Issue 5 - Medway Council

Transcription

ISSUE 5
July / August 2006
Circulation: 113,437
Medway
M ATT E R S
T H E C O U N C I L M A G A Z I N E F O R A L L M E D W AY P E O P L E
It’s never
too late
to learn
Page 11
INSIDE
Accept the
governor challenge
It’s summer: Time
to get out and about
Go green in just
one small step
SHOUTbOX gives
its smoking verdict
Page 14
Pages 15-18
Page 19
Pages 22-23
www.medway.gov.uk
Serving You
ADVERTISEMENT
Medway M ATT E R S
Issue 5
July / August 2006
Circulation: 113,437
Medway Matters is written and
designed by Medway Council's
Communications Team.
Printed by The Limehouse Group
on 100 per cent recycled paper.
Distributed by Royal Mail
door-to-door service.
Visit Medway Matters online at
www.medway.gov.uk/medwaymatters
CONTACT MEDWAY MATTERS
Medway Matters, Corporate
Communications, Medway Council,
Civic Centre, Strood, Rochester,
Kent ME2 4AU
Editorial Tel: 332782
[email protected]
Advertising Tel: 332782
[email protected]
Distribution Tel: 332282
[email protected]
Text MM then your message to
07739 657073.
The next edition of Medway Matters
will be published in September 2006.
If you have an article or photograph
you think would be suitable for
inclusion please send it to the above
address to reach us no later than
Friday, 21 July.
Learning is for all INSIDE
A day spent without learning is a day wasted,
so says our feature on adult learning on
page 11 of this issue of Medway Matters.
The piece has got me thinking that learning,
as an adult, can really be fun. Ok, it’s true that
once upon a time my impression of adult education was of
women in a matching twin set and pearls and of improving
your cooking abilities, with a dab of lace-making thrown in
(I apologise in advance to everyone who wears these
garments and enjoys these activities).
Today adult learning has something to offer everyone aged over
16. It does still have the popular hobby courses, but now it also
has an improving range of courses that lead to a qualification at
the end as well. It is tackling its stereotypical image with gusto
and if the latest figures are to be seen as a sign of overall
improvement, it’s winning. Last year 25 per cent of adult
learners in Medway were men; 17 per cent were from ethnic
minority communities; 21 per cent were aged over 60 and
three per cent were aged 16-18. They tackled courses from
computing to literacy as our feature reveals. There are all sorts
of different people trying all sorts of different things. After all,
how many retired women, 20 years ago, would have wanted to
try to build their own PC as one of the women in our story
does? I like the idea that anyone worried about whether their
reading,writing and maths skills are good enough to carry on
learning can talk to someone, making that adult learning
journey as smooth as it can be. Our cover is right, it really is
never too late to learn.
Cover story
About Medway
Hot off the press stories
about the local area.
Pages 4-9
Viewpoint
Let us know your views and
opinions of what’s happening
and what affects you.
Page 20
Community news
Events and news from
around Medway.
Page 21
Mixit SHOUTbOX
If it’s important to young
people, it’s here.
Pages 22-23
Off the shelf
What’s new in libraries.
Page 28
What’s on?
Find out what’s happening in
Medway.
Pages 29
Doors open:
New-look
library and
contact
point
open for
business in
Gillingham.
Page 4
It’s never too
late to learn:
Find out about
the exciting
range of
courses on
offer from our
adult learning
service
Page 11
This publication is available
in other formats and
languages. Please telephone
332282 for more information.
Serving You
Regular features
Fay Coffin, Editor
All telephone numbers should be
prefixed with 01634 unless
otherwise stated.
Cover image: Medway adult
learning service, courtesy of
Stuart Thomas Photography
July / August 2006
T H E C O U N C I L M AG A Z I N E F O R A L L M E D WAY P E O P L E
On the spot:
Cllr Geoff Juby
answers your
questions
Pages 12-13
Summer Times:
What to do and when it’s happening: your
full summer guide Pages 15-18
Urban rangers:
Keeping Medway clean,
safe and green
Page 8
www.medway.gov.uk
3
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Our services where you want them
Better services for local people. That’s what’s
on offer in Gillingham now, thanks to months of
work to refurbish Gillingham Library and open a
new contact point.
Medway Council Leader Cllr
Rodney Chambers officially
opened the library and new
contact point, both housed in
the same building in
Gillingham High Street.
The refurbished library has
new features, including a wellequipped IT suite with PCs
offering free internet access, a
browsing area with sofas and
low tables. There is also an
audio-visual section, young
people’s facilities and disabled
access via a newly installed
lift. It’s all designed to make
visiting the library a pleasant,
welcoming experience.
Meanwhile, Gillingham
Contact Point is positioned
near the front of the library as
you come through the main
doors. Residents can access
council services right on their
doorstep, from reporting
broken street lights and
contacting the community
safety team to booking bulky
waste collections.
You can pop in and have a
chat with the friendly staff who
will help you with your enquiry.
Just as importantly, if you
want to know something that
the contact point staff can’t
answer they will find you
someone who can - making it
easier than ever before to deal
with the council.
Medway Council and the
Department of Communities
and Local Government funded
improvements to Gillingham
Library and the creation of the
new contact point.
The Medway branch of
Soroptomists International
donated £1,000 towards a
Rochester
has contact
point too...
benefiting from a contact point
on their doorstep.
Medway Visitor Information
Centre in Rochester High
Street is home to Rochester
Contact Point. The first
Medway Council contact point
opened last year in Station
Road, Rainham, followed by
Not only has Gillingham
Contact Point opened, but
residents in Rochester are also
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www.medway.gov.uk
new plasma screen in the
building. Portfolio Holder for
Community Services Cllr
Howard Doe said: “I am
delighted by the
improvements to Gillingham
Library. The work underlines
the importance of libraries to
the local community.
“The council is always
working to encourage more
people to use the 16 libraries
across Medway and the work in
Gillingham has turned it into a
first-class facility for residents.’’
Anyone who lives, works or
studies in Medway or Kent
can join a Medway library. The
council has also made
improvements in Chatham and
Grain libraries in the past two
years and is investing in
Rochester Library this year.
Portfolio Holder for Customer
First and Community Safety
Cllr Janice Bamber said: “This
is the third contact point to
open in Medway. Each one is
dedicated to serving the
needs of our customers.
“The contact points, together
with our customer contact
centre on 333333 and our
website for customer services
are part of the overall
Customer First programme,
which is going from strength
to strength.
It is all about ensuring we
provide services at times, in
places and in ways that suit
our customers.”
Contact points are one-stop
shops that offer access to a
range of services and in some
locations, like Rainham, offer
partner services too, such as
Kent Police.
■ Cllr Rodney Chambers at the opening with
children from Richmond Infant School
Rochester and Gillingham.
Another contact point in Strood
will open later this year.
Contact points are one-stop
shops that offer access to
council services, and in
Rainham and Strood, services
from Kent Police as well.
Medway Council’s Leader
Cllr Rodney Chambers said:
“Rochester Contact Point
again demonstrates the
commitment the council has
to providing services for
residents in places that are
convenient for them. We are
committed to serving our
customers well.”
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Watch out:
There’s a spider
in your roll
Madam Mayor
■ Tasty snack
for Medway
Mayor
Cllr Angela
Prodger
The Mayor of Medway got to chew things over at the third Your
Town, Your Future event at Capstone Farm Country Park,
Chatham. Always a good sport the Mayor, Cllr Angela Prodger,
was finding out about food hygiene, one of a range of initiatives
designed to teach tomorrow’s residents about good citizenship.
Using real-life scenarios and exciting simulations 1,800 young
people from 30 schools were given an introduction to the services
provided by Medway Council. The Mayor decided to have a go at
the activities on offer. The children, aged 10 and 11, toured an
environmental health house of horrors, investigated an abandoned
vehicle, helped cartoon character Jack work out a safe route to
school and learnt about recycling. Cleanaway, Fitness First and
Medway Community Safety Partnership sponsored Your Town,
Your Future. Mayor Cllr Angela Prodger said: “I had a great day
and I think the young people who took part had fun and learned
lots about being a good citizen.”
Explosives are unearthed
The discovery of wartime
shells in material being used to
raise the height of Rochester
Riverside is no cause for
alarm, say project engineers.
A number of small shells and
bullets have been detected in
material being dredged from
the Thames and brought to the
site by river - reducing road
use and maximising recycling.
Most of the explosives were
harmless and taken away by
the army for disposal.
The few items found intact
were destroyed in controlled
explosions. Discovery of the
explosives demonstrates that
the sophisticated screening
process is working well.
The six-month dredging
operation is providing more
than 500,000 tons of material
to raise the site by two metres
for flood defences.
It was known from the start
that old wartime shells would
Serving You
probably be dredged up.
All material is screened as it
enters the dredger and again
as it is put into a lagoon on
the site. There is a team of
experts on the dredger at
all times.
Rochester Riverside - a joint
project by Medway Council
and SEEDA - is one of the
biggest and busiest
regeneration sites in the
Thames Gateway.
Its 30 hectares are being
cleared and decontaminated
to make way for a stunning
development of 2,000 homes,
offices, hotels, shops, cafes
and bars together with a
new health centre and
primary school.
Construction is due to
start in 2009. Castle View
Business Centre and Acorn
Shipyard remain operational
and are unaffected by the
development plans.
Back to nature for popular reserve
Berengrave Local Nature Reserve has re-opened to the public
with new steps, footpaths and boardwalks, making it much
easier to explore this site of nature conservation interest that
includes a freshwater pond. With its entrance near the junction
of Berengrave Lane and Lower Rainham Road, the reserve is a
former chalk quarry and is now part of the 100-hectare Riverside
Country Park, Gillingham. Local community group Friends of
Berengrave has supported the project throughout and is now
carrying out historical research into the site, which will be used
to create on-site information panels.“It’s wonderful that this
important haven for local wildlife is once again available for
nature lovers to enjoy,” said the council’s Portfolio Holder for
Community Services Cllr Howard Doe. This is a great tribute to
community spirit and I’m sure Berengrave will once again bring
great pleasure to the people of Medway.”
Sporting chance for disabled kids
Young disabled people are
preparing to go cricket and
athletics crazy thanks to the
arrival of two new disability
sports coaches.
Roy Shirley, a part-time
cricket coach and James
Sheehy, a part-time athletics
coach, have been employed by
the Access into Medway Sport
(AIMS) project, part of a threeyear disability sports initiative
organised by Medway Council.
Each coach is running an
after-school club. The coaches
are also running PE sessions
for disabled pupils. For details
contact John Hatchett, on
338763, or email
[email protected]
www.medway.gov.uk
5
Medway M ATT E R S
Picture courtesy of the KM Group
Medway’s very own
World Cup champs
You may be celebrating or
drowning your sorrows over
the result of the FIFA World
Cup, but everyone can be
pleased that Medway has
its very own World Cup
winner. It’s Featherby
Junior School (Brazil), whose
team scored a victory in the
KM Medway Mini World
Cup 2006.
They were one of the 32
primary schools entering the
one-day, seven-a-side
tournament at Deangate
Ridge Sports Complex, Hoo.
Each school adopted a
country. The thrill-packed day
of fun and football, including a
team parade, finished in a
World Cup-style final.
Organised jointly by Medway
Council and the Medway
Messenger newspaper, the
tournament was supported by
Kent County Football
Association. Official sponsor
of trophies, medals and prizes
was Greenacre School
Sport Partnership. Portfolio
Holder for Community
Services Cllr Howard Doe
said: “It was a tremendous
afternoon for young people to
enjoy sport in Medway. The
FIFA World Cup generates an
awful lot of interest in football
and our own Mini World Cup
was just as popular.”
Faster system in place for claiming benefits
If you are about to make a
claim for housing or council
tax benefit then a new
fast-track scheme that can
process a claim more quickly
could help.
It’s easy to use the fast-track
scheme. All you need to do is
take a completed application
form into the Civic Centre,
Strood or the Municipal
Buildings, Gillingham, together
with the necessary supporting
evidence to submit your claim.
