NHS Kent and Medway CCG - Community Bulletin

Covid-19 vaccines update

986,486 vaccine jabs have been given across Kent and Medway. Of these, 870,141 are first doses. This means 85% of the nine priority groups are now protected with a first dose.

First doses for 50+ and vulnerable groups

If you are eligible but not yet had a first dose, please do now call your GP to arrange an appointment for the next available clinic.

April first dose supplies

National supply constraints during April means limited appointments will be available for first dose vaccines at our large vaccination centres and pharmacies.

Services will be concentrating on second doses and outreach services until supplies increase.

Second doses

Supplies for second doses are not affected and appointments will be continuing across all services.

Second doses will be given by the same service that did your first dose.

For GP-led vaccination services, you should be contacted about second dose appointments no later than the Monday of the 11th week after your first dose.

If you have not heard by that point, please contact your GP to check.

There is more detail in our weekly vaccines update

Covid restrictions: what you can and cannot do

Some of the rules on what you can and cannot do have changed. You can now gather with either two households or up to six people outdoors, and outdoor sports facilities will also reopen for use.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable, you are no longer advised to shield. However, you should continue to follow the guidance for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable and take additional precautions to protect yourself.

Many restrictions remain in place.

You must not socialise indoors with anyone you do not live with or have formed a support bubble with.

Where possible, you should continue to work from home and minimise the number of journeys you make.

Holidays abroad are not allowed.

You can read the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021 (roadmap)’ for more information on the roadmap out of lockdown in England.

Integrated Care System established

From 1st April 2021, the Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership has been formally confirmed as an Integrated Care System.

Interim Chair, John Goulston, welcomed the move, saying:

“Together we can be more than the sum of our parts, and we will achieve more for the health and wellbeing of our population by maximising the integration of services.

“As a partnership, we have agreed a simple statement of our purpose: We will work together to make health and wellbeing better than any partner can do alone.”

Read more here

Help improve diabetes care in east Kent

People living with diabetes, their family and carers are being asked for their views on a major programme to enhance diabetes services. 

Led by diabetes specialists from the NHS and local councils in east Kent, the aim is to deliver more effective and accessible care, as well as prevent people from developing the disease through improved education.

Please find out more and complete a short survey online now until 23rd April.

Read the full bulletin at >> https://bit.ly/31O3X0V

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group

Gill Gay Will Be Collecting For Swale Foodbank Again

Hi everyone,

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

My husband Ron and I will be collecting again at the bus stop lay-by opposite the Church in Horsham Lane on Wednesday the 7th of April 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 Foodbank is absolutely desperate for Long-life Milk. They are also short of Tinned Tomatoes, Tinned Fish, Tinned Meat Meals, and Hygiene Products for both men and women are always useful. 

Thanks so much for every single donation we receive - we are deeply grateful!

Thank you

Gill Gay - Foodbank Co-ordinator

Email: gilliangay99@yahoo.co.uk

Happy Easter

 Happy Easter 🌼🐣🥚🐇

 

To better days🤞🏼🍻🥂 

🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷 

Upchurch Matters

Permission Granted for New Banqueting Hall at London Road, Upchurch

The former Medway Autos garage site on the A2 - London Road has

stood empty and remained largely unused for a number of years.

Swale Borough Council has granted permission for a new banqueting hall at London Road, Upchurch.

At a virtual Planning Committee meeting held on Thursday 1st April, councillors unanimously granted applicant Solid Rock Holdings Ltd change of use permission to convert the former Medway Autos showroom and workshop into Christine House.

Swale Borough Council recommended permission be granted subject to conditions having refused two previous applications for change of use. The application was referred to the committee because of objections made by Upchurch and Hartlip Parish Councils.

Proposal

The conversion proposes combining and converting the existing garage site with neighbouring semi-detached bungalows ‘Muriel and Christine’.

The intention is to change the use of the showroom and workshop to a banqueting hall, with food processing and distribution, including the creation of a mezzanine floor and alterations to fenestration. The main use of the building will be a mix of offices, food preparation/cooking and distribution and events management for weddings, receptions and parties of up to 300 guests. The business will be a mix of cooking food and sale as well as events management.

The uses will amount to: 

• Events hall for wedding, receptions or banqueting with a maximum 300 seat capacity.

