COLUMNIST: Mike Mendoza, chairman of Adur District Council, pays tribute to a Shoreham-born soldier

I know the sadness we must all be feeling in the district right now as we all mourn the tragic death in Afghanistan of Shoreham-born soldier Lance Corporal James Brynin.

I have been in communication with James’ mother several times since I heard the awful news and I paid tribute to this brave young man during the full council meeting a few days ago.

This has made me even more determined to push on with the Wall of Names idea we came up with a few months ago and I so much want James to be the very first name on the wall. My heart goes out to the Brynin family and friends at this most awful time.

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On a more cheerful note, I had the pleasure of visiting the Fishersgate Centre. The work being carried out there is just magnificent, it’s a shame they are only open a couple of days a week.

I know if more funding came their way, they would be open a lot more. They are currently promoting computer skills, internet usage, etc., aimed at the total beginner to the more experienced who may not be able to afford a PC.

Whilst I was there, I came across a group of youngsters from the Prince’s Trust who were totally transforming the grounds around the centre.

A few days ago, I chaired a meeting in order to facilitate a Holocaust memorial event in Adur for early next year. Several religious groups turned up together with a representative of the Royal British Legion and others from educational institutions.

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I am delighted to say that a few schools wish to be involved in this very important event, so it was agreed that a different school, college or academy would host the event each year.

For 2014, the Sir Robert Woodard Academy will be the first, which will be an amazing experience for the youngsters and public alike, as we should never forget the various Holocausts that have taken place over the past hundred years and ensure that nothing like that ever happens again.

Thank you to those of you who have entered my Christmas card photo competition, some of the entries have been excellent, well done. The winner will, of course, have their name on the card, which will be presented to them at the Civic Centre, along with a certificate of thanks.

I am really looking for winter scenes in the Adur district, hopefully with recognisable features. The competition has only another couple of weeks to go, so get those snaps out and get them along to the Herald ([email protected]) by midday on November 9.

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Along with our MP Tim Loughton, I attended the Lion’s Sight Day in Shoreham and was given the task to make a jam sandwich, blindfolded. The idea was to highlight the problems of everyday living faced by those with little or no sight.

I thought my sandwich was quite good. My wife said there was hardly any jam inside, which suited me, because I hate jam! The serious side of this is, of course, to be more considerate to our fellow humans who suffer from this condition and try to be as understanding as possible.