Liberal Democrats in Seaford have launched a campaign to keep Warwick House services open in Seaford.

The facility, part of the £6 million development on Warwick Road which includes the Library, was announced as being consulted on for closure this week by the Conservative led Council.

The facility homes several people with learning disabilities as well as providing vital day services for people with dementia and mental health problems.

Lib Dem Campaigner Morag Everden launched a petition to save the facility, saying; “This is the result of more Conservative cuts to our adult social care.

Seaford has an elderly population, many of whom rely on services at Warwick House to support them. To propose to remove it is unacceptable.”

Lewes Liberal Democrats are proud to be part of the Plastic Free Lewes Campaign and were glad to take an active role in Friday night’s debate about recycling in the District. After a long campaign by the Lib Dems, it is good to see a renewed focus on this issue at the District Council with the roll-out of a new scheme which will include simpler recycling for a much wider range of plastics.

Our joint work on reducing plastic use is making headlines all around the district at the moment and we are delighted to announce the next 'Plastic Free Lewes' event on 9th March at Lewes Town Hall- 'What really happens to our rubbish?'

Lib Dem leader Sarah Osborne (centre) arriving at the LDC budget meeting on Monday night with some of her fellow councillors L to R: Will Elliott, Steve Saunders, Sarah Osborne, Olivia Honeyman, Graham Amy

Dave Twaits and Matthew Milligan have been selected as the Lib Dem Town Council candidates for Newhaven and Peacehaven Town Councils in by-elections set for 8^th March; and are already out knocking on doors. In a busy weekend of campaigning, local volunteers joined the candidates to speak to residents and share key priorities.

A bumper crop of Liberal Democrat amendments will be tabled for the budget on Monday, 19 February (next week) at Lewes District Council.  Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem group, Steve Saunders said, “Our leader, Sarah Osborne, has put together an excellent package of proposals on housing and the environment."

The first Thursday in February every year is designated as Time To Talk day, to help end the stigma around mental health and enable people to be more open about the impact that mental ill health has on them. Lewes Liberal Democrats give their steadfast support to this initiative. For far too many people in this country every day is a struggle to get by with their mind and self esteem intact, and we need to do far more to tackle both the causes and the effects of the problem. In government, the LibDems fought hard and successfully for more recognition for mental health in budget priorities. Our minister, Norman Lamb, introduced the Crisis Care Concordat  and argued for parity for mental health services: "we must fight for mental health to get the recognition it needs”.

In this country 1 in 6 people is experiencing a mental health problem in any given week, and 1 in 4 in any year. While some of these will pass, many are extremely serious – suicide, though not an indicator of mental ill health, is strongly associated with it and suicide remains the commonest cause of death in men aged 20 to 49.

So give yourself time, and give other people time, to talk, today.

On the 27th January 1945 Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, was liberated. It is a fitting day to mark as Holocaust Memorial Day and remember the victims of genocides throughout history and even to the present day. Eastbourne's LibDem MP, Stephen Lloyd, recently co sponsored a Commons debate. Here is what he said:

I thank the hon. Member for Brigg and Goole (Andrew Percy) for sponsoring the debate. It is a pleasure for me to co-sponsor it. This is the fifth or sixth time I have co-sponsored a debate on this important day. When I was first a Member of Parliament I was proud to do so, and now that I am back in the House, I am even more delighted.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Janet Baah has been elected Mayor of Lewes (18/01/18).

Ghanaian-born Baah is the first ethnic minority Mayor to be appointed in Lewes since the Borough Council (the Town Council’s predecessor) was incorporated in 1881.