NEW YOUTH SHELTERS TO BE INSTALLED IN HAILSHAM (14/03/22) Following the request for new youth facility suggestions for the town and a successful grant application from the Government's Safer Streets scheme, two new youth shelters will be installed in Hailsham in the coming weeks. Hailsham's young people will soon benefit from having youth shelters built at two locations in the town - the first on the Western Road Recreation Ground and the second at the skate park adjacent to the Maurice Thornton Playing Field. The Town Council's Youth Service Manager, Andy Joyes, is pleased to have been successful in the application for Safer Streets grant funding and keen to see two new youth shelters installed at different points in the town, so users of the facilities have somewhere to go if they're out and about and it rains, or if they want somewhere safe to sit down for a chat. Andy said: "I'm delighted that support from Safer Streets has been received to enable us to provide two youth shelters for our young people. The need for one or more shelters in the town was certainly on the young people's wish list." "Discussions about the need for youth shelters began some time ago, triggering support from the Town Council, local community, police and youth workers as a way of tackling antisocial behaviour. The new shelter facilities are a way of getting young people off the streets and providing them with a safe, accessible meeting area."

Deputy Town Clerk & Business Enterprise Manager, Mickey Caira commented: "A considerable amount of work in the near future is set to take place to help make Hailsham town centre safer thanks to the securing of over £300,000 government funding, "Dealing with acquisitive crime and antisocial behaviour is important to the community as a whole and I'm delighted that the Town Council was given a say on priorities for the town and to mark the beginning of what could be a period of significant investment in Hailsham town centre, as well as being successful in its bid for funding for the two youth shelters." "Hailsham has a strong sense of community spirit, but with some crimes taking place here, we hope this funding will have a positive impact on said crime rates in the area and go some way in terms of our priority of creating safe neighbourhoods, and working with project partners to put together a strong programme of activity that will make a big difference to the local community."