For maximum impact we have now changed the date for the big demonstration to say ‘No to PSPO’ and hand in our 86,582 strong petition! So please note the demo arranged for 9th June has now been cancelled and rescheduled for 19th July at 6pm at Worthing Town Hall. We hope you can make it and come together in solidarity. As before we plan on having another short half hour demonstration outside the town hall to let the council know that we have not gone away and we still continue to stand up for what is right. We hope to make them aware of the vast increase in people opposed to the PSPO'S and ask other questions relating to this during the council meeting. We will continue to oppose these measures in favour of more effective strategies like re-opening the night shelters. PLEASE SUPPORT in the following ways: 1) Please join us in another big demo (like the last) outside the next Worthing Council Meeting outside Worthing Town Hall on 19th July at 6.00pm where we will hand in our change.org petition now with over 86,582 signatures. 2) Send an email to all the Worthing Councillors to voice your opposition to the PSPOs. Please copy and paste the email template and recipients at the end of this update. Template Email to Councillors Recipients: noel.atkins@worthing.gov.uk, roy.barraclough@worthing.gov.uk,keith.bickers@worthing.gov.uk, joan.bradley@worthing.gov.uk,callum.buxton@worthing.gov.uk,michael.cloake@worthing.gov.uk,edward.crouch@worthing.gov.uk,michael.donin@worthing.gov.uk, james.doyle@worthing.gov.uk,norah.fisher@worthing.gov.uk, diane.guest@worthing.gov.uk,alex.harman@worthing.gov.uk, lionel.harman@worthing.gov.uk,joshua.high@worthing.gov.uk, paul.high@worthing.gov.uk,daniel.humphreys@worthing.gov.uk,charles.james@worthing.gov.uk, susan.jelliss@worthing.gov.uk,kevin.jenkins@worthing.gov.uk, mary.lermitte@worthing.gov.uk,sean.mcdonald@worthing.gov.uk,heather.mercer@worthing.gov.uk, nigel.morgan@worthing.gov.uk,louise.murphy@worthing.gov.uk, mark.nolan@worthing.gov.uk,luke.proudfoot@worthing.gov.uk, clive.roberts@worthing.gov.uk,robert.smytherman@worthing.gov.uk,elizabeth.sparkes@worthing.gov.uk,keith.sunderland@worthing.gov.uk,bryan.turner@worthing.gov.uk, val.turner@worthing.gov.uk,vicky.vaughan@worthing.gov.uk, vino.vinojan@worthing.gov.uk,vic.walker@worthing.gov.uk, tom.wye@worthing.gov.uk,paul.yallop@worthing.gov.uk Subject: Worthing Council overturn decision to implement PSPOs in favour of night shelters Main text to copy/paste in email- PLEASE DELETE/EDIT BOLD TEXT (and feel free to add your own comments) BEFORE SENDING: Dear Councillor I was shocked and appalled to hear that Worthing Council recently voted in favour of Public Space Protection Orders. I am deeply concerned that these PSPOs will disproportionately affect the homeless who are, due to the nature of their situation, to be begging, street drinking or rough sleeping by overnight camping. These are not lifestyle choices, this is extreme poverty of people who do not have a choice. Fining people who present these behaviours will be counter productive as rather than reduce it will entrench these behaviours by forcing them into debt (from £50 fine to £1000 for non-payment), criminalisation or it will displace them away from vital services which would be able to address these problems. As a resident / regular visitor of Worthing I believe the uncaring message these PSPOs send out about Worthing and the widespread negative publicity as a result will have a harmful affect on attracting people to the town, on tourism and business and will be detrimental to our community spirit. I urge you to reconsider and do all in your power to challenge and overturn these PSPOs in favour of re-opening the night shelters (which were in high demand and helped people access services before they were closed in March) as a much more effective long term strategy to reducing these behaviours by preventing people living on the streets. Yours Sincerely Your name Town and postcode