Improved Burgess Hill Help Point set to celebrate 25 years and create space for entrepreneurs

The council is marking this milestone by unveiling and re-launching the service on Saturday (November 13).

The Help Point will introduce a shop to support traders in the area, as well as a public terminal computer alongside ‘a wider use of technology within the council’, said a Town Council spokesperson.

“Burgess Hill’s award-winning Help Point has been open for 25 years and in that time has provided information, advice and support to tens of thousands of people,” said Leader of the Council Robert Eggleston.

But Mr Eggleston said the way residents engage with services has changed over time.

“Our investment in new technology expands the way that residents can access our support and that of other agencies,” he said.

Mr Eggleston added that creating space for local entrepreneurs by changing the Help Point’s internal design is another example of the Town Council’s support for local businesses.

“This is an excellent officer-led initiative creating a modernised 21st century Help Point that will continue to serve all of our residents and visitors well for years to come,” he said.

The Help Point and Burgess Hill Town Council Offices were officially opened on November 11, 1996, by the late Rt. Hon. Paddy Ashdown, M.P.

The Help Point shop has been designed to be an open and attractive store that acts as an extension of the current Burgess Hill Market.

It aims to provide local small businesses, market stall holders and artisans with an affordable platform to sell their products in the town outside of the monthly market.

A Town Council spokesperson said: “With the modernisation of the Help Point, the ethos remains the same; being a ‘one-stop shop’ and providing residents of Burgess Hill with a single point of contact for all local government enquiries in West Sussex.”

“As we celebrate the past 25 years of service to the community, the Help Point will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the people of Burgess Hill,” they added.