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Upchurch Parish Council will be holding the 2 meetings above via Zoom on Thursday 7th May 2020 at 7:30pm.
The Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority Meetings) Regulations 2020 now gives Local Councils the power to meet remotely during this current crisis.
Virtual meetings are open to members of the public. Anyone wishing to watch will need to contact the Clerk for the login details, they will also be allowed to raise questions or comments to Councillors during public time.
Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council
Tel: 01622 739324
Temporary Road Closure - Horsham Lane, Upchurch - 3rd June 2020
Kent County Council has made an order to temporarily prohibit through traffic on Horsham Lane, Upchurch from Wednesday 3rd June 2020 for up to 1 day between the hours of 09:30 and 15:30.
The road will be closed between the junctions with Oak Lane and Woodruff Close, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.
The alternative route for any through traffic is via The Street, Oak Lane, Wallbridge Lane and vice versa.
Access for emergency service vehicles and pedestrians will be maintained at all times during the closure.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while pole examination works are undertaken by BT.
For information regarding this closure please contact BT on: 0800 800 150, who will be able to assist with the scope of the works.
For details of roadworks, see: https://one.network
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
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Medway Council is inviting residents to take part in an online book club to discuss Charles Dickens’ final unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
To mark the 150th anniversary of Dickens’ death, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the council is encouraging residents to download a copy of the eBook from Medway’s library service and join them in reading the mystery in monthly instalments, the same way the original readers would have enjoyed the novel.
The central mystery, the disappearance of Edwin Drood, plays out in a thinly-disguised gothic Rochester.
Can you solve the mystery? Download the eBook and join in discussions about the novel on the Reading Drood blog each month from May to October. If you’re not already a member of Medway libraries you can join online and borrow eBooks immediately. In recent weeks more than 15,500 eBooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers have been accessed by residents which is double the amount borrowed during the same time last year.
Chapters one to five will be read in May, six to nine in June, 10 to 12 in July, 11 to 16 in August, 17 to 20 in September and finally chapters 21 to 23 in October.
Cllr Howard Doe, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Services, said:
“I am pleased we are launching a virtual book club to discuss Dickens’ last novel, it is one of the ways in which we are adapting our services in these unusual times. I would encourage residents to sign up for an online library account as there are thousands of eBooks, audiobooks and eMagazines on offer for them to read, as well as The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and I hope as many people as possible join in with the online discussions. We look forward to welcoming you all back into Medway’s libraries and community hubs as soon as we can.”
To sign up for a library account visit www.medway.gov.uk/libraries
Medway Council
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Susan Flipping. |
Restricted numbers, shorter ceremonies, no touching, no reception afterwards. Everyone who goes through the agony of arranging a funeral during lockdown knows about the limitations.
But it is still possible to arrange a meaningful funeral, even with social distancing, and Susan Flipping, a funeral celebrant from Upchurch, is running a free online Q and A session to explain how.
‘Families who come to me are already aware of the restrictions and are heartbroken at the thought of not being able to give their loved one the send-off they want.
‘But the ceremony can still be as rich and fulfilling as the life it celebrates.
‘The online session will give free, unbiased information about how funeral directors and celebrants around the country are finding creative solutions that mean funerals can be remembered for the comfort they bring rather than the restrictions imposed.’
The first webinar will be held on Wednesday May 6th at 6:00pm. Because of the nature of the topic, the link will only be sent to a validated email address. Requests to join should be emailed to susan.flipping@kentcelebrancy.com or you can sign up on Facebook at Susan Flipping - Kent Celebrancy
Susan Flipping MICF DipHyp
Institute of Civil Funerals Council of Management
Telephone 07506 239970
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All routine dental services have stopped as part of social distancing measures.
For people with urgent dental needs, NHS England and NHS Improvement have set up 7 urgent dental centres across Kent and Medway. They are part of a wider network of 38 centres across the South East.
There are centres in Larkfield, Rochester, Ramsgate, Canterbury, Chatham, Ashford and Maidstone.
If you think you have an urgent dental need, please call your regular dentist or any NHS dentist who will go through an initial triage process over the phone and refer you if appropriate.
Search for dentists at: www.nhs.uk
The hubs will provide appropriate separation of people with or without Covid-19 symptoms so can be used by anyone with an urgent dental need.
NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group
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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
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.
Upchurch Matters
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