We are proud to have been approved by our four Borough Councils to support Hastings, Eastbourne and Lewes, Rother and Wealden Councils with providing professional legal advice through the ESCC community hubs scheme.
What is a community hub?
Community hubs are the contact point that residents of East Sussex can turn to if they:
- feel they need extra help in coping with the effects of coronavirus
- know someone else who needs help.
Many people will already have the support they need from family, friends, carers or neighbours and will not need their community hub. However, it’s vital that no one is left on their own if they feel isolated, unwell or anxious. No one in East Sussex will be left on their own. This is the need community hubs will meet.
Who can use a community hub?
Anyone who feels they need extra support and has no other way to get it can use a hub.
The Sussex Resilience Forum (emergency services, health, local government and other partners) are already co-ordinating supplies for extremely vulnerable people who have been told to stay home for 12 weeks. But if there is something else they need, they can get in touch with a hub.
Contact your local community hub
There are five hubs – one in each part of the county. They are usually open during working hours, 9am to 5pm, although this will vary slightly from hub to hub. Each one can be reached online or by phone.
Eastbourne
Website: Lewes and Eastbourne Councils
Phone: 01323 679722
Hastings
Website: Hastings Borough Council
Phone: 01424 45101+9
Lewes
Website: Lewes and Eastbourne Councils
Phone: 01273 099956
Rother
Website: Rother District Council
Phone: 01424 787000 (option 4)
Wealden
Website: Wealden District Council
Phone: 01323 443322
How the hubs work
The community hubs are a partnership between the voluntary sector, health service, county council and district and borough councils in East Sussex.
They will listen to people’s needs and put them in touch with the group or person best placed to help locally. That might be:
- local voluntary group to pick up food or medicine for people
- volunteers to talk to people who feel isolated
- access to food banks
- health provider to consider treatment
- advisers on legal, finance, benefits or other welfare measures.
Our vulnerable client and private client team have already taken numerous calls from various community partners and are here to help with Will writing over the telephone, emergency Powers of Attorney (perhaps to allow a friend or loved one to access accounts at this time if in isolation), care and support planning, together with setting up of care plans and reviews. Our other legal teams are also at hand to provide assistance with tenancy and family law enquiries.
For friendly, independent advice contact our Vulnerable Client Team on 01323 411020 or by email at tmay@heringtons.com
More detail of the work of the hubs can be found here