Firefighters in Crawley will be turning their station into a car wash for the afternoon on Sunday 13 November.
The crew will be welcoming drivers to the station on Ifield Avenue between 11.30am and 3pm and washing cars in return for donations to The Fire Fighters Charity.
The Fire Fighters Charity looks after the mental, physical, and social needs of fire services personnel and their families, providing a lifetime of support for the fire services community.
Station Manager, Alistair Green, said: “We are really looking forward to holding our charity car wash this weekend. Originally, we had planned to hold it over the summer but unfortunately due to the hot weather and hose pipe bans, it had to be postponed.
“This is a great opportunity to support The Fire Fighters Charity which is very close to our hearts. We are keen to support the important work they do to ensure they can continue helping people in our line of work for years to come.
“We hope to see as many people as possible at the fire station between 11.30am and 3pm on Sunday.”
If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com
How would you react to a diagnosis of Leukaemia? What would you do?
Josh Hillier had such a diagnosis and here he tells his story and explains how he has developed a no-nonsense approach to dealing with a devastating and life threatening condition.
Henry Smith MP spoke in the House of Commons about the unfairness people feel about illegal migration and welcomed the Home Secretary stating that Government will introduce legislation to stop abuse of the British people’s generosity.
You can see his question and the Home Secretary’s response here:
On behalf of hard-working #Crawley taxpayers, in the House of Commons this evening I spoke about the unfairness people feel about illegal migration and welcomed the Home Secretary stating that Government will introduce legislation to stop abuse of the British people’s generosity. pic.twitter.com/egg4LEMh9Z
Surrey County Council and local district and borough councils who are managing the “Homes for Ukraine” scheme locally have agreed an additional thank you payment, to be paid monthly to host families from the end of November 2022 to March 2023.
This is acknowledging that the financial circumstances faced by host families in Surrey, who welcomed Ukrainians into their homes, will have changed from the time they agreed to host Ukrainian families to our current economic situation in the UK.
Currently, host families are paid £350 a month for being sponsors, this payment will be increased by £250 to £600 a month from end of November 2022. This is to compensate for the rise in energy, food and fuel bills in this cost-of-living crisis. This applies to existing hosts who are already in receipt of thank you payments, and new hosts who complete all the checks satisfactorily going forward. This funding comes from DLUHC via the County Council to the district and borough councils to pay the sponsors directly once they have passed all the relevant housing, DBS and safeguarding checks.
Surrey County Council leader Cllr Tim Oliver said, “We are forever grateful for the unerring warm welcome and support that communities, charities, and district and boroughs continue to offer our Ukrainian guests here in Surrey. But in particular to those sponsor families who have opened their homes up to welcome Ukrainian families to live alongside them and their families. As if this sacrifice were not enough, we now need to ensure that they are not being penalised financially and can continue to offer support as sponsors in this current economic climate. Unfortunately, the conflict in Ukraine continues and so there is still a need for host families. SCC has taken the decision to increase the thank you payments after fears many people wouldn’t be able to afford to extend their current six-month agreements as winter approaches and the cost-of-living bites.”
If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com
Chief Constable Gavin Stephens has announced he will be leaving Surrey Police to take up a national policing position.
Gavin has been elected as the Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) following an official process which concluded last week. He will remain as Surrey Police Chief Constable until Spring 2023 when he will leave to take up his new post.
The NPCC brings forces across the UK together to coordinate, reform, and improve policing. Gavin will take on the role from current chair Martin Hewitt QPM.
Gavin joined Surrey Police in 1996 and since that time has served at every rank and across a wide range of areas including Serious and Organised Crime, Professional Standards, and Neighbourhood Policing. He became Chief Constable in April 2019.
He led the force through some of its most significant challenges in recent years including the Coronavirus pandemic.
Nationally, Gavin has played a major role in developing neighbourhood policing, using his knowledge and experience from Surrey to inform the approach, resulting in outstanding gradings for preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, and the receipt of national awards for problem solving.
Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: “It has been an incredible privilege to serve the communities of Surrey for most of my policing career. It is a fantastic county with passionate and supportive communities who I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside at every stage.
“I will be sad to leave the Force and all our outstanding officers and staff and volunteers, but I am honoured to have been selected for this position.
“Policing is responding to some of the biggest challenges it has faced in years and I will use the passion and motivation I have for policing in order to reduce crime, get justice for victims and earn the trust necessary to support policing by consent.
“Throughout my time at Surrey Police I have been committed to keeping the force focused on what matters most to our communities. I will continue to keep the public at the heart of everything I do as I work with colleagues to address some of these pressing challenges.
“The public’s needs and expectations of policing continue to change, and it’s critical we continue to adapt to keep people safe and feeling safe. I look forward to building on the fantastic work already carried out by colleagues in the years to come.”
If you have news for Sussex and Surrey, contact us on news@susyradio.com
