Public Access Defibrillators Installed at the Doctors Surgery and Upchurch Village Hall

Two additional Public Access Defibrillators have been installed in Upchurch and are available to use 24 hours a day, located outside of:

Maidstone Road Surgery

56 Oak Lane
Upchurch
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME9 7AU

and

Upchurch Village Hall

The rear of the Crown Public House

The Street

Upchurch

Sittingbourne

Kent

ME9 7EU

Both Defibrillators were partially funded by grants awarded by Swale Borough Council through their Defibrillator Grants Scheme and significant contributions from Upchurch Parish Council and UpARA.

What is a Defibrillator?

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.

Modern AEDs have been designed to be simple for the layperson to use.

In a medical emergency

In a medical emergency, you must dial 999.

The 999 operator will assist and instruct the user, particularly with CPR, and provide the unlock code to open the Defibrillator Cabinet.

No training is required to use the Defibrillator. The Defibrillator will talk to the user giving them instructions on how to use it.

The 999 operator will also dispatch an ambulance.

Parish Council Public Access Defibrillators are also available to use 24 hours a day, located outside of:

Snaffles Equestrian & Country Store

2 - 4 The Street

Upchurch

Sittingbourne

Kent

ME9 7AJ

and

The Park Office

Beckenham Residential Park

Otterham Quay Lane

ME8 7XF

Holywell Primary School has a Defibrillator inside the school building, which is available in an emergency only when the school is open.

If you notice a problem with the Defibrillators outside the Doctor's Surgery, Snaffles or the Park Office at Beckenham Park or if you have had to use them, please let Upchurch Parish Council know as soon as possible so that they can be made ready for future use - Thank you.

Tel: 07798 600696

Email: clerk@upchurchparishcouncil.gov.uk

If you notice a problem with the Defibrillator outside Upchurch Village Hall or if you have had to use it, please let Upchurch Village Hall know as soon as possible so that it can be made ready for future use - Thank you.

Tel: ​07368 461507

Email: enquiries@upvh.co.uk

Upchurch Matters

St Mary's Church Fundraising Sale

Saturday 9th April between 10:00am - 11:30am

Homemade Cakes, Jams, Pickles, Scones and Savouries

Also Puzzles, Books, Bric-à-brac and sometimes Plants

Refreshments

Something for everyone!

Please help support this ancient building - Thank you

🍰 🍓 🧩 📚 🎨 🪴 ☕️ ➕

Upchurch Matters

Temporary Road Closure - White Hill Road, Hartlip

It will be necessary to close White Hill Road, Hartlip from Wednesday 6th April 2022 for up to 1 day.

The road will be closed between the junctions with Scragged Oak Road and Cox Street, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.

The alternative route is via Cox Street, Court Lane and Scragged Oak Road.

The closure is required while drainage cleansing works are undertaken by Kent County Council.

KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181

For details of roadworks see: https://one.network

Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste

Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham

Maidstone Road Rainham Surgery including Upchurch Surgery.

Healthy.io NHS Provider - minuteful kidney function test

A number of patients have received a text from the Practice Manager informing them that they will be contacted by Healthy.io, an NHS provider, to have a kidney function test at home with a kit provided by Healthy.io. (Sent directly to your home address).

The kit will look like the one below, and the results can be scanned by using your smartphone or tablet and sent to Healthy.io.

HOWEVER, if you do not have a smartphone or tablet then you will need to make an appointment with the surgery to see the nurse for this test to be carried out.

COVID-19 2nd booster (4th vaccination) - update

You will be contacted by the NHS by text message or letter, 6 months after your last booster, inviting you to make an appointment.

Practice website 

The Maidstone Road Rainham Surgery website is: www.maidstoneroadsurgeryrainham.co.uk

Ray Kemsley

Chair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham

April News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

Well, here we are again. I didn’t manage to get back in March but am ready for April to get to grips with another year in the garden. I was busy retiring in February so failed to produce an article last month, but now have all the time in the world. Curiously, I recently discovered that Russia and Ukraine supply 40% of all the world's fertilisers, so be prepared for a possible shortage.

Enough of this relaxation there is weeding to be done. As usual, I am behind in clearing the weeds from the borders which diminishes the effect of the Spring bulbs. The first Crocus flowered on 05 Feb 22, which is the earliest date so far, and the Spring flowers are in full bloom, although the Snowdrops have gone over now. I have started pruning the hedges around the vegetable patch which will open it up and get more air and light to this year’s seedlings. I am also digging trenches where I intend to grow vegetables and filling them with well-rotted compost to improve the condition of the soil. Seedlings and cuttings were started early in the greenhouse and just starting to germinate now. I do not intend to do too much in the vegetable patch this year as part of the retirement plan is to move to a quiet part of Suffolk and start all over again!

The lawn improved considerably last year and is now ready for the first cut. The blades are set high which will give an even cut but not too short. That will be followed by a good scarification with a rake to get all the dead thatch and moss out following the Winter. Then break up the compacted soil with a fork to allow air to get into the roots. Finally, a high Nitrogen Weed & Feed to get everything greened up and growing and clear the weeds… who needs Green Thumb!

The next two months are very intense in the garden, and it’s a question of keeping going. Everything falls into place eventually, and you reach the end of May with a garden looking good and ready for the Summer.

The more effort you put in now, the better it will be.

UHS is always looking for new members and tries 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 shows we hold each year, 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

The Rainbow Café at St Mary's Church, Upchurch

Thursday 7th April

10:00am - 12:00pm

Hi everyone,

Do come along to our slimmed-down Rainbow Café in St Mary's Church, Upchurch.

There will still be excellent homemade cakes and savouries, and we are still supporting a group of kids in Uganda to go to school.

And the welcome is just as warm - why not bring a friend.

Our hot drink with a slice of cake is a ridiculous £1.50 - if you can't afford to pay, don't worry, it will be our pleasure to serve you and have a chat.

If you can give a bit more, that will be amazing!

God bless you all ♥️

Gill and the Rainbow Café Team