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Belles of the Ball

Name: Belles of the Ball
Address: Robertsbridge, East Sussex, GB
Telephone: +447889287892

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Belles of the Ball

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Supporting people in our local communities �

01/11/2026

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 🎄🎁

A huge thank you to our wonderful Heathfield Elves for their first delivery of children’s Christmas shoeboxes! ❤️

So much thought and kindness goes into these gifts, and we’re so grateful for the time and care you give to help Belles of the Ball bring a little Christmas magic to local children.

Thank you, Elves! ✨

01/11/2026

Our first delivery from our Amazon wish list has arrived! 💛

These donations will go towards our Comfort & Care Bags, a project with our local East Sussex Maternity & Neonatal Voices to support families facing unexpected stays in East Sussex maternity and neonatal services.

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. These everyday essentials can bring a little comfort when families find themselves in hospital without the things they need.

If you’d like to contribute, you can choose something from our Amazon wish list here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1U6M4R6T3D2V9?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for helping us care for our local families. 💛

28/10/2026

Free for a low income family.
Collection from Hastings
Please inbox to arrange collection ♥️

27/10/2026

Following on from our maternity and neonatal comfort bags appeal, we’ve now created an Amazon wish list ❤️

We’re teaming up with our local East Sussex Maternity & Neonatal Voices to provide essentials for those in need or facing an unexpected stay in East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust’s maternity and neonatal departments.

If you’d like to help, you can buy an item directly from our wish list:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1U6M4R6T3D2V9

Every donation will help bring a little comfort during a difficult time. Thank you for your kindness and for sharing ❤️

27/10/2026

Free for low income families

Collection from Hastings

Please send a direct message to arrange collection ♥️♥️♥️♥️

27/10/2026

A Little Comfort 💜
Small essentials. A little kindness. A reminder that someone cares.

Belles of the Ball is teaming up with East Sussex Maternity & Neonatal Voices to create comfort and care bags for those in need or facing an unexpected stay in East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust’s maternity and neonatal departments.

During a worrying time, everyday essentials can make a real difference — fresh clothes, toiletries and a few comforts to help someone feel a little more themselves.

Can you help us fill a bag? We’re collecting:

💜 Soft pyjamas or a nightdress
💜 Comfy leggings or joggers
💜 Large, comfortable underwear
💜 Warm socks
💜 Maternity pads
💜 Breast pads
💜 Toothbrush and toothpaste
💜 Shampoo and conditioner
💜 Shower gel
💜 Deodorant
💜 Lip balm
💜 Hairbrush and hair ties
💜 Eye mask
💜 Tissues
💜 Notebook and pen
💜 A bag to put the items in

All donated items must be new and unused.

📍 Drop-off points:
Battle - Rooftops Therapy & Wellbeing Rooms
Robertsbridge - Belles of the Ball HQ
Heathfield - Anne Pope
Bexhill - Inavent ltd

Please message us for drop-off details and to arrange your donation. Even one item can help us offer a little comfort when it’s needed most.

We also have an Amazon wish list for our maternity and neonatal comfort bags if you’d like to donate an item ❤️

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1U6M4R6T3D2V9

Thank you for helping us care for our local community 💜

25/10/2026

CHILDREN GOING HUNGRY: EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL HAS SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

For months, The Grumpy Cook has been challenging Reform Led East Sussex County Council over its decision to end automatic school holiday food vouchers for families whose children qualify for free school meals.

Today, we’ve received a further Freedom of Information response, and what it reveals is deeply concerning.

The council has now confirmed:

* It did not establish a system to identify and contact every child who previously received holiday food vouchers.

* It did not calculate how many children might be left without replacement support.

* It did not set specific targets to measure whether those children were being reached.

* It held no completed monitoring showing how many former voucher recipients subsequently received food or financial assistance.

* Its future reporting will not directly compare the children receiving help with those who previously received vouchers.

Let that sink in.

The government guidance, paragraph 44 of the Crisis and Resilience Fund, specifically tells councils to consider how best to support the poorest children and ensure they do not go hungry during school holidays.

The government did not insist that food vouchers be stopped. It gave councils the discretion to decide how best to support families.

East Sussex chose a different system.

But how can the council demonstrate that the poorest children are being protected when it cannot tell us how many have lost support or how many have received help?

We recognise that HAF activities and other support services are available. But these are not necessarily a replacement for the food assistance families previously received.

