COLUMNIST: Mike Mendoza, chairman of Adur Council, on flooding, energy and entertainment

There were a number of scares over the past week but Adur Council was well prepared for any major incidents that may have occurred.

Sandbags were on hand to be placed along the A259 coast road, plus arrangements were in hand in case of an evacuation, with the Civic Centre in Shoreham and the Impulse Leisure Centre in Lancing on standby.

Fortunately, not all of this was necessary, with the high winds, rain and sea surges just about passing us by. Other areas close by were not quite so fortunate.

You can sign up for free flood warnings via the Environment Agency, which will warn you by telephone, mobile, email, text message (SMS) or fax, whichever you prefer. You can do this on line via the EA website. The service is very efficient and without a doubt up to date, they will also inform you when the ‘emergency’ is over.

The other big thing to come out of this was the sense of community and how so many of us were prepared to muck in and help in anyway possible. I received several messages on my Facebook pages offering help in many forms, such as making tea for those who may have been made homeless, knocking on doors to warn people of an evacuation, etc.

So, a big thank you to all of you who have shown concern for your neighbours and residents of Adur. I have always said we are a great community that is like a big family.

Adur Council has £70,000 ready and waiting to be spent on the best ideas to improve your community. Adur’s community groups, charities, voluntary organisations or residents groups or associations can apply for funding to carry out community projects as part of our Pot of Gold Campaign. 

All projects must leave a lasting legacy in the Adur district and fit into one of these themes - wellbeing, appearance of the district or improvements to community facilities. Closing date for entries is February 7. For an application form, go to the Adur District Council website.

Energy bills are now one of the biggest costs facing households - and in the last few weeks the big six energy companies have all announced another round of price hikes this winter.

Adur District Council has now set up an Energy Buying Club. This is to enable people in Adur and Worthing to see how much they can save on energy bills through a collaborative approach.

It’s our way of helping our residents join forces to save money on their home energy bills. It works by getting as many residents as possible to register their interest in taking part – the more residents that register, the better price we can potentially get from the energy suppliers, and the more money you can save.

We aim to create a large group of residents with the intention to compare, switch and save. It’s easy and safe, there is no obligation when you register to sign up to the new offer, and we provide support and guidance throughout the registration and switching process. Full details are on the Adur District Council website.

I would like to finish by reminding readers that there is some great entertainment on offer in the entire district, from Sompting to Fishersgate. There is no need to go out of the area, the Ropetackle Centre has world-class entertainment on offer and Southwick’s Barn Theatre has some great shows. Keep an eye on the area websites and, of course, the Herald for what’s on.