Hastings Old Town Residents Association
East Hill House
13 Tackleway
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 3DE
Dick Edwards, Chairman
01424-437069 — dick@hotra.org.uk
For everyone living and working in the Old Town
Report Street Problems
Click here to go to East Sussex Highways, where you can report problems such as potholes, broken paving slabs and blinking street lights.
Isabel Blackman Centre Purchase Appeal
Stage 1 Pledge
A consortium of charities and voluntary groups consisting of Hastings Voluntary Action, Age UK East Sussex, Sussex Community Foundation, Hastings Seniors Forum and Hastings Old Town Residents Association have been working on plans to buy the IBC. Since its closure by East Sussex County Council on 31st March, adult social care provision has been badly affected. The impact on individuals and their families has been far reaching and negative. Our plan is to serve the whole of Hastings and the surrounding villages.
The purchase price is £500,000 + £100,000 VAT + about £20,000 in legal costs – a total of £620,000. Conversations with various groups and individuals have led to promises of just over £400,000. So this Pledge Appeal is asking you to help meet the balance of £220,000.
Stage 1 Action
Please email me dick@hotra.org.uk or write to me at 13 Tackleway Hastings TN34 3DE to let us know the amount of your pledge. PLEASE SEND NO MONEY NOW. We just need to know the total available so we can proceed to the point of purchase.
Stage 2
You will receive a letter in February / March asking you to make your promised payment. All payments will go to H.V.A. into a dedicated account. HVA meet all the statutory requirements to comply with financial regulations. We hope to raise the balance by March. Once completed our plan is to open the IBC on 2 days per week with a Friendship Club including lunches. This will cost about £35,000 per year. After that we will offer many more services. The range will cater for the wider community as well as our important older citizens.
Any questions or comments please let me know. Let us together turn the IBC into a centre for older citizens and the whole town.
Dick Edwards M.B.E.
East Sussex fire and rescue
Residents will be aware that HOTRA have been pressing EAST Sussex Fire and Rescue Service to purchase smaller size fire appliances since 2003. It was a surprise to learn that West S.F.R.S. had failed its Home Office inspection in every area. Currently there is a small working group at Bohemia Road looking at our request. HOTRA is convinced that our firefighters should have the best possible range of equipment to help them to do their job.
Sock appeal
The Deputy Mayor, Cllr. James Bacon, has launched the Annual Christmas Sock Appeal. You can donate any new and unused socks, underwear, hats, gloves and scarves. They will be distributed to Surviving Christmas and other local charities working with the vulnerable and homeless in our society. There are collection points at: ASDA (St Leonards), The Stag Inn (All Saints Street), Hastings History House (Courthouse Street), His Place Community Church and Cafe (Robertson Street), Hastings Town Hall Community Contact Centre (next to Priory Meadow Shopping Centre) and The Steamie Laundrette.