Changes at Upchurch's Co-op

After 5 years away, Nik Clements has returned to Upchurch's Co-op this week as the new store manager. Nik is delighted to be back working in the village and looking forward to becoming more involved with community life and seeing all your familiar faces again in store.

As the store manager, Nik is keen to hear what customers would like to see in our local Co-op. She will read all your feedback and where possible will make improvements based on your comments while continuing the good work her team already does.

Please continue to complete the 'your store your say' surveys using store number 7889 at >> www.yourstoreyoursay.com for your chance to win 1 of 10 £250 vouchers each month.

Thank you

Good luck Nik 🤞🏼

David would like to thank you all. Upchurch is the best store he has worked in, he says, with the best team and the loveliest customers. He will be back in August covering holidays, so you haven't seen the last of him just yet!

We wish David well in his new role and would like to thank him for all his hard work in Upchurch, particularly during the Coronavirus lockdown when the village really needed its local Co-op.

Thank you, David 👏🏼

Upchurch Matters

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Swale Borough Council Opens Second Round of Discretionary Grants Scheme to Help More Small Businesses Get Back on Their Feet

Small businesses in the tourism, hospitality and leisure industry could be eligible for support from Swale Borough Council’s second round of discretionary grants.

The second round of the discretionary grants scheme is aimed at those businesses who directly support Swale’s visitor economy and who haven’t yet qualified for any government grants to support them through the impact of COVID-19.

The council has already handed out more than £1 million in discretionary grants designed to help specific types of micro and small businesses who were not eligible for the small business grant scheme or the retail, leisure and hospitality grant schemes offered by the government.

Now that 130 businesses have received their grants, the council is opening the discretionary scheme for a second round.

Cllr Monique Bonney, cabinet member for economy and property at Swale Borough Council, said:

“The government guidelines on who should receive the discretionary grants were very strict in the first round.

Now that we’ve helped 130 businesses who fell into the categories of flexible workspaces, market trader’s, B&Bs and charities, we are adding another category for businesses that specifically support our visitor economy.

This includes tourism businesses and our hospitality and leisure service providers who are crucial to helping get our local economy going, especially now the summer is here, and lockdown restrictions are easing.

We have £400,000 left in the pot to give to eligible businesses and if we have some remaining after this round, we may open the scheme up for a third round to expand the criteria even more.

Local businesses are important to the community and we’re doing everything we can to support them. As well as the discretionary grants, we’ve also paid more than £27 million in small business and retail grants.

The grant scheme opens today (22nd July) for one week and we urge anybody requiring business support to sign up for our business emails to stay up to date on what’s available.”

Now that the first four categories have received support, a fifth category has been added:

1. Small businesses in shared premises or other flexible workspaces, e.g. industrial parks, science parks, incubators etc, which do not have their own business rates assessment.

2. Regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment.

3. B&B’s that pay council tax instead of business rates.

4. Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief that could otherwise have 

been eligible for small business rates relief or rural rate relief.

5. Businesses that directly support Swale’s visitor economy; this can include tourism, hospitality & leisure service providers but does not include sporting activity providers and/or supply chain businesses.

For more information about what help is available for businesses visit: www.swale.gov.uk/advice-for-businesses

Businesses wanting to sign up for updates from the council should Email: edu@swale.gov.uk

Swale Borough Council

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Poolside Bar Courtyard Music Nights July - November at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Telephone: 01634 360626

Website: www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

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Orchard Community Energy Fund - Open for Applications from 1st August

Orchard Community Energy Fund open for applications from 1st August - 31st October 2020 

The Community Fund donated by Orchard Community Energy is again open for applications from 1st August - 31st October 2020. The members of Orchard Community Energy have allocated a community fund of £10,000 for projects starting in 2021. This will be the fourth round of grants made by the community-owned energy organisation.

Grants will be between a minimum of £2,000 and a maximum of £5,000. Projects must benefit the residents of Swale and/or Medway. 

To apply:

• The applicant must be a Charity and beneficiaries cannot be specific individuals.

