1. Attendance:

• Hastings and Rother Disability Forum
• Rother Seniors Forum
• Hastings and Rother Rainbow Alliance
• Sussex Police
• Rother Voluntary Action
• Rother District Council
• Bexhill Dementia Action Alliance

2. Apologies:

South Downs; Care for the Carers; Little Gate Farm & VIP Representative

3. Matters arising from the Minutes of the Meeting held on 20th March 2019 :-

• Send out planning application presentation- DP sent out
• Arrange a presentation on accessible map.
• IDAHOBIT Day – very successful day Sussex Police and ESFRS took part as well RDC.
• Exploitation Awareness Training – to be set up by JC & DP

4. Presentation on the accessible map of Bexhill

• Background of the map – This has been used as a project by one of our apprentices.
• Demonstration of the map was given
• Working with Hastings and Rother Disability Forum
• How the map is linked to our website
• Accessible icons and colours
• Talked about how google shows more in depth details.

The RDC colleagues were thanked for all the hard work put into the map. A discussion ensued about where best to place the link to the map on the website, may on the visitors or residents.

AC & DP thanked James and Ajai for all their work and support on the map. Also AC said that it was great to working with James and Ajai as they were positive about changes and was always accommodating with this project.

Action: – JW & AP to change some of the colours of the icons and look at a press release to go out once the changes have taken place and to add on My Alerts.

DP – to talk to Parks and Gardens about signage at the back of the De La Warr Pavilion

5. Rother Corporate Equality Objectives 2018-2022

DP– went through the equality objectives and talked about how they linked to some services and they would demonstrate to show that they are monitoring the progress of the objective. Also within the East Sussex Procurement service, they will be looking at social value within contracts and looking at ways the organisation can support local communities and groups with funding. Thanked the group for all their feedback and comments about the objectives and this item will be a regular item on the agenda annually which will enable a review to be completed around the progress of the Corporate equality objectives 2018-2022.

Action: – to ensure this item is included in future agendas

6. Organisations update

Rother Senior Form – Resigned from chair of the forum .T. The event that took place for Older Peoples day on 2nd September went really well, we had over 50 people attend the afternoon tea dance at Sedlescombe Village Hall.

Hastings & Rother Rainbow Alliance – introduced to the group the new booklet that shows the social groups and activities that the HRRA offers to people across Hastings and Rother and passes copies around. The Alliances Annual General Meeting is taking place 8th November at Horntye Park Sports Complex, Bohemia Road Hastings.

Hastings & Rother Disability Forum – spoke about the meeting that Homecall arrange for VIP residents at Weatherspoon’s on Thursday, 19th September 2019 from 10.00am to Noon. Looking at “Are you affected by not enough; safe, adequate traffic light /pedestrian, zebra and island crossings in and around BEXHILL?” Only issue was for some members of HRDF that there was no wheelchair access to the meeting, as it was in an area which was up a flight of stairs.

Sussex Police – Restructuring is taking place across the Sussex Police Prevention Team, has been cut from 16 to 8

Bexhill Dementia Action Alliance – the group did Blitz the high street of Bexhill in April. The memory walk raised £300 & the Annual General meeting on 5.11.19.

Rother Voluntary Action – There is Business Exploitation workshop on 4th December in the morning at Waterfront in Bexhill and sponsored by Hastings Direct and Sussex Police. Clean Sea project is carrying on March 2020. European funding grant called HAIRY, which we will find about this funding in December. The project is about volunteers helping promoting people’s well-being at 60+.

Action – JC to give DP the time of the Business Exploitation workshop 4th December.

8. Dates of future meetings for 2020 at the Town Hall

• Wednesday 11th March at 2pm
• Wednesday 17th June at 2pm
• Wednesday 16th September at 2pm
• Wednesday 9th December at 2pm

Action –DP to send out diary appointments for 2020 dates.

9. Any other business

• Disability questionnaire – JC- we only had 17 responses to the questionnaire but it is open until 30th September, please could everyone encourage people to take part.
• Cooden Beach Tennis & Squash Club- CW wanted DP to tell the group that this venue is very accessible for VIP and Wheelchair users, as it is very flat and they do have social and physical activities.
• Polling station review- DP- said thank you to everyone for their feedback
• Parking enforcement- MJ- said that this will be enforced next year in Bexhill.

Meeting Closed 15.50

Date of next meeting: Wednesday 4th December at 2pm at Bexhill Town Hall, Committee Room