• Local community use for meetings.

• Dedicated training centre for staff and food promotion training.

• Offices for sales/marketing/events and food promotion. 

• Commercial kitchen and food preparation for wholesale and catering sale/stock control. Preparation and sales of part and events related merchandise.

The eastern half of the building will be converted into the banqueting hall, with a movable partition to allow the space to be divided into 2 when required. A mezzanine floor will be formed above the toilet area to provide offices, a conference room and a bridal studio. The western half of the building is to be converted into a commercial kitchen and packaging area, event kitchen, office, and lounge area.

Prepacked frozen food will be delivered and food will be prepared on-site and provided for events only. It will not be available for the general public passing by, and the venue will need to be pre-booked for events and meetings.

The two residential bungalows ‘Muriel and Christine’ are to be converted into guest accommodation with 8 bedrooms, including a bridal suite. The rooms will be rented out to guests of events held at the banqueting suite and a wedding gazebo erected to the rear of bungalows.

It is proposed that the existing access and areas of vehicle hardstanding will be retained with 64 parking spaces, including 6 disabled spaces, taxi spaces and a coach space, plus additional cycle parking and storage for the main commercial building. A further 10 parking spaces, including 2 disabled spaces are to be provided for the guest accommodation.

The planning application, reference number: 20/503637/FULL including the report to the Planning Committee can be viewed at: https://bit.ly/31MjTAN

Upchurch Matters

Deliveries to Upchurch's Co-op

The Co-op is currently receiving 2 deliveries a day and to ensure these arrive, cones are placed outside the store.

If you are unsure whether you can park in these spaces please speak to the staff in-store who will be happy to help.

Thank you

Jamie Rhodes
Member Pioneer
The Co-operative Group
Mobile: 07929 830988

April News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

Spring has arrived and there is “nowhere to run and nowhere to hide” to quote the late great Muhammad Ali who could “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”. I do not know if Muhammad was a keen gardener but he must have had an eye for Spring, he certainly had a good jab. After some promising weather in February, March turned a bit wet and cold and the early preparation work stalled a little. However, my cooking has improved and the cook’s glass has been put to good use. More recently temperatures have picked up and good progress has resumed. The Broad Beans are in along with the New Potatoes, the Leeks are well underway and a number of seeds sowed. The rhubarb has put in an appearance and everything is progressing well. April is the really busy preparation month followed by the main planting out month in May.

The lawn can have its first weed and feed of the year this month, then wait a couple of weeks before doing any scratch and patch seed repairs. Summers seem to be warmer and dryer these days and my lawn, especially, struggles each year. It looks like normal meadow grass but most years I work a bit more seed into the bare patches but it is not really improving. So, this year it will be scratch and patch with “Canada Green” which is drought resistant and hopefully, that will be the answer.

Carry on with sowing seeds either into trays or directly into the soil and aim to get the Maincrop potatoes planted by the end of the month. I couldn’t find any Picasso at B&Q this year so have gone back to Cara which is a good all-round spud. Picasso is a hybrid of Cara and in my opinion an improvement, but Cara is still a good fall back option. If you are lucky enough to have an asparagus bed you can start cutting the spears when they get to about 7” in height. Harden off seedlings but keep an eye on the weather and get them under cover if temperatures drop or there is a risk of rain.

Now is the time to get stuck into the borders and containers and get everything tidied up. Penstemons, Phlox and Chrysanthemums will be producing a lot of basal growth which is ideal for cuttings. Other perennials can be divided and plug plants ordered, although I will support the local nurseries which provide a decent range of good quality plants. I have my eye on some white Delphiniums which will contrast well with the metallic blue Belladonna plants that are now well established.

Keep an eye on the fruit as bud burst approaches and watch for early signs of pests. Top dress with compost around the trunks and start applying slow-release fertiliser.

There is a lot to be done, but before long you will be washing down the patio furniture and cleaning the BBQ. Some already have done so now that small groups can meet in the garden, although a patio heater is recommended. Things do seem to be easing and outdoor living this Summer will be very welcome. In fact, I think I am going to take our new junkyard mutt for a walk and then enjoy a Merlot on the patio as the sun sets.

The new “Junkyard Mutt”.

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