It means you can make your
6
claim immediately because
your claim will be passed
on to a dedicated member
of staff who will make a
decision on your claim on the
same day.
And the scheme works well.
During its first week a
customer had a claim
successfully approved within
an hour of moving into a new
address. Another customer
was able to tell her landlord
that her claim had been fasttracked so the landlord knew
www.medway.gov.uk
that payment was on the way.
It can be a worrying
experience waiting to see if a
claim has been accepted or
not, but the fast-track scheme
aims to alleviate this.
■ If you know anyone who is
committing benefit fraud then
please contact Medway
Council’s Benefit Fraud
Hotline. Phone 0800 083 7049
or email
[email protected]
Benefit fraud affects everyone
who pays taxes.
July / August 2006
No decision yet
on council tax
A decision is still awaited on
Medway Council’s appeal
against being capped by the
Government for the level of
council tax that it set.
Medway Council’s Deputy
Leader Cllr Alan Jarrett met
Phil Woolas, Minister for Local
Government and Community
Cohesion, to discuss the
council’s appeal. The council
was given the chance to
discuss the issues raised in its
letter of appeal. A decision
from the Government is
expected towards the end of
July. As Medway Matters
went to press the council
was still waiting to hear the
verdict from the Department
of Communities and Local
Government. If the council is
to be capped the issue will go
to Parliament before the
summer break. Cllr Alan Jarrett
said: “We believe that we give
good value for money and
have a very low council tax
compared to other councils in
Kent and across the country.’’
If the council is capped it will
need to cut back its spending
this year by £382,000 plus the
amount required to send out
new council tax bills
(estimated at £108,000),
because it will not be allowed
to charge what it had set in its
budget for council tax. The
Minister could alternatively let
htis year’s council tax rise
stand but set a guideline
figure for next year’s increase.
Cash for school
Investment of more than
£2.3million at Elaine Primary
School in Strood will help
provide a range of extended
school services including a
dedicated area team serving
children and their families in
Strood and on the Hoo
Peninsula. An extended
school provides services and
activities, often beyond the
school day, to help meet the
needs of the community.
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
More rail services
from December
Extra trains between Medway and London
are on the cards from new operator Govia,
including services that Medway Council has
been arguing for over the past few years.
Govia began running the new
eight-year Integrated Kent
Franchise from 1 April. It
includes planned high-speed
services on the Channel
Tunnel Rail Link from Ashford,
via Medway to Stratford and
St Pancras from 2009.
The move follows the
council’s lobbying campaign
last year on behalf of Medway
commuters for the best
possible rail services to and
from London. Some of these
services were under threat in
the run-up to the franchise
award. The council has always
maintained that, while it is
pleased to have the highspeed rail link to Medway, it
cannot be at the expense of
peak services to Cannon
Street and Victoria.
Govia has promised more
train services from December
2006, which are expected to
include an extra early morning
service from Medway to
Riding high
There is going to be one heck of a party when the
Tour of Britain comes to Medway in September
and Medway Council is delighted to be playing its
part to make the event happen locally.
Medway is no stranger to
hosting world-class cycle
races. It will be hosting part of
the first stage of the world’s
biggest annual sporting event
next year - the Tour de France
and has previously hosted the
national Prutour twice.
Stage five of the Tour of
Britain, which takes cyclists of
international calibre across
Great Britain, begins against
the beautiful backdrop of
Rochester Castle Gardens on
Saturday, 2 September.
The Tour of Britain is firmly
regarded as Britain’s leading
professional cycle race and
one of the biggest live
sporting events in the country.
Spectators coming to see
the start of stage five in
Medway will, at some points,
get to see the cyclists twice
as they race through
Serving You
July / August 2006
Medway on their way to
Canterbury in the penultimate
leg of the race.
Not only that, but it will be
carnival time in Medway on
the day of the race as
Rochester High Street is
closed to traffic to allow for a
celebration of the event. The
idea is to create a real carnival
community feel in Medway
on the day.
Medway Council has actively
worked with the race’s
organisers to bring the race to
the area, recognising the
importance of events like this.
It’s a gruelling ride for the
cyclists, who start in Glasgow
on Tuesday, 29 August and
make their way through
Blackpool, Liverpool, Yorkshire
and the west Midlands, before
arriving in Rochester. The final
leg takes place on Sunday, 3
Cannon Street for people
working in the City of London.
“The franchise is good news
for passengers,” said Chris
Moyes, Chief Executive of the
Go-Ahead Group, co-owner of
Govia. “It will be a safe,
reliable and efficient railway
and result in continuous
improvement in customer
satisfaction.” Improved
punctuality and even more
trains are the aims of a major
timetable review planned for
December 2007. The company
has also promised better
information systems, improved
station and train CCTV
coverage, new and upgraded
ticket machines and graffiti
removal within 24 hours.
Govia has told the council that
it will be passenger-focused,
investing to encourage people
to travel. It has said it will
respond to the major economic
growth expected in Medway
and be part of the communities
it serves.
“This is a first-class race.
September through London.
Cycling is a great sport and a
The stage in Kent is new
good way to keep fit.
for 2006.
“We’re hoping that seeing
Medway Council’s Portfolio
professional cyclists in action
Holder for Strategic
on the streets of Medway will
Development and Economic
encourage people locally to
Growth Cllr Jane Chitty said:
take up the sport.’’
“The day the Tour of Britain
comes to Medway is going to
be a fantastic one. Not only
will spectators get to see
some of the world’s best
cyclists in a nationally
recognised event, but
the whole Medway
community can come
together and have
some fun.
“The decision to
hold stages of the
Tour of Britain and
the Tour de France
reflects our very
strong track record in
attracting and
successfully hosting
international sporting
events. Our partners
know that they can
trust us to deliver high
profile events like this.’’
Portfolio Holder for
Community Services
Cllr Howard Doe said:
■ Cllr Jane Chitty
at the launch
www.medway.gov.uk
7
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Boys in green on patrol
Medway’s parks, play areas and recreation
grounds will be greener, cleaner and safer
from now on, thanks to the newly created
Urban Ranger Service.
An extension of Medway
Council’s Country Parks
Ranger Service, the boys and
girls in green are looking after
dozens of sites throughout
Medway. The team consists of
four rangers and a senior
ranger and they’ve already
made a big difference.
Earlier this year piles of
fly-tipped rubbish were
removed from Shorts Way
Recreation Ground in Borstal,
thanks to co-operation
between the rangers and Hyde
Housing Association, which
has properties overlooking
the ground.
“This is a great example of
how partnership working can
result in a cleaner, safer and
more enjoyable environment
for the people of Medway,”
said Medway Council’s
Portfolio Holder for
Community Services Cllr
Howard Doe. “I look forward
to many more examples of this
■ Below: Senior Ranger Bob Wade is part of the team
keeping our urban areas in top shape.
8
www.medway.gov.uk
kind of thing in the future.”
In April, a group of Rainbow
Guides called the rangers out
to rid an area of Ministry of
Defence-owned land, near
Mansion Row in Brompton,
of unsightly junk that was
spoiling it for them and for
local wildlife.
“This was a real feel-good
initiative,” said Senior
Ranger Bob Wade. “It’s a
short-cut to school for the
girls and they wanted it to be
clear of rubbish for the plants
and animals.”
About a dozen Guides, their
mums and dads, and the
rangers all mucked in to shift
the cans, bottles, tyres,
fencing, garden furniture and
even a child’s bike that littered
the site.
■ Left: Fly-tipping
removal at Shorts
Way Recreation
Ground, Borstal.
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
“Things are changing,
Two-way traffic to
flow again through
Chatham Centre
Chatham’s infamous ring road
is on course to switch to
two-way traffic in late summer.
The new system will free up
Chatham for massive
regeneration projects that will
transform the waterfront, create
a new cultural quarter and give
Chatham some of the best
shopping in the south-east.
The £2.5million first-phase of
the road project, which started
in March, will come to an end
in late summer when - on a day
to be announced soon - all of
the two-kilometre ring road will
switch to two-way.On the same
day the Sir John Hawkins Way
flyover will be closed to
through traffic except buses,
taxis, cycles and emergency
vehicles. Medway Council’s
Portfolio Holder for Front Line
Services Cllr Phil Filmer said:
July / August 2006
you’ll like the road ahead”
“We’re working to make sure
that Chatham enjoys full
development potential and
changing the ring road to
two-way traffic is key in this.’’
Phase one works include:
●
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●
●
Changes of traffic lights in and around The
Brook/Globe Lane, The Brook/ Slicketts Hill,
The Brook/High Street, Union Street/Best
Street and Railway Street/Best Street.
New traffic lights in Best Street/Clover Street,
Whiffens Avenue/The Brook and Union
Street/Best Street, and at the entrance off The
Brook into The Brook multi-storey car park.
Traffic approaching from Chatham rail station
and Maidstone Road travelling to the centre of
Chatham will be able to turn right at the
bottom of Railway Street for car parks off Best
Street or turn left into the car park at the top
of the Sir John Hawkins Way flyover.
Cars leaving that car park will only be able to
turn right towards the Best Street/ Railway
Street junction.
●
●
●
Traffic going into Globe Lane from Medway
Street will be able to turn left and go
directly to Globe Lane car park or through
to Dock Road. Cross Street, near the eastern
end of Rope Walk, will also be re-opened
to traffic.
Buses will enter the bus station from Military
Road and exit on to The Brook.
The location of the taxi rank at the Pentagon
Centre, near Sainsbury’s, is unchanged
except that taxis will queue and approach
the rank from Military Road and then exit
directly on to The Brook.
Our hotline number is 334567 or visit
www.medway.gov.uk/bettermedway.
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Serving You
www.medway.gov.uk
9
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Gillingham - have your say on its future
A team of design experts has unveiled radical proposals
for the regeneration of Gillingham.
Consultants Barton Willmore end of the town centre
(possibly at the junction of
were appointed by Medway
High Street and Skinner
Council to develop a
Street) that could help
framework for the long-term
evening trade
success of central Gillingham
● Improved use of - and
by exploiting its strengths
and addressing its
connections to - open space
weaknesses - in particular,
at the Black Lion Leisure
the scattered layout of its
Centre and the Great Lines
● More flexible use of land at
long high street.
Now the consultants' report
the western end of the High
- Gillingham Town Centre, a
Street with opportunities for
Conceptual Framework new homes and food and
is being studied by
drink places.
Medway Council ahead of
Huge opportunity to
public consultation.
change Gillingham for
The consultants say the
the better.
high street market is vital to
Other proposals include
Gillingham's economy and
improving
and relocating bus
must continue to play a
stops
and
introducing a new
central role.
network of signs for
Key ideas include:
pedestrians pointing out the
● Improved parking provision
market, library and other key
● Creating a new town
facilities and amenities.
square heart for Gillingham
There will be public
within a shopping zone at the
consultation on the
junction of High Street and
consultants' report through
Green Street
July and again in the autumn.
● Transforming the area
Once adopted as a planning
around Gillingham Railway
document - probably in
Station, giving an improved
December - it will become
welcome and better links to
the blueprint for future
the town centre
● A major leisure/cultural
venue towards the western
10
www.medway.gov.uk
investment in Gillingham.
It is a vital step towards
securing future regeneration
funding from the private
sector and the Department
for Communities and Local
Government which funded
the Barton Willmore project.
Cllr Jane Chitty, Portfolio
Holder for Strategic
Development and Economic
Growth, said: "The people of
Gillingham have told us they
want to share in the massive
regeneration planned for
Medway. The Barton Willmore
report is a response to that
ambition. Gillingham is in line
for major public and private
sector investment.
“It's a huge opportunity to
change Gillingham for the
better. But to seize that
opportunity, we need to do
what the consultants have
done: we need to be bold
and ambitious and look at the
big picture."
The Barton Willmore report
comes after opinion polls
showed higher levels of
dissatisfaction with the council
in Gillingham than in other areas
of Medway.
