By taking part, you can help inform decisions about services that shape your community, such as healthcare, education and transport.

It’s important that you fill in your census questionnaire because it gives us the most detailed information we have about our society.

Without the information you share, it’d be more difficult to understand our community’s needs and plan and fund public services.

Census Day is officially on Sunday 21 March, but there will be an extensive window in which to complete it, from early March, when households will be receiving the Census packs, up to the beginning of May.

The ONS aim to make things as easy as possible for everyone, but if you need help taking part in the census, there’s a wide range of support services available.

You can request support for yourself, or someone else, including:

guidance and help in many languages and formats

a paper version of the questionnaire, if you prefer

accessible census guidance, for example, in braille

There is a help area on the census website. It covers everything from who to include on the questionnaire to how to answer each question.

If you cannot find what you need there, there’s a dedicated contact centre where census staff will be on hand to give help over the phone, in a web chat or on social media.

If you need help, visit www.census.gov.uk

People are welcome to walk in the countryside following the Countryside Code. But please do not just walk where you want! The footpaths are now increasing in width because of the footfall. A lot of people do not stick to the paths, including locals. People seem they can walk where they think they are entitled to go; despite the fact it is written on the gates to ask them to keep to the footpaths. Dogs urinate and defecate at will, which causes a problem with worms in the sheep which cannot be treated, because there is no remedy. Everybody needs to be more responsible about where they walk, and not walk across crops and grass fields, which ultimately provides their food, meat eater, vegetarian or otherwise, but to keep to the footpaths. A footpath in a field means just that – a path. Not a field that has got a public right of way all over it or, all around it. A footpath is just 1.5 meters only, not 6 metres which is currently a very big issue. We are in a rural economy and not in Churchill Square. We do not wish, and never will wish, for all footpaths to be tarmacked.

Poynings Parish Council has a vacancy for a Councillor and is looking to Co-Opt shortly.
If you wish to express an interest, please contact myself or a councillor ASAP.
Kind regards
Colin Warburton
Clerk to the Council
6 Poynings Road
Poynings
West Sussex
BN45 7AP
Tel: 01273 857024
clerk@poyningsparishcouncil.com

Given the current lockdown and our need to adhere to the government restrictions, at the recent PC meeting the councillors wanted to reassure the residents of Poynings that Poynings Parish Council is here to help. We’re a small community and we’ll all want to look after our neighbours, especially those who may be vulnerable – offers of help getting food / meds or even a “check-you’re OK” phone call. If you need help, or know someone who might, contact Colin (PC Clerk) by phone, text, email, or however, we will see if we can help, or find someone else who can, via the councillors or the volunteer group. Don’t forget the Facebook page at Poynings Community | Facebook There is also a good WhatsApp group, if you want to be added to this,  just send Colin your name and telephone number.

Stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives

Poynings Parish Council – Paula, Mike, John, Neville and Colin
07941 460 582 – 01273 857 024 – clerk@poyningsparishcouncil.com

Mid Sussex District Council has arranged for Christmas tree recycling points to be located across the district to help residents dispose of their real Christmas trees when the festive fun is over.

The Council has arranged for 24 temporary Christmas tree drop-off points in towns and villages across the district, so there will be a place nearby where residents can recycle their real Christmas tree. Residents can take along their tree to the most convenient local site, place it in the marked area and it will be taken away to be recycled locally.
Residents with a green garden waste wheelie bin can put their tree directly into it, as long as the lid can still close firmly. Alternatively, people can take their real tree along to one of the Household Waste Recycling Sites at Fairbridge Way in Burgess Hill or Imberhorne Lane in East Grinstead.

Sites will be open between 30 December 2020 and 8 January 2021 at the following locations.