Giving a kickstart to young people’s job prospects

Last Friday, local MPs Sally-Ann Hart (Hastings and Rye) and Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle), visited the Youth Hub at East Sussex Coast College campus in Hastings, to see first-hand the work and support to help young people into employment. The Hastings Youth Hub, which is one of two in the area with a second […]

‘Prolific’ St Leonards offender is jailed for ten years

A prolific criminal from St Leonards has been jailed for a series of offences carried out over a 12-month period. Carl Stocker, 30, of no fixed address, was imprisoned for ten years on Tuesday, July 13th, after pleading guilty to two robberies, assault, fraud and drug offences. Lewes Crown Court heard that on May 5th, […]

Looking after strangers when we can’t even look after ourselves

Since he started writing for Hastings In Focus back in 2019 Tom McCann has never been afraid to court controversy. As a young man trying to make his way in the world and facing an ever more ‘hostile’ local housing market he wonders if Hastings Borough Councillors have their priorities the right way round? With […]

Hastings Against War plans its annual Hiroshima Day commemoration…

Next Friday (August 6th) will see the annual Hiroshima Day commemoration in Hastings. The event has been staged every year since 2007 by Hastings Against War (HAW) writes John Enefer. People will gather in Alexandra Park to remember those who lost their lives in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. An estimated […]

Hastings receives funding to help welcome visitors back safely

Hastings is set to receive £229,000 in Welcome Back Funding to support the town’s pandemic recovery and encourage people back safely. It’s Hastings’ share of the government’s £56 million Welcome Back Fund, which has been provided by the European Regional Development Fund. It will allow local authorities to put in place measures to create and promote a safe […]

Grab–a–jab in Broomgrove… no appointment necessary!

Still needing to get yourself vaccinated against Covid-19? There’s a pop-up vaccination centre opening on Wednesday (July 28th) at the Broomgrove Centre from 3.30pm until 6.30pm offering the Pfizer vaccination and able to provide both first and second jabs. Baird Councillor Robert Cooke hopes as many people as possible will make use of the facility […]

Labour’s Mike Turner says objections to Harrow Lane development is ‘nimbyism’

Last week’s meeting of Hastings Borough Council saw the debate continue over the future of the Harrow Lane playing fields. Gifted to the town for recreational use, HBC now wants to sell them off for housing development. The Conservative opposition wants to retain the playing fields as they, are describing them as ‘the last green […]

Work gets underway – Jason is ‘raising the roof’ in Alexandra Park

The roof for an historic greenhouse is taking shape thanks to the skills of expert craftsman Jason Wright. Jason, a self-employed joiner for almost 30 years, is renovating the teak frame of the 1930s structure in Alexandra Park, Hastings, before reinforced glass is installed.  He has started work on the 12-week project at his Westfield […]