OUT IN THE FIELD: Eastbourne Cineworld is closing but there are other cinemas to frequent
I really hope some serious questions are being asked within the corridors of power at Brighton & Hove City Council after the authority quite literally bussed more than 140 of its homeless and vulnerable population to stay in Eastbourne hotels – with no real welfare support or after care. Sadly, last month two residents in one of the hotels passed away. Both, say officials, died due to their lifestyle choices and the fact they had no support or care packages will undoubtedly be raised at inquests into their untimely deaths. These poor people have effectively been dumped by Brighton’s council and left helpless. Homeless charities, mental health teams, police officers and council officials locally are already under pressure helping those who hail from Eastbourne without the burden of more from along the coast where the infrastructure for support services is already established. Somebody needs to be held accountable for this abhorrent situation – and that somebody is sitting in Hove Town Hall.
It has also emerged this week that a question mark is hanging over this year’s Winter Night Shelter which operates across Eastbourne during the extreme winter months. The WNS is provided by several Eastbourne churches co-operating together and offers supervised overnight accommodation to homeless and vulnerable people who would otherwise be rough sleeping during December, January and February on the town’s streets. Officials say that due to the impact of Covid-19 and the government guidelines, they are currently reviewing the implications for operating a Winter Night Shelter during the winter of 2020-21. Hopefully some kind of solution will be found soon so everyone can keep warm and continue to stay safe.