Contact Residents receive support after large Hoo fire
Residents receive support after large Hoo fire
Two weeks ago today, residents at Hoo Marina Park were evacuated from their homes in the early hours of the morning, after a serious fire broke out at a nearby industrial site.
Homeowners were woken at around 4.30am to sounds of popping, before seeing large amounts of smoke and flames coming from a building just a stone’s throw away in Vicarage Lane.
While over 40 firefighters tackled the blaze, which is believed to have started accidentally due to an electrical fault, around 200 people had to leave their properties, with many worried their homes would be severely damaged or destroyed.
Jackie Gill, who lives at the park with husband Jeff, said: “When the explosion happened, I turned round and it was like a dream, really. I thought, we’re probably not going back to our house.”
Thankfully, no-one was injured and the residents were able to safely return to their homes.
In the last two weeks, officers from Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s Safe and Well team have returned to the park regularly, to offer reassurance and fire safety advice to those affected.
Steve Taylor, Safe and Well Supervisor, said: “Following a serious incident such as this, it’s very normal for people to have concerns and we hope to help relieve some of those worries by offering advice, ensuring their homes are fire safe, and just by checking they’re ok.
“It’s important to us that our customers know we’re not just here during a fire, we’re here afterwards as well, to offer any help or support that we can and to make sure they feel safe.”
Working in partnership with the Medway Task Force, officers have visited each of the 350 mobile homes on the site, to deliver fire safety guidance, fit new smoke alarms, and check exits are clear.
Steve added: “The response we have received has been very positive, so I hope we have been able to provide some reassurance to the people who live here. It’s also been a great opportunity to work together with partner agencies and with the local community.
“Lots of people may not realise, but the work of the fire service goes beyond the incident itself, and support and welfare after an incident is something we’re passionate about.”
Resident Donna Bryant said: “The care we have received from the fire service has just been fantastic. From being kept informed and updated during the fire itself, to the aftercare we have received. I definitely feel a lot safer and reassured.”
“Once the fire had been put out, I thought that’s it, that’s the end of it, but it hasn’t been.
“Everyone has helped us as a community, and the team have said ‘if you need us, we are here’. The service hasn’t stopped just because the fire has stopped.
If you have been affected by the fire, or would like to discuss any fire safety worries in your home, please call our Safe and Well team on 0800 923 7000. The line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or leave a voicemail to receive a call back.
This handsome little chap was dumped in his cage at the bottom of a large household wheelie bin in Market Street, Herne Bay.
Luckily, just as Serco’s crew was in the process of emptying it and the rubbish was being crushed, plucky little Garbage leapt to safety and landed straight into the arms of the loader, Courteney Lawson.
With his new name and a new cage, Garbage is now settling into his new home with the crew’s driver Martyn Eldridge and his partner.
Don’t you just love happy endings!
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The Ashford Mediation Service has been awarded a grant by the National Lottery Community Fund to increase its ability to provide mediation services to people living in the borough.
Free at the point of access to residents of Ashford, the Ashford Mediation Service helps to facilitate the resolution of conflict between neighbours over noise, boundary and anti-social behaviour issues, intergenerational conflict, child access disputes, work-place disputes and disputes between youth.
The aims of the Service are to help prevent the escalation of conflict, which in turn reduces likely intervention by the police and social services. Tackling conflict at an early stage can help to prevent breakdown in relationships and reduce homelessness and crime.
The grant will provide the volunteer mediators with much-needed IT equipment to conduct mediation services over technology platforms, giving them the ability to provide remote, rather than face-to-face, mediation during the current COVID-19 restrictions.
Lockdown has seen an increase in conflicts between neighbours as well as in the home and the grant will also fund an awareness campaign to allow the Service to create a support network in the community where people with conflict issues can be quickly and safely signposted to the most appropriate service.
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Residents encouraged to book their free NHS Health Check
Medway Council is encouraging residents aged 40 to 74 to book their free NHS Health Check.
Residents can now book a health check at a number of GP surgeries across Medway and at the Smokefree Advice Centre in Chatham.
As people get older they have a higher risk of developing conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease or type 2 diabetes. A free NHS Health Check can spot the early signs of these conditions and trained staff can offer tailored advice and ongoing support to help residents make small changes to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Residents aged between 40 and 74, who do not have a pre-existing condition will be invited for a health check every 5 years, either at their GP surgery or the Smokefree Advice Centre. Those who receive their invitation should book their appointment as soon as possible to avoid delay. Queries about eligibility can be made with Medway Council’s Public Health team by phoning 01634 335830, emailing [email protected] or texting the word ‘CHECK’ to 81066.
A number of new social distancing measures have been put in place at the Smokefree Advice Centre in Chatham to keep both visitors and staff safe. This includes Health Checks being by appointment only, a limited number of people being allowed in the centre at any one-time, staggered arrival times and enhanced cleaning. Patients will also be asked to wear a face covering whilst inside the centre.
Cllr David Brake, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder covering Public Health, said: “I am pleased that eligible residents aged 40 to 74 can now book a free NHS Health Check at our Smokefree Advice Centre in Chatham once again. It is incredibly important that residents continue to look after their health and our specialist staff have been trained to identify early indications of conditions, like high blood pressure, which often have no symptoms. They will also provide tailored advice to help our residents live healthier lives. If you book a health check and can no longer attend the appointment, please let our staff know.”