A few of the initiatives already
carried out to counter that
dissatisfaction include:
● Buying the Littlewoods car
park to safeguard 40 spaces
in central Gillingham
● More visible policing to target
drug-use and drunken behaviour
● Major refurbishment of
Gillingham Library which is now complete
● New lighting, surfacing and CCTV cameras in Sappers
Walk and the alleyway between Gillingham Railway Station
and Balmoral Gardens
● Improved road and pavement surfaces at St Mary's Road,
Saunders Street, Mill Road, Strover Street, Fox Street,
James Street, Trinity Road, King Edward Road, Gardiner
Street, Court Lodge Road and Skinner Street
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
It’s never too late...
By Stephen Hannington
When we grow up we can often think that we’ve finished with
education. Our lives can seem mapped out for us. Now here's
a thought - a day spent without learning is a day wasted.
People start adult education
wanting to gain a qualification
for a variety of reasons - from
or the desire to get a better
job, to
developing an
interest or
hobby, helping
children with
homework, to
meeting new
people.
That's where
Medway Adult
Learning Service,
run by Medway
Council, can
help. Last year
it had 9,389
learners from age 16 upwards
enrolling on 17,071 courses some people were so keen
they enrolled on more than
one course.
There are no barriers to
adult learning that cannot be
tackled. If you are concerned
that your reading or writing
skills may not be up to it or
are concerned about filling in
forms or think you may
experience other difficulties
you can talk to the Learner
Services Manager.
The service, which has
seven centres in Medway, is
working to develop stronger
links with further and higher
education providers so that all
learning needs can be met.
The council believes adult
learning in Medway is good
value. There are concessions
available and some courses
are even free of charge. In a
recent survey 99 per cent said
they would recommend their
course to a friend and 99.7
per cent were satisfied with
their course.
Courses for 2006/07 include
business and finance;
computing; cookery; family
learning; GCSE, AS and A2
Levels; languages; health and
beauty; NVQs - working with
children; performing arts;
personal skills and teaching
qualifications. Interested?
Why not sign up today. See
our contact details below.
...to learn something new
Former infant school headteacher Joan Coates
enrolled on an Introduction To Computers
course "to prove that I didn't need a computer''.
She said: "My family had been telling me that I
ought to get a computer. I knew nothing about
computers and didn't really want one. It was a
10-week course and by week five I was hooked.
I discovered this box of magic and went out
and bought one."
She went on to complete a Computer Literacy
and Information Technology (CLAiT) course and
then studied Desktop Publishing at Levels 1
and 2. She also has a European Computer
Driving Licence (ECDL), a widely recognised
qualification that employers will accept as proof
of computer competence.
But it didn't stop there. Joan has completed a
course in computer maintenance. "I can strip a
computer down and put it back together,'' she
said. She is now studying an Advanced Photoshop
course. She just can't get enough. “The message
is that older people do not need to be afraid of
computers," she said.
"It's like a hippopotamus sandwich. You think
you can't eat it because it's too big. But if you
take it in little nibbles, you can manage it. And you
get to meet people. Shantha and I met on the
CLAiT course and have done courses together
ever since."
Shantha Diwakar is a retired paediatrician who
Serving You
decided to enrol on the course when her
son gave her a computer. That was just
the start. She went on to learn Desktop
Publishing at Levels 1 and 2 and how to
use the internet. "I just got hooked on
computers. It keeps the brain ticking to
study computers and IT."
Shantha, too, studied computer
maintenance at introductory,
intermediate and advanced levels.
She said: "Computer
maintenance was really useful
to me. I can maintain my
computer using the skills I
have learned." She even
hopes, one day, to build
her own computer.
Having attended so many
courses together, Shantha
and Joan have now become
For 2006/07 there are two adult learning
firm friends, outside of the
course directories available. The first is
classroom. "Our friendship
tailored for people wanting to study for a
was a great advantage,
qualification, while the second is aimed
especially when we were
at those learning for pleasure.
doing exams," Shantha said.
Both directories give details of when and
"If we got stuck studying we
how to enrol.
could help each other out.
Phone 338400 or visit
Socially, it has been good
meeting different people. The www.medway.gov.uk/adultlearning
teaching has been excellent." for more information.
www.medway.gov.uk
11
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Cllr Geoff Juby is Leader of one of the
opposition groups on Medway Council. He has
been a councillor since 1996, but has been
interested in local politics since 1987. He is
married with two children and is one of three ward
councillors for Gillingham South. We Sent Fay
Coffin to meet him.
Are you married? Do you have any children?
Yes to both. My wife is called Nemia and we’ve been married
for 25 years next year. We have two children - Kenneth, 21 and
Maria, 16.
What is your occupation?
I was a chef, from when I left school for about 35 years. I ran
a small shop when I came to Gillingham called Mainly Oriental,
which was selling oriental foods and handicrafts. When I get
time now I work as a chef with agencies.
Who does the cooking at home then - you or your wife?
We share it. If we’re cooking oriental dishes my wife tends to do
it, if not I like to cook. Our children are happy with whoever cooks.
Were you brought up in Medway or did you move here?
I moved down here in 1987. Originally I grew up in Norfolk.
When did you first become involved in local politics?
As a councillor, it was in 1996 when I was elected to Gillingham
Borough Council. But before then I was doing different things
like lobbying on pressure groups.
I really got involved in 1987 at the time of the poll tax and
the changes in business rates - it affected the small business I
was running at the time. I became Liberal Democrat Group
Leader in 2001.
12
www.medway.gov.uk
When you became involved in local politics, did you
continue with your business? Is it difficult to combine
business with being a councillor?
When I first got involved in 1987 I carried on with the business
and continued to do so until 1994. As well as running the
business I was also working as a chef. I think the first serious
time I stood was in 1995.
One of the down sides of a unitary authority like Medway is
that when you’re a district councillor as I was at Gillingham you
could do it and still run a business, but with the unitary it is
more like a full-time job. It is a difficult issue really, to be honest,
especially if you look after a large ward in one of the deprived
areas of Medway. I believe that councillors should be looking
after the interests of people who elected them.
We have few young councillors in Medway; the majority are
aged 40 and over - is local politics something that doesn’t
interest younger people?
One of the problems I can see for unitary councils in particular is
that if you stand as a councillor it does affect your family life and
your career because you need to devote an awful lot of time to
the role to do it properly.
As a chef, where did you work?
I went all over the place. I started off with 10 years in hospitals
but then I went to work in Jordan and Saudi Arabia before
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
coming back to work for the American Airforce.
After being made redundant four times in 15 months I
decided to move from Norfolk to Medway as there were more
job prospects, if not locally, then in London.
July / August 2006
Cracking down on
illegal nuisance bikes
Do you find the role of councillor rewarding?
I think the most rewarding bit is meeting people and discussing
their problems. The number one thing to remember is that you
will not always solve everyone’s problem and you just have to
do the best that is available.
The most difficult things to sort out are often what can seem
simple to the public, like parking issues. But in a street there
can be more than two different viewpoints and you will not
please everyone all the time.
Councillors tackle issues head-on. What gives you
most pleasure?
Ninety per cent of the problem is that people don’t know the
right person to speak to. Once they have been put in touch
with the right person, most problems can be partly, if not
completely solved.
What makes you happy about being in Medway today?
The universities working together in Medway is fantastic and
will have a huge impact on the area. When the council’s Chief
Executive explained to me that it was the first time that
universities had worked together like this in the country, I was
surprised because as a businessperson you tend to work
together anyway, but this is a great project.
It’s very rare and it’s working very well. I think it is key to the
economic regeneration of the area.
What would you like to see Medway achieving in five years?
Even though redevelopment projects like Chatham Centre and
Rochester Riverside are important, I think we mustn’t forget
people who live and work in Medway.
We must try to make sure that the jobs we create are jobs that
Medway people can apply for. You have more pride in an area if
you live there, as well as work there. We need to make sure the
services that we are providing for people are what they need
and what they would like.
What interests do you have outside of the council?
I am involved with my local church, Our Lady of Gillingham,
where I help with some of the confirmation classes. I am also a
member of the Kent Fire Authority and was Vice-Chair from
1997-2000. I have an interest in reading, travel and horse racing.
In our next issue: Medway area police commander
Chief Supt Jan Stephens.
Want to ask Chief Supt Jan Stephens a question?
You can by:
Emailing: [email protected]
(Mark it On the spot)
Texting MM then your question to 07739 657073
Writing to: Medway Matters, On the spot,
Communications, Medway Council, Civic Centre,
Strood, Rochester, Kent ME2 4AU
Serving You
Anyone who rides motorbikes off-road illegally should
watch out because Kent Police and Medway Council are
taking a tough stance.
There has been a steady rise in the number of complaints
from residents about illegal use of motorbikes, both off-road
and in some streets in Medway.
Dealing with the motorcyclists is a police responsibility, but
the council is keen to work with officers to tackle the problem.
Kent Police in Medway are carrying out a summer crackdown
on nuisance bikers, with two officers devoted to the issue fulltime. They work with the police’s bike team to catch offenders
red-handed. The law on motorbikes, including mini-motorbikes,
says that they must all be insured, have an MOT and vehicle
excise licence and comply with legislation in relation to the
vehicle being roadworthy. If users want to ride bikes off road
they must have written permission from the landowner.
The Police Reform Act 2002 makes it an offence for the
vehicle to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to the public.
The police have the power to warn someone and to seize the
vehicle if the behaviour continues. The police were granted
extra powers earlier this year in the Serious and Organised
Crime and Police Act, which allows officers to seize motor
vehicles that aren’t insured or where the rider/driver doesn’t
have a driving licence.
The council’s Trading Standards Team also has a role to play.
Products sold to consumers must be safe. The team is aware
of cases where some off-road vehicles have been wrongly
badged with the name of a famous manufacturer.
Some types of bikes must comply with special safety
regulations. For example, the Toys (Safety) Regulations 1995
apply to bikes that are designed for children aged under 14 to
use in play.
If you want to report problems caused by the illegal use of
motorbikes email [email protected]
or phone PC Ledger on 884019.
If you want to find out more about
trading standards legislation on
off-road motorbikes phone 333555
or email
[email protected]
www.medway.gov.uk
13
Medway M ATT E R S
Have you got
what it takes to
be a governor?
By Sarah Shaffi
My first exposure to school
governors was at age five,
when I was too young to know
what they did. Fifteen years
later, I’ve discovered the role is
hugely important in the life of
the school and its community.
As a governor you are
involved in setting and
monitoring the school’s aims
and policies, making sure that
standards of achievement are
raised and reported to parents
and the community, and
making decisions on the
school budget and staffing.
You’ll be able to make sure the
school and its pupils get the
very best. It sounds daunting,
but you don’t have to be an
education expert. There are
different types of governors
and they provide an
independent view and a
common sense approach. All
you need is an interest in
helping children to achieve, to
be able to work as part of a
team and be willing to learn.
Being a governor is not a
full-time job, but does involve
a commitment.
You’ll need to attend
governors’ meetings, sit on a
committee such as finance or
staffing, and get to know the
school through visits and
attending events like concerts
and prize giving ceremonies.
Governors not only
contribute, but get something
back too. You’ll learn skills that
are useful in the workplace,
both through the work you do
and the training that you
receive to help you fulfil the
role to your best potential.
So what are you waiting for?
For more information email
governor.services@medway.
gov.uk or phone 331052.
Case study one
Keeping it in
the family
Names: Steve Elms - father.
Amanda Old - daughter.
School: Warren Wood
Community Primary School,
Rochester.
Steve’s story...
I’ve been directly involved
with the education of people,
young and old, for the past 20
years with full support and
encouragement of my
employer BP, where I was a
School Link Officer at a
primary school - a sort of
governor, but with an industry
hat on. When I retired I
became a Young Enterprise
Advisor and recently a
community governor at Warren
Wood Primary School. While
being a school governor is
demanding and challenging, it
is very rewarding. You are
directly involved with the
future development of young
people - what else could
anyone else ask for? The time
commitment should not be
underestimated, as it means
attending main governor
meetings, as well as attending
sub-committee meetings.
