Archives for Community - Page 2
Extraordinary Tales to Make you ‘Paws’ for Thought
JOSHUA GEER The Little Book of Extraordinary Cats by Anita Kelsey will remind readers of the incredible things our feline friends are capable of. The book does this by exploring…
Beating the Boundary
A quaint and ancient Hastings tradition will be invoked on Saturday 9 May as local people resplendent in silly hats Beat the Bounds of St Mary Magdalene’s Civil Parish. Organised…
Become Part of the HIP Community!
If you read our special 300th supplement, you’ll know just how much work goes into producing the paper, and that it is (almost) all done by volunteers. But there’s no…
Bonkers Banter
Glass specialist Andy McConnell from BBC TV’s Antiques Roadshow will be supporting local charity The Sara Lee Trust this May with an evening of lively stories, laughter and audience chat.…
Mayday! Mayday!
Every day, RNLI crews across the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands respond to Mayday calls – the most urgent calls for help on our coasts. But this May, they…
Pier to Pier Challenge for Unpaid Carers
A unique Pier to Pier fundraising challenge took place along the Sussex coast last weekend to shine a light on the lived realities of unpaid carers – led by someone…
Free Help withRising Water Bills
With water bills rising yet again from 1 April, local community benefit society Energise Sussex Coast (ESC) is urging anyone in East Sussex who is struggling with their water bills…
Pride in Place Goes Public
Following the approval by the Government of the Hastings Neighbourhood Board 10-year Regeneration Plan in March 2026, a public event to discuss how and where the money will be invested…
Young people on the brink as funding stalls
Hastings charity Eggtooth has supported over 900 young people experiencing mental health challenges in the last two years. Now it says it can’t take on any new clients because the…
A Secret Garden
DON LINKE One of the delights of living in St Leonards and Hastings is discovering secret spaces often hidden away in plain sight, undiscovered gems that we can stumble across even after…
Violet, 88, is thriving not just surviving
An 88-year-old Bexhill resident who three years ago was given only months to live is now attending weekly yoga sessions at her care home, actively participating in class and spending…
Football fundraiser for St Michael’s
Hastings residents receiving end-of-life care will benefit from more than £2,300 thanks to a fundraising football match organised by kind-hearted Tesco colleagues. The closely contested game featured teams representing the…
Good Grief: A New Festival for Hastings
FIONA MCGARRY A new four-day festival exploring grief, love and loss is coming to Hastings this May. It will take place over the late May Bank Holiday weekend and run…
Sustenance on the Move
ROD WEBB Local charity Sustenance has just been given a boost by the purchase of its first electric van, described as “a huge step forward for our environmental mission and our…
Every Step Toward Recovery
GILL GOLDENBERG If you watched the Hastings Half Marathon runners on Sunday 22 March, you might have seen Dave King embracing the challenge along with thousands of others. He was…
Sea Swimmers Talking Sewage
FIONA MCGARRY Reports indicate that 2026 is on track for high volumes of sewage spills, with 3,899 alerts already issued by late March, over double the same period in 2025.…
Hastings Comes Together for Beatles Day
Hastings Beatles Day has become one of the most anticipated community celebrations in Hastings, bringing together music lovers, performers, and local supporters for a day that captures the enduring spirit…
Community Opportunities
Have Your Say about the New Local Plan Hastings BC published its new draft Local Plan on 20 February, launching a six-week consultation period. With less than two weeks to…
Greenhouse Reopens
Spring has arrived at Alexandra Park Greenhouse with the volunteer-run greenhouse reopening for the 2026 season. The greenhouse, managed by the Alexandra Park Greenhouse Group, will be open to visitors…
We Dig Hastings! on Video
A new community-led planting initiative is transforming Hastings seafront into a living lab for climate-resilient gardening – and a new video captures the story behind it. In October 2025, Hastings…
An evening with A Band of Brothers
JOEL CHESHIRE On the evening of 23 February, I walked into an open event hosted by A Band of Brothers at the Hastings Unitarian Church unsure of what to expect.…
Channel 4 Seeks House Hunters
Location, Location, Location is looking for house hunters across Sussex for its new series. Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsop Fronted by presenters and property experts Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer,…
Save Money and Space with the Library of Things
Hastings Library of Things (HLoT) is welcoming spring with some community events, new collaborations and expanded recycling options. To help those who are spring cleaning and de-cluttering, HLoT will be…
Power Station: Community Energy Film Comes to Electric Palace
Local community benefit society Energise Sussex Coast is bringing the must-see documentary Power Station to the Electric Palace cinema in Hastings this month. The screening, which will be taking place…
Living Histories: the Voices of People Who Use or Work in Mental Health
A new oral history project, capturing and sharing the voices of people who have used or worked in NHS mental health services in Sussex, has just been ; Heads On, Sussex Partnership…
Independent Beer Shop to Close
JOEL CHESHIRE One of Hastings’ most cherished independent beer retailers, Eel & Bear, has announced it will be closing at the end of the summer, marking the end of a…
Hastings Town of Culture Bid Update
Groups across Hastings are starting work on the Town of Culture bid, supported and managed by Hastings Borough Council and Arts Hastings CIC. The new Town of Culture government competition…
Free Help with your Energy & Water Bills
Hastings Furniture Service (HFS) is expanding the support it offers local households by hosting free weekly energy and water advice sessions at its Priory Meadow store, in partnership with local…
Become an Emmaus Trustee
Innovative homelessness charity Emmaus Hastings & Rother is looking for new trustees to support the charity’s staff and volunteers in running the community and its two shops. They are looking…
Making Links in Hastings
With immigration front and centre of the political agenda, MEL STEEL visits the Links Project to look at the issues being faced by local residents – who also happen to…
Town with a Seaview
MEL STEEL The Seaview Project in St Leonards is a rare thing: a genuinely local community charity that has survived for 40 years without ever compromising on its core mission – which…
Schools Go Underwater
Sussex Underwater and Strandliners are joining forces in a new partnership project, Sussex Coast Explorers, which will support young people in Hastings and St Leonards to connect with the sea and marine…
Painted Pianos
Between 26 February and 7 March, three ‘Painted Pianos’ will be on display in Hastings and St ; The project forms one of the community initiatives which complement this year’s…
Warm Homes Discount Being Applied to Reduce Energy Debts
Local fuel poverty group Energise Sussex Coast (ESC) is calling on members of the public to contact them if they know anyone whose Warm Homes Discount has been used by…
Random Acts of Kindness: Your Stories
Random Acts of Kindness Day is 17 February, so HIP is publishing some of the kind and thoughtful actions that our readers have experienced – both here and at sea.…
A Band of Brothers
Local charity A Band of Brothers is a community-based organisation that supports young men aged 18–25 who are at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system, currently involved in…
Eagle House Re-opens its Doors & Invites You to Show the Love
“Show your love” events on 11th February and Valentine’s weekend will mark the opening of Eagle House and celebrate new spaces at 12 Claremont and the Observer Rooftop. Elsa SimmonsYouth…
Local Legend Named UK Professional Driver of the Year
A familiar face on the roads of Hastings, Bexhill, Battle and the surrounding areas has been named Professional Driver of the Year 2026 at the national QSi Awards, putting local…
Surplus Places in Hastings Schools
JOEL CHESHIRE Forecasts within East Sussex County Council’s School Organisation Plan 2025-2029 indicate that several primary schools in Hastings are operating with significant surplus capacity. As many of these schools…
Random Acts of Kindness: Your Stories
HIP will be celebrating ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day’ on 17 February by publishing a selection of stories you wish to share with us. This global movement started in Denver,…