Crawley Borough Council has awarded new small grants to Crawley Young Persons Council and Talk Ifield in this month’s funding round.

CYPC will be publicising their elections with the £1,000 grant. They will also be able to recruit new members to help take part in their community events and activities.

Talk Ifield received its first ever grant of £830, which will help with the general running costs for local neighbourhood action coordinated by the group.

For anyone who is interested in applying for funding the grants are awarded to not-for-profit voluntary groups and community organisations to assist with the costs involved in providing new or existing community services.

More information and application forms are available online at www.crawley.gov.uk/grants

New Rural Campaign

Campaign to Protect Rural England is inviting residents and businesses from across Sussex to nominate projects for the 2014 Countryside Awards.

The Awards showcase projects that create opportunity in the Sussex countryside, enhance cherished landscapes through innovation and tackle pressing environmental issues.

Residents and businesses in Sussex are invited to put forward the names of projects they would like to see apply for the Awards by emailing their suggestions to CPRE Sussex on awards@cpresussex.org.uk

Each eligible project suggested will be sent an application pack. Projects can also request to apply directly.

Millie Impressing With Trampolining Success

A Mole Valley youngster is going for trampolining glory after progressing to the British Schools Gymnastics Association Southern Zonal Finals which take place on Saturday week (Jan 25th)

Millie Owton, 9, from North Holmwood is one of only 11 gymnasts from the Southern Zone who will compete in the next stage of the competition at Hayes School in Kent.

If she finishes in the top three she will qualify for the National Schools Trampolining Finals in March, where she could compete against 8 other top gymnasts from the rest of the country.

Millie, who attends Handcross Park School in West Sussex, heard about the British Schools Gymnastics Association competition through her club, Gatwick Flyers, who train in Dorking.

For more information on the competition, visit the National Schools Trampolining website at

http://www.schools.hearttc.co.uk/.

An 18 year old man was assaulted and had his bike stolen in Langley Green Crawley.

The attack happened on Monday January 6th at around 9.20pm as he was walking with his bicycle outside the Lea Croft Medical Practice in Stagelands. He was approached by 4 men, one of whom grabbed the bike and demanded his mobile phone, which he wasn’t carrying. He was then punched once in the face.

The suspects are described as young teenagers, wearing tracksuits and hooded tops.

Police are appealing for witnesses to this nasty attack and if you have any information, or have seen the bike, which is a red mountain bike made by Silver, please contact Sussex Police on 101 or email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 1395 of 6/1.

Alternatively contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

More Businesses Are Connected to High Speed Internet

19,000 businesses and homes are now receiving high speed internet as part of a push to make Surrey the U.K’S best connected county.

Surrey County council and BT Completed the push to help firms do business online and ensure every community gets all the benefits of the digital world last month.

Almost 100% of Surrey will have access by the end of 2014 compared with the national superfast broadband aim of 95% by 2017. Once completed, the project could boost the local economy by around £30 million a year.