Strong leadership in the
school, which we have here
with our Chair of Governors
David Menzies and
Headteacher Peter Whistler,
and feeling part of a team is
essential. To be an effective
governor you need to build a
relationship with the whole
school, which includes the
headteacher, the staff, the
pupils as well as Medway
Council. You have to get to
understand the school, the
pupils and the local
community before you can
offer anything that is
constructive and meaningful.
Governors are there to
support and challenge, but
not to get in the way of
the day-to-day running of
the school.
“
’’
Amanda’s story...
I’ve been teaching at
Warren Wood Primary School
for five years and have been a
staff governor for 18 months.
People in education run
schools; so having people
from outside giving feedback
is invaluable. The hardest
thing about being
governor for me is
“
■ What a double act:
Steve Elms with his
daughter Amanda Old.
14
July / August 2006
www.medway.gov.uk
getting a babysitter when I’ve
got late meetings. I lost my
babysitter when I told my dad
about the governor vacancy,
because he used to look after
the children. As a staff member
there are some committees I’m
not allowed to sit on. Being a
governor is a great way of
seeing how schools are run.
Even as a teacher I’ve learnt a
lot about things that go on in
the background. If you’re not
as heavily involved in the
school as I am then it’s also a
great opportunity to come in
and visit the school. Some
governors come in and read
to the children and they’re
there at the Christmas fairs
helping out.
’’
Case study two
Longest serving
governor
Name: Gabriel Lancaster.
School: Chapter School,
Strood.
Gabriel’s story...
I’m 83. I first became a
governor in 1959 and am now
at Chapter School in Strood. I
was encouraged by the
chairman of the company I
worked for, who wanted staff
to take an active part in the
community. Being a governor
I’ve learnt to bend with the
flow, but still be aggressive in
pursuing my aims; skills I
transferred to my work.
It gives me a sense of pride
and accomplishment when I
attend the leavers’ certificate
evening at Chapter every year
and see the confident young
ladies who have left the
school. It shows the good the
school has done. There’s so
much to do in schools and the
staff and headteacher need
the support of people who can
stand slightly outside the
school atmosphere. If being a
governor was too hard I
wouldn’t do it, but it’s so
interesting and rewarding.
There’s nothing better than
passing on the beauties of
education to a younger
generation.
“
’’
Serving You
G1333 - Artwork
23/6/06
15:30
Page 1
T
he sun has finally arrived after
those dark and dreary winter
months and thoughts have turned
to what you'd like to do over the coming
weeks as we bask in the glow of long
summer days and evenings.
Medway Matters has been busy
gathering lots of information about
activities and events taking place
throughout the summer for people of all
ometimes the best
advocates for a place
to visit are people who
have been there - they have
seen it and they know what
they like and don't like. We asked
a panel of children, aged from five
to 11 about some of Medway's visitor
attractions and places to visit and
here's what they said:
S
Royal Engineers' Museum,
Brompton
What I liked best: The tanks and the
medals, they were cool
What I didn't like and why: There was
nothing I didn't like - all the military
history was interesting
How long I spent there: 2hrs
Rochester Castle
What I liked best: The
grass in the gardens
because we could
have a picnic. I also liked
the new panels that tell
you about the castle’s
history, they were fun
What I didn't like and why:
Serving You
ages in Medway. In the next four pages
you'll find details about these and be able
to choose what you fancy doing.
There are reviews of some of Medway's
visitor attractions by children aged from
five upwards, as well as information on
events and activities in Medway from now
until the end of September.
There is the chance to win a year's free
swimming pass into Splashes Leisure
The bits I didn’t like were the
bits that my mum and dad
liked a lot
How long I spent there:
1hr
Upnor Castle
What I liked best: I liked the
audio tour because you got told all about
the castle and its history. The cannons
were pretty good too
What I didn't like and why: Wished I
could have stayed for a little longer
How long I spent there: 1 1/2hrs
Guildhall Museum, Rochester
What I liked best: Almost everything, it
was really interesting- the Napoleonic
hulk was great and I liked the new
Dickens Room too
nothing I didn't like; there was loads to
see. I would definitely recommend
it to others and it's free to get in
How long I spent there: 3
1/2hrs
Riverside Country Park,
Gillingham
What I liked best: The views,
riding my bike in the park and being
Centre in Rainham and you can find out
about the open top bus that travels around
Medway, as well as a bus to Medway’s
Country Parks.
The idea, quite simply, is that there
is something for every generation
happening this summer 2006 in Medway.
Summer begins here.
able to take the dog with us for a walk
What I didn't like and why: Sometimes
there are too many people because it is
very popular
How long I spent there: 1-2hrs
Capstone Farm Country Park,
Chatham
What I liked best: The lake with the
ducks and other birds and the play area
for children
What I didn't like and
why: Wished I’d
taken my ball
because there
was lots of grass
to play on and I
missed out
How long I spent
there: 1hr
The Historic Dockyard Chatham
What I liked best: I liked being able to
climb over the boats and the submarine
Ocelot. And there was an indoor play
area for children in the café
quite a lot of walking from one part of the
site to another
How long I spent there: 3hrs
www.medway.gov.uk
15
We've got a packed calendar of
activities happening in Medway
throughout the summer. Whether
it's family fun, the countryside,
leisure activities, evening
entertainment or a slice of history
you're after, have a look below
and see what appeals to you.
JULY
Thursday, 13-Saturday, 15 July &
Thursday, 20-Saturday, 22 July
7.30pm, ticket prices vary
Medway Summer Concerts
Featuring Sugababes, Dancing in the
Streets, Bjorn Again supported by the
UK Beach Boys, Jools Holland and his
Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, Van
Morrison and the Royal Philharmonic
Concert Orchestra, with Myleene Klass
and the OperaBabes.
Rochester Castle Gardens (843666)
Friday, 28 July
7.30pm
The Importance of
Being Earnest
Rochester Castle Gardens
(01622 758611)
Friday, 28 July
10am-2pm & 1-3pm, 5-12-year-olds,
£2.50 per child
AUGUST
Tuesday, 1 August
2.30-3.30pm, under 7s, free
Track the Treasure
Hoo Library (250640)
Track down pirate Jim and find the
treasure hidden somewhere at the park.
Riverside Country Park, Gillingham
(378987)
Wednesday, 2 August
11am-3pm, free
Safari Fun Day
Holiday fun for children with pond
dipping, mini beasting and model making.
Cliffe Pools, Salt Lane entrance (222480)
Wednesday, 2 August
2-4pm, 8-15-year-olds, £2
African Drums
Strood Library (718161)
Thursday, 3 August
9am-1pm, £6.50 per child
Children's Fishing Workshop
Capstone Farm Country Park, Chatham
(812196)
Capstone's Critters Children's
Nature Day
Find out about wildlife that can be found
in the park, followed by craft activities.
(812196)
Children's Activities
Includes quill pens and ink drawing and
the chance to create cards.
Upnor Castle (718742)
Sunday, 30 July
7pm
Friday, 4, 11, 18 & 25 August
11am-1pm & 2-4pm, free
Alice in Wonderland
Craft Workshops
Guildhall Museum, Rochester (848717)
Monday, 31 July
2-3pm, 5-8-year-olds, £1 per child
Sunday, 6 & 27 August
6.30pm, tickets £5
Rainbow Fish
Summer Evening Tours
Grain Library (338727)
Join the custodian and find out about the
www.medway.gov.uk
Monday, 7 August
11am-2pm, 5-14-year-olds, tickets £2.50
Teddy Bears Picnic
Thursday, 3, 10, 17 & 24 August
11am-1pm & 2-4pm, £1 per child plus
admission fee
16
history of the castle.
Rochester Castle (402276)
Tuesday, 8 August
10am-12noon & 1-3pm, 5-12-year-olds,
tickets £2.50
Pond Life Children's Nature Day
Study creatures that make their home at
the park's dipping pool, followed by craft
workshops.
(812196)
Monday, 14 August
10.30am-12noon & 1.30-3pm,
tickets £2.50
Children's Nature Day
Discover more about the estuary with
country park rangers, followed by
craft activities.
Riverside Country Park, Gillingham
(378987)
Tuesday, 15 August
10am-12noon, over 5s, £1.50 or £3
Hot Crocs
Paint a tile or mug in this workshop
Gillingham Library (337340)
Tuesday, 15 August
10-11.30am, 8-12-year-olds, free
Make a Paper Animal
Wigmore Library (235576)
Serving You
Thursday, 17 August
10-11am, 8-12-year-olds, free
Microscope Bonanza
Rainham Library (231745)
Sunday, 20 August
10.30am-5pm, tickets £1
Kites Over Capstone
Family fun day out with professional kite
displays, giant inflatables, children's
activities and refreshments.
(812196)
Saturday, 26 August
Depart 10am, back 8pm
Day Trip Round the Isle of
Sheppey
Cruise on the Kingswear Castle
paddle steamer
The Historic Dockyard, Chatham
(827648)
Sunday, 27 August
& Monday, 28 August
Smugglers at the Dockyard
All the galleries and attractions of The
Historic Dockyard, supplemented with
activities and storytelling with a
smugglers theme.
The Historic Dockyard, Chatham
(827648)
Wednesday, 30 August
9am-5pm
Fashion Day
12-19-year-olds, £5
Strood Library (718161)
Serving You
SEPTEMBER
Saturday, 2 & Sunday, 3 September
10am-4pm, tickets £5.75, concessions £3
Medway Modelling Club
Includes displays of model boats, remote
control tanks and a bridge crossing
Royal Engineers' Museum, Brompton
(822839)
Saturday, 2 September
Free
Woodland Walk
Guided walk with a warden.
Ranscombe Farm Reserve, Cuxton
(07849 926239)
Sunday, 3 September
12noon-6pm
Wildlife and Country Fair
Farm animals, wildlife view points,
children's activities, bouncy castle
and crafts.
Northward Hill (222480)
Monday, 4 September
10am-12noon, £2.20 per person
Ladies Walk
(812196)
Tour’s free, normal admission
prices apply
Sunday, 10 September
11am-6pm, tickets £2 adults, £1 children
Medieval Mayhem
Enjoy the sights and sounds of
medieval life.
Rochester Castle Gardens (402276)
Tuesday, 12 September
10am, £2.20 per person
Nature Walk
Motney Hill (378987)
10am-4pm
Will Adams Festival
Includes authentic Japanese cuisine,
workshops, music, exhibition stands,
stalls and martial arts demonstrations.
Black Lion Leisure Centre, Gillingham
(843666)
3-6pm, tickets £5
Medway - China Dragon and
Lion Dance Festival
Celebration of Chinese culture as dragon
and lion teams from Medway and China
perform in celebration of our friendship
city Foshan in China. Event sponsored by
Seewo Travel and Supermarkets.
Black Lion Leisure Centre, Gillingham
(843666)
Heritage Open Days
10am-6pm, normal admission price
Explore some of Medway’s most
interesting buildings, which are not
freely accessible. Various locations
across Medway.
(843666)
It's 1671 and you can see smugglers
doing a motley deal with a band of
privateers and the resulting action.
Smugglers and Pirates
www.medway.gov.uk
17
Summer bus service to
Medway country parks
Summer bus services to Capstone Farm Country Park
and Riverside Country Park from across Medway are
running until the beginning of September.
The daily buses give residents car-free access to healthy
walks and beautiful countryside in the parks, where there is
plenty to enjoy and explore.
The service, which is operated by Chalkwell of
Sittingbourne, on behalf of Medway Council, runs between
Capstone and Riverside every hour.
It goes via Princes Park Weedswood, Wayfield, Luton,
Chatham, The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Royal
Engineers' Museum, Black Lion Leisure Centre and The
Strand, Gillingham. Timetables are available at council
offices and libraries, or can be seen at www.medway.gov.uk
Win one year's free swimming
at Splashes Leisure Centre
in Rainham.
QUESTION: WHERE IS SPLASHES
LEISURE CENTRE?
By post: Splashes Competition, Medway Matters, Corporate
Communications, Medway Council, Civic Centre, Strood,
Rochester, Kent, ME2 4AU.
By email: [email protected], marking your
entry Splashes Competition.
