Archive | General News

The new Tunbridge Wells Discretionary Grant Scheme has launched today (22 May) and is now open for applications at the following link: www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/discretionarygrants

Please could you share the link with businesses in your local area. Please encourage businesses to read the associated guidance carefully (at the same link), in order to assess their eligibility for the scheme.

The deadline for applications is 7 June 2020.

If there are any enquiries about the scheme, please direct them to email businesscovid19@tunbridgewells.gov.uk.

A company has launched free IT Support for the elderly and vulnerable in the Tunbridge Wells area from today, if you know anyone or could help spread the word that would be great, more details can be found here https://www.infinitygroup.co.uk/blog/free-it-support-for-the-elderly-and-vulnerable/

Health partners and providers, local authorities and emergency services across Kent and Medway are working together to provide information on local support services to help people’s mental wellbeing during the ongoing Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic crisis.

Information is available at www.kent.gov.uk/wellbeing for people experiencing bereavement and loss, debt and financial difficulties, pregnant women and new mums needing extra support, families looking for help with young children or teenagers.

There is support for those who might already have pre-existing mental health conditions, are victims of domestic abuse or are people in the shielded community.

The site also offers help for people with learning disabilities, people who don’t use English as a first language, carers and NHS staff, care staff and other key workers.

Kent County Council Director of Public Health, Andrew Scott-Clark said: “The challenging reality of lockdown is creating uncertainty and anxiety for many. The constant news can feel overwhelming and you may be adjusting to a different way of life, with children off school, many people not working or working from home, as well as not seeing family, friends and colleagues.

“This anxiety is natural, and we are all feeling it. Fortunately, there are things that we can do to protect our mental health and to support the wellbeing of our friends and family. At www.kent.gov.uk/wellbeing you can find information, advice and signposting to other great sites which can help, whatever your situation and need. This is #kenttogether.”

Thanks to all of those supplying content to www.kent.gov.uk/wellbeing including: Kent County Council; Medway Council; Public Health England; NHS England; Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group; Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust; Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust; Live Well Kent; Healthwatch Kent; Kent Community Foundation; Headstart Kent; Carers UK; Kent’s Integrated Domestic Abuse Support Services; KCC Children’s Centres; Citizen’s Advice and Age Concern.

As part of the Release the Pressure campaign, a new text service is now available – by texting the word “Kent” or “Medway” to 85258, you will start a conversation with one of the many trained and experienced volunteers who can give support at any time, wherever you are. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help. Texts are free on all major mobile networks and the service is provided by SHOUT and the Crisis Text Line.

The service will run in addition to the current 24/7 freephone helpline and is funded by the Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) which is a collaboration between Kent County Council, Medway Council, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust and all the NHS organisations across Kent and Medway.

Vulnerable people in Kent who need urgent help, supplies or medication are also reminded of the helpline – called Kent Together – which provides a single, convenient point of contact for anyone in the county who is in urgent need of help during the Coronavirus outbreak. It is a collaboration between KCC, central Government, District, Borough and local councils, the voluntary and community sector, the NHS and other partners to ensure help is at hand for vulnerable people.

If you are vulnerable and have an urgent need that cannot be met through existing support networks, you can contact the Kent Together helpline at www.kent.gov.uk/KentTogether  or by calling on 03000 41 92 92. It is a 24-hour service.The Kent Together service is a single, convenient point of contact for anyone in Kent who is in urgent need of help during the coronavirus outbreak

Kent Police is urging parents to look out for the signs of online grooming as children and young people in Kent spend more time at home.

The Covid-19 worldwide pandemic means that children who would normally be visiting friends and family or attending school around the county are now in lockdown and may be searching for things to do to keep them occupied.

With more people turning to the internet, Kent Police is reminding everyone of the steps that can be taken to keep young and vulnerable people protected from online abuse.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andrew Pritchard at Kent Police said: ‘This is an extremely worrying time for families who may be feeling anxious and dealing with new and difficult living situations. As a result it may be harder than usual to spot the signs of online abuse.

