BBC News • 21st May 2026

Young jobseekers 'discouraged' by ghosting and AI

Young people in the South East have said being "ghosted" and rejected by employers has made them feel "lost" while seeking their first full-time jobs. UK job vacancies fell by 28,000 (3.9%) to 705,000 between February and April, the lowest in five years, latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates show.Fergus Chamberlain, 22, from Hastings, in East Sussex, said "radio silence" from employers during his final year studying computer science at the University of Brighton left him "complete...

BBC News • 12th April 2026

Brighton Marathon runners cross the line in their thousands

Thousands of runners have taken part in a "record-breaking" Brighton Marathon, organisers have said. About 14,000 participants completed the race after setting off from the city's Preston Park on Sunday, with Rugby World Cup winner Jess Breach as the official starter. The event followed the Brighton & Hove 10K, which started earlier that morning. Sam Cook, of Horsham in West Sussex, won the men's marathon for the second year running, while the women's race was won by Amy Harris. Thousands of runn...

BBC News • 1st March 2026

Thousands hit the streets for half-marathon

Thousands of runners wound their way around Brighton in the city's half-marathon on Sunday.The race was started by Olly Alexander, with the singer and actor then joining other runners on the 13.1-mile (21km) seafront course.The star, who represented the UK at Eurovision in 2024, said he was excited but nervous for his first half-marathon."The training's been challenging but I've enjoyed myself," he said.

Thousands of runners wound their way around Brighton in the city's half-marathon on Sunday....

BBC News • 27th February 2026

The town where feeding birds could cost you £1,000

People in Worthing, West Sussex, could soon be fined up to £1,000 for feeding wildlife in the town centre. Worthing Borough Council said there were "increasing concerns" about the impacts of "excessive and unregulated" feeding of wild animals, like pigeons and seagulls. It said a proposed ban, using a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), would help combat public health risks from animal droppings, scavenging, damage to public spaces and local businesses, and pests like mice and insects. Residents,...

BBC News • 25th February 2026

What will happen to my food waste?

Separate food waste collections are being rolled out across Sussex this year in an effort to boost recycling. Research carried out by the BBC shows five out of 13 authorities will not have food waste collection services fully in place by the Government's 31 March deadline. Sussex councils say 40% of the waste that currently goes into general waste bins is food waste. Waste collected in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove will be made into compost while waste from West Sussex will go to an anaerobic di...

BBC News • 22nd January 2026

'Patients get care they need, not what they want'

It is 08:30 GMT and a dozen patients who have been queuing outside on a gloomy January morning stream into Princes Park Health Centre in Eastbourne. At the same time, 30 patient calls immediately queue up on the phone lines and medical forms filled in by patients online begin appearing on the system. It is the start of a busy morning. More than 150 patients request care in person, by phone or online before midday. The health centre has been a pioneer in piloting the NHS "total triage" system over t...

BBC News • 27th December 2025

'Being blind, running is my form of freedom'

A blind runner in East Sussex has praised his local Parkrun for its accessibility, saying it has helped transform his life. Keith Turner, 58, from Brighton, went fully blind at 19 from congenital glaucoma – a rare condition that impacts a person's eye drainage system, gradually causing sight loss.Assisted by an award-winning community of volunteer guide runners at Hove Promenade Parkrun, Keith says running has become "a form of freedom" for him.Now on the verge of his 200th Parkrun – a volunteer-...

BBC News • 12th December 2025

De La Warr Pavilion celebrates 90th anniversary

The De La Warr Pavilion in East Sussex is celebrating its 90th anniversary since opening by asking the public to share their memories at the venue.The Grade I listed arts centre in Bexhill opened on 12 December 1935.As part of the celebrations, the creative hub said it was building a digital archive to honour the people, stories and artists that had shaped the venue's history.On the morning of its 90th birthday, the De La Warr announced it had been given £7.6m from The National Lottery Heritage...

