In August HEX supporters went with Thomas (not his real name) to protest at Hastings Council because he and his young family were being threatened with eviction. They were also stuck in a temporary housing limbo because the council had deemed them to be ‘intentionally homeless’. The protest was successful in stopping the immediate threat…
Conquest Hospital Cardiology faces closure WE ARE WALKERS ‘We’re all walkers in our family.’ My brother makes this observation after spending the day with our dad for his birthday. It often doesn’t make sense to people how much we like to walk. Sometimes it even riles people up: ‘but it’s faster to go by x…
Every year for the last 4 years Umbrella Sussex have quietly hosted Free Shops a couple of times a year, and especially on Black Friday (AKA Buy Nothing Day). What’s a Free Shop? People bring stuff they no longer need, and take stuff they can use. What sets it apart from say, a clothes swop,…
Hastings Jews for Justice To host film and discussion evening: Saturday 8 November, Stade Hall, Hastings, 19.00-20.30. Everyone in the community is warmly invited. Tickets are free, but advance booking is recommended. The aim is, over tea and biscuits, to watch films that give information and insight in a safe and friendly space, where people…
Ethan Oshoko You’ve likely read the term “private equity” in headlines over the past few years, or heard the term uttered by a news presenter giving an update on the acquisition of an ill-fated business like Toys R Us or Debenhams. The financial industry in general can seem like a highly abstract thing, more relevant…
Writing: Merlin Betts. Image: Archie Lauchlan. Walking the border of Gaza… well, a similar length anyway. The Stade to the De La Warr is about 9km, not far off the length of the Gaza Strip’s southern border with Egypt. Gaza’s longer border is 51km – that’s basically from here to Brighton. I made this the…
Grace L One year after taking charge of Hastings Council many of our local councillors look ready to throw in the towel. Residents turned up to the 9 June meeting of the council cabinet (the leading members of council) to demand answers about the old Bathing Pool site and Sandrock Bends – two incredibly unpopular…
An account from a frontline support worker The headlines about the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Universal Credit are bad enough, but there are also subtleties happening in the sidelines that we all should pay attention to. The changes to disability benefits drawn up in Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support…
Over 100 Labour MPs are threatening to vote against the government to stop cuts to welfare benefits. They seem to think that taking away Personal Independence Payments (PIP) from around one million sick and disabled people is not what they were elected to do. But not our MP. No, the very ambitious new MP for…
On March 26th, Hex writer Andrea joined a march in Hastings, East Sussex, to protest against the disability cuts. Andrea interviewed members of the public about how the new four-point ruling and disability cuts will affect them personally.