Celebrating later life with the full of life festival

This September and October, the Full of Life Festival will bring more than 80 free and low-cost activities for residents aged 50+ – the largest programme since the festival began 18 years ago.
Events include street dancing, a Spanish-themed afternoon with tapas and sangria, accessible sports in Eastbourne, Active Age Health MOTs, chair yoga, wellbeing talks, craft workshops, and dementia-friendly film screenings.

As ESSA Chair Lin Neeve said: “The events are designed to help people stay physically, emotionally and socially active as they get older, and there really is something for everyone.”

Brochures are available in libraries, council offices, and leisure centres from mid-August.

View events online

Pride season brings communities together

This July, Pride season brought a wave of colour and connection across East Sussex. It began at County Hall, where the rainbow flag was raised in the company of NHS colleagues, Sussex Police, Fire & Rescue, and Ambulance Services – a public statement of unity and inclusion.

These celebrations built on the same principle guiding our health and care work: that everyone should feel safe, respected, and seen.

See how we marked Pride across East Sussex: Read more

Healthwatch – Rother listening tour workshop 25 September

Healthwatch East Sussex continues its Listening Tour, capturing local voices about healthcare and wellbeing. Following the publication of its 2024/25 report, the tour is now in Rother.

A workshop will take place on Thursday 25 September 2025, 10:00 – 12:30, at Pebsham Community Hub, Bexhill-on-Sea, giving residents, carers, and professionals a chance to share their views on services in the area.

Sign up for the Rother workshop or take part via the online survey

Enjoy East Sussex by the sea smoke free

Two East Sussex beaches have been designated as voluntary smoke free spaces.

East Sussex County Council worked in partnership with Rother District Council to launch the first smoke free beaches in England.

Since ‘No Smoking Day’ on March 12, Bexhill beach from the De La Warr pavilion to the Coronation Bandstand on East Parade and all of Camber Sands beach are now designated smoke free.

Visitors are being asked to support the initiative by choosing not to smoke on these beaches, helping to protect children and young people as well as the environment from the harmful effects of smoking.

Learn more about the smoke free beach scheme.

New non-emergency patient transport service

The new non-emergency patient transport service for Sussex launched on 1 April. EMED Patient Care will now be delivering the service.

Eligible people and healthcare professionals can book transport by calling the new dedicated number: 0300 777 4444. You can also find general service information, answers to frequently asked questions, and leaflets at www.emedgroup.co.uk/sussex.

The service has been shaped by the latest national guidance as well as extensive engagement with people who use current services, clinicians, Healthwatch in Sussex, and our acute, mental health and community hospital trusts.

Read about the range of benefits offered by the new service.

Book your spring COVID-19 vaccination

People across Sussex can now book their spring COVID-19 vaccinations. If you’re eligible, you can book via the NHS website, by downloading the NHS App, or by calling 119 for free if you can’t get online.

COVID-19 can be a serious or life-threatening illness so getting vaccinated is an important part of protecting yourself if you’re at increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccines are offered seasonally because viruses change and protection fades over time, so please take the opportunity to top up your protection if you’re eligible.

Visit the NHS Sussex vaccinations web page.

Put a spring in your step

Spring is finally here, and what better time of year to get out and about for some fresh air and exercise.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to look after your body and lift your mood. Even better, it’s free! We’re fortunate to live in a beautiful county with miles of coastline and countryside to explore, not to mention some glorious seafront promenades and parks.

If you’d like to get some more steps in, why not give East Sussex Health Walks a try?  These free, weekly one-hour walks are designed to be an easy and sociable way to help you gradually get into a regular walking habit. They’re only about an hour and not too difficult. Being with a friendly group also helps to keep you motivated and feel encouraged.

Health walks are a great way to improve your health and wellbeing, including if you want to gradually start to increase your fitness, are recovering from illness or injury and want to ease back into exercise, or if you’re feeling a bit low in confidence and would like a bit of company and support.

East Sussex Health Walks are funded by Public Health at East Sussex County Council and organised by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV).

The walks are led by volunteers and take place at locations across the county. If you’d like to join one you don’t need to book, simply turn up 10 minutes before the start time.

Visit the TCV website for full details of the health walks, and how to join one near you: TCV Sussex | Conservation, walking, health, nature

You can also find a range of other activity from TCV on their site, including over 100 free maps for one-, two- and three-mile nature walks, information on Green Gyms, and conservation volunteering days.

 

Aspirations: If you can see it, you can be it

Working in health and social care is incredibly rewarding, and full of opportunities. There’s a huge range of potential professions to choose from, from the more well-known nursing and medical roles to therapy jobs, scientific roles, and careers in social work and care, to name a few.

Recently a project in Hastings has been encouraging primary school children in year 5 to consider future careers in health and social care, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Continue reading →

Have your say on pharmacy services in East Sussex

How do you use your pharmacy? How often do you go? Is it easy to access?

If you’ve used a pharmacy in the past 12 months, we’d like to hear about your experience in a short survey: have your say on pharmacy services in East Sussex.

Results from the survey will inform a new Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA), which is used to plan pharmacy services across the county for the next three years.

The survey will give us a better idea of where services need improving and where people find them hard to access.

The PNA is published every three years by the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) – a partnership of East Sussex County Council and organisations from across Sussex.

The NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board will use the PNA to decide if new pharmacies need to be created in areas where accessing current services is difficult.

You can ask for a printed copy of the survey by calling 07701 395075 or emailing communitysurvey@eastsussex.gov.uk. You can also pick up a copy in your local library.