By text message: 07739 657073, starting your text MM
Splashes.
The closing dates for entries is Friday, 29 September. Full
terms and conditions at www.medway.gov.uk/rules. Please
supply your full name, daytime contact number and address.
See the sights on open top bus
There are not many open top buses that have
names, but Medway's open top bus does and Bertie
is out and about this summer.
It's a joint initiative between Medway Attractions Group
(a working group of the Medway Tourism Association) and
The Kings Ferry Travel Group.
There is also half price admission available to the Royal
Engineers' Museum in Brompton for every full paying
passenger on production of a valid Kings Ferry bus ticket.
These offers are not to be used in conjunction with any
other offer or during special events.
Find out more by visiting www.medway.gov.uk or
www.thekingsferry.co.uk • Tel: 377577
Bertie's route goes from Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre,
calling at the Ice Bowl on Gillingham Business Park; historic
Rochester, The Historic Dockyard Chatham; the Royal
Engineers' Museum, Brompton and the Strand, Gillingham.
Other stops include Chatham Hill; St Bart's Hospital and the
Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre.
Prices for an all-day ticket (hop on/off) are:
Adults £4.95, children under 16 £2.50, pensioners £2.50
and a family ticket £10 - maximum two adults and two
children. Pensioners with a Kent or Medway bus pass will
be able to travel free at appropriate times.
A ticket for the open top bus also gets a child into Rochester
Castle and The Historic Dockyard Chatham for free, if they are
with a full paying adult - a valid Kings Ferry bus ticket for the
open top bus must be shown.
18
www.medway.gov.uk
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
One small change,
one huge difference
If we all make one change to our daily routine then we're all
taking one step towards looking after our planet for
generations to come. Here's a challenge for you - could you
make one of these small changes?
● Our homes are responsible for 25 per cent of the carbon
dioxide emissions in the UK. In Medway we are helping
residents to make their homes more energy efficient with the
help of the Kent Energy Centre. Fill out an online energy check
at www.kentenergycentre.org.uk or call 0800 358 6669 to
find out how you can make your home warmer and cheaper to
run through saving energy.
● Change light bulbs in your home to
energy efficient alternatives, available
from all DIY stores in a variety of styles to
fit most existing light fittings. Spending
£5 on an efficient bulb to replace an old
one will provide a better return than
investing the same amount in a high
street savings account.
● Compost your kitchen and garden
waste to create an ideal organic soil
conditioner for your garden. Waste
Recycling Action Programme (WRAP) is
offering compost bins to everyone in
Medway at a reduced cost of £6. Visit
www.recyclenow.com (click home
composting) or call 0845 6000323
to order.
● Flushing the toilet accounts for about a third of all the water
used in our homes. Install an easy to fit Save-a-Flush bag and
save one litre of water each time. Save-a-Flush bags are
provided free to Southern Water customers. Write to Southern
Water, FREEPOST (BR 1500), Worthing BN13 1BR or email
[email protected]
®
● When buying tea, coffee and chocolate, consider
Fairtrade products. The Fairtrade mark is an
independent consumer label that appears on
products. It is a guarantee that disadvantaged
producers in the developing world are getting a
better deal. Look for the Fairtrade logo or go to
www.fairtrade.org.uk
See more of these tips at
www.medway.gov.uk/worldenvironmentday
We’re doing our bit
Medway Matters is doing its part to help the environment too.
It's all very well for us to produce lots of information about
how you can protect the planet, but really we should lead by
example and that's just what we're doing.
From this issue Medway Matters is being printed on 100 per
cent recycled paper, which means that we can carry the
official recycled logo on every edition.
By using completely recycled paper to print 113,437 editions of
Medway Matters six times a year (680,622 copies) we're saving
50 tonnes of paper, the equivalent of 350 mature trees.*
Little changes to our everyday
behaviour can help the
environment. It could be reducing
the amount of energy we use or
perhaps recycling more rubbish or
even buying items made from
recycled materials.
Whatever the changes we make, we
can all play a part in how we impact
on the environment. June marked
United Nations World Environment
Day. Medway Council knows it has to
play its part too, to make us all better off. That's why it's
working to reduce the impact we have on the environment.
What have we done in
the past 12 months?
● Set up a monitoring system to analyse how much energy is
used in council buildings
● Carried out energy audits in 15 council buildings and made
improvements by installing vending machine timers, new
lighting, urinal controls
● Developed a council target to encourage the generation of
energy from renewable sources, such as solar, wind and
biomass in Medway
● Launched the Better Off campaign to encourage staff to
switch off
equipment and
save energy
● Initial environmental management workshops for school
head-teachers, governors and caretakers
● Adopted Fairtrade products for refreshments at
council meetings
● Calculated the council's carbon footprint - the emission of
greenhouse gases produced through the day to day running
of the council
What's next?
● Produce energy labels for our main buildings, showing how
well they are performing against a national standard
● Further audits and investment in energy efficient
technologies to reduce costs and carbon emissions in
council buildings, including schools
● A series of small scale renewable energy installations to
demonstrate the effectiveness of these technologies
● Recruit a team of Better Off champions from across the
council, to encourage colleagues to save energy
● Detailed energy management training for school caretakers
and others, in conjunction with the Carbon Trust
● Trials of environmentally preferable goods, such as recycled
paper and eco-friendly detergents
● Help to reduce emissions from households in Medway,
through developing a marketing plan to assist
householders in accessing grant funding for energy
efficient home improvements
*Average Scandinavian spruce trees.
Serving You
www.medway.gov.uk
19
Medway M ATT E R S
Viewpoint
It is very worrying that
children cycling to
Rainham Mark Grammar
School have to use a busy
road full of holes and
bumps to get there. I know
this from experience as my
own cycle route from
Napier Road in Gillingham
to Rainham Shopping
Centre takes me via
Beechings Way, with no
cycle path and a large
volume of traffic.
D Williams, Napier Road,
Gillingham
We understand your
concerns for children using
a cycle route to school on
a busy road, which you
describe as being in a very
poor condition. The council
receives many requests for
cycling paths every year.
Working within its budget it
tries to ensure that
schemes are put in areas
that will most benefit and
where the safety record is
worst. With regard to the
road the council will
investigate and take any
action necessary to make
it safe.
Please turn off
your engines
Notices next to railway
barriers ask motorists to
switch off their engines
when waiting but nobody
does. As a cyclist I stop at
the Rainham barriers at
least once a day and am
amazed that people are
prepared to sit there for
five minutes with their
engine running.
Name and address
supplied
You’re absolutely right,
there are signs asking
20
Have your say on local issues
Medway Matters welcomes letters from readers. Write to Medway Matters, Viewpoint, Medway Council,
Civic Centre, Strood, Kent ME2 4AU or email [email protected]
motorists to switch off their
engines at railway
crossings in Gillingham,
Rainham and Cuxton. They
ask drivers to reduce air
pollution as idle engines
produce more pollution
than moving vehicles.
While we hope that most
drivers would do as the
notices request, the
council has no powers to
make drivers switch their
engines off.
Do you spend
cash in Darland?
The March/April edition of
Medway Matters said
£2.25million was spent on
roads and pavements. In
Darland, sections of the
pavement in Preston
Avenue have been
dangerous to pedestrians
for more than five years.
The road surface in
Windyridge has bare
concrete patches. Is
Darland neglected?
M Denney, Windyridge,
Gillingham
In the past two years
£129,300 has been spent
on road and pavement
schemes on the Darland
estate. The council has a
limited budget. The
pavements in Preston
Avenue were not as bad as
some others and so did
not reach a high enough
priority rating for
resurfacing work this year.
They will be added to the
list of sites under
consideration for the
2007/8 programme of
planned repairs. The same
is true for Windyridge.
In the meantime, we will
continue to monitor
these roads and
pavements, carrying out
urgent repairs as required.
www.medway.gov.uk
What is up with
Rochester?
I’ve lived in Rochester for
15 years and I’m not proud
of it any more. I was
always keen to show off
the area when friends and
family came to visit. Since
Rochester upon Medway
City Council became
Medway Council the
money spent on Rochester
has reduced. The Vines
Park isn’t maintained and
the gardens get very little
attention. Rochester is
going to have the Tour de
France. Does this mean
the council is going to
spend lots of money to get
the place up to scratch?
There are new buildings
going up everywhere and
the huge Thames Gateway
project will be starting
soon. Why not maintain
and look after what we
have, instead of building
more? What’s happening
about the market? How
about offering traders free
trading for a period and
hopefully the customers
will start to come back.
G Kennedy, Maidstone
Road, Rochester
Work is to start soon at
The Vines. Shrubs will be
planted and vandalised
seats replaced. The Tour
de France enables
Rochester and Medway as
a whole to be profiled
across the world. It is the
world’s largest annual
sporting event. The multimillion pound Rochester
Riverside development will
respect Rochester’s rich
history and past and help
ensure a vibrant future. It
will demonstrate the best
quality design in buildings
and landscape. We share
your concerns about
Rochester Market. An
established market
operator, not the council,
operates the market. Its
decline is such that the
council is now considering
moving it to another site,
subject to planning
permission being granted.
Put lids on bins
for dog mess
We walk by the river near
Kingswear Gardens in
Strood, to get into
Rochester. The dog bins
aren’t appropriate for dog
litter as they have open
tops and are near a
children’s play area. We
find ourselves carrying the
waste back home or into
Rochester. Carrying around
dog mess, holding the dog
lead and pushing a buggy
isn’t ideal.
Mrs Croft, Cranmere
Court, Strood
We have looked at the bins
and will replace any
damaged or bins with no
lids with ones that shut.
Does the PM
choose Dean
for cathedral?
I enjoyed the piece in the
last issue of Medway
Matters about the Dean
of Rochester. Does the
Prime Minister really have
the final say in appointing
the Dean?
Name and address
supplied
Thank you for your
comments on the feature.
Ultimately it’s the Queen’s
responsibility as head of
the Church of England, but
in practical day-to-day
terms it’s the Prime
Minister, with the help of
advisors, who decides.
Serving You
LETTERS
Too many holes
in road to school
July / August 2006
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Happy birthday to
treatment centre
The Will Adams NHS Centre,
which opened in October
2005, is a few weeks away
from its first birthday.
Since opening more than 800
patients have been treated.
Patients are referred to the
centre by their GP. The centre
provides services from knee
and stomach investigations to
operations on hands and feet,
hernia repairs and removal
of gall bladders. The centre
has two theatres, a special
suite for performing
investigations, consulting
rooms and a comfortable
waiting area.
In a survey, patients
commented on the relaxed
and friendly atmosphere of
the centre, saying that the
efficiency and attentiveness of
the staff led to a hospital
experience that was a
"complete pleasure''.
About 30 staff - including
doctors and nurses - are
employed at the centre.
There is no waiting list, and
from referral to completion of
the operation should
be no more than four to six
weeks. The centre is at the
Cannons Leisure Centre site in
Beechings Way, Gillingham.
Pedal power for local bobby
Neighbourhood officer PC Mick O'Meara has clocked up
more than 2,000 miles on his bike since he first went on
patrol in April last year.
Mick uses his bike to get around his Strood north patch and
has taken it out 148 times in the past 12 months.
He said: "The bike has lots of benefits in terms of speed and
manoeuvrability. I cover more ground and can patrol difficult
to get to places, like the tracks and alleyways on my beat.
Children especially seem to like the bike. It gives us something
in common to talk about.''
Fourteen neighbourhood PCs use cycles to get around
Medway. The bikes come from dealer Geoff Wiles Bicycles in
Strood, who maintains them for Kent Police. The officers wear
special uniforms and cycle helmets to make sure they can be
easily seen.
Community
snippets
● Pop along to a community
fun day at Hook Meadow,
Walderslade Road, Chatham,
on Sunday, 13 August, from
11am-4pm. It's organised by
Kent Fire and Rescue Service
and is supported by partners
including Medway Council.
● Cliffe Community and
Conservation Partnership
has created a village
information board helping
visitors find out more about
the history and wildlife of
Serving You
the North Kent Marshes.
