside sites, including Camber Sand Dunes and Seven Sisters Country Park. The council is seeking feedback from walkers, cyclists, horse riders and other countryside visitors on why people use public paths and open access spaces. 

Responses to this survey, which runs until 20 February 2015, will help the council develop a new management plan, which it aims to put into action in April 2016.

Lionel Pringle, Treasurer of the Rother Ramblers, urged all walkers to complete the survey. "It is important that ESCC is made aware that a not inconsiderable portion of their electorate use these paths, and expect them to be kept in a useable state," he said.
Path across a field
East Sussex boasts 2,000 miles of public rights of way
ESCC’s factsheet about the consultation says the council is "not proposing any changes at the moment" to countryside management. "As with all services provided by the county council, we are constantly reviewing how they are managed," said Cllr Carl Maynard, lead member for transport and environment.

However, Mr Pringle argued that the council’s current maintenance of public rights of way is inadequate. "A meagre staff and even more meagre budget" designated by ESCC to rights of way has meant paths are becoming "increasingly difficult" to use, said Mr Pringle. 

"The upkeep of these footpaths is right at the bottom of the heap when it comes to county council priorities," he said. "2,000 miles of rights of way in our county are under serious threat."

Public rights of way include public footpaths, bridleways and byways. These are subject to the same legal protection as all other highways, including trunk roads. As our local highway authority, ESCC has a duty to protect the rights of the public to the use and enjoyment of paths in the Hastings area. The council is legally responsible for maintaining the surface of paths, including bridges, and keeping them free of overgrowth. Public rights of way around Hastings can be found on the ESCC website and on Ordnance Survey’s Explorer Map 124.

The survey can be accessed here and a paper copy is available from local libraries. The survey is available in large print, Braille and languages other than English by calling 03456 080 193 or emailing scs@eastsussex.gov.uk.

This article first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 21, 19 December 2014, p7.

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Report: Hastings Youth Awards

27/12/2014

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The annual Hastings Youth Awards celebrates and showcases the achievements of young people in Hastings and St Leonards. This year’s ceremony, held in November, was attended by over 400 people.
Organised by Hastings Youth Council, the event recognised many inspirational, talented and hard working individuals and organisations in the area.

The Mayor of Hastings, Cllr. Bruce Dowling, gave a short introduction and presented awards to the winners. Leader of Hastings Borough Council, Cllr. Jeremy Birch, also gave words of encouragement.
Students with certificates
Students from Pestalozzi received awards.
Youth groups, schools, charities and community organisations were nominated for awards by members of the public, and winners included Respond Academy, aGender and Pestalozzi. Individual award recipients included two members of South East Movement, for victory in the Hastings Got Talent contest.

Tenzin Dophen, a Tibetan student who attends Sussex Coast College Hastings and is sponsored by Pestalozzi, was recognised for his work with the Students for a Free Tibet campaign. "It is very encouraging and motivational to be recognised in Hastings for our work to spread awareness about the plight of Tibetans living in Tibet,” he said. “I was really glad to see the support from the Hastings locals and also lots of cultures and talents represented. Together, we strive to create a better world through mutual understanding and respect amongst people from different backgrounds and cultures.” 

Exciting performances kept the audience entertained, with cheerleaders from South East Stars and poets from the Bangladeshi Association both enjoying the spotlight. Local band Watertight played during the intermission and closing acts.

Lauren Fry from HYA partner Sussex Coast College Hastings, said, “The Hastings Youth Awards is a great opportunity to celebrate the success, bravery and determination of the young people in our county and we are proud to be linked to such a prestigious awards evening.” Other partners for this year’s awards included Hastings and District Interfaith Forum, SPARK and Many Voices One Hastings.

This article first appeared as "Awards celebrate youth achievements" in in Hastings Independent, Issue 20, 5 December 2014, p4.

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Report: American football poised to conquer Hastings

5/11/2014

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The UK’s first ever fan-owned, co-operative American football club is aiming to score big time with an application to join the national league next season and the imminent launch of their local youth programme.
American football game by Ree Dawes
Hastings Conquerors in action. Photo by Ree Dawes courtesy of Hastings Conquerors AFC.
Hastings Conquerors American Football Club was established in April 2013 to take local interest in the sport to the next level. As newcomers, the team has just undertaken what is known as an associate season to prove it is financially viable and capable of fulfilling fixtures and hosting games. Now, with the 2014 season almost over, the club’s plans and financial records have been submitted to the national governing body and the team hopes to enter national competition in 2015.

As well as trying for the national spotlight, Hastings Conquerors wants to expand local interest and participation through its community and youth programmes.

