Visit to Worthing Churches Homelessness Project

I was delighted to receive an invitation to visit the Worthing Churches Homelessness Project. I saw for myself firsthand the hard work this charity is performing to get homeless people off the streets. I was shown around the drop-in centre and three hostels to gain an understanding of the services the charity offers to homeless people.

There is often a perception that homelessness charities sustain people sleeping rough on our streets. This is simply a myth when it comes to this local project in the heart of Worthing.

I witnessed for myself how project workers come into contact with homeless people, firstly in the drop-in centre, and work with these vulnerable people to help them re-establish their lives.

Basic accommodation is one of the necessities in life. In a modern society such as the UK it is unacceptable that we have homeless people living on our streets in the twenty-first century. People become homeless for all sorts of reasons, such as being made redundant, falling out with relatives and having their home repossessed.

Two hundred sign swimming petition in two hours

On Saturday two hundred shoppers signed a petition in town to back calls for Worthing Borough Council to sign-up to the Labour Government’s free swimming for children and the elderly initiative. Ian Ross, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Worthing West, organised the petition, which received a positive response from shoppers.

Chris Bryant MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, was also in town on Saturday to lend his support and meet normal people.

£50m is being made available for Councils to offer free swimming to those aged over sixty during 2009-2011, in addition to £60m for swimming pool modernisation projects. Three hundred local authorities have chosen to offer free swimming to children and the elderly, but not in Worthing.

Two hundred shoppers signed the petition in two hours – that’s almost two people per minute. I think this level of support will send shivers through Worthing Borough Council. I had many people tell me that they found it outrageous that children and pensioners in Chichester and Brighton will be benefiting when the initiative starts on 1st April, but not in Worthing. It certainly has caused a “splash.”

Everyone is clearly not as naïve as the Tory Council would have them think – most people realise free swimming would not increase their council tax bills as the free swimming initiative is being funded by Central Government. The message to the Leader of Worthing Borough Council is clear – Stop being mean, sign up to the scheme!

Anyone wishing to sign the petition can do so online by visiting:

www.ipetitions.com/petition/freeswimming