149th Open Golf tourism gives Kent economy a welcome boost in 2021
The countdown to the return of The Open to Royal St George’s in Sandwich in July 2021 is underway, and with it, a welcome £100m boost to the county’s visitor economy.
Today (16 July 2020) would have been the start of The 149th Open which was cancelled as a result of coronavirus. The R&A announced that the Championship will now be held at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich from 11-18 July 2021.
Providing a welcome boost to the county’s tourism industry, Dover District Council, Kent County Council, and Visit Kent are celebrating the contribution that golf tourism brings to the county.
Showcasing the Dover district to the world is the new-look White Cliffs Country website, which includes new functionality, video experiences, webcams and LiveChat support, as well as translation options to appeal to a wider domestic and international market.
Councillors praise performance successes during lead up to pandemic
Cabinet councillors July 15th welcomed a number of performance achievements made during the final quarter of 2019/20, which ended as lockdown measures came into force.
Among these was answering 87% of calls to the contact centre within 60 seconds, well above the 80% target. This was attained despite the quarter experiencing some of the busiest times in the year for customer contact, including January’s return from Christmas holidays and annual billing in March when more than 250,000 correspondences are sent to residents in a few days.
Councillor Colin Swansborough, Cabinet member for Place Services and Special Projects, said: “This is a notable achievement and shows a great improvement from the first quarter of the year.
“What is particularly impressive, however, is how the contact centre quickly adapted in response to Covid-19 which broke out at the end of this quarter. By increasing the number of licenses for staff using the council’s live chat service, we have seen a channel shift from telephones to email and webchat enabling a far larger volume of interactions with people.
“Contact centre staff also gave vital support to the most in need in our community by helping to cover the Community Hub helpline and making welfare calls to around 3,000 vulnerable tenants a week.”
Another achievement during this quarter was the completion of pedestrian improvements to Terminus Road, Cornfield Road and Gildredge Road in a joint scheme with East Sussex County Council, to complement the multi million pound extension to The Beacon.
The Rough Sleeping Initiative, which has been in operation since October 2018 to reduce homelessness was also praised as it continued to expand with weekend support provision being explored in partnership with the Community Safety Partnership. At the end of March there were 18 verified rough sleepers in Eastbourne.
The number of bins missed by waste crews also fell during this quarter, standing at less than 33 bins per 100,000 – several percentage points better than the target figure.
Councillor Swansborough added: “As this period came to an end we began three months of lockdown and life has changed dramatically. It’s always important to monitor our performance so that we are delivering the best services possible in the most efficient manner, and I am pleased with the significant successes we made across the board in this quarter leading up to the pandemic.”
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Councils forecasts £9.9million budget deficit due to Covid-19
Cabinet councillors today (July 15) heard that Covid-19 is estimated to leave Eastbourne Borough Council facing a budget deficit of around £9.9million for this financial year, according to the latest forecast.
Revised projections are based on recent developments including assumptions for an economic bounceback after July and the easing of some coronavirus restrictions.
Councillor Steve Holt, Cabinet member for Financial Services, said: “Like all councils across the country, we are finding ways of reducing costs and making savings, but it remains clear that we are in a very challenging financial position.
“While we have received some support from government, a substantial amount more is needed – it must live up to its promise to compensate councils for the impact of Covid-19.”
Around £0.5million has so far been spent on emergency response activities such as vital work supporting vulnerable residents through the community hub.
Nationally, a recent BBC investigation found that nearly 150 authorities were forecasting a combined budget shortfall of at least £3.2bn.
Councillor Holt added: “Alongside continual lobbying of government to fulfil its funding pledge, we are exploring all options to ensure a sustainable financial future and continuing to make efficiencies wherever possible and reviewing our costs.
“Councils the length and breadth of the country are in severe financial difficulties due to the Covid-19 crisis. In Eastbourne, residents are assured we are doing all we can to minimise this impact and maintain frontline services in the town. Despite government being vague in their support, our number one priority is to make sure our residents are supported during Covid-19.”
So far, the council has received emergency funding of £1.09million from the government to cope with coronavirus.
On July 2, the government announced there would be further help for local authorities and Eastbourne Borough Council awaits further information on the extent of this support.