Next week is October half-term. Children still need feeding. Parents are still struggling. And hunger doesn’t disappear because a council changes its policy.

At The Grumpy Cook, we’re preparing to provide free Family Pack Lunches during half-term, alongside our other affordable and free food support.

We’re a small café. We don’t have millions of pounds in public funding. But we see the reality of food poverty every single day.

We will continue asking questions, challenging decisions and doing what we can to help families in Hastings.

No child should go hungry during the school holidays. And no council should be beyond scrutiny when vulnerable families are affected by its decisions.

If you can help us continue providing meals and food support, please consider making a donation to The Grumpy Cook https://grumpycook.co.uk/pay-it-forward/

Let the leader of the Council know your feelings [email protected]

Every contribution helps us put food on the table.

❤️ The Grumpy Cook, Hastings

Source: East Sussex County Council, Freedom of Information response ref. 28223632, and government Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance, paragraph 44.

25/10/2026

💜Introducing the Young Parents Passport💜

Created through collaboration between the Lighthouse team and East Sussex MNVP, the Young Parents Passport is a simple visual guide designed to support young parents throughout pregnancy and after their baby is born.

The passport brings together the key stages of the maternity journey in one easy-to-see place from self-referral and antenatal appointments, right through to postnatal care and graduation from the Lighthouse team.

At each stage, your midwife can tick off completed appointments and add the date of what’s coming up next, making it easy to see where you are in your journey and what’s ahead.

It can be kept somewhere visible at home, such as on the fridge or a noticeboard, and also includes useful information about vaccinations, sexual health and important contacts.

A simple, practical resource created together to help young parents feel informed and supported throughout their maternity journey. The passport will be given to you by your Lighthouse Midwife at your first appointment with them.

25/10/2026

🧡 CHILDREN EAT FREE THIS HALF TERM AT THE GRUMPY COOK

School stops for half term. Hunger doesn’t.

From Monday 26th to Friday 30th October, children can eat free at The Grumpy Cook. No adult purchase needed. Just come in and enjoy a meal together.

We’re also offering Family Pack Lunches to take away. Book through the Claim a Product page on https://grumpycook.co.uk/claim-a-meal/ one pack per person, per day, while availability lasts. You’ll receive a collection code.

Last time, you shared our appeal, donated and helped us reach so many more families. We need your help again.

Following the end of East Sussex’s automatic holiday food vouchers, our question remains: how many of the most vulnerable children are actually receiving the replacement support?

We want to see clear evidence that help is reaching the families who need it. Those families need food on the table while those questions are being answered.

We’re doing what we can, but we can’t fund it all ourselves.

🧡 Could you help us keep children fed and support our community work? You can now donate an amount of your choice — whatever you can comfortably spare.

👉 https://grumpycook.co.uk/pay-it-forward/

If donating isn’t possible, please share this post. It could reach a family who needs a helping hand, or someone who can help provide one.

📍 The Grumpy Cook, 1A Robertson Street, Hastings

Thank you for helping us keep doing this.
Barry and The Grumpy Cook team 🧡

25/10/2026

Motherhood can hold so many emotions, and there is space for all of them here 🤍

Trying to conceive, navigating pregnancy after loss, processing a difficult birth or finding your feet after having a baby can bring feelings that are hard to put into words. You might feel anxious, overwhelmed, grieving or disconnected from yourself, even when others expect you to be happy.

At Jess Johnson Counselling, I offer a gentle, compassionate space where you can speak openly, feel heard and explore what you need.

Alongside my counselling qualifications, my specialist training includes:

🌿 Women’s Health After Motherhood
🌿 Rainbow Baby Specialist – Foundation for Infant Loss
🌿 Infertility Specialist – Foundation for Infant Loss
🌿 Identifying & Responding to Domestic Violence & Abuse in Pregnancy

I am also an Accredited Professional with the Foundation for Infant Loss, and my work is grounded in a trauma-informed approach.

🤍 I offer six free counselling, emotional and mental health support sessions, helping make support accessible when you need it.

Whatever your journey towards or through parenthood looks like, you deserve support too.

📍 Face-to-face sessions in Battle, East Sussex
💻 Online appointments available
🌐 www.jessjohnsoncounselling.com

Address

Robertsbridge
East Sussex

Telephone

+447889287892

Website

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