Sittingbourne Community Wardrobe

School uniform will be available to collect if needed at the rear of the Methodist Church in Sittingbourne High Street.

Other stallholders and charities will be there to offer support as required, for addiction, debt and bereavement.

Diversity House will have drop-in days to offer information and support for a number of projects they are involved with.

Please note: Covid safety precautions will apply. There is a restriction on capacity, and masks are to be worn.

We will support you as best we can.

Cllr Richard Palmer
On behalf of Diversity House and Sittingbourne Community Wardrobe

Medway Maritime Hospital - Ruby Ward Public Consultation

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has launched a seven-week public consultation on a proposal to relocate Ruby Ward - the one remaining ‘dormitory’ style inpatient mental health ward from Medway Maritime Hospital to a new purpose-built unit in Maidstone.

Have your say

You will find all the details about the consultation, including a consultation document, background information and the consultation questionnaire at: www.kentandmedwayccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/ruby-ward

Information can also be requested in hard copy by calling: 01634 335095 and selecting option 2 for the Engagement Team or Emailing: kmccg.engage@nhs.net

The consultation runs until midnight on 21st September 2021.

There are several opportunities for patients, the public and staff to get involved, including virtual public meetings and face-to-face drop-in exhibitions. We will publish more information about these opportunities shortly.

In addition, the CCG will carry out telephone polling and targeted focus group discussions to ensure a wide range of views are captured.

We hope you will take the opportunity to provide a response to the consultation and let people in your contact groups know that it is taking place so that as many people’s views as possible can be considered as part of the decision-making process.

Next steps

After the consultation ends, an independent agency will compile and review the consultation feedback.

This will be presented at an extraordinary meeting of the CCG’s Governing Body on 28th October 2021.

If the proposals are approved, the new unit is expected to be commissioned to be ready by December 2022.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Ray Kemsley

On behalf of NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group

Front Garden Sale in Oak Lane

On Saturday 7th August

At 14 Oak Lane, Upchurch

Between 10:00am and 12:00pm

Furniture - Games - A4 Files - Ornaments

To name but a few items

All proceeds to St Mary's Church, Upchurch

Elizabeth Shorthouse

Upchurch Village Hall Invites you to Afternoon Tea

Saturday 21st August from 3:00pm to 5:00pm

As part of the full re-opening, the Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee would like to say “thank you” to the residents and organisations of Upchurch for supporting us prior to and during the closure. During the closure, we commissioned a significant amount of work on refreshing the hall ceiling, floor, electrics, and fire systems.

We are inviting you to accept our free afternoon tea, made by members of the Upchurch WI, from 3:00pm - 5:00pm when you will be able to sit and talk to friends whilst drinking a cup of tea, coffee or soft drink with a slice of homemade cake.

This invitation, open to all residents, will give you a chance to engage with village organisations present on the day. A chance to discover what plans they have going forward, to be talked into becoming a member, to be offered something to purchase etc. In fact a chance for us all to reconnect with each other again in the life of this village.

The following organisations are planning to be represented with others to confirm - the Choral Society, the Friends of St Mary, the Guides, “Old School Afternoon Teas”, the Players [oh yes they are!], the Scouts, “Smile Malawi”, St Mary’s church, UpARA, the Women’s Institute and “Wooden Crafts”.

If any others want a free stand please show your interest by contacting Gerry Lewin 01634 366113 / 07946 996789.

Covid-19 all but closed the Village Hall for use since April 2020. On the 19th July Government made its Roadmap announcements and the hall is fully open up to its regular users and new hirers.

We look forward to seeing you there with the family.

David Steward - Chairman UVH

Front Garden Sale in Bishop Lane

General household items will be for sale in front gardens at Bishop Lane, around number 17, from 10:00am until 3:00pm on Saturday 7th August.

Iris Martin

News from Upchurch Choral Society

It is with much pleasure and expectation that we announce that we will be resuming our singing on Friday 3rd September 2021.

We trust that restrictions by then will allow us to sing our hearts out every Friday evening as we used to do and present a concert of seasonal music in our church on Saturday 27th November.

A spring concert is also planned for 2022.

Also, we will be having a stall at the Village Hall Afternoon Tea on Saturday 21st August, see advert elsewhere. Do come and visit us and gain more information about our activities, maybe think about joining us.

We are a four-part choir and sing all manner of things in the church with the help of our conductor Marius and our accompanist Janet.

For more information do contact our Secretary Sue Rossiter:

Telephone: 01634 234780

Email: suerossiter@waitrose.com

Sue Rossiter - Secretary Upchurch Choral Society