BBC News • 9th December 2025

Fundraisers sleep rough for homelessness charity

The organisers of a charity sleep-out in East Sussex said they wanted to offer "a tiny glimpse into the challenges young people face when sleeping rough".The Big City Sleepout, run by Clock Tower Sanctuary in Brighton, saw 33 participants – including comedian Suzi Ruffell – sleep at the foot of the Brighton i360 from 20:00 GMT on 8 December to 06:00 on 9 December.As a drop-in day centre for people aged between 16 to 25 experiencing homelessness, the charity said it had raised more than £20,000 b...

BBC News • 7th December 2025

Jane Austen's forgotten Sussex seaside retreat

As the world marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth on 16 December, a town in West Sussex has been paying its own tribute to the author who spent time immersing herself in local life.Arriving in Worthing on 18 September 1805, Austen lodged at Stanford's Cottage on Warwick Street, now the site of a Pizza Express.Susan Belton from The Worthing Society told Secret Sussex that the author's visit left a cultural impact, inspiring her final, unfinished novel Sanditon."The proportions of th...

BBC News • 6th December 2025

Community raises £4,000 after shop windows smashed

The owner of a convenience store in Sussex says she has been left feeling scared after her shop was attacked two nights in a row.Chaula Patel has run the St Pancras Stores, in the Southover area of Lewes, with her husband, Janak, for 31 years.A fundraising page, which has received 200 donations from residents in neighbouring streets, has raised more than £4,000 after the shop's front windows were smashed.Two teenage boys, a 15-year-old and 17-year-old, have been arrested on suspicion of burglary...

BBC News • 3rd December 2025

Gravestone and decorations vandalised at church

The vicar of a church in Sussex said he was shocked to witness vandalism of its churchyard amid an "ongoing battle" with anti-social behaviour.St Andrew's Church in Hove said its CCTV footage showed a man tearing down and shattering outdoor lights, ripping flowers from a World War Two memorial and attempting to remove a headstone from a grave.Reverend Dan Henderson told BBC Radio Sussex: "People come to the churchyard to seek peace and reflection...it's a shock to see someone do that for seeming...

BBC News • 5th August 2025

Hospice to become 'first for LGBTQ+ people in UK'

A hospice in East Sussex has announced it is to become the UK's first dedicated hospice for the LGBTQ+ community. The move by Sussex Beacon, based in Brighton, has been dubbed a "landmark development" by NHS Sussex, aiming to combine inclusive care with expertise in specialist HIV care. The charity has been offering palliative and end-of-life care to people with HIV for more than 30 years, recently expanding its services to the wider LGBTQ+ community, regardless of HIV status. Chief executive Rache...

BBC News • 4th August 2025

Care homes given pioneering dementia training

A scheme in Surrey aimed at improving access to dementia care and upskilling care home staff has been called "the first of its kind in the UK" by Surrey County Council (SCC).Two Admiral Nurses, specialist dementia nurses who work with families, are delivering training to build the expertise of care home staff in supporting people with complex needs.So far 10 care homes which have received training have seen waiting times for admissions fall by three days on average, down by almost 19 per cent, a...

BBC News • 29th July 2025

'I heard building collapse crash on baby monitor'

Residents have been told to avoid their gardens and keep their windows closed until the collapse of a building in Brighton has been resolved by the city's council. East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said it sent three fire engines to the scene at Ryde Road just after 08:00 BST on Sunday. There were no reported injuries. Danny Edwards, who lives on the road, told BBC Radio Sussex: "I heard a crash on the baby monitor and [saw] a plume of smoke coming down the alleyway." Brighton & Hove City Council s...

BBC News • 28th July 2025

Filmmaking scheme to 'nurture new generation'

An event in "celebration of local film talent" is being hosted to create filmmaking opportunities and a short film competition for Kent-based directors and artists.Screen Ashford, a collaboration between Screen South and Ashford Borough Council (ABC), said it seeks to "support the local industry and nurture a new generation" of filmmakers following its launch in 2024.Organisers said three short films from local artists will be shown at the free event, followed by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers...

