Mayor of Bognor Regis' Weekly Briefing

It was an absolute honour to have been at one of the three launches for this year’s Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal last weekend.

I attended the Morrison’s store launch, whilst the Deputy Mayor attended launches at Tesco and Sainsbury’s, where we were greeted by the Poppy Appeal organiser for this year, Martin Buckley, as well as the amazing volunteers and Cadets.

It was a privilege to meet them all and to officially declare the 2024 Poppy Appeal ‘open’. Please make sure you buy your poppy and other merchandise if you do happen to walk by them on your next shopping trip.

The funds raised are vitally important in supporting those who have been left disadvantaged by their time in Service and wearing your poppy as a mark of respect, shows you remember and honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

As we approach Remembrance Sunday, please be reminded that the Town Council in partnership with Ex-Service Associations, Saint Wilfrid Church and The Salvation Army, will be holding the annual Remembrance Day Service, on Sunday, November 10, commencing at 10.50am, at the War Memorial in Clarence Road.

It is always an extremely poignant occasion, which is well supported by the huge crowds of residents, who gather each year to rightfully pay their respects. I hope to see you once again this year, to join us in our collective mourning.

As usual, road closures will be in place between 10.30am and 11.30am for Belmont Street (from the junction of York Road to the junction of Albert Street), Clarence Road (from the car park to the junction of High Street) and Sussex Street. We respectfully request that no vehicles are parked outside the Town Hall from Friday, November 8, until the conclusion of the Service. Whilst there will of course be Order of Service sheets available, we do encourage residents, where possible, to consider scanning the QR code which will shortly be available on the home page of our website, enabling you to download the Order of Service sheet to your phone.

A reminder that at the time of writing, there are just two weeks left for the submitting of Grant Aid applications for the 2025 round of funding.

All applications must be submitted electronically and received by the Town Council by no later than 5pm on Thursday, November 14. Qualifying applications will be presented to the Policy and Resources Committee for consideration, at their Grant Aid Meeting to be held in January 2025.

Decisions taken by the Committee at the meeting will be publicly available once the Minutes of the meeting have been published. Successful applicants will be informed in writing following the meeting, and funding will be made available in April 2025.

So, if you haven’t yet got round to submitting your application, please make sure you do so to avoid disappointment, as late applications will not be considered. For further information on the Grant Aid scheme, including the Awarding Policy and an application form, please visit our website: www.bognorregis.gov.uk.

The UK Harvest Community Food Hub will be back in Bognor Regis next Wednesday, November 6, at the Bognor Regis Youth and Community Centre. Between 10am and 11am on the first Wednesday of every month, in partnership with West Sussex County Council, UK Harvest are offering access to affordable food, whilst providing the opportunity for visitors to learn low-cost cooking skills and find support on a range of social issues.

As usual, everyone is welcome, with no referral needed. Just bring a bag and a suggested donation of £3.50 and get the support you need whilst helping in the fight against food waste!