St Mary's Church Fundraiser

During Lockdown, St Mary’s Church has suffered internal damage from birds and rodents and is in need of urgent repairs and deep cleaning.

As we have been unable to hold our Church Porch Sales for several months and are still not allowed to enter the Church, we propose to have a SALE.

Mary Stone

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UPDATED - Gill Gay Will Be Collecting For Swale Foodbank in Church Farm Road This Month

Hi everyone,

We would like to thank you all for the wonderful support we have received on behalf of Swale Foodbank so far.

I and my husband Ron will be at a different collection point this month, on the driveway of Number 7 Church Farm Road on Wednesday 5th, August between 10:30am and 11.30am.

Please come along with your donations (in carrier bags would be helpful) and put them into our open car boot while we remain at a safe distance.

We will then deliver your donations to the Swale Foodbank Warehouse, part of the Trussell Trust.

The items most in need at the moment are:

Fish - Mackerel, Sardines etc (They have lots of Tuna so any other tinned Fish)
Rice Pudding
Custard
Sponge Puddings
Shampoo/Conditioner
Deodorants
Laundry Detergent

Please tell your friends and family.

Thank you

Gill Gay - Foodbank Co-ordinator

Email: gilliangay99@yahoo.co.uk

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Eat Out to Help Out

Eat Out to Help Out is a new government scheme encouraging people to eat in struggling restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs throughout August to help get them back on their feet after the Coronavirus lockdown.

The scheme gives customers a discount of up to 50% when eating or drinking soft drinks in participating establishments, and is only valid all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from the 3rd of August until the 31st.

Terms

• Food and drink will appear on the menu at full price.
• The establishment will deduct the money off the bill then claim it back from the government.
• You do not need a voucher to use the scheme.
• The maximum discount available is £10 per person when you eat or drink in.
• The discount is only available on food and drink that you intend to consume on the premises, and can be used as many times as you like.
• There is no limit on how many people can use the discount in one party, and includes children.
• There is no minimum spend, and you do not have to order food to be eligible, for example, a £3 coffee would cost £1.50 under the scheme.
• The offer can be used in combination with any other promotions and discounts currently being offered by the establishment.
• The discount cannot be used on alcoholic drinks, service charges or food for a private function or event. Businesses that are takeaway only are not eligible.

Enter your postcode at https://bit.ly/2X5jV4X to see the full list of establishments participating within a 5-mile radius.

Please support all our local advertisers taking part 👍🏼

Thank you

Upchurch Matters

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Medway Libraries & Hubs

Libraries & hubs are open

Medway libraries & community hubs re-opened on Monday 27th July, with a reduced service.

The face to face service is open again in each library for council and library enquiries.

Library staff will sit behind perspex screens mounted on tables and will use sanitiser gel and wipes before and after handling equipment, furniture and books.

You'll be able to:

• Return books

• Use click and collect, and reservations services

• Collect recycling bags

• Collect caddy liners

You will be able to book slots to use computers from Monday, 3rd August.

Reduced service

• You can buy daily parking visitor vouchers by phoning 01634 332266

• You will not be able to browse books

You are encouraged to use contactless payment where possible.

Click and collect

The new click and collect service allows you to request a specific genre, style or type of book which library staff will select for you, for example westerns or books about photography. You can choose which community hub or library to collect the books from.

Online library 

There is a large online library service of more than 71,000 eBooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers with a growing collection of children’s eBooks and a great selection of children’s books, which can be reserved, to help young people with this year’s Summer Reading Challenge and to enjoy during the school summer holidays.

If you are not already a member of Medway Libraries, you can join online at medway.gov.uk/libraries

Loans update

The library book loan period has now returned to 3 weeks. Books can be renewed online or by phoning 01634 337799

The mobile library will remain closed.

Upchurch Matters

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Swale Borough Council - New 9-Lane Bowling Alley Planned for Sittingbourne

Picture: Spirit of Sittingbourne.

An application for a 9-lane bowling alley in Sittingbourne has been submitted to Swale Borough Council.

The plans have been put forward by The Light, the firm behind the 8-screen cinema currently being fitted out in the new Bourne Place development between the high street and train station for opening in October.

The application proposes a change of use of one of the ground floor restaurant units that would share an entrance with the cinema above.

If approved, the bowling alley would join the 63 bed Travelodge hotel, the Light Cinema, restaurants such as Nando's, Pizza Express, and Loungers.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:

“I really welcome this initiative by Light.

A bowling alley is something that many people have asked for over the years, and the more we can diversify the leisure offer at Bourne Place the better.

It will help give people more reasons to visit the town centre more often and for longer periods.

I would like to commend cabinet member Monique Bonney for the work she has put into this innovative plan”

Cllr Monique Bonney, cabinet member for economy and property at the council, said:

“This is really exciting news for Sittingbourne and, if approved, should be a major attraction for the borough.

We are working very hard with the tenants to deliver a more diverse offer for local people and visitors that will be less dependent on restaurants than the original scheme.

If we want our town centres to thrive, we need a broader offer to attract more visitors to support our local businesses and jobs.”

The application 20/503138/FULL is expected to be decided by the planning committee in the next few months.

Swale Borough Council

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KCC Adult Education Launches FREE Virtual Taster Sessions

KCC’s Adult Education service is holding a range of free taster sessions during a virtual open week to showcase some of the many course subjects on offer.

The courses take place in the first week of September and will give learners the opportunity to try a range of creative subjects for free, to see if they like the experience before deciding if they want to enrol and a longer course. There are about 30 subject choices as diverse as belly dancing, floristry, sculpture and watercolour painting. 

Courses are delivered in a real-time, virtual environment, and are easy to access with a phone, laptop, tablet and an internet connection. They provide a collaborative learning experience and the option to interact with other learners, without having to leave the comfort of home.

Learners will be able to experiment with different materials, mediums and techniques with demonstrations from expert tutors. The open week tasters give learners the chance to see how courses are delivered virtually and may help to develop new, exciting hobbies and interests. Specialist tutors will be able to advise which courses are the next step up from the tasters. They not only teach the course but will guide the participants through it, to ensure a positive and enjoyable virtual learning experience.  

The first taster courses start on Tuesday 1st September and the last ones take place on Friday 4th September.

The creative open week courses are free. For more details and to book a space please visit: kentadulteducation.co.uk/about-us/news/creative-open-week-courses or call: 03000 41 40 25.

Kent Adult Education provides an extensive range of vibrant, diverse and challenging courses. Courses are designed to enhance wellbeing and offer high-quality opportunities to discover and develop interests which enrich quality of life. The range covers arts, crafts, languages and much more. Courses take place virtually during the day, in the evening and at the weekend.

Murray Evans

Kent County Council

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