Unleash your artistic side this summer with a range of fun and informal art classes on Eastbourne seafront. Join your group along with artist Louise Burt for an inspiring and nurturing session in painting and drawing, using Eastbourne's stunning seafront as your inspiration.

Classes from Februry to May click here for detail.

At high water in the afternoon of Sunday 3 June 2012, up to a thousand boats, including Eastbourne's new Tamar class lifeboat, which will be the representative of the RNLI, will muster on the River Thames in preparation for Her Majesty The Queen to take part in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It will be one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river. Rowed boats and working boats and pleasure vessels of all shapes and sizes will be beautifully dressed with streamers and Union Jacks, their crews and passengers turned out in their finest rigs. The armed forces, fire, police, rescue and other services will be afloat and there will be an exuberance of historic boats, wooden launches, steam vessels and other boats of note.

Click here for more information on the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

Click here for the pageant running order.

Click here for the vessel fact sheet.

Members of the Eastbourne East Neighbourhood Policing Team will be holding a street meeting outside Bright Ideas on the Sovereign Harbour Waterfront, on Thursday 23rd February, starting at 14.00.

The informal meeting, which will also be supported by members and officers of the Borough Council and Neighbourhood Watch, is an opportunity for you to raise any concerns that you may have directly to the people who can do something to help you, or just to meet them, and introduce yourself.

If you have issues that you would like to discuss, but can't get to the meeting, you can contact PC Ed Faulkner on 07787 685813 (e-mail Ed) or PCSO Martin Hylands on 07909 873787 (e-mail Martin)

The Rotary Club of Eastbourne AM presents a charity concert with the Brighton City Singers at the Birley Centre on Saturday 18th February, at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. The event, which will run for two hours including an interval, will raise funds for disabled children and a music bursary.

The Brighton City Singers, led by the dynamic composer and musical director MJ Paranzino, are an all-embracing choir with members of all ages, with a varied repertoire which includes jazz, musicals, opera and gospel.

Also appearing at the event will be the celebrated pianist, Gareth Hancock, who has worked as conductor, senior coach and repetiteur at many of the world's leading opera companies.

For tickets (£12) please call 01323-722439, or visit Reid and Dean, 99 South Street, Eastbourne.

The Eastbourne branch of Thomas Cook will be holding a Cruise Event at the Media centre, Devonshire Park on the 22nd February 2012, Between 2pm and 5pm.

Eight major cruise suppliers will be there to inform you of all you need to know about cruising. Also to entertain you on this day will be Celebrity Cruises A Cappella group which will be singing at around 3pm.

Tickets, which can be purchased within the branch, and include tea, coffee and biscuits, are £2.50 per person 

There will also be holding a prize draw for a drinks hamper and Thomas Cook Travel Vouchers.

Over the past two years, over 1,000 ladies have taken to the streets and seafront of Eastbourne and have raised a collective £132,000 for Chestnut Tree House. You are invited to gather your girlfriends and let your star shine for a 'Night to Remember' - a ten mile walk along Eastbourne’s seafront, raising money for Chestnut Tree House, the only children’s hospice in Sussex.

This year's walk will start at midnight on Saturday 19th May at the Sovereign Centre Registration is now open, and will close on 30th April.

Click here for more information or to register online.

The Big Lunch is a very simple idea from the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun.

Last year on Sunday 5th June the best part of two million people took part. In 2012 The Big Lunch falls on the same weekend as The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, on Sunday 3rd June, and as announced by Buckingham Palace The Big Jubilee Lunch will be a part of the main programme of events over the central weekend of the Diamond Jubilee. A record number of people are expected to take part. Why not be one of them!

A Big Lunch can be anything from a few neighbours getting together in the garden or on the street, to a full blown street party with food, music and decoration that quite literally stops the traffic.

Click here to visit the Big Lunch website.

If you would like to join an all female voice choir, the Sovereign Singers will be holding an open morning for prospective members at the Eastbourne Blind Society Hall, 124 Longstone Road in Eastbourne Town Centre on January 25.

The morning will start with coffee at 10.50 and singing will continue until 12.15.

For more information, e-mail Sovereign Polyphony

Registration is now open for the Rotary Club of Sovereign Harbour’s second 5Km sponsored walk around the Sovereign Harbour marina.  The walk, which will start and finish from the area behind “Cineworld” in the Sovereign Harbour Retail Park, will start at midday on Sunday 22nd April.  

This is not a competitive walk, it is purely for fun, so it is hoped that people will take part in large numbers and make this a day to remember.  After the gentle stroll, participants should be back at the beautiful Sovereign Harbour Waterfront in time for a well-deserved lunch.

The 2011 walk, which was the first in what will now be an annual event, raised over £3,500 for “Help for Heroes”.  This year, the target is to raise a minimum of £5,000 for “Guide Dogs for the Blind” and other Rotary charities.

Walkers will be accompanied by a number of guide dogs and their owners so, this year, registration will also be open to dogs, which will, hopefully, also be sponsored.  The Borough Council Dog Welfare Officer, Sue Criddle and her dog “Polar” have already registered, and Sue will be on the lookout for sponsors.  Eastbourne’s MP, Stephen Lloyd MP and the Mayor of Eastbourne, Cllr Carolyn Heaps, will also be taking part.

