Medway Matters – news, events and information

All the latest news, events and information that’s happening within Medway can be found in the below article.

Christmas kerbside collections

Christmas is coming…and before that holiday season settles in, make sure you know your waste and collection days over both Christmas and New Year. Last year, we saw a 60 per cent increase in recycling collected and 30 per cent in waste during the festive break.

With the huge amount to collect, our crews will be working hard to ensure the service runs smoothly over the festive period. To keep up with all of the collections, we won’t be picking up brown bins between Monday, 24 and Saturday, 29 December. Normal brown bin collections will continue on Monday, 31 December.

With Christmas Day and Boxing Day falling midweek, the dates for your collections will be different over BOTH Christmas week (Monday, 24 to Saturday, 29 December) and New Year Week (Monday, 31 December to Saturday, 5 January). 

Check your revised days via our Winter Collections page, available here.

What’s On

Sammy the Sheep Saves Christmas until 24 Dec

Join Sammy on a Christmas adventure that travels from the festive farmyard to far-away lands, as the little sheep tries to save Christmas for us all. It’s going to be baaarilliant!!

There’s still last minute tickets available for selected performances of Sammy the Sheep Saves Christmas:

• Tuesday, 18 December at 1pm
• Thursday, 20 December at 4.30pm

Book tickets today

Dick Whittington and his cat until 31 Dec

Panto is now in full swing and audiences are loving it! Join Dick Whittington, his acrobatic cat and a whole host of fabulous characters. Make sure you’ve got your tickets before it’s too late.  Book tickets today

 

 

 

 

Christmas at Eastgate various dates

Join us for a spectacular Christmas at Eastgate House where you’ll be able to watch a performance of A Christmas Carol, listen to our Victorian Father Christmas tell stories and discover how Victorians created many Christmas traditions we have today.  Find out more

 

 

 

News and information

Don’t get caught out

With the festive season upon us, many people are racing to the shops or hunting for an online bargain for their loved ones.
Here’s some seasonal advice to help prevent shoppers falling victim to unpleasant surprises this Christmas:

• Always check the returns policy – Although most will, shops do not have to give you a refund or exchange. Always check the seller’s returns policy before buying. If you want to be able to return an unsuitable item, you can ask for confirmation in writing.
• Always buy from a secure website – Always find out whether the company you are buying from has a secure website before giving credit or debit card details on the internet.
• Buy from trusted companies – Try to use reputable companies or those you have shopped with before. If you haven’t used them before, you can always check their reviews.
• Some bargains are too good to be true – In the run-up to Christmas many shoppers are on the lookout for bargains, but some cheap alcohol and tobacco can be fake and dangerous

For more advice on product safety, contact the Trading Standards team on 01634 333333, email [email protected] or visit our website.

Medway Archives

Visit a new exhibition at Medway Archives Centre from the Rochester Bridge Trust.

A story of the Rochester Bridge Trust runs until 12 March 2019 at Medway Archives Centre, 32 Bryant Road, Strood. Find out about 2,000 years of bridges and the modern day role of an ancient charity. Free exhibition with interactive displays and Langdon’s den, the dedicated children’s area.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 9am to 12:30pm. Check times in advance. Find out more.

What’s your alcohol score?

The Christmas party season is in full swing. If you’re planning a drink or two, enjoy the festive celebrations and of course, drink sensibly. You can find out just how healthy your alcohol consumption is with the ‘Lower My Drinking’ service from ‘A Better Medway’. You can get an alcohol score in minutes, simply through answering some quick questions. An app service is also available if you need more support.

Visit lowermydrinking.com to check your score. More information around alcohol consumption can be found on our website.

Shared Lives

Do you like to spend time with other people and have a good old natter or just watch TV? Shared Lives carers provide care and companionship for an adult with support needs. There are lots of people across Medway who’s lives could be made happier, safer and more worthwhile by spending time with someone like you.

Shared Lives offers someone the opportunity to spend time, or live with someone else as a family and enjoy the everyday things we take for granted. Things that may not be possible in a more structured care environment.

If you could share your time with an adult who has support needs, why not take the first step and contact the team or visit our website, phone 01634 337100 or email[email protected]

Expectant Mums

We want mums and their babies to get the best start together and from early January 2019 we’ll be running Blooming Bumps, a free eight week course for expectant mums.

Specially created for smokers by A Better Medway, mums-to-be will get lots of useful tips, from how to get little ones to sleep to coping with a crying baby.

To book your place, phone us for free on 0800 234 6805 or find out more on our website.

 

Medway Adult Education

Where will 2019 take you? Discover, learn, achieve with a workshop or course at Medway Adult Education.

Discover arts, crafts, design, music, technology, languages, work-skills, qualifications and much more. There’s something for everyone, whatever your passion with more than 600 courses to choose from. And throughout January we have a range of trial workshops for only £5, which means you can give something a go before signing up to the full course!

To find out more visit our website or phone 01634 338400.

 

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