Your West Sussex county NFU update

Romy Gue

Romy Gue

Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex County Adviser

We bid farewell to Josh!

I am delighted to be back from maternity leave and have been very fortunate to have a comprehensive handover with Josh Redford who has done a sterling job looking after members. We are so grateful to Josh for all his work with group secretaries, stakeholders, farmers and growers. Most importantly we wish him well on his next chapter outside the NFU. 

This month we saw our Health and Safety event at Moor Farm, by kind permission of Mark Chandler. There was a great range of speakers and representatives from Sussex Police and Sussex Fire and Rescue, FCN and the Samaritans also supported the event. 

East Sussex County Chair Martin Hole hosted a community celebration evening, launching two new short films produced by Nigel Akehurst. The films will be available to stream on Nigel's channels very soon. The event was brilliantly organised by the teams from the NFU Mutual Ashford, Tenterden & Whitfield offices and the NFU Mutual Uckfield & Brighton offices.

In early June we enjoyed meeting all our Group Secretaries together for an update from our Regional Director Zoe Leach and our Regional Network Manager, Hannah Padfield. These sessions are useful to touch base and ensure everyone is up to speed on the latest issues affecting members and how the NFU is operating. 

Before harvest got fully under way members squeezed in a number of events: In the first week of July members gathered at Oak Bank Farm, East Sussex for a farm walk, very kindly hosted by Gillian Van Der Meer. A fascinating insight into their family business, very much enjoyed by those who were able to attend. 

Members of the Horsham and Steyning branch met at the Fountain Inn, Ashurst in July to celebrate Chets Modi’s 10year anniversary as a Group Secretary. The afternoon provided an opportunity for a local catch up and beer in the sunshine! 

The West Sussex farm walk was originally postponed due to extreme weather but went ahead on Tuesday 7th July by kind permission of Clive Stickland and family. Incorporating a tour of his brother Mark's farm, the evening provided a fascinating insight into Clive's recent transition from dairy to beef and shone a spotlight on neighbouring businesses successfully working in harmony.

As we move into harvest, we wish everyone a safe and bountiful few months and will be busy working away on events for the Autumn, including the AGM. If you have events you would like to see the NFU deliver in Sussex or speakers you would like to hear from, please do get in touch! 

Local news

Opportunities to join the South Downs Local Access Forum

The South Downs National Park Authority is currently advertising several opportunities to join the South Downs Local Access Forum.

The Forum is an independent statutory advisory body that provides advice to the National Park Authority, Government and other public bodies on matters relating to public access to the countryside within the South Downs National Park.

We are particularly interested in hearing from people with experience or knowledge in the following areas:

Landowner / land management
Forestry / farming
Equestrian access
Heritage
Blue infrastructure / waterways

Opportunity to join the South Downs Local Access Forum

Local news

Sussex food rescue charity wins community award

UKHarvest, a Sussex-based food rescue charity, has won the ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Community Award’ at the Chichester and Bognor Business Awards, recognising a year of significant impact across the food and farming sector. 

Over the past 12 months, the charity has rescued more than 444 tonnes of surplus produce from farms and food producers, redistributing it as the equivalent of over one million meals.

Working closely with leading agricultural businesses such as Barfoots and Natures Way Foods, UKHarvest plays a vital role in reducing on-farm food waste. 

By collecting surplus crops that might otherwise go unused, the organisation supports growers in operating more sustainably, while ensuring high-quality produce reaches people in need.

The awards ceremony, held at the Avisford Hotel in Fontwell, brought together representatives from business, farming and community organisations to celebrate local achievements. 

Communications and Fundraising Manager Joanna Lodge said: “Supporting the community is at the heart of everything we do at UKHarvest. We want to ensure that as much surplus food as possible is given to those in need and those wishing to reduce food waste.”

Find out how to get involved

Local news

Local Nature Recovery Strategies for Sussex published

The Local Nature Recovery Strategies for East and West Sussex have been published. These are spatial strategies which set out priority areas for nature recovery. 

They do not dictate what should happen where, but highlight areas where nature recovery could have the biggest impact. 

Thank you to all members who have engaged in the process of forming these strategies and responded to consultations. 

Read the strategies

Local news

Beaver enclosure walks and talks

Members are invited to visit various beaver enclosures over the coming months to learn more about beavers and what their potential reintroduction could mean for farmers and landowners. 

These visits offer an opportunity to voice your questions and concerns with members of the Western Rother Beaver Group, as well as other members. 

Places are limited. To book, please click on the Eventbrite link below: 

NFU information about species reintroduction