Walkers, and their dogs, can register online by visiting www.harbourwalk.info, or by post, by downloading a registration form from the website.  Registration forms will be available at a number of news outlets and Rotary Club members will also be available to accept registrations in person on dates and at venues to be published soon. 

Those unable to take part may also make donations through a the “Just Giving” website by following a link from the Harbour Walk website.

Members of the Eastbourne East Neighbourhood Policing Team will be holding a street meeting outside Bright Ideas on the Sovereign Harbour Waterfront, on Tuesday 17th January, starting at 14.00.

The informal meeting, which will also be supported by members and officers of the Borough Council and Neighbourhood Watch, is an opportunity for you to raise any concerns that you may have directly to the people who can do something to help you, or just to meet them, and introduce yourself.

If you have issues that you would like to discuss, but can't get to the meeting, you can contact PC Ed Faulkner on 07787 685813 (e-mail Ed) or PCSO Martin Hylands on 07909 873787 (e-mail Martin)

The Mayor of Eastbourne's Charity Banquet and Boogie, in aid of the Tuesday O'Hara fund, will be held this year on 25th February at the Cavendish Hotel on the Eastbourne Seafront.

Champaign reception on arrival, with musical entertainment, after dinner dancing with "Champaign Supernova".

Black Tie and evening dress, tickets £45 per head.

Click here for more information and menu.
Click here to download a booking form.
Click here to visit the Tuesday O'Hara Fund website.

RNLI Volunteers will be busking in Terminus Road on Friday 27th January, starting at 11:00am.

The "Shout out Shanties" event will be held to raise funds for the new Tamar Class lifeboat, which will be on station later this year.

For more information telephone Derek on 01323-735970
E-mail Derek

RNLI "SOS Day". Are you able to give time to help the Eastbourne RNLI with its fundraising activities?

Derek Legg will be available from about 10.00 in the Langham Hotel on Saturday 28th January, to chat any potential volunteers, particularly any who can join the Fundraising Branch.

Officers and committee members are needed to continue their work.

If you can't get along on 28th, you can telephone Derek on 01323-735970
E-mail Derek

Eastbourne RNLI will be holding a "Sponsored Welly Walk" on the Eastbourne seafront on Sunday 29th January.

The walk, which will start at the All Weather Lifeboat Station at Sovereign Harbour, at 10:00am and finish at the Museum and Shop at the Wish Tower Slopes, will raise money for crew kit; £40 will buy a pair of Yellow Wellies.

Entry £4 Adults, £3 Children. (£5 and £4 on the day).

Entry forms and sponsor forms from Derek Legg.
Contact Derek on 01323-735970
E-mail Derek

Carpet bowls returns for its Spring season at the Haven School.

The group will meet every Thursday evening, from 6.45pm to 9.15pm, from 5th January to 9th February inclusive, and from 23rd February to 22nd March inclusive.

New players of all abilities are welcome, including absolute beginners.

Click here for more information.

The premiere of the new comedy film “Hacking It”, written by author, and harbour resident, Tony Flood, will be shown in the Gold Room of the Winter Garden on Sunday January 15, starting at 3pm. 

A documentary on the making of the film, introduced by Dec Cluskey of  The Bachelors, will also be shown. 

Tickets cost just £3 and are available from the box offices of the Winter Garden, the Congress or the Devonshire Park theatres, or online

All proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Friends of the Devonshire Park Theatre.

The Sovereign Harbour Eastbourne Carnival Action Team (SHECAT) will be holding its first open meeting at the Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club starting at 7pm on Thursday November 10. 

SHECAT is keen to hear from any individual or group that would be interested in helping with the Sovereign Harbour community’s entry. 

If you feel you can bring something to the party, your contribution will be very welcome.  For more information, visit the SHECAT website

Hall for hire - Following the closure of a nursery that used to hire the church hall full time, St. Richards Church Etchingham Road, Langney, are anxious to minimise the resulting loss of income by finding other groups or individuals to hire the hall.

If anyone is looking to hire a hall, either regularly or for a special occasion they can contact the vicar, Revd. David Ashton on 01323 761 158.

Walking for Wellness programme - Pevensey Bay walk added - Eastbourne Age Concern organise three weekly walks that you are warmly encouraged to join.

The first is an invigorating short walk of under a mile along the seafront from the Lifeboat Museum to the Pier. Meet at the Lifeboat Museum (opposite Carlisle Road) on Mondays at 10.00am (except Bank Holidays).

The second is the three mile circular walk from Sovereign Harbour to the Sovereign Centre and back. Meet outside Bright Ideas on The Waterfront at Sovereign Harbour on Thursdays at 10.00 am.

A new, weekly, half-hour walk around Pevensey Bay started this week. Meet outside HSBC Bank, Richmond Road, Pevensey Bay at 10.45. Click here for information poster...

All the walks finish at a cafe and are a fantastic way to find out about the health benefits of walking, meeting new friends and taking in the uplifting scenery.

Please remember to wear comfortable shoes, dress appropriately for the weather and bring some water. If you are worried about your health, please make sure you check with your doctor before increasing your level of activity.