• The project must address at least one of the following objectives: wildlife conservation, climate change mitigation and/or adaption, the alleviation of fuel poverty or support for vulnerable or disadvantaged groups.

• Orchard Community Energy is particularly keen to receive applications that achieve social goals through environmental means, ie. address at least two objectives including at least one social and at least one environmental objective.

• The project should be ready to start in January 2021 and aim to be completed by the end of the year.

• Completed applications must be received by midday on 31st October 2020.

For full details of how to apply, please download the Guide for Applicants 2020-21 and Application for Funding Summary Form 2020-21 available at orchard.coop

About Orchard Community Energy

Orchard Community Energy was established in 2015 to develop community-owned renewable energy, low carbon and energy efficiency projects in Swale and Medway. It concentrates on projects that reduce the impact of climate change and increase energy security, whilst at the same time generating significant donations to its community fund.

Its 5MW solar array near Iwade occupies low grade farmland that was formerly used for brick earth extraction. The current output from the array is enough to meet the equivalent annual electricity demand of around 1,250 homes.

Profits after the payment of costs and interest are distributed to local community organisations. Details of past grants are available at orchard.coop

Pleas contact: grants@orchard.coop

Orchard Community Energy

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Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham

Dr Supriya Das & Dr Lakshmi Subbiah

Maidstone Road Practice now has its own website:
www.maidstoneroadsurgeryrainham.co.uk

Committee Meetings

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been no face to face committee meetings.

For the past 2 months, the Chairs within Medway and Swale area have been meeting virtually via “Zoom” with senior members of the CCG from Medway, keeping us informed of what is happening within the area.

Notes from the these meetings have been circulated to members, put on notice boards at our surgeries and published on Upchurch Matters.

Dispensing activity at our practice is now back to normal after an initial demand for extra medications. This may have been due to press releases stating there would be a shortage. Our dispensing practice deliveries were not affected.

Practice Current Programme 

Annual Medication Review

The practice will telephone patients to make a telephone appointment with either the Nurse or Deepal Patel, a pharmacist (currently working within the practice).

The reviews will be to discuss current medication.

If a blood test is required, you can telephone: 01634 471098 or Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital is now offering walk-in appointments.

Postnatal and baby immunisations, smears and all essential injections will be carried out as normal.

COVID-19

If you have symptoms then please visit: www.gov.uk/coronavirus for the latest information regarding testing and self-isolation.

I am sure everyone has been following the news concerning the pandemic. Patients are now asking about this years’ Flu Vaccination Programme. The surgery is currently making preparations to ensure that this is delivered in a safe, effective and timely manner.

Attending Surgery or Blood Clinic Appointments

If you have an appointment with the Doctor or a Nurse, you must wear a face-covering at all times.

If you have any questions or suggestions on the local practice, please Email:

Jan Bunting - Secretary: janannbunting@outlook.com or 

Ray Kemsley - Chair: raykemsley@btinternet.com

Ray Kemsley

Chair - Surgery Patient Participation Group - Upchurch & Rainham

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Home in Kent - Upchurch

Listen to the cassette - Turn your volume up 🔊

The video may not be visible in your Email.
If not, please watch it at: youtube.com

BBC Radio Kent presenter David Cornett travelled to Upchurch to interview some of its best-known residents for his afternoon programme, 'Home in Kent'.

During the hour-long special, villagers Mick Blee, Eric Gransden, Elizabeth Shorthouse, Joyce Gilbert, Evelyn Veale, Fran Higgins and Jack Cook all gave fascinating insights into village life at the time with each choosing a piece of their favourite music to play.

Amongst the topics they discussed were, the Church Choir and Choral Society, sport, sailing, and putting the world to rights in the pub, fruit farming, the local building and marine trades, conservation and wildlife, the Parish Council, community care, the Wives Group, returning to the village from the US, and even choosing to live in Upchurch despite not liking it here at all!

We are grateful to Elizabeth for sharing her cassette recording - the year it was recorded is unknown.

Upchurch Matters

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