New Social Prescribing Service to Launch in Medway

Abigail Oborne believes that social prescribing’s buzzword status shouldn’t detract from the real and significant impact it can have on people’s lives.

Social prescribing enables health professionals to refer someone to a link worker. A link worker will then help that person to create their own ‘social prescription’ to improve their health and wellbeing. This may be doing an activity, getting advice or joining a local social group or club.

Newly appointed as Community Project Officer for Social Prescribing, Abigail is excited about our new social prescribing service for the over 65s, Better Connected, which will launch in mid-March;

“We know that older people are socially isolated but out in communities, this can be quite a hidden problem.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the Better Connected service help isolated older people rediscover their place in society and make those all-important social connections.”

A key part of Abigail’s role will be to deliver training to allied health professionals, Medway’s voluntary sector and council staff to help them understand what the Better Connected service offers and how to refer into it.

With her background in community engagement for the Pilgrims Hospices in Canterbury, Abigail is really looking forward to working closely with Medway’s voluntary and charity sector.

“There is incredible support out there for older people in Medway and I’m really excited to work with organisations to find new ways to fill any gaps.”

If you or your organisation would like to find out more about social prescribing and how you can refer into the Better Connected service, please Email: healthimprovement@medway.gov.uk

For launch news and updates, follow A Better Medway on Twitter and Facebook

Upchurch Matters

Space

Please Complete the Upchurch Village Hall Survey

We would like your views on the Village Hall to help us decide how best to improve its facilities, activities and services.

Please complete the survey using the following link, there are only 10 questions and will take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Link >> www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SQ8GMSS

Thank you on behalf of the Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee.

David Steward

Chairman UVHMC

Space

Latest POLICE.UK Crime Data for the Area - January 2020

Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch

Here is a brief summary of the crime information for the past 2 months:

	December 2019	January 2020
All crime	34	42
Anti-social behaviour	5	7
Bicycle theft	0	0
Burglary	1	2
Criminal damage and arson	7	11
Drugs	0	0
Other crime	2	1
Other theft	3	3
Possession of weapons	0	0
Public order	0	1
Robbery	0	0
Shoplifting	0	2
Theft from the person	1	0
Vehicle crime	1	4
Violence and sexual offences	14	11

Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team. Lower Halstow and Iwade Here is a brief summary of the crime information for the past 2 months: December 2019 January 2020 All crime 33 25 Anti-social behaviour 8 10 Bicycle theft 0 0 Burglary 1 4 Criminal damage and arson 4 1 Drugs 0 0 Other crime 0 0 Other theft 1 0 Possession of weapons 0 0 Public order 0 1 Robbery 0 0 Shoplifting 0 0 Theft from the person 0 0 Vehicle crime 2 1 Violence and sexual offences 17 8 Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team. Upchurch Matters

Funeral Arrangements for Joan Hitchen

The funeral for our mother Joan Hitchen will be held at 2:00pm on Monday the 16th of March at Garden of England Crematorium, Sheppey Way, Bobbing ME9 8GZ and afterwards at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course, Oak Lane, Upchurch ME9 7AY.

If anybody wishes to join us, please phone 07958 520962 to say you will be attending.

Thank you

Daughters, Jill and Janet

Jill Kean

Space

March News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

Well, the time has come again to start facing up to Spring and get back out in the garden so let’s hope for some early good weather to get the enthusiasm going. The dedicated gardeners are already out there and busy at work on the allotments, but personally I just aim to get the leeks sown at the beginning of the year and get the broad beans in. The runner bean trench finally got dug last December and is filling up nicely, mainly with the leaves that finally got raked up. However, the borders didn’t get tidied and are choked with weeds which are crowding out the spring bulbs… so that is Job No.1 for March.

March is a good month for any necessary lawn repairs and if the weather is warm and dry do the first cut with the blades set high. Scarify any dead thatch from the base of the lawn with a spring thyne rake and aerate the lawn with a garden fork.

Improve the soil in your borders and beds by working in some general purpose compost and apply a fertiliser. Rearrange any plants in the borders to improve the overall balance especially if vigorous plants are starting to overshadow those around them. Prune and tidy as necessary to get things looking good and fertilise the roses. Wait until fuchsia show evidence of fresh growth before pruning. Deadhead daffodils as they finish and prune hydrangea stems by about one third. Tidy up shrubs that flowered in the second half of last year by cutting out dead wood, crossing branches and growth that points downwards. This will maintain the appearance of the plant and give it an upwards sweep. Take basal cuttings when the new growth appears to increase stocks. Order up any plug plants which will be delivered soon.

Well pruned with an upwards sweep.

Weed and dig over the vegetable patch and apply a general fertiliser. Put all prunings and weeds in the runner bean trench along with kitchen compost and wood ash from the log fire. Aim to get the early potatoes planted by the end of the month. Mulch fruit trees and rhubarb.

March is a time of preparation and that little lot will get you off to a good start ready for the busy time to come in April. Check the shed and make sure you are OK for propagation trays, fertilisers, weed killers, pesticides and stock up as required. It’s a time for optimism, hoping for good weather and a good year ahead. Now that I have got myself excited I will celebrate the start of a new season.

We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.

If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk

Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
Space

Upchurch Gabriel - March Issue

Would residents in the Horsham Lane/Windmill Hill area of the village, who can normally expect to receive a hand-delivered copy of the magazine, please note that the distributor is, for medical reasons, unable to provide this service this month.

Free copies are, however, available for collection from Upchurch Newsagent. I would be most grateful if you would pass this message to affected neighbours and friends. 

Thank you for your patience and co-operation.

It is hoped that normal service will be resumed with effect from the April issue.

David Candy
Editor

Space