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In line with Government guidelines, Helen Rollason Cancer Charity Support Centres and Charity Shops closed on the 23rd March.
Knowing how important our services are to our clients meant we have had to diversify the support we could provide at this time and have implemented welfare calls, by telephone, to clients and volunteers.
We are very proud to say that to date our therapists have had 923 conversations and left 389 messages with clients. These have been very well received; listening to clients who have had medical treatment cancelled or delayed, sign posting people to the range of online and virtual support groups such as mindfulness and yoga that we have set up or having a general chat has been hugely beneficial. We have also been providing emergency and crisis counselling sessions by telephone.
Here are some quotes from clients we have recently helped;
““The counsellor had given me back my joy in life, she had taught me how to deal with my own concerns with methods to enable me to deal with worries and fear as they come along. I have hope again and even look more to the future with plans that I had long shelved. Cancer will be here long after Covid 19 – please help to ensure that the Helen Rollason Charity is also still here.”
“I had a lovely chat with Wendy today when she called me for the second time. She listened to my worries and we shared our experiences during this unsettling time. She’s the first person I’ve spoken to this week. Thank you.”
“I understand you all really tried hard to support your clients. I have nothing but high praise for your team who really went above and beyond. A big thank you; Helen would be so proud of what you have achieved, you really do show that you care.”
As is the case for so many charities, the pandemic has impacted our budgeted income. Our annual cycle event Ride for Helen should have taken place in May at Crix in the village but this has been rescheduled to Sunday 20th September 2020. We may have to restrict numbers and change some processes but we are confident this will take place. Online registration is available at www.rideforhelen.co.uk
Our eBay shop has reopened and sales have picked up quickly. Have a browse; we guarantee that social distancing is not an issue in this shop! We stock something for everybody – children’s clothing to fishing equipment, porcelain figures to designer shoes and clothing. I know that many people used some of lockdown to have a sort out and tidy cupboards and sheds. If you have anything you think we could sell on eBay then please let us know.
So many of the fabulous events hosted by supporters, businesses and in the community have been cancelled. Therefore to try and recoup some of the deficit in the income we have launched our Summer Online Raffle! Tickets are £5 each with an opportunity to win some fabulous prizes. I appreciate that for some people £5 is a big ask but for anybody who does buy a ticket we can assure you that the money will be spent wisely to enable quality of life while living with cancer.
We are very grateful to have been supported by Tevva Motors Limited in Chelmsford, and employee Shaun Baxter for the donation of 79 face shields that will be used by staff and volunteers when our Cancer Support Centres reopen. Shaun is on furlough leave but has used his time to make the shields with materials provided by the company.
CEO Kate Alden modelling our new face shields
We are going to be reopening our charity shops, in phases, in the next few weeks but before we do we have a shopping list of support equipment we will need;
– 20 boxes of latex gloves
– 20 packets of antibacterial wipes
– 4 blue roll holders and blue roll
– 3 paper towel holders and paper towels
We are also looking for some additional storage space in the village of Hatfield Peverel to store the donations we have been receiving. If anyone has an unused garage, large shed, warehouse or similar in the local area that we could borrow for the next 3 or 4 months then please do get in touch.
Do you have any of the above that you would be happy to donate and help us keep our costs down? If so please contact our CEO Kate Alden on 07730 209442 or email [email protected]
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Hythe Civic Society is delighted to announce its 75th Anniversary which is being celebrated in a number of special ways.
The Society came into being on 2 February 1945 when the Hythe Citizens’ Union (the forerunner of the Hythe Civic Society) was formed. The Citizens’ Union changed its name to Hythe Civic Society in the mid-1960s and now has some 750 members.
To start the special year, the Society held a well-supported “Anniversary Quiz” in the packed Tin Tabernacle on 2 February – exactly 75 years to the day! An anniversary cake was cut by the Chairman, Crispin Davies, and the Vice Chairman, Betty Black, to mark the occasion.
In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Society will extend its 75th Anniversary Year to allow for a full twelve months of celebrations. A second quiz is planned for October and a third for February 2021. A very special summer event is being set up for 2021 and this will bring the extended Anniversary Year to an end with a bang!
