The ‘Access East Sussex’ partnership has already started work on the initiative that will see ten new Community Help Points and up to 60 new information kiosks installed at locations throughout the county during this year.
Customers can walk into their local Community Help Point (CHP), which stocks a huge range of information, and acts as a signpost directing people to the right council or service they require. Bexhill, Heathfield, Hailsham, Eastbourne, Crowborough and Battle already have their own successful Community Help Points and Hastings, Uckfield, Lewes and Seaford will follow over the coming months.
Additionally, to ensure that access to services is available to all, AccessPoints – information kiosks provide free self-service community on-screen information. Residents can also use the AccessPoints for other commercial options such as email, mobile phone top-ups and downloads, and prints from digital photographs.
The Access East Sussex partnership is following a new approach for the locations of the new kiosks. Each kiosk will be away from traditional places like council offices and in locations such as supermarkets, village stores and post offices. The county already has 30 information kiosks and the improvement programme will mean that East Sussex has more than 50 in place before the end of the year.
The Access East Sussex partnership is made up of East Sussex County Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Hastings Borough Council, Lewes District Council, Rother District Council and Wealden District Council.
Speaking on behalf of the partnership, Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Member for E-government at the County Council, said: "When this programme is completed, more people will have access to community information and online services at a location either in their home town or not far from where they live or work. The partners are especially keen to ensure help points and kiosks are available in community locations where residents can find what they want at times that suit them."
Funding for the initiative has come from central Government and individual council budgets. Each partner will provide and be responsible for the help points and kiosks within its own area with support from the County Council and the Partnership.
Notes to editors
For further information about the Access East Sussex shared access project please contact Jason Laroche at the East Sussex County Council on Lewes (01273) 482374.
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