Throughout Mid Sussex, Local Government Elections will be held on Thursday 4 May 2023. Residents will be able to vote in all Wards for District Councillors (MSDC). You can see who is standing in the Downland Villages Ward here https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/media/9049/sopn-district-continuous.pdf 
There is not an election for Poynings Parish Council as this is uncontested.

Local election are on the 4th May which includes Poynings Parish Council. Don’t forget to bring ID!
If you want to stand for Poynings Parish Council, Nomination papers have to be delivered by hand to:
Electoral Services, Mid Sussex District Council, Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1SS on any working day from Tuesday 21 March to Tuesday 4 April 2023.
An appointments system will operate. To make an appointment please email elections@midsussex.gov.uk or telephone 01444 477222 (option 1)
Ensure that where signatures are required, you submit the original signed version of each completed paper. Documents without original signatures cannot be accepted. The deadline for nominations is 4pm on Tuesday 4 April 2023.
If you want me to deliver your Nomination paper on your behalf, I have an appointment at 11.15 am on Wednesday 29th March.
You can get a blank nomination form here
http://poyningsparishcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-Election-Form.pdf 
I have put a sample form, to show you how to complete it here:
http://poyningsparishcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Sample-2023-Election-Form.pdf
If you want any information on being a Parish councillor, contact myself or one of the existing/past councillors.

Update

I’m sure you have noticed that Openreach have been laying cables and attaching cables to telegraph poles.

The FTTP build is progressing and the remaining premises are being picked up, with an estimated completion date for the end of July.

However, they expect some further release of addresses by the end of April and May

They’ve extended the voucher funding to the 1st October, so no funding is lost.

When properties are ready, they should receive an email from Openreach if the resident pledged to sign up. When the resident signs up, the cable on the pole will be connected to the premises.

Courier fraud is currently the highest reported fraud in West Sussex. Fraudsters contact victims by telephone claiming to be a police officer or bank official, duping individuals into handing over money or valuables to criminals posing as couriers. The fraudsters use a variety of different tactics, during the phone call they will convince the victim into handing over their card, valuables, or money to a courier who is sent directly to their home.

The West Sussex County Council Community Safety and Wellbeing Team are running a free to attend 1 hour webinar 15th March 10am-11am to raise vital awareness about this crime.

To  book, go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/courier-impersonation-fraud-webinar-tickets-547536214557

More details at: https://poynings.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Courier-Fraud-Webinar-Flyer.pdf 

The next meeting of Poynings Parish Council is to be held on the Village Hall on Monday 6^th March 2023 at 7pm.

Agenda

• Apologies for absence
• Minutes
• Matters Arising
• MSDC and WSCC
• Public Participation
• Expenditure for December 2022 and January 2023
• Planning applications
  Mid Sussex District Council Licence Application – LI/23/0172 – Club Premises Certificate application – Poynings Cricket Club. Poynings Road PoyningsBN45 7AF
  Ref. No: SDNP/23/00635/LIC
  Decision – No comments by SDNP
  MSDC reference
  https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/business-licensing/latest-licensing-applications/ b) SDNP/22/03989/TCA | Laurel (T1) – remove. Bay (T2)- reduce by half in height and width. Sycamore (T3) – remove Ash (T4) – remove | Oak Cottage The Street Poynings West Sussex BN45 7AQ
• Jubilee Sign – Permanent installation costs
• Litter picking
• Cemetery – Plots for ashes only
• Fulking travellers site appeal.
• Coronation party
• Elections 2023
• Annual Parish Meeting
• Village Hall
• Items for next month’s Agenda
• Date of next month’s Meeting
  
  
  

As you may have heard, there is a Coronation on Saturday, May 6th.
Poynings Parish Council is looking to have an event that weekend. 
There is a Parish Council meeting on Monday 6th March where this will be discussed, if you have any ideas, or can help organise it, please come along.

The A281 Henfield Road in Poynings (Muddleswood Road to roundabout) is due to be closed on Tuesday 14th March and Wednesday 15th March 2023 for Carriageway Patching. An alternative route for traffic will be signed on site. These works are weather dependant.

The next meeting of Poynings Parish Council has been moved from Wednesday March 8th 2023 to Monday March 6th 2023.

Agenda to follow nearer the time.

Kind regards

Colin Warburton
Clerk

A new digital weight management service is being offered by West Sussex County Council free to access for people who live or work in the county.