As a lasting reminder of the occasion, 75 trees will be planted in Hythe – one for each year since the Society’s inception. An embryo partnership has been established – involving the Society, Hythe Town Council and the Hythe Green Preservation Society – to plant some 20 trees on the corner of the Green by the Range Road industrial estate. The scheme is in its early planning stages with planting anticipated in late autumn 2020. The Civic Society’s Patron, Lord Boyce – Warden of the Cinque Ports – will be invited to plant the first of the 20 trees.
The Society will also publish a colour booklet, “Our time in Hythe, 75th Anniversary Edition”, celebrating notable events in the last 75 years of Hythe’s history and the contributions that the Society has made to those events. This will be free to members. To join Hythe Civic Society and receive a free copy of the booklet visit the website at www.hythecivicsociety.org
What was not planned for in this 75th anniversary year was the Covid-19 pandemic. The Society was, and remains, concerned for the economic health of Hythe High Street. As practical support it produced, “Open Hythe”, a list of all the shops and eateries that were open in Hythe. The list was widely circulated and was greatly appreciated by both traders and residents.
Crispin Davies, Chairman of Hythe Civic Society said,” I am privileged to be Chairman in this Anniversary year and look forward to involving members in the planned events that will not only provide fun but also a lasting legacy for a greener Hythe”.
All these events are in addition to the Society’s normal activities of scrutinising planning applications; Hythe in Bloom; Hythe Local History Group; a talks programme in winter; undertaking projects on Eaton Lands and at Mackeson Square; maintaining an archive of Hythe material; summer guided walks around historic Hythe; bi-monthly newsletter; and, publishing booklets on various aspects of Hythe.
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Improvements set to serve better tennis facilities at Stratton Park
Major improvements at Stratton Park tennis courts are aiming to encourage more people to pick up a racket and participate in outdoor activity in the borough.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has given the go-ahead for work to begin on modernising the facility, starting on Monday 20 July. Four of the six courts are expected to be closed from Monday 27 July for a number of weeks while they are resurfaced, repainted and made more accessible for people with a disability.
Two of the courts will remain available to use for free. Booking is recommended by visiting www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/StrattonPark
Alternative tennis facilities to use during the Stratton Park improvements can be found at the Basingstoke Indoor Tennis Centre, operated by Totally Tennis in War Memorial Park.
Costing over £90,000, the improvement works will include newly-resurfaced tennis courts, new frames and gates containing remote access systems linked to WiFi and the Clubspark online booking system, new nets and posts and the installation of floodlights on two courts for use after dark.
The works are funded by £28,300 from developer contributions, £40,000 from Sport England, £16,900 from the LTA specifically for the remote access systems, and £10,000 from the resurfacing budget of the borough council’s operations team.
The courts will remain free to use for the first six months following the works, aiming to encourage residents from neighbouring areas to give tennis a try without a charge.
A small fee to use the courts, which will be low cost with a number of pricing options to meet residents’ needs, will be introduced from April 2021, subject to approval during the council’s annual fees and charges review in the early autumn. This is a condition of the external funding for the improvements and the introduction of a fee to use the courts will cover future maintenance costs.
Cabinet Member for Borough Development and Improvement Cllr Rebecca Bean said: “The council is pleased to provide funding for the improvements to the tennis facilities at Stratton Park. Not only will it bring the popular facility up to an acceptable standard, it will also encourage more participation in tennis in the borough and boost residents’ physical and mental wellbeing.
“Tennis is an excellent sport and the improvements will offer opportunities for more activities, possibly courses and coaching for people of all ages and abilities.”
Rob Peters, LTA Participation Development Partner in the South and South West, said: “This is fantastic news and we’re very pleased to be working with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to develop their park courts and help open tennis up to more local people.
“The SmartAccess gate system is a crucial part of our free offer to local authorities across the country to make their facilities sustainable in the long-term. Around 1.5 million people played in parks in the last 12 months, so this strategy is key to our vision of opening up tennis. It is vital that these venues are safeguarded to ensure they continue to serve as hubs to bring individuals and communities together through tennis, and we welcome any interest from other local authorities in helping achieve this.”
