SUSY 103.4 live on Saturday 19 September at Pride in Place, Bewbush with Neil Munday, Andy Brown and Clive Hilton.

‘Up to £20 million over 10 years’ sounds like a headline, but what matters is who gets to decide. We go live from Bewbush Academy, where residents are invited to shape a resident-led regeneration plan for Bewbush, backed by Crawley Borough Council and a neighbourhood board that turns local priorities into action. You will hear how the money could support social, economic and environmental improvements, and why this is designed to work from the ground up.

We chat with event organiser Amanda Foster, CCYS about how the event was pulled together in just 4 weeks and  Matt Pollard, Crawley Borough Council about the programme, and we also hear from local voices on what should come first, from upgraded play spaces and 3G pitches to better traffic flow, cleaner streets, lighting and safer public areas. The idea board fills up as the afternoon goes on, and the conversation stays practical: what would genuinely make daily life better for families, young people and older residents in Bewbush?

Community support is part of the story too. We meet Menshare Listening Group on men’s mental health and the power of listening circles, and we speak to the Free Shop, Bewbush about food support and the café that helps fund it and the many other community stalls. PLUS the brilliant live performances on the stage – youth music work, and a hula-hoop moment with Peter Lamb MP and Madam Mayor Cllr Marion Ayling that somehow turns into a serious point about participation, and you get a warm, grounded snapshot of what local pride can look like speaking with the Leader of Crawley Borough Council, Cllr Michael Jones.

If you have ideas for Bewbush, share this with someone local, subscribe to the Sussex & Surrey Soapbox for more community stories, and leave us a review. What would you spend the first years £2 million on? Join the drop in session at Bewbush Academy on Tuesday 22 September, 7pm to have your say!

Sunday Brunch Went WILD!

Clive Hilton and Andy Brown took SUSY Sunday Brunch on the road for an August Bank Holiday fun broadcast from Tilgate Zoo — mixing wildlife, conservation, community fun… and a fair amount of chaos.

At the heart of the day was a serious issue: illegal wildlife trade. Supporting Tilgate Zoo’s Wild Weekend fundraiser for TRAFFIC, we explored an industry driven by demand for trafficked animals, skins and body parts — and heard how those smuggling routes could lead all the way back to the UK.

With our mobile studio set up between the meerkats and guinea pigs, we discovered how Tilgate Zoo used real artefacts seized by HM Customs to make the scale and cruelty of wildlife trafficking impossible to ignore.

But it was Bank Holiday Sunday — so things didn’t stay serious for long!

There was face painting, games, a bake sale and kids’ activities, plus a brilliant animal-sound challenge where we turned the tables on the keepers to see whether they could recognise the calls of animals living at their own zoo — JUMP to 15:15 to hear.

Then things got competitive. There was a timed obstacle course, a slime bucket challenge, compelling evidence that small children were considerably faster than radio presenters… and allegations that Andy cheated.

We also met the team behind Turtle Tally, a citizen-science project tracking pet turtles that had been released or escaped into UK waterways. Those cute little hatchlings can grow surprisingly large and live for decades — highlighting the wider problem of impulse-buying animals that later become difficult to care for or rehome.

We rounded things off by getting up close with beekeeping, before looking ahead to more Bank Holiday live music with Ash Miles and CRASH Music at The King’s Head, Horley.

Wildlife, conservation, community, live radio and two presenters let loose in a zoo. What could possibly have gone wrong? ️

ORIGINALS Showdown ’26 is a new live music event organised by the ‘Sussex & Surrey Soapbox’ podcast – created to discover, showcase and celebrate original, local musical talent from across the SUSY 103.4 area. 

CLICK HERE

ORIGINALS Showdown ’26
Discovering. Showcasing. Celebrating. Local Original Music.

Presented by Sussex & Surrey Soapbox with SUSY 103.4.

Tess’ Tea Party ’26 the best bits can be heard below

Pictures Credit: Emma Hollamby Photography

☕❤️ What is Tess’ Tea Party all about?

At first glance, it might look like a family fun day with live music, food and entertainment… But it’s really about bringing our community together.

In a world where so much of life happens online, the Sussex & Surrey Soapbox wanted to create a completely FREE event where neighbours, families, charities, community groups and local businesses could spend an afternoon together, make new connections and celebrate everything that’s positive.

We are incredibly proud to have raised funds for Crawley Open House, whose amazing work supports people experiencing homelessness and hardship across our local community. 

Hosts: Jacq Inwood, Tony Williams, Neil Munday & Clive Hilton
Performances by Sharon Music (ABBA Tribute), Rock Choir (30+ singing live) and CRASH Music (Craig & Ash take to the stage)

Plus hear from:

• Crawley Community Youth Service
• Creative Crawley
• Tim the Magician
• Lord Geoffrey the Balloon Guy
• Crawley Combat Academy
• Tess’ Kitchen Team providing the BBQ

A huge thank you to our sponsors:

• GOACO
• West Green Window Cleaning & Guttering
• ASDA
• SUSY 103.4