The club recently teamed up with Bexhill College to bring 10 free American football training sessions to students. Hastings Conquerors Chairman Chris Chillingworth hopes the Sport England funded sessions are the beginning of something bigger. “We would absolutely love for Hastings to become an American Football town here in the UK,” said Mr Chillingworth.

The Bexhill sessions are giving coaches a chance to warm up for the Conquerors’ youth programme, set to kick off in January. The programme will be open to boys and girls aged between 16 and 19, offering teenagers a chance to attend regular training and possibly entering into a league. Luke Boorer, the club’s Commercial Manager, noted, “This is just the first step. We want to make the sport of American Football a complete family affair.”

Hastings Conquerors was the first co-operatively run American football club in the UK (the Aberdeen Roughnecks have recently followed suit). Mr Boorer explained, “This means we are owned by our fans, for the fans, by the fans.”

A share in the club can be purchased for £30 per year, and shares are limited to one per person. “One owner, one share, one vote,” said Mr Boorer. “No one person can ever own the club.” Shareholders choose a committee to see to the day-to-day administration of the club, with bigger decisions voted on by shareholders themselves. “We’re very proud of the way we operate,” said Mr Boorer. “I think our club is run in the best possible way.”

American Football is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK, due to the NFL’s investment in the sport in this country. Hastings Conquerors and Sussex Thunder represent the South East along with three teams from Kent and five in the London area. There is also a national universities competition, won last year by Brighton Tsunami.

Hastings Conquerors would like to hear from locals interested in volunteering, playing or coaching – regardless of their level of expertise. “Most of our players, when they started, knew very little about American Football,” noted Mr Boorer. The club also want so set up a discount card to help connect shareholders with local businesses, and would like to hear from interested businesses.

Get in touch (down)!
  • Find Hastings Conquerors online: Website / Facebook / Twitter
  • Volunteer, play or coach: recruitment@hastingsconquerors.co.uk
  • Business links: finance@hastingsconquerors.co.uk or 07946 449 378

This article first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 16, 10 October 2014, p12.

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Report: Speaking Volumes at Hastings Library

24/10/2014

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Flyer: stories of people living with HIVFlyer for the Speaking Volumes project.
An exhibition hosted by Hastings Library throughout October allows visitors to listen to life stories from people in Sussex living with HIV.

Speaking Volumes aims to combat misconceptions and ignorance about living with HIV. Participants attended creative art and storytelling workshops before their stories were recorded. These 15 recordings form the centrepiece of the installation, with each “volume” displayed in a hollowed out book on the Speaking Volumes bookshelf.

The project highlights the diverse experiences of people living with HIV: men and women, aged from their 20s to their 70s and 80s, parents and people with disabilities, hailing from the UK and around the world. Each volume is broken into a number of chapters, or audio tracks, based on themes such as diagnosis, treatments and side effects, sex and relationships, work, spirituality, isolation and support.

The installation at Hastings Library marks the project’s first East Sussex exhibition location. Abigail Luthmann, Equal Access Manager for ESCC libraries, saw the installation in Brighton and was so impressed that she asked if ESCC libraries could host the exhibition. “For libraries, stories are what we are about - factual or fictional,” she says. “Listening directly to someone’s own story is a very powerful way to understand a different perspective and experience of life. As some of the participants are East Sussex residents we are particularly pleased to be able to host it.”

Speaking Volumes Project Manager and Director Alice Booth notes, “The project was particularly relevant to Sussex as it's an area where there is higher prevalence of HIV than the national average - especially in Brighton and Hove, but also in Hastings.”

The project was inspired by “human libraries”, where people who have encountered some sort of stigma or oppression can be “borrowed” to talk to a member of the public about their experience. “I thought this was a great idea and would be a brilliant thing for HIV positive people to do,” says Alice Booth. “But I was aware that the stigma associated with the condition meant that lots of people who would like to share their story would be reluctant to appear in public.” The format of Speaking Volumes allows participants to be as identifiable or anonymous as they wish.

HIV: evolving treatments, evolving attitudes

Hands holding a Speaking Volumes book openThe recordings are displayed in hollowed books.
One of the overarching themes to emerge through the stories is the extraordinary change in attitudes towards and treatments of HIV over the last three decades.

People diagnosed in the first few years of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s saw partners, friends and communities dying around them. Elfrid Walkingtree, who was diagnosed HIV+ in 1989, comments that, of the support group he attended at that time, “I am the only person alive today. Everybody is dead.”  