The board can be found in
Cooling. ● Medway Waste
Forum is holding an open day
on Saturday, 22 July in the
Pentagon Shopping Centre,
Chatham. It's aimed at raising
awareness and encouraging
people to think about waste
and recycling issues. ● Look
out for the Rotary Club of
Rochester's third Sprint
Triathlon taking place on
Sunday, 10 September in
Hoo. The event is raising
money for Rotary
International, Prostrate
Cancer and KCHT Moving
Forward. If you want to take
part email richard@richard
beet.co.uk or visit
www.rochesterrotary.org.uk
● Medway Roller Dance Club
member Douglas Ward, 12, is
the new British Roller Dance
Champion for his age group.
Fellow club member James
Aburn, 11, was runner-up.
● A man from Gillingham
has had a book published
about increasing
understanding, reducing
suffering and empowering
humanity. The book is
called A Human Life by
Munish Bansal.
Art attack
Students from the University
of Greenwich at Medway
have painted an education
room at Capstone Farm
Country Park, Gillingham, in
a volunteer challenge.
The room, used by visiting
schools on educational trips,
now has a colourful woodland
scene mural. The project gave
students the opportunity to do
something to make a positive
impact on the community.
At the same time they were
able to gain valuable skills and
experience. Each student who
took part was given a certificate.
● Volunteer drivers are
needed for a transport
scheme run by Hands
Rochester Volunteer Bureau.
Help is also needed with a
befriending scheme, lunch
club and a club for elderly
people run by the charity.
830371).
(
● Want to get involved in
flyball? Flyball is a team
event where dogs run in
relays of four over four low
jumps to collect a ball and
take it back to the owner.
Aces High Flyball Team is
looking for members.
325752).
(
☎
☎
www.medway.gov.uk
21
No butts...time to
give up the weed?
Five smoking facts:
✱ About 114,000 people die in the UK each year through
smoking-related illnesses.
by Adam Carter
or many years now the
dispute over smoking has
raged - we all know
smoking is bad for our health, so
why do some of us continue to
harm ourselves in this way?
Those people who do smoke are
probably told of the dangers, as
much, if not more, than those who
have chosen not to.
The habit may well begin by
seeming to be ‘cool’ and helpful to
you, but of course all you must do
F
is look at the damage it could do
to you and those around you and
then I’m sure you would feel
different about this ‘cool’ habit.
The results can include lung
cancer, heart disease and effects
on others around you via secondhand smoke. It also eats at your
finances. Some people would
struggle to quit because of what it
gives them, but why not stop and
think about you, your life, your
money and those you love.
Life is loud
Another year. Another great Expo. Live
and loud music, lots of information
and advice from stall holders, plus free
activities including henna tattoos, scuba
diving, use of gym equipment and the
velcro climbing wall.
With things to do inside and also on the field of the
Black Lion Leisure Centre, Gillingham, it was difficult
to keep up. Even Stephen Sullivan, Invicta FM DJ,
said: “I’m not as young as I used to be.” That was
after a taster session on the trampoline.
More than 1,500 young people came to the event,
organised by Medway Council, to find out about
activities and services in Medway. We think most of
them had a go on our dance simulator.
By the way, the winner of Mixit SHOUTbOX’s
dance competition to win the top 10 chart albums
was Claire Walker, from Rainham. With a score of
6516440 we wish you happy listening!
So here’s to another loud and lively expo next year.
22
www.mixitonline.co.uk
✱ Nearly a quarter of 15-year-olds are regular smokers
(18 per cent of boys and 26 per cent of girls) even
though it’s illegal to sell cigarettes to under 16s.
✱ Exposure to second-hand smoke, on a daily basis,
doubles the risk of having a heart attack.
✱ Continued smoking from an early age means your life
expectancy may be reduced up to 12 years. Only five
out of 10 smokers live past 70.
✱ It’s never too late to stop - help is available. If you
want to know more leaflets and help are available at
your doctors or visit www.givingupsmoking.co.uk or
phone the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 169 0169.
MixitOnline - it’s for all of us
We need your help. There’s a
new website for young people.
It gives us information about
leisure activities and advice on
stuff in Medway.
www.mixitonline.co.uk has been
set up with help from young
people. It has content written by
young people for young people.
This is only the beginning. We want
to know what else you want.
At the moment, the site is split
into two sections
F Get Informed - pages of advice
and information on topics like
sexual health, drugs and alcohol
F Get Involved - listings on spare
time leisure activities and events.
There are also voting buttons and
leaflets on a range of topics.
But what else do you want?
Tell us, tell us, tell us. If it’s possible
we will try to get it for you. Also, If
you want to help develop the site,
you can.
Get in touch.
[email protected]
✆ 332449
AT 07739 657073
(start message with ypinfo)
MixitOnline, Communications
Team, Medway Council,
Strood, Kent ME2 4AU.
Serving You
Beat the pressure
By James Gibson, Jonathan Green and Farah Butt
EXAMS! Excruciating pain or an excellent
method for testing your knowledge?
Do you feel as if your head is about to explode by just hearing
the word, EXAMS? They get us worried, increase our heart rate
and even leave some of us stressed! We all believe at some point
that exams are extremely far away. Then it hits you like a brick
wall. It is important that we all start revising extremely early.
Although I am sure that not all of us listen to this, including me.
We hear teachers talk of how the exams are coming and you
need to revise now, but that does not help us in any way.
In the past when my GCSE exams were close, one problem that
did arise, due to the stress of thinking that I couldn’t cope with
revising and that it was virtually impossible for me to pass with
decent grades or to pass at all, was that I came out in spots!
I was literally depressed, my head hurt every time I had to
revise. Any of you guys experience this before, or is it just me?
Easy guide to beating the exam season nerves
ating and drinking before the exam are all very well but make
sure that they are healthy foods and not full of sugars... your
brain needs nutrients to stay focused. Take a bottle of water into
the exam, to avoid over heating and dehydration.
E
tra revision classes at school really help. It brings your
knowledge together and allows some consolidation of your
work before the exam.
X
A
chievement is important, but don’t set your goals too high;
be realistic. Not everyone is the A grade candidate. Losing
sleep over one exam will only have bad effects on the next
one and so on.
ock exams may be a pain, but use them for revision.
Ask for your papers back to find out where you went
wrong and where you need to improve.
M
S
leep well before the exam, tape the next episode of “Lost”,
avoid watching the football and make sure you get about
nine hours of sleep. You’ll wake up feeling revived and ready to
tackle the exam head on.
iming is important, especially in essay-style questions. Work
out how many marks-a-minute you should be going through
and stick to it. Take a stopwatch with you.
T
R
evision, without it you’re a no-hoper! I’m not telling you to
revise for six hours a day, but a bit here and there always
helps. Avoid revising the parts you enjoy and get down to the
boring bits. These are the parts you won’t remember in the exam.
quipment, make a mental checklist of what you need and
get it ready the night before. Calculator, clear pencil case, ruler,
books etc; You’ll be surprised how many people will forget.
E
S
S
tart, middle and end... make sure that your answers have a
structure. Pay most attention to the end of your questions, it’s
the last thing the examiner reads before they give you the marks.
TAY CALM! The easiest way to avoid exam stress is to
relax. And if all else fails you still do badly, just blame it on
your teacher! Whether you play a game of footie, listen to your
mp3 or chat with your mates, be sure to enjoy yourself a little
leisure time.
Serving You
Meet our A-TEAM
Over the past few months MIXIT SHOUTbOX’s editorial
team has been out and about using its thirst for stories and
writing talents to create some fab pages for you all to read.
The team is getting bigger and the work everyone puts in is
just phenomenal - so thank you all, you’re all fab!
Michael Dare
Hi ya, I like music as a I play three instruments. I’m
an excellent actor, even if I do say so myself. I
enjoy writing for the magazine because I get to see
everything that happens in Medway’s daily life.
Becky Bruce
Hi, I’m in year 12. I’d like to become a journalist.
I’m also involved in Medway Youth Parliament and
play saxophone. The most important things to me
are friends and music.
Farah Butt
Hi, I’m 17 and am currently studying A Levels. I am
a cheerful individual, who loves to meet new people
and help others. I enjoy reading novels, going out
with friends and spending time with my family.
Sarah Shaffi
I’m 21 and detest writing short introductions about
myself. I’m doing an English literature degree.
After that it’s back down south to find a well-paid
job in journalism (oxymoron I know).
Laina Tuff
Hi, I’m 15 and am new to the MM team. My dream
is to become a journalist. I’m a typical girl and love
shopping (especially with someone else’s money!)
Can’t wait to get writing some fun stuff for you.
Kelly Gager
Hi, I’m 14. I love listening to music, dancing and
chatting on the computer. I go to Rochester
Grammar School and I am interested in journalism
and improving my written skills.
Johnathan Green
I’m 18 and doing A Levels in English, film studies
and history. I hope to go on to journalism. I live at
home with my parents and five brothers. I love
video games, writing, reading and chilling to MP3s.
Lisa Ellison
I’m the current chair of the Medway Youth
Parliament but don’t busy myself all the time with
politics! I love smiles and am probably one of the
least girly girls you’ll ever meet.
James Gibson
Gibbo to my friends, I love sport. Swimming and
triathlon are my favourites. I joined Medway
Matters to improve my writing and journalism skills
before I go to university.
www.mixitonline.co.uk
23
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
ADVERTISEMENT
Positive results
for NHS trust
The results of the National Inpatient Survey 2005
showed positive results for Medway NHS Trust
which runs our local hospital.
The survey, which all NHS trusts have to carry out
every year, showed that confidence and trust in
Medway's doctors and nurses is high. Seven out of
10 patients said that the care they had received at
the hospital was "excellent", or "very good", with 70
per cent also expressing the opinion that doctors
and nurses were working well together at the trust.
In all 76 per cent of patients felt that the risks and
benefits of operations and procedures were
explained completely to them, with similar
results for staff answering their questions in
an understandable way.
Medway's accident and emergency (A and E)
department also came in for praise, with most
patients feeling that their privacy was
respected while being examined in the
department and most also feeling that the
order in which A and E staff attended to
patients was fair.
Medway NHS Trust's Chief Executive Andy Horne
is pleased, but not complacent, at the results of
the survey.
He said: "We are rightly proud of our staff and the
way we treat our patients, as the results of this
survey show. However, we still have areas we need
to work on, as we constantly strive to give patients
an excellent healthcare experience."
News from Medway NHS Trust
24
www.medway.gov.uk
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
New challenges
During the current financial year, Medway NHS Trust has
some key goals in mind. We are committed to expanding
and improving our existing services - for example, we are
preparing to deliver vascular services to a wider
population, as a vascular Centre of Excellence. This will
include building two dedicated theatres, an endovascular
suite and the enhancement of other areas such as
Phoenix Ward, the dedicated vascular ward.
We will also be developing a
local chemotherapy service
and implementing some
new technologies, including
the new electronic patient
records system, CRS.
Budget targets
However, our main
challenge for the coming
financial year is the savings
target we need to achieve,
of £11million, from a budget
of about £160million. This
target takes account of the
requirement for all NHS
organisations to be more
efficient year-on-year. All
hospital trusts are required
to make effective savings
each year.
The size of the savings
July / August 2006
we are required to make
may mean a reduction in
the number of posts within
the trust, possibly up to
160 in total, but will not
impact on the quality of
patient care.
As we have been
maintaining a freeze on
recruitment for some time,
there are a number of
posts standing vacant,
which will contribute
towards this reduction.
In addition, the normal
turnover of staff will allow
us to review posts as staff
naturally leave. We take our
responsibility for staffing
seriously and will make
every effort to avoid
compulsory redundancies.
Pride in
Medway staff
Gillingham Football Club's Priestfield Stadium was the
venue for Medway NHS Trust's fourth awards evening,
with popular television weather forecaster and presenter
Kaddy Lee-Preston as a special guest and about 200
staff in attendance.
