Households across Mid Sussex will soon be asked to take part in Census 2021.

The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

It will be the first run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

“A successful census will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put services and funding in the places where they are most needed,” Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said.

“This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, schools and new transport routes. That’s why it is so important everyone takes part and we have made it easier for people to do so online on any device, with help and paper questionnaires for those that need them.”

Census day will be on March 21, but households across the country will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March.

The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. And, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

For more information, visit census.gov.uk

As you know, each year Mid Sussex District Council alter rubbish and recycling collection dates to accommodate the Festive Bank Holidays and provide some additional services to help people best manage their rubbish at this time of year.

Please find below, two leaflets providing more information on our Christmas rubbish and recycling collections for Mid Sussex residents.

1. Christmas Collections Leaflet
   

Our Christmas Leaflet sets out changes to residential bin collections over the Festive period.

Click here for useful information on the leaflet regarding recycling over the Christmas period.

1. Christmas Tree Recycling Leaflet
   

We will be providing a number of temporary drop-off locations around the District for residents to dispose of their real Christmas trees.

Click here for details for each drop off location and the opening times of the sites.

Additional information (including what can be put into each bin and further information on the Household Waste Recycling Sites) can be found online at www.midsussex.gov.uk/waste-recycling   

If you could please share these leaflets as widely as possible that would be greatly appreciated and if you, or any of our residents, have any questions please direct these to wastematters@midsussex.gov.uk.

Mid
Sussex District Council is offering grants to micro businesses in the district to fund projects that will support their growth. The scheme has proven successful in previous years, with over 40 businesses supported through the scheme in 2019/20.

The Micro Business Grant Scheme boosts the local economy by encouraging sustainable business growth and supporting micro businesses in the District.

The scheme is open to any Mid Sussex business with less than 10 employees and that has an idea for a project that will support their business growth. In addition to funding for growth projects, a further £1,500 is also available for any micro business looking to hire an apprentice.

“Mid Sussex is one of the strongest and most resilient local economies in the country and we are committed as a Council to support businesses and economic growth,” said Councillor Stephen Hillier, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth

“Mid Sussex District Council has set aside £72,000 for The Micro Business Grants Scheme. We aim to encourage and support local businesses to grow within the current business climate and develop new ways of working in the future. We are committed to ensuring small businesses owners have every available opportunity to grow, thrive, and develop their business.”

The Micro Business Grant Scheme is available to businesses looking to:
–    Reach new customers

–    Increase the number of employees

–    Introduce new products and services

–    Improve business premises

–    Improve business productivity.

For more information on eligibility criteria, the application process or to apply online, visit www.midsussex.gov.uk/licensing-business/micro-business-grants/

The Government is currently offering grants to businesses that are legally required to close because of lockdown measures. To apply visit www.grantapproval.co.uk.

Mid Sussex is also awarding £300,000 in grants to local businesses, community groups and voluntary organisations affected by the coronavirus pandemic. To apply visit www.midsussex.gov.uk/licensing-business/corporate-grants/

MSDC, in partnership with our contractors Serco and the ‘Recycle your Electricals’ campaign, will be launching a new kerbside collection service for small electrical items and household batteries from week commencing 23 November.

This service will reduce the need for Mid Sussex residents to transport their small electricals to another location and reduce the likelihood of them entering the residual waste stream via household rubbish bins. To support the service, our current collection vehicles have been modified with the installation of a small cage (on the near side) to keep these items separate on the collection vehicle.

Our current lockdown means we will be proceeding with a softer launch to avoid overwhelming our collection crews with small electrical items as more people stay at home over the coming month. The collection service is not currently available to residents with communal rubbish collections.

Communications for the service will be delivered as follows:

• 9 November- 20 November- bin hangers advertising the service placed onto black wheelie bins
  
• 9 November onwards- small scale social media advertising, focusing on a ‘little and often’ message; website made live
  
• 23 November- Advertising panels installed on vehicle fleet
  

A leaflet that will be available on MSDC website from 9 November onwards. The dedicated page on our website will also outline the service for residents, including a collection checklist and answers to frequently asked questions.

Any questions please email wastematters@midsussex.gov.uk

Kind regards,

Emma Dawson

Waste & Recycling Communications & Project Officer

Christmas will be very different this year and Mid Sussex District Council’s ‘Bringing Christmas Home’ campaign aims to support local traders and has a strong community focus.

The new ‘Bringing Christmas Home’ campaign celebrates our communities and our local businesses, with a clear message that it can still be a magical experience. Despite the changes we hope it will bring a renewed focus on our communities, home-based Christmas traditions, simple pleasures, a slower pace and time well spent.

The first strand of the campaign will support our local traders. Until the shops re-open we want to help residents find inspiration among the unique and amazing companies we have here on our own doorstep by promoting the online, ‘click and collect’ and home delivery options of our local businesses. Businesses can add their details to our brand new www.midsussex.gov.uk/bringingchristmashome webpage and then shoppers can search for special local goodies and support traders and their staff by buying local.

“With the recent news of further lockdown it is an understandably worrying time for residents and local businesses,” said Councillor Stephen Hillier, Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Member for Economic Growth. “We ​have been doing all we ​reasonably can to ​support our local economy and details of grants and funding are on our website.”

“To further support local traders we are pulling together online information highlighting the fantastic range of products and services available on our doorstep in Mid Sussex. I’d urge traders to add their details and shoppers to visit the site to help support our local shops and their workers.”

The second strand of the campaign emphasises the ‘home’ element. Lockdown has also seen many of us baking, crafting and generally “making”. The campaign is encouraging residents to share stories and Christmas traditions, whether that’s trimming the tree, cooking, baking, making decorations or frosty walks in the countryside; how will you be ‘Bringing Christmas Home’? You can share your stories on Twitter at #bringingchristmashome