One participant became ill in the mid-1990s and started on anti-retroviral treatment, which had become available only months before. Two of his friends died that year, choosing not to try the treatment. “I know now that if they had started anti-retrovirals they would very likely have lived,” he reflects. “But at that point we’d had maybe eight, nine years of different research medication, different trials and nothing had worked for anyone for longer than six months with lots and lots of side effects - so why think this would be any different?”

These decades of ignorance and shot-in-the-dark trial medication seem to have come to a close, with many participants diagnosed HIV+ in the last few years receiving swift, respectful and effective treatment, as well as greater understanding and support from friends, family and support groups. Scott, diagnosed in 2013, thanks those people who were “guinea pigs” in a process that has allowed his diagnosis to lead to him feeling healthier ever before.

“The general public, I feel, still do not realise that HIV is no longer a death sentence,” says Scott. “They need to be educated. . . people need to know.”

Continuing challenges

This is not to say that everything is rosy for people living with HIV.

Although Scott’s story is largely positive, it took several misdiagnoses from his GP before he decided to get tested for HIV. In the meantime, he had become seriously ill and, as a result, had lost his job. Other participants speak eloquently about negotiating diagnosis and treatment in the workplace, as well as the shock, disbelief, relief, grief and numbness they felt following their diagnosis.

Questions about if and when to disclose HIV+ status to colleagues, family, friends and partners also continue to play a big part in the lives of people living with HIV.

Angelina Namiba was “closeted” about her HIV status in her first relationship post-diagnosis. “Of course, we practised safer sex. But it was quite difficult because I couldn’t be myself in my own house. I had to hide any literature about HIV, you know. It was really hard - being a stranger, almost, in your own home.” Now, she says, she would disclose sooner rather than later. But “it’s a bit of a dilemma,” she adds. “Sometimes I like someone to get to know me so that they know me as Angelina, rather than Angelina-the-virus.”
Red and black print - close up of an eye"Uncertain Future, Lasting Love, II" - Lin Stevens Yian
One story highlights the heartbreaking results of discrimination against HIV+ immigrants - especially relevant given Nigel Farrage’s recent comments that people living with HIV should be banned from migrating to Britain.

Lin Stevens Yian was living in Taiwan with his partner when he tested positive for HIV. His doctor was required to report the diagnosis to the authorities, who then informed him that, as an HIV+ foreigner, he was no longer legally allowed to live in Taiwan. He had to leave within 14 days of taking the test or be deported.

At the time of recording his story, he had been living apart from his partner for two years, unable to work due to his illness, and therefore unable to meet the UK government’s income requirements in order to bring his partner to this country.

Many people diagnosed with HIV decades ago now face new challenges. Elfrid Walkingtree comments, “People do not seem to be interested in getting old and living with HIV, or [getting old and] being a gay person or a lesbian. . . People who came out of the closet maybe ten or twenty years ago face the reality of having to go into the closet again in order to go into an old people’s home.”

The deeply personal stories in Speaking Volumes resist neat narratives about progress.  But visitors who take time to listen to at least parts of a number of volumes will come away with a richer understanding of the history of HIV in the UK and renewed appreciation for the unique experiences of local people living with HIV today.

Speaking Volumes is at Hastings Library until the end of October, at Lewes Library in November and at Eastbourne Library in December. On 1 December, World AIDS Day, there will be an event at Eastbourne Library followed by the annual Aids Memorial March from the Town Hall in Eastbourne.

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Interview: Shelley from vegan cake club

21/10/2014

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Shelley and KevinShelley and Kevin (by greenwyvernphotography).
1066 Cake Stand is a well-known fixture of the vegan scene in Hastings, with co-owners Shelley Feldman and Kevin Young operating a small shop-front on Queens Road and regularly offering cake to festival-going crowds in the area.

Recently, the pair launched a national cake delivery service – taking their social enterprise to a whole new tier. I caught up with Shelley last month to learn more about Cake Club.

First of all, while I’ve never met a person who wouldn’t want cake delivered to their doorstep, how did you come up with the idea of a cake delivery service?

We have a customer who regularly comes up with schemes and things for us to make, do and sell. They are usually very silly things. This time we thought, “Actually, this is a really good idea!” so we went for it. We launched our Cake Club in August at the London Vegan Festival, and the first box went out on the 12th of September.

And how does it work?

It is just like a veggie box delivery, but for cake! Subscription boxes are all the rage at the moment – think Graze. People hop on our website to buy a trial month or subscribe for 6, 9 or 12 months. The first month was mostly trial boxes, but people are beginning to subscribe now.  It costs £12 a month, including delivery to mainland UK. Customers can tell us their preferences – like if they hate fruit cake, have allergies, or want a gluten free cake – but each month’s cake is a surprise. We send four good sized portions each month… what we call the “Hastings Slice”.