The event is
held every year
as part of ongoing work
taking place in
the trust under
the Improving
Working Lives
initiative, which
seeks to
improve the
experience of
employees and
maintain and
have excelled in many
develop the trust as an
different ways in their work
excellent employer.
for the trust, whether they
Chief Executive Andrew
are employed by us or
Horne feels it is very
provide voluntary services.
important that the trust takes
"I am personally very proud
this opportunity to recognise
of all our staff and their
and reward staff.
many achievements, some of
He said: "Our staff are
which have been celebrated
hardworking, dedicated
at the awards evening and
professionals. This evening
would like to thank them for
is a chance to recognise our
the hard work and
long serving members of
commitment they put in on a
staff and an opportunity to
daily basis."
acknowledge those who
Forthcoming board meetings:
Medway NHS Trust board meetings are open to the public.
The board dicusses lots of topics including budgets, patient
needs and development of the hospital.
Tuesday, 25 July
Tuesday, 22 Aug
Tuesday, 26 September
Tuesday, 31 October
All meetings start at 9am at the Medway NHS Trust,
Medway Maritime Hospital, Windmill Road, Gillingham.
www.medway.nhs.uk
Telephone: 830000
News from Medway NHS Trust
Serving You
www.medway.gov.uk
25
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
ADVERTISEMENT
Here
to help
you
kick
the
habit
It’s hard for someone who has never smoked to understand
the level of addiction that nicotine in a cigarette can bring.
Sometimes a heavy smoker
would rather spend their cash
buying a packet of cigarettes
than a sandwich for lunch for
example. While it is possible
for people who wish to quit
to do so by themselves,
research has shown that
smokers who attend
group sessions or get
one-to-one help to relinquish
their addiction are four times
more likely to succeed in
kicking the habit.
The Medway and Swale
Stop Smoking Service is there
to help people. It can offer
advice and guidance, as well
as practical tips for any
smoker wishing to quit.
It’s a free confidential
service that runs seven-week
specialist group courses. The
weekly sessions last for one
hour at a time and often the
support and camaraderie
among a group of
smokers who desperately
want to quit can be a key
contributor to people who
successfully manage to stop.
In the first two group
sessions smokers are
prepared for stopping by
measuring their individual
levels of addiction and advice
is given on appropriate
treatments and strategies.
The third session is the point
at which all group members
stop smoking and the four
sessions that follow provide
practical help, support and
encouragement on getting
through the difficult
withdrawal phase.
At the end of the course
counsellors advise the group
on how to stay smoke free.
People attending can be of
any age – it’s never too soon
or too late to give up the
habit. Find out more by
phoning 01795 433785.
It’s tough, but you The direct approach
really can do it
A direct mail campaign is the latest initiative used by Medway
Primary Care Trust to help people to give up smoking.
Ok, so you’re a smoker and you’ve decided to give up. Those
initial weeks can be hard work as you try to beat the physical
addiction and also try to cope with the loss of a habit you may
have had for a long time. These few pointers will help you focus
on why it is important to stop, but above all don’t give up
giving up - there is hope.
● Why did you start smoking? Does it hold the same
thrill/pleasure for you now that it once did?
● Work out how much you have spent every month on
cigarettes and then see how much better off you are
financially now.
● If there are certain times of the day when you always
smoke, find your triggers and try to do something different
at these times.
● Using nicotine replacement therapy or Zyban therapy can
help you manage your craving.
● Prepare yourself well for quitting and set a quit date. You can
get help to prepare for your quit attempt from specialist
groups or one to one advisors. On the day you stop smoking
you’ll be changing the way you think and the way you act.
In a pilot scheme in Strood,
smokers are being sent letters
through the post to
encourage them to get help
give up the habit. These are
followed up by phone calls
offering information about the
trust’s quit smoking service.
It’s thought to be the first
time targetted direct mail has
been used in conjunction with
follow-up calls as part of a
public health campaign in
Britain. Medway’s Director of
Public Health Anita Sims said:
“The technique is proving to
be very successful.
“We’ve only targeted Strood
at the moment.
“Within two weeks 130
people had signed up to
smoking cessation courses,
which is enough to form
seven groups.”
The PCT worked with
Information By Design at Hull
University using commercial
market research databases to
approach smokers using
direct mailing techniques.
In the Autumn,
letters will be
sent to
smokers in
Gillingham,
where it is
known that a
relatively high
percentage of the population
is addicted to nicotine.
Luxury break for ex-smoker
Tina Rose, a rail ticket seller from
Gillingham struck lucky at the Medway and
Swale Stop Smoking Awards in Rochester.
Twenty-five-year-old Tina quit smoking
successfully with the help of her local NHS
group service and is now set to enjoy a
luxury week’s holiday in the Italian Lakes in a
prize draw organised to reward ex-smokers’
achievements.
She said: “I started smoking when I was just
13 (my sister gave me my first cigarette) and I
used to sneak out and collect my Dad’s butts
so that I could have a puff. By the time I was
15, I was completely hooked.”
Medway Primary Care Trust, Unit 7-8, Ambley Green, Bailey Drive,
Gillingham Business Park, Gillingham, Kent ME8 0NJ.
26
www.medway.gov.uk
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
ADVERTISEMENT
Looking for a
business you
can trust?
The answers are in
the palm of your hand
For plumbers, builders,
electricians, decorators, double
glazing firms and more, use the
Medway Fair Trader Scheme.
Using your digital TV remote control
Simply select ‘Looking Local’ from your on-screen
menu on Sky Active or Telewest. You will find Fair
Trader in the Medway Community section under
Trading Standards. Other Medway information is
available in the west Kent section of Kent
Connects, in the south-east regional menu.
Using your mobile phone
On 3 Mobile you can access the service through
‘Looking Local’. If you can access the internet
on your mobile, Fair Trader information is also
available on other networks in the
Community/Trading Standards section at
http://digitv.gov.uk/digitv/cds/medway/3/home
Serving You
www.medway.gov.uk
27
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Off the shelf
Welcome to Off the shelf, the section that brings you reviews
of the latest great books, DVDs, CDs and games - all available
in Medway’s libraries. Visit www.medway.gov.uk/libraries
These reviews were written by members of the readers’ groups, based in Medway. Why not join one? Phone 337799
House of
Orphans
Helen Dunmore
This is set in Finland in 1901
at a time when Finnish
people were becoming
disillusioned with Russian
control of their land. Eeva
was brought up in Helsinki and from early
childhood had learned that she must not
repeat anything that she overheard during late
night talks at her home.
She and Lauri, the son of one of her father’s
friends, would drift off to sleep listening to talk
of revolution and change.
One day her world is turned upside down
when her father dies and she is taken away
to the country to the House of Orphans.
Here it seems as if nothing has changed for
centuries. She hides her education from the
authorities so that she will not stand out from
the other orphans. Help comes in the form of
the local doctor.
He brings her into his home as cook and
housekeeper. Here she blossoms into quite a
beauty and the doctor’s old friend worries that
he might make a fool of himself over her.
However, Eeva has other plans.
She manages to get a message to Lauri in
Helsinki and he arranges accommodation and
a job for her. Suddenly she is back in the
hustle and bustle of a big city and finds that
Lauri is being drawn into a plot against the
Russian appointed governor-general.
This is another fascinating historical novel
covering a period that is probably little known
in this country. The contrast between the quiet,
calm of the country and the vibrancy and noise
of the city is beautifully expressed.
ISBN: 0670914525
Faith Fox
Jane Gardam
I thoroughly enjoyed this
novel. I only discovered Jane
Gardam after reading her
most recent novel Old Filth
when it was short-listed
for the Orange Prize last year. This is the third
book of hers that I’ve read and I’ve loved
them all. All different but all written with the
same clear insight into modern life and
manners. Somehow all her characters are
ADVERTISEMENT
believable, no matter how far fetched they may
seem at first. Reading this in a busy staff room
at lunchtime, I’ve been transported completely
into the world she has created.
Faith is a catalyst for the action but doesn’t
actually appear much in the book until the very
end. As she is born, her mother Holly dies
leaving behind distraught and disbelieving
family and friends.
Everyone in Surrey assumes that Holly’s
mother, Thomasina will take charge of the baby
in the same competent way that she did when
Holly was born.
But Thomasina can’t face the child who has
robbed her of her beloved daughter and
disappears off the scene. In desperation Faith’s
young father takes her to live with his older
brother Jack who runs a commune in the wilds
of North Yorkshire.
There we meet the constantly bickering
Dolly and Toots, Faith’s paternal grandparents
and their interfering neighbour Mrs Middleditch
who they resent but cannot do without,
together with the motley collection of people
who inhabit the commune.
The scene is set for a delicious tale of
comedy, manners, birth, death and the North
South divide.
ISBN: 078671221X
ADVERTISEMENT
Medway Lifeline Telecare Services is a community alarm
service operating 24 hours a day, everyday of the year.
Offering instant help and added security at home,
it gives users and their families peace of mind.
Who is it for?
People of all ages including:
Anyone who feels vulnerable or at risk
People with disabilities or illness
Victims of domestic violence
Benefits of Medway Lifeline
Want to know where our
cameras are?
Personal service
Immediate response
Reassurance for you and your family
Easy wire-free installation
Low cost
Then log onto: www.kmscp.org
KENT & MEDWAY
S A F E T Y C A M E R A PA R T N E R S H I P
28
www.medway.gov.uk
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
W H AT ’ S O N ? W H AT ’ S O N ? W H AT ’ S O N ? W H AT ’ S O N ? W H AT ’ S O N ?
Medway Matters tries to reflect the range of activities in the area.
Space is limited so we can’t include every event that is taking
place in Medway.
Find out more at www.medway.gov.uk/communityevents
Please send information for the next edition, to cover events
up to the end of November 2006. Details should be sent to
Medway Matters What’s On?, Communications Team,
Medway Council, Civic Centre, Strood, ME2 4AU.
Listings should be received by no later than Friday, 21 July.
Countryside
Community
Sunday, 13 August
10am-2pm
Litter Blitzers
Capstone Farm Country
Park, Chatham (812196)
Saturday, 22 &
Sunday, 23 July
Be the Best Weekend
Brompton (822839)
Monday, 28 August
10.30am-3.30pm
Wildlife Detectives
Capstone Farm Country
Park, Chatham (812196)
Thursday, 10 August
8pm
Jazz Swing with
Donn Barcott Band
Lloyds Social Club,
Gillingham (405037)
Sunday, 27 &
Monday, 28 August
Smugglers at
the Dockyard
The Historic Dockyard,
Chatham (823807)
10am-2pm
Litter-less Day
Gillingham (378987)
History
Tuesday, 18 July
7.30pm
A Pilgrim in Kent and
Beyond: Talk
celebrating Donald
Maxwell
Medway Archives and Local
Studies Centre, Strood
(332714)
Learning
Thursday, 7 SeptemberFriday, 3 November
Jewish Presence in
Medway - exhibition
Medway Archives and Local
Studies Centre, Strood
(332714)
Serving You
W H AT ’ S O N ?
Thursday, 28 September
7.30pm
Joe Pasquale
The Central Theatre,
Chatham (338338)
Tuesday, 18 &
Wednesday, 19 July
7.30pm
Macbeth
Upnor Castle (01622
758611)
Thursday, 20-Saturday, 22
July & Thursday, 27Saturday, 29 July
8pm
Snake in the Grass
Oasthouse Theatre,
Rainham (372121)
Friday, 28 July
7.30pm
The Importance of
Being Earnest
Upnor Castle
(01622 758611)
Thursday, 7 DecemberSunday, 7 January
Peter Pan - now
booking
The Central Theatre,
Chatham (338338)
Monday, 31 July
10.30am-12noon & 1.30-3pm
Children’s Nature Day
Gillingham (378987)
Thursday, 7-Sunday,
24 December
The Wind in the Willows
The Brook Theatre,
Chatham (338338)
ADVERTISEMENT
Saturday, 2 &
Sunday, 3 September
10am-4pm
Medway Modellers Club
Show
Brompton (822839)
Thursday, 7 September
4.30pm
Local Access Forum
Compass Centre, Chatham
Maritime (331467)
Theatre
Thursday, 13 & 20 July &
Saturday, 15 & 22 July
7.45pm
Tommy - the musical
Kings Theatre, Chatham
(829468)
Monday, 17Saturday, 29 July
7.30pm
Duncan Rand One-Act
Play Festival
Medway Little Theatre,
Rochester (400322)
www.medway.gov.uk
29
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Wards in focus
Get to know the area with the fourth of our special features
St Mary’s Island
Delce Junior School
Rochester Airport
River
Rochester East
Population: 6,972.
