Observer column 4 March 2022

We have all been stunned and horrified by the news of the invasion of Ukraine. As we hear the distressing stories and watch the shocking images our thoughts are with all those affected. We stand in support of the Ukrainian people.
As a City of Sanctuary, we will continue to welcome and support any refugees who come here and help them to integrate into the community.
The council's cabinet meets on Monday March 7 to discuss several key reports. One of these is an update on our climate emergency action plan. The report shows that we have delivered most of the actions contained in the plan and are making progress towards our target of being carbon neutral by 2030 but there is still much work to be done.
We will continue to lobby the Government for resources and to do more to tackle the climate emergency. We will also challenge our partners and large organisations. If you have an idea for something we could do to help reach our target, please use the suggestion form on the climate change page on our website. There will be a new digital way for people to be involved with the climate conversation coming soon.
Moving forward we must ensure the Local Plan includes policies to support this work. We will continue to embed the climate emergency into all the council's work so that all service areas can contribute to our net zero ambition through our policies, projects, and programmes of work.
Cabinet will also be discussing the offer from the Jerwood Foundation to gift the Hastings Contemporary gallery to the town. We are grateful for this offer and understand the contribution the gallery has played in attracting visitors to our town and to our ongoing cultural transformation over the last ten years.
Those of you who visit Alexandra Park or live nearby might have noticed that work is restarting on Buckshole Reservoir. This work is necessary to bring the reservoir up to the Environment Agency's new standards. There will be some disruption to routes around the park, but this will be kept to a minimum.
International Women's Day is on March 8, and we will be flying the flag in support. Although some progress has been made towards gender equality in our world, there is still much to be done in our country, and even more in some other countries. The day raises awareness of the stereotypes and inequalities that are still present in society.
There is a Zoom event being hosted on the day by Unite and supported by Women's Voice. The details of how to sign up are on the Women's Voice Facebook page. There is also a march on Sunday March 13, meet at 11.30am at Claremont and we will publicise this through our social media channels.
Virus rates remain high in our town and face masks are still required in all our council buildings where social distancing is still expected. We are still working with the NHS to help everyone who hasn't been vaccinated to get their jabs and you can find details on our website. If you have any symptoms, the local testing site at Falaise Road is still open for bookings. If you are mixing with others, then a lateral flow test for peace of mind is a good idea. Let's keep thinking of others as we continue our way through the pandemic.