The programme aims to support people to lose weight and maintain their health. People will be given help to sustain healthy habits and achieve self-selected goals through access to education, recipes, on-demand exercise classes, group and one-to-one coaching.

The Council’s Public Health department is funding access to the ‘Gro Health’ app in response to growing numbers of people who are overweight or obese, in addition to a range of existing funded weight management services available via West Sussex Wellbeing and the NHS. Gro Health will offer an additional local programme for those wanting access to free digital support who do not qualify for the NHS digital weight management offer. The number of adults who are overweight or obese in West Sussex has increased from 61.6% in 2019/20 to 63.8% in 2020/21 and 23.3% were classified as being obese.

Gro Health can be accessed online using a phone, tablet or computer, without the need to download any special software. The service can also be accessed via free apps available for both iPhone and Android for those who wish to download them.

It is the first time that people in West Sussex have been offered free access to such an innovative digital service for weight management without a GP referral.

Bob Lanzer, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing at West Sussex County Council, said: “We are excited to be offering this clinically proven, free weight management app at a time of year when many people decide they want to make changes to improve their health and wellbeing. As the programme provides personalised support for up to 12 months and is available in 19 languages, we can help support more people across West Sussex to lose weight and maintain their health in the longer term.

“It is central to the commitment outlined in Our Council Plan for us to help people maintain and improve their health and wellbeing through advice and support.

“The Gro Health app is one of a range of options we provide to support people who want to lose weight. Our West Sussex Wellbeing weight management service also offers tailored weight management programmes with a Wellbeing advisor for those who prefer a non-digital approach.”

Michaela de la Fosse, Operations Manager at DDM Health, providers of the Gro Health app said: “We are delighted to support people in West Sussex with Gro Health. The service has been co-developed with clinicians and residents to support their journey to a healthy weight and improve mental health. I can’t wait to see the impact of our programme to the residents of West Sussex.”

Gro Health has been shown to support people to lose weight, improve their mental health, reduce medications and even reverse conditions such as prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. 

In one study, on average, people completing the programme report an average weight loss of 6.9kg, or 6.5% of their starting weight^[1].

In another study, after 12 weeks’ of app use, people using the app reduce their stress levels by 23% and anxiety levels by 31%.^[2]

People can check their eligibility and access the Gro Health service through the West Sussex Wellbeing website.

^[1] Saslow L, Summers C, Aikens J, Unwin D. Outcomes of a Digitally Delivered Low-Carbohydrate Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Program: 1-Year Results of a Single-Arm Longitudinal Study. JMIR Diabetes 2018;3(3):e12

^[2] Summers C, Wu P, Taylor A. Supporting Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Using a Digital Behavior Change Intervention: An Open-Label, Single-Arm, Pre-Post Intervention Study JMIR Form Res 2021;5(10): e31273

• The Tier 2 Weight Management Service is available in Gro Health, a digital platform developed by DDM Health.
• DDM Health has already helped more than 1.8m people to improve their health by offering online support and advice. Visit https://ddm.health for more information.
• DDM is recognised by the Healthcare UK/Department of International Trade as a Top 100 Digital Health Company.
• Gro Health is available on the web, iOS, Android, smart watch, Fire TV, voice-activated assistants and smart speakers.
• Gro Health is certified by the NHS (DTAC-certified) and the highest-rated health app in the UK (Orcha, 97%).
• For more information, visit https://www.GroHealth.com or search for Gro Health in the App Store.

If you’d like to make positive changes to your physical health this year, check out West Sussex Wellbeing for help and information on a range of topics and to find out what support is available near you including:

• Book a health MOT: If you’re aged 40 – 74 you could be eligible for a free NHS Health Check.
• Want to cut down on your drinking? There are lots of tips and support on West Sussex Wellbeing.  It’s also not too late to sign up to Dry January to give yourself an extra incentive.
• Visit your local Stop Smoking services page to get free help and support to quit from trained advisors.
• Need to lose some weight? Find out about our free face-to-face and online weight management support.
• For tips on healthy eating check out our Healthy Eating ideas.
• You can boost your immunity this winter by getting vaccinated with the Covid-19 booster and flu vaccine. To find out if you’re eligible and how to book, visit Sussex Health & Care Covid-19 and flu vaccination information.