Population: 9,592.
Rochester South
and Horsted
Rochester Esplanade
Rochester West
Population: 9,702.
Population: 12,410.
Ward councillors: Bill
Esterson and Mark Jones.
Ward councillors: Nick
Bowler and Teresa Murray.
Schools: Brompton
Westbrook Primary, Fort Pitt
and St Mary’s Island Primary.
Schools: Delce Infant, Delce
Junior, St Peter’s Infant, St
Margaret’s at Troy Town
Primary and Rochester
Grammar for Girls.
Open spaces: Fort Pitt
Gardens, Great Lines, Khyber
Road, Paddock Gardens,
Riverside Gardens, Synagogue
Gardens, Town Hall Gardens.
Warden: Sharon Stanfield.
Historical fact: River spans
three of the four original
Medway’s towns - Brompton,
Chatham and Rochester (the
fourth town being Strood).
Brompton, a settlement in the
parish of Gillingham, was
dominated by the presence of
the royal naval dockyard and
naval barracks.
Open spaces: Copperfield
and The Tideway.
Ward councillors:
Nick Brice, Ron Hewett and
John Ward.
Schools: Balfour Infant,
Horsted Infant, Horsted Junior,
Thomas Aveling and Warren
Wood Primary.
Open spaces: Friston Way.
Warden: Amanda Wallington.
Warden: Amanda Wallington.
Historical fact: In Rochester
East stood St William’s
Hospital, commemorated by
St William’s Way. Historically,
the area was in the ancient
parish of St Margaret’s. Also
formerly associated with the
Delce were Delce Tower and
Delce Windmill, both
prominent landmarks but long
since demolished.
Historical fact: Rochester
Airport is here. The airport was
the site of the famous Short
Brothers’ Stirling bomber
factory, severely damaged by
German bombing. The Stirling
prototype flew from here. The
aerodrome hosted a Royal
Navy flying training school in
the late 1930s. The site is now
home to BAE Systems.
Ward councillors: Ted Baker
and Susan Haydock.
Schools: Pilgrim Primary, Sir
Joseph Williamson’s
Mathematical and St William
of Perth Primary.
Open spaces: Rochester
Castle Gardens, Churchfields,
The Esplanade, Fort Clarence,
Hathaway Court, Queen
Mother’s Court, Shaws Pond
and Vines Gardens.
Warden: Jane Ovenell.
Historical fact: A large part
of the ward was, until the 19th
century, outside the City of
Rochester and as part of St
Margaret’s parish was known
as St Margaret’s Without. The
southern part of St Margaret’s
became the parish of Borstal.
Meetings calendar
JULY
30 Employment Matters Committee CC
21 Licensing Sub Committee CC
31 Finance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny
Committee CC
24 Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee NBC
25 Community Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee CC
SEPTEMBER
26 Development Control Committee MB
5
Cabinet CC
27 Finance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny
5
Regeneration and Development Overview and Scrutiny
Committee CC
Committee CC
28 Licensing Hearing Panel Sub Committee MB
6
Development Control Committee MB
AUGUST
7
Council MB
1
8
Licensing Hearing Panel Sub Committee MB
Licensing Hearing Panel Sub Committee CC
15 Licensing Hearing Panel Sub Committee CC
12 Community Services Overview and Scrutiny
16 School Transport and Curriculum Appeals Committee CC
Committee CC
16 Development Control Committee MB
13 Standards Committee CC
18 Licensing Sub Committee CC
14 Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee CC
CC = Civic Centre MB = Municipal Buildings NBC = New Brompton College
29 Licensing Hearing Panel Sub Committee CC
The dates or venues for the meetings could change. To check phone
332011 or visit www.medway.gov.uk
30
www.medway.gov.uk
Serving You
Medway M ATT E R S
Contact your
councillor
The make-up of the council is:
Conservative
Labour
Liberal Democrat
Independent
On this page you will find contact
details for the 55 councillors who
were elected in May 2003.
lf you want more information phone
member services on 332732 or email
[email protected]
LUTON AND WAYFIELD
CHATHAM CENTRAL
PAUL GODWIN Lab
7 Highgrove Road, Walderslade,
ME5 7QE Tel: 865944
July / August 2006
RAINHAM SOUTH
31
16
6
2
JANE ETHERIDGE Con
48 Watling Street, Strood, ME2 3NY
Tel: 711003
BILL DAVIS Lab
23 Crestway, Chatham, ME5 0BB
Tel: 841629
HOWARD DOE Con
The Warren, 21 Style Close,
Rainham, ME8 9LS Tel: 366419
JULIE SHAW Lab
79 Downsview, Chatham,ME5 0AL
Tel: 813647
TONY GOULDEN Lab
37 Raleigh Close, Chatham,
ME5 7SB Tel: 302538
ROY HUNTER Con
358 Hempstead Road, Hempstead,
Gillingham, ME7 3QJ Tel: 364767
KEN BAMBER Con
5 Aveling Close, Hoo, Rochester,
ME3 9BZ Tel: 252394
JAMES WYPER Lab
27 Westmount Avenue, Chatham,
ME4 6DA Tel: 306315
VAL GOULDEN Lab
37 Raleigh Close, Chatham,
ME5 7SB Tel: 302538
DAVID ROYLE Con
7 Watermeadow Close, Hempstead,
Gillingham, ME7 3QF Tel: 377254
TOM MASON Con
1 Leeds House, Cypress Court,
Frindsbury Extra, Rochester,
ME2 4PU Tel: 727301
CUXTON AND HALLING
RAYMOND MAISEY Con
106 Charles Drive, Cuxton,
ME2 1DU Tel: 727126
PENINSULA
JANICE BAMBER Con
5 Aveling Close, Hoo, Rochester,
ME3 9BZ Tel: 252394
RIVER
BILL ESTERSON Lab
3 Phalarope Way, St Mary’s Island,
Chatham, ME4 3JJ Tel: 892779
STROOD RURAL
LES WICKS Con
Westcourt Farm, Salt Lane, Cliffe,
Rochester, ME3 7ST Tel: 220347
STROOD SOUTH
GILLINGHAM NORTH
REHMAN CHISHTI Con
30 Shakespeare Road, Gillingham
ME7 5QN Tel: 324849
CHRIS BUCKWELL Con
6 Rivendell Close, Isle of Grain,
Rochester, ME3 0HG
Tel: 270774
ME7 4DF Tel: 576675
RAINHAM CENTRAL
HEMPSTEAD AND WIGMORE
DIANE CHAMBERS Con
6 Mansion Row, Brompton,
Gillingham, ME7 5SE Tel: 842913
RODNEY CHAMBERS Con
6 Mansion Row, Brompton,
Gillingham, ME7 5SE Tel: 842913
MATTHEW FEARN Con
12 Chesham Drive, Rainham,
Gillingham ME8 9LY Tel: 370397
PAUL FOSTER Con
224 Lonsdale Drive, Rainham,
ME8 9JN Tel: 370397
JOHN MAGEE Con
c/o Member Services
Civic Centre, Strood, ME2 4AU
Tel: 07967 828714
RAINHAM NORTH
LORDSWOOD AND CAPSTONE
ALAN JARRETT Con
43 Ballens Road, Lordswood,
Chatham, ME5 8NT
Tel: 684640
DAVID WILDEY Con
627 Lordswood Lane, Lordswood,
Chatham, ME5 8QY
Tel: 863416
FRED BACON Lab
23 The Shades, Knights Place,
Strood, ME2 2UD Tel: 718201
ROCHESTER EAST
PHIL FILMER Con
MARK LAST Lab
Bridgewater House,
26 Milner Road, Gillingham, ME7 1RB Parbrook Road, High Halstow,
Tel: 582847
Rochester, ME3 8QG
Tel: 254196
ADAM PRICE Lab
13 Clifton Road, Gillingham,
PRINCES PARK
ME7 1NA Tel: 571426
CHRISTINE CRANE Con
303 Wigmore Road, Wigmore,
GILLINGHAM SOUTH
Gillingham, ME8 0LY
Tel: 239555
KAREN GRIFFIN Lib Dem
27 Stafford Street, Gillingham,
ME7 5EJ Tel: 325025
ANGELA PRODGER Con
17 Prince Charles Avenue,
Walderslade, Chatham, ME5 8EX
GEOFF JUBY Lib Dem
Tel: 309633
16 Franklin Road, Gillingham,
STEPHEN KEARNEY Lib Dem
112 Nelson Road, Gillingham,
ME7 4LL Tel: 576838
MARK JONES Lab
36 Rochester Street, Chatham,
ME4 6RP Tel: 843598
RICHARD GUICHARD Lib Dem
31 Bedson Walk, Rainham,
ME8 8NN Tel: 374878
KEN WEBBER Lib Dem
313 Woodlands Road,
Gillingham, ME7 2TA
Tel: 571770
Serving You
NICK BOWLER Lab
c/o Member Services
Civic Centre, Strood, ME2 4AU
Tel: 07793 806011
TERESA MURRAY Lab
318 City Way, Rochester,
ME1 2BL Tel: 409486
PETER HICKS Con
14 High Street, Upper Upnor,
Rochester, ME2 4XG
Tel: 715097
WES HOLLANDS Con
Cannon House, 2 Bellwood Court,
St Mary Hoo, Rochester, ME3 8RT
Tel: 272133
TWYDALL
ROCHESTER SOUTH AND
HORSTED
NICHOLAS BRICE Con
146a Maidstone Road, Rochester,
ME1 3ED Tel: 07950 992788
RONALD HEWETT Con
2 Park Crescent, Chatham,
ME4 6NR Tel: 401482
DORTE GILRY Lab
26 Twydall Lane, Gillingham,
ME8 6HX Tel: 386662
GLYN GRIFFITHS Lab
105 First Avenue, Gillingham,
ME7 2LF Tel: 352734
PAUL HARRIOTT Lab
26 Twydall Lane, Gillingham,
ME8 6HX Tel: 233833
JOHN WARD Con
45 Madden Avenue, Chatham,
ME5 9TH Tel: 318422
WALDERSLADE
IAN BURT Ind
13 Oakhurst Close, Walderslade,
Chatham, ME5 9AN
Tel: 863760
ROCHESTER WEST
TED BAKER Con
11 Watts Avenue, Rochetser,
ME1 1RX Tel: 847415
SUSAN HAYDOCK Con
46 Trevale Road, Rochester, ME1
3PA Tel: 811172
STROOD NORTH
KIERAN MAGEE Ind
11 Slade Close, Lordswood,
Chatham, ME5 8RD
Tel: 308290
WATLING
RICHARD ANDREWS Con
27 Hoo Common, Chattenden,
Rochester, ME3 8LT Tel: 252892
TONY LUCKHURST Lib Dem
34 Audley Avenue, Gillingham,
ME7 3AY Tel: 573872
JANE CHITTY Con
185 Allington Drive, Strood,
ME2 3TD Tel: 07814 482173
WENDY PURDY Con
4 Nore Close, Gillingham,
ME7 3DG Tel: 578669
www.medway.gov.uk
31
Medway M ATT E R S
July / August 2006
Your council
CUSTOMER SERVICES:
333333
8am-8pm Monday to Friday 9am-1pm Saturday
website: www.medway.gov.uk
email: [email protected]
Our main address is Civic Centre, Strood, Rochester, Kent ME2 4AU.
Medway Matters is now printed on
100 per cent recycled paper.
Once you have finished with this
magazine please recycle it.
For more information about
recycling in Medway visit
www.medway.gov.uk/recyclingcollection
Disney magic could be yours
Who can resist the story of the young
woman treated as a