You said it’s a surprise, but do you have any hints about what kinds of cakes subscribers can expect?

Well, we ultimately choose the cake but subscribers are encouraged to issue “Cake Challenges”, where they suggest a style or flavour of cake for us to make. If we accept a Cake Challenge we will give the challenger that month’s box for free. It is too early to have had any challenges through Cake Club yet, but challenges via our shop have included gluten free Eccles cakes, vegan lemon meringue pie and Pimms cake.

Where’s the furthest you’ve sent a cake? And has anyone subscribed who could’ve just walked down to the shop and bought one, because that sounds like something I’d do?

I think Manchester is the furthest our cakes have gone so far. We haven't had any orders we can hand deliver yet, but one customer has threatened to order when she moves from Hastings to St Leonards!

Finally, do you think there’s a need for more vegan food in this area? What’s your favourite vegan thing to do in Hastings?

There is always a need for more vegan food in Hastings as I am a colossal pig and am also vegan. There are loads of businesses who cater really well for us, in part I think because it's so common here.  I think, my favourite thing to do on a Sunday is go to Foyles for a nice vegan pie and mash, then to the Jenny or Crown for a pint. There is almost always someone about to chat to, or a nice bit of music to listen to, before taking a little post-pint waddle home again.

If you're a fan of vegan cake you should chat to Shelley on Twitter! This interview first appeared as “Have your cake (delivered) and eat it” in Hastings Independent, Issue 15, 26 September 2014, p8.

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Report: Community imagines Hastings' future

27/9/2014

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A recent exhibition at Hastings Trust combined architects’ eye-catching visions for Hastings and St Leonards with a lo-fi interactive display (map and sticky notes) of community suggestions for improving the area.
Large map, mug of pens and sticky notesA map of Hastings awaits suggestions.
The “So Create A Difference” exhibition was organised by Hastings Urban Design Group under the RIBA’s local initiative fund and was first displayed in Priory Meadow in April 2014.

Proposals from 13 local and regional architects and designers included a pedestrianised Hastings seafront with new trams, refurbishment of the Lido site to create a modern bathing pool, an infinity ice rink in West St Leonards and attention-grabbing student accommodation. Architects HazleMcCormackYoung also joined a long line of dreamers to reimagine Hastings Pier as an undulating “sculptural caterpillar” that would move with the tide.

Perhaps the most striking and whimsical exhibit was DD Architects’ “Kype Steps to Nowhere” – a stairway to the open sky, carved into a series of huge, precariously balanced solid blocks jutting out from West Hill. While hard to imagine such a project ever gaining planning permission, the audacious design admirably fulfilled its aim to “recreate the engineering marvels of the Victorian period”, taking Hastings’ much-loved funicular railways as a starting point.

Map of Hastings showing sites of proposed developmentsThe exhibition covered 13 sites in Hastings.
Rhonda Ellard of Hastings Trust said there had been plenty of interest in the map display from passers-by and that local people were keen to share their ideas. Suggestions for a market in Bottle Alley (the beachfront space beneath the promenade) had stimulated lively discussions among exhibition visitors, said Ms Ellard. Sticky notes from residents argued both for and against permanent market structures, claimed a white floor would make the alley more inviting and pushed for the inclusion of performance areas.

On the whole, the community’s suggestions steered clear of the professional designers’ statement pieces, opting instead for practical plans to improve everyday liveability. There were requests for showers and drinking fountains on the beach, play/hangout spaces, exercise parks, allotments and a park and ride scheme for commuters. The future imagined by the community also emphasised creativity through art hubs, designated performance and busking posts and a legal graffiti wall. Notes ranged in tone from the quietly ironic (“A harbour?”) to extremely enthusiastic (“MORE CYCLE LANES! like Amsterdam! haha!”)

The exhibition at Hastings TrustCommunity suggestions and designer visions.
Hastings Trust’s Development Officer Jon Aldenton said, “At Hastings Trust, we want to make sure that what happens in the future is based on local demand and need. The idea behind the exhibition is to help the charity set an agenda for Hastings and itself, and to move forward on a firm base.”

There are plans to take the exhibition to local schools and colleges in the future. Meanwhile, members of Hastings Trust (membership is free to local residents) are invited to a meeting on 30 September 2014 to evaluate the proposals. Those who did not make it to the exhibition are encouraged to bring their suggestions on the night.


This article first appeared in Hastings Independent, Issue 14, Friday 12 September 2014, p14. Photos: Daniel Katz.

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