Competition time! Millions of people each year head to Hampshire for a holiday or day trip, enjoying countryside including our two National Parks, the New Forest and South Downs, vibrant market towns, three historic cities; Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester and the scenic Solent coastline.Now we are giving you the opportunity to unlock some great getaways and come and experience Hampshire for yourself.
The prizes up for grabs this week:
Prize 1: A one-night midweek stay for two at The Pig in the Wall hotel (Southampton), included in the stay is dinner from the deli-bar, a glass of English fizz, breakfast and tickets to Beaulieu, Home of the National Motor Museum.
Prize 2: A one-night stay for two at Room2, Southampton in a Master Loft with brekky bags each valid until 31st March 2021. Subject to availability. With A Beaulieu River Canoe Tour with New Forest Activities.
Competition closes this Sunday (20th September 2020 at 23:59).
Don’t miss: Our final short break giveaway next week!
Campaign launches to boost adoptions – #YouCanAdopt
A NEW myth-busting campaign aimed at finding families for children waiting to be adopted is being backed by the regional adoption agency for the south east.
#YouCanAdopt has been launched to tackle misconceptions around who is eligible and encourage more people to consider adopting, particularly people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
With up to 120 children in the south east in need of an adoptive family at any one time, Adoption South East – which brings together services for East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, West Sussex and Surrey councils, is supporting the national campaign.
Michael Wilson, head of service for Adoption South East, said: “The future of many children depends on adults exploring adoption and taking the first step towards becoming an adoptive parent.
“We need to address misunderstandings and outdated views to ensure that nobody is discouraged from taking the first important step towards adopting a child. Some people may also be worried about adopting in the current climate, but there are children waiting to be adopted, and systems and support in place to ensure that assessments and preparation can be conducted safely.”
Research shows that as many as 43 per cent of people do not know if they are eligible to adopt and 32 per cent think they wouldn’t be able to due to their own circumstances.
To help dispel some of the key misconceptions around adoption, a number of families have filmed a short piece about their experiences which will run online and on social media over the next three months.
The #YouCanAdopt campaign aims to reach potential parents for children from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, and for sibling groups as these children traditionally wait longer to be matched with a new adoptive family. It will also encourage potential adoptive parents to also consider adopting older children, and those with complex health needs or a disability.
Cllr Sylvia Tidy, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for children and families, said: “Adoption really can help change the lives of children for the better, giving them a stable and loving family environment in which to thrive.
“The #YouCanAdopt campaign is a great way to dispel some common myths about who can adopt and encourage people to take the first steps towards becoming an adoptive parent.”
Loveashford is proud to launch the Window Wanderland trail across Ashford Town Centre.
Now’s your chance to safely wander through the town and discover ten fabulous businesses displaying inspirational messages or safety messaging in their shop windows.
To celebrate the launch of Window Wanderland, we are giving you the chance to WIN goodies from businesses participating in the trail!
To enter the Window Wanderland competition:
– Snap a shot of a participating Window Wanderland shop
– Share it on your Instagram Grid
– Tag @Loveashford and #WindowWanderland
The competition will run until Friday 9 October 2020.
The window designs have been beautifully created by artists from Made in Ashford; you’ll start to see them pop up across town from Thursday 10 September so keep your eyes peeled! All the designs will be in place by Thursday 17 September.
The campaign is a collaboration between Loveashford, Ashford Borough Council and the town centre businesses to safely encourage high street footfall as well as increasing positive community engagement within the town centre.
More information and full terms and conditions are available on the Loveashford website.
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QEQM to receive £4m to upgrade A&E ahead of winter
The A&E Department at QEQM is set to receive an additional £4m in order to support capacity ahead of the winter months.
The £4m will be used to expand and upgrade A&E facilities at the Hospital in Margate, ensuring they have enough space to treat patients, manage patient flow and improve infection control. It will be used to expand the Emergency Department and improve patient flow. Further clinical treatment space will also be created, and major trauma cubicles will be extended.
The funding is part of £150 million to be shared across 25 A&Es, with the money being used to expand waiting areas and increase the number of treatment cubicles. It is on top of the £300 million provided by the Government to upgrade A&Es announced in August – taking the total investment in A&Es this winter to £450 million.
The announcement also comes on top of the additional £3 billion that the Prime Minister recently promised to help prepare the NHS for the winter months ahead. This funding will allow the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector through the coronavirus pandemic, and also to maintain the Nightingale hospitals until the end of March next year.
South Thanet MP, Craig Mackinlay, has welcomed the funding:
“Staff at QEQM are continuing to work tirelessly through this coronavirus pandemic and we are all very grateful for all that they do.
“While I hope for the best this winter, its right that we plan for the worst. This £4m of funding to upgrade A&E in Margate will ensure that QEQM is in the best possible position for the challenges that the winter months may bring.
“As a Conservative, I was re-elected last December on a promise to level up the health service across the country. We are getting on with doing exactly that.”
Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, added:
“We are investing £450 million to make sure our A&E departments are ready for winter. Hospitals around the country will be able to expand and upgrade to ensure they can continue safely treating patients in the coming months.
“During the peak of the pandemic we saw millions of people using NHS 111 to get the best possible advice on Covid-19, and other urgent NHS services. These pilots will build on this and test whether we can deliver quicker access to the right care, provide a better service for the public and ensure our dedicated NHS staff aren’t overwhelmed.
“We all need to play our part by washing our hands regularly, using a face covering and keeping our distance from those not in our household. We are determined to protect the NHS as we did during the peak.”
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