Chair’s Message October 2025
Another date for your diary: Monday 10th November
I love the positivity in East Grinstead around the importance of community. Each time I attend the East Grinstead Sports Council, so ably run by Bob Shelley and supported by all our sporting clubs, it turns my thoughts and efforts to the vision of creating a unique and supportive business community, based around local growth and buying local products and services.
One of these community organisations within the Sports Council is the East Grinstead Sports Club. We should cherish this amazing facility run for the benefit of the EG community – it is not a members’ club. All the sports are available to all (we probably won’t all be aiming for Premiership hockey or to be picked for the first XI cricket team!).
Many of you will be aware that the Padel courts were built this year and launched at the Club in the summer. Here’s a statistic any organisation or business would be proud of … the courts are open from 7:30am to 10:00pm, seven days a week. How about this for utilisation – over 80%! What an amazing investment in the town this has been … and it could lead to greater expansion.
In addition, the gym, walking football, pickleball and many, many more traditional sports are doing well at the Club. I congratulate all the fabulous work being done by the sports and outdoor clubs of East Grinstead and Acorns Health and Leisure who provide the operating platform. We welcome them always as members. Some of you came along to our Networking Event there last month.
It shows what can be done with a large dose of vision, differentiation, organisation coupled with the sheer energy and enthusiasm of providers and users.
I’m equally aware of the very difficult trading conditions that have resulted from 17 difficult years since the financial crash and compounded by the pandemic, the subsequent inflation and the energy/cost of living crisis. Several of our members, particularly those in the town centre, have commented that these are the worse trading conditions they have ever seen. We as a business association will do our best on your behalf.
We’re asking for an impact assessment on the parking changes; we’re pushing Mid Sussex District Council’s Economic Development unit for as much help and support as they can give us; and we are well under way with the Town Improvement Plan which is about significantly increasing footfall by creating a real experience that is special, including building on the successful events we host in the town. We can all see how the town embraces the Big Reveal in huge numbers. We need to replicate this on a regular basis at varying levels of scale.
Over 200 of you attended the first Town Improvement Open Day with the consultants in mid-September. We have kept the consultation channels open via a direct email address and the offer of ‘one-to ones’ and we have a second open day at East Court in the afternoon of 10th November. The consultants will reveal some ideas for the town centre, generated from the ideas provided by our businesses and town folk – including some engagement with both primary and secondary school students. Once again, for those who can’t be there on the day, the lines of communication will remain open for messaging or for online input, or ‘in-person’ via a video call.
Coming back to community, this initiative is an example of a real collaboration between the Town Council and District Council officers, and the local politicians serving East Grinstead. Please make sure you have your say.
Best wishes
Grahame
Grahame Russell, EGBA Chair.
Please drop in at East Court any time between 2pm and 7pm on Monday 10th November
We will detail the options on the Town Council website shortly after. If you can’t make it to the open day, feel free to email streets@studiodwg.com – leave your views or set up a call.