UPDATED: Local Elections | May 2021

The Government delayed some local elections last year because of the Coronavirus pandemic. They will now take place on Thursday 6th May.

Residents living in Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch and Bobbing, Iwade and Lower Halstow wards, who are eligible can vote in 2 elections, both administered by Swale Borough Council.

Voters will choose who represents them at Kent County Council, and the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner.

1. To choose a Kent County Councillor to represent Swale West

Kent County Councillors represent their local area and residents at County Hall and contribute to the development of KCC policies for public services such as education, transport, highways, strategic planning, emergency services, social services, health, public safety, waste disposal as well as policies for the Kent economy and environment.

For more information, visit the Kent County Council website

The candidates are:

2. To choose the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner

The Kent Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for overseeing how crime is tackled across the county. PCCs help control police budgets and hold the force's chief constable to account for the performance of officers and staff. They ensure your local police force are prioritising what matters to you.

In this election, you can vote for a first and second preference of who you want to win. 

For more information, visit the Kent Police & Crime Commissioner website

The candidates are:

Voting

You need to be on the electoral register to vote in elections or referendums.

The deadline to register to vote in the elections taking place on Thursday 6th May was midnight on Monday 19th April.

If you are not already registered to vote, it is now too late to register to vote in these elections.

Polling Stations will be open between the hours of 7:00am and 10:00pm on Thursday 6th May 2021. For those who choose to vote in person, polling stations will be safe places to vote.

A recent postcard mailing sent out to households from Swale Borough Council included advice about safe voting during the pandemic and encouraged anyone concerned to register for a postal or proxy vote.

For information and how to register to vote in future elections, visit www.swale.gov.uk/elections

Whichever way you vote, make your vote count on Thursday 6th May!

Upchurch Matters

Allotment Store Broken Into and Vandalised - Newington

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/72873/21

Between Thursday the 29th and Friday the 30th of April, a store on the allotments in Orchard Drive, Newington was broken into and vandalised by unknown persons. However, nothing appears to have been stolen.

If you have any information that could help investigators please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.

For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk

Kent Community Messaging

No Mow May - Let it Grow!

It’s time to put away the lawnmowers and the strimmers and sit back, relax and tune in to the gentle hum of the bees and hoverflies.

No Mow May is a campaign by the charity Plantlife to let your lawn grow and provide a carpet of flowers for our pollinators to feed on.

It doesn’t ask you to do much.

In fact, it asks you to not do anything at all!

Just lock up your lawnmower on May the 1st and let the wildflowers in your lawn bloom, providing a feast of nectar for our hungry pollinators.

At the end of the month, on the Bank Holiday Weekend, join in with our nationwide Every Flower Counts survey to discover how many bees the UK’s lawns can feed.

Not only will you receive your very own ‘nectar score’ (which will tell you how many bees your lawn can feed), you’ll help Plantlife learn more about the health of the nations’ wildflowers.

If you’re a council, join in by leaving parks and road verges to go wild.

Plantlife's Road Verge Campaign provides award-winning guidance on how to mow less often and later in the year instead.

And the fun doesn’t stop for farmers. A three-acre meadow can be home to 9 million flowers producing enough nectar to support half a million bees every day. Plantlife is working hard to save, create and restore wildflower meadows through their meadow making projects and network of nature reserves.

And if you’re really keen and want to rewild all summer, try #LetItBloomJune and #KneeHighJuly

When it comes to providing vital nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other insects, every flower counts, and your lawn can help provide that feast.

The more wildflowers you have in your lawn the more nectar will be produced. If you are taking part in #NoMowMay or haven’t mown at all this year, you’re likely to have many more wildflowers and lots more nectar.

Why not give it a go this May to see what colourful flowers appear and the butterflies, beetles and bees that they attract?

Even leaving a small patch of your lawn uncut will make a big difference.

Join legions of gardeners and say NO to the mow this May!

Find out more by signing up today at >> www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/no-mow-may

Upchurch Matters

NHS Kent and Medway CCG - Community Bulletin

Covid-19 vaccines update

Latest vaccinations progress

Our latest data shows we have 90 per cent of the top nine priority groups vaccinated with at least one dose in Kent and Medway. More than 360,000 people are now protected with both doses of the vaccine.

Bank holiday second doses appointments

Several of our vaccination teams are running clinics this bank holiday weekend. Getting your second dose is really important to maximise your own protection and help protect friends and others. If you have an appointment this weekend, please do make sure you attend. There’ll be more sunny days in the months ahead.