‘Whilst there is nothing to suggest more children are being groomed at this time, there is a potential for more young and vulnerable people to fall victim to predators who may take advantage of the health crisis and seek to enter homes without leaving their own.

‘Keeping children and vulnerable people safe is a top priority for us and significant resources are dedicated to tackling this issue. As the public continues to play their part in social distancing and saving lives, we will remain committed to keeping people safe both outdoors and at home.’

It is important that children using mobile phones, tablets and computers know what is right and what is wrong especially when using instant messaging services. They should only ever be speaking to people they know personally and report anything suspicious to their parents or the police.

Check what restrictions are in place, most devices or internet access will have parental controls available. Ask your child to be open and honest with you about their passwords and profiles.

Parents should talk about the risks when uploading and sharing private information as you can never be sure whose hands it will end up in or who can see it.

DCS Pritchard added: ‘We have invested in educating young people about online dangers and the chances of a real child meeting someone they’ve met online and becoming a victim of this sort of offence is extremely low.

‘Rest assured the force has specialist detectives who are trained to work in this field and have the skills and resources needed to carry out investigations in the most appropriate way.

‘It is important we all continue to do our bit to keep children safe, not just at this unprecedented time but always.’

Further advice

• Speak to your children. Understand the capabilities of the devices they use, and the websites that they use.

• Keep the computer in a communal room. Explain to them the dangers of talking to strangers; whether that be in ‘real life’ or on the internet.

• It’s important that online privacy settings are checked regularly especially when updating apps – the same applies for location settings too.

• Encourage the use of strong passwords such as three or more random words or capital letters, numbers and symbols.

• ‘Stranger danger’ is as relevant on the internet as it is on the streets. You should not speak to strangers and we encourage children to raise any concerns with their parents.

• Only speak to people you know and have met. Don’t accept social media requests from people you don’t know.

For more advice or to report online abuse visit https://www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/online-child-abuse/

With garden waste services temporarily suspended we would ask residents to consider their neighbours and to refrain from having bonfires in their gardens. The smoke can cause distress to your neighbours and as well as serious problems for people who are vulnerable to both smoke and the virus, such as those with asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Here are few alternative ways to deal with garden waste while our collections are suspended:

Leave grass cuttings on your lawn to dry out. As the grass dries birds will use the cuttings for their nests. Or scatter the cuttings round your flower beds where they will rot down and provide nutrients to your plants as well as helping to suppress weeds.

If you have space, create a compost heap. You can pile all your garden waste here as well as fruit and vegetable peelings, egg shells and coffee grounds. The compost created will help nourish your garden in the coming weeks and months.

Group pruned branches into bundles to create shelters for small animals, bugs and bees. And please keep feeding the birds if you can

The Parish Council intend to hold meetings remotely under new powers the government have introduced to help us continue to function during the current crisis. Please keep an eye on our agenda page for details of those meetings and how you can attend these meetings remotely

This weekend 11 million viewers watched the 2020 Crufts Best in Show wire-haired Dachshund  ‘Maisie’ do what dogs do and take a toilet break on her victory lap of the NEC arena.

Her owner Kim McCalmon came well prepared and immediately scooped up the mess with a bag. If only all dog owners would follow in Kim’s footsteps and act so responsibly! But sadly we know all too well that this isn’t the case.

Our latest research into Dog Fouling found that 15% of dog owners admit to letting their dog poop in a public place without picking up, leading to 76% of adults stepping in dog poop in their lifetime.

This is why we’ve launched our latest campaign to tackle this noxious problem. The campaign features dogs as the messenger, appealing directly to dog lovers and leveraging the levers of both pride and shame to remind owners to pick-up their poop because it’s what their dog would want them to do.

The campaign has been designed to work across social media using highly engaging video content, and posters for placement at Dog Fouling hotspots in your local area. There are 4 videos available to choose from, featuring ‘Sarah the Spaniel’ and ‘Ben the Boxer’. The videos can also be voiced with a regional accent to really connect with your residents.