BBC News • 20th July 2025

Nearly half of hospital loo users do not wash hands

Almost one in two of people that use a hospital toilet do not wash their hands, according to new research from the University of Surrey.The 19-week study, in partnership with Bispebjerg hospital in Denmark, put sensors on toilet and sink pipes to monitor hygiene behaviours.From 2,636 flushes, it revealed 43.7% (1,153 flushes) of people using a hospital toilet skipped handwashing, with figures peaking at 61.8% on certain weeks.Despite assumptions that handwashing may be "second nature" after Covi...

BBC News • 20th July 2025

Rain-soaked fans recreate Wuthering Heights dance

A sea of people in red dresses and wigs danced through the rain for an annual tribute to Kate Bush at a Kent harbour.The dance in Folkstone took place at midday as as a series of events were held across the UK to recreate the iconic music video for the 1978 hit Wuthering Heights.Toby Cotton, one of the organisers of the Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever, external, previously told BBC Radio Kent it was "something that everybody really enjoys."One dance took place at midday and a second will begin a...

BBC News • 19th July 2025

Joining The Proms a tremendous honour - youth choir

A youth choir in Surrey has received an invite to join a sold-out performance at this year's BBC Proms.Farnham Youth Choir (FYC) will perform with the National Youth Orchestra during a rendition of Neptune in Holst's famous The Planets at the Royal Albert Hall on 9 August.The group's artistic director, Patrick Barrett, said: "For our small-town choir to be invited to such a prestigious, globally recognised event is a tremendous honour."It follows the choir competing at the 2024 World Choir Games...

BBC News • 15th July 2025

How will hosepipe bans affect the South East?

A ban on using hosepipes has been announced in South East England as more than 1.4 million people living in Kent and Sussex are due to be affected, with those in parts of Surrey being asked to conserve water. Being enforced by South East Water from 18 July, it follows a ban from Yorkshire Water which began 11 July - the first of 2025 - with Thames Water planning a ban from 22 July. It comes as the UK has experienced three heatwaves so far this year, with the BBC Weather Centre confirming 1 July as...

BBC News • 15th July 2025

Police crackdown on harassment of female joggers

Police in Surrey have launched a crackdown on harassment of female joggers.The campaign - named Jog On - will see non-uniformed female Surrey Police officers jogging in key locations.Instances of catcalling and sexually suggestive comments will be dealt with by support crews.The crackdown is being rolled out following the force's work identifying and intervening violence against women and girls in bars, clubs and town centres across the county.

Police in Surrey have launched a crackdown on hara...

BBC News • 22nd June 2025

Windrush event to honour those who 'helped shape Britain'

A Windrush event is being held in Brighton with organisers aiming to honour the legacy of the generation that "helped rebuild Britain".Brighton & Hove Museums has organised a free afternoon of dancing, steel band performances and Caribbean food at the Brighton Royal Pavilion from 12:00 to 16:00 BST on Sunday.Windrush Day has been held on 22 June since 2018, celebrating contributions Caribbean migrants and their families have made to the UK.Simone LaCorbiniere, joint head of culture change at Bri...

BBC News • 19th June 2025

Main road reopens after lorry hit listed building

The A281 (The Street) in Shalford, Surrey, has now reopened following repairs to a Grade II listed building after a lorry collided with it.The road had been shut between Church Close and The Seahorse Pub since 29 May, with scaffolding put up to restore the damaged cottage.An emergency Traffic Regulation Order allowed the road to be closed for 21 days from the collision for safety and work to take place."Everything [is] being cleared away and the road is being reopened as we speak," a spokesperso...

BBC News • 12th June 2025

Bike challenge 'hardest thing I've done', TV chef says

Mrs Shrager said she was "shocked" and "appalled" to learn of reports that 11% of the UK lives with food insecurity.Charity Trussell, aiming to end hunger, said 9.3 million people - including one in five children - are facing hunger and hardship within the UK in a 2024 report, external."I have a voice - being in the food industry, people might listen to me," Mrs Shrager said.The chef told the BBC that the she had to relearn how to ride for the challenge and has been covering up to 50 miles per...