Primary care vaccine team top 50,000 jabs

Dr Sati Lall and the team providing vaccinations for patients of 16 GP practices across Rochester, Strood and Medway South have celebrated giving their 50,000th vaccination this week.

Well done to all the staff and volunteers running the clinics. They even got a mention on the Downing Street press conference this Wednesday.

Read more on KentOnline here Within Medway as a whole, more than 175,000 people are now protected with at least one dose.

You can read more about these stories in our weekly vaccines update

Get possible cancer symptoms checked

A cancer patient who was diagnosed during the first lockdown and has now had her cancer successfully removed says people should get worrying symptoms checked as soon as possible.

Miriam McGuirk, from Romney Marsh, said others "should not hesitate" to see their GP if they notice anything unusual.

During her recent experience, she says she was cared for safely, quickly and with empathy.

She added that she felt safe attending her GP practice and hospitals for tests and treatment throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Miriam said: “I knew something was amiss, and then the lump felt more prominent and became painful. I realised that I couldn’t leave it.

“I would say to anyone who notices anything - do not hesitate to get it checked out, it is better sooner rather than later. You will be looked after and cared for.”

It is also important that patients continue with any ongoing treatments, such as routine endoscopy, and follow the advice of their clinician and hospital to help keep themselves safe while accessing cancer care.

Find out more on our website

Helping you over the May bank holidays

People across Kent and Medway are being encouraged to call NHS 111 if they need urgent medical help over the May bank holidays.

NHS 111 is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering patients support on a wide range of conditions, covering both illnesses and injuries. Help is at hand from a team of highly trained experts and if needed an appointment can be booked at an urgent treatment centre (UTC) or even an A&E department.

More advice for help available over the bank holidays visit our website

Workshop to help young people deal with anxiety

Diversity House, working with Relate, are delivering a workshop for young people struggling with life in post-Covid times.

The 12-hour workshop is divided into six sessions and will help young people:

• Recognise the symptoms of anxiety
• Understand what anxiety is and its relationship to worry and stress
• Explore practical ways of dealing with problems
• Understand the positive and negative thoughts and beliefs that trigger and maintain anxiety
• Explore ways of challenging unhelpful thoughts
• Learn ways to let go of anxiety
• Learn ways to accept the uncertainties of life.

The first session is being held online on 1st May, starting at 2:30pm. You can join using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdgqs3mlJl

Meeting ID: 897 8135 6634
Passcode: 867580

Read the full bulletin at >> https://bit.ly/3gTbjZY

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group

Morrisons Community Champions Donate to Holywell School

Thank you to Sally Candy and Sittingbourne Morrisons Community Champions for generously donating garden tools, compost and bulbs.

Our pea plants needed repotting, so the compost arrived at just the right time.

Mayflower and Richmond classes are learning the value of growing our own vegetables and enhancing outdoor areas, so these tools and bulbs are a perfect way to help us get started this Spring.

Thank you so much.

Mrs Warner
Holywell Primary School

Service Disruption to Southeastern Trains over the Early May Bank Holiday

Engineering improvement works are taking place on the rail network over the early May Bank Holiday, which will affect some train services.

Work taking place includes track renewals and the removal of the old footbridge at Chatham Station. This is part of the Access for All scheme, which will see an accessible footbridge installed in its place.

A replacement bus service will be in operation on some routes.

Service disruption - Sunday 2nd May 

• Train services between Dartford and Lewisham via Sidcup will not run, and replacement buses will be in operation.

• Buses replace trains between Rochester and Rainham.
• High-Speed services will only operate between Rochester and St Pancras via Gravesend.
• Train services between Ramsgate/Dover Priory and London Victoria will only operate as far as Rainham, with trains then running between Rochester and London Victoria.
• Thameslink services will only run between London Bridge and Gravesend.
• Buses replace trains between Ashford International and Dover Priory (A mini-bus service runs between Sandling and Westenhanger).

You should still continue to follow government guidance on public transport and minimise the number of journeys you make where possible.

Check before you travel

If you are travelling, you can find out the latest information about Southeastern services and see if there are any disruptions that might affect you.

Journey planners are now up to date for Saturday 1st to Monday 3rd May, please check your journey and allow extra time to reach your destination, full details of what work is taking place over the weekend can be found on the engineering page

If your journey involves a replacement bus service, please note that face coverings must also be worn on these (unless exempt) and social distancing on board may not be possible.

You can find further details on travelling with confidence on rail network here

For a summary of changes and to check your journey before you travel, visit >> https://bit.ly/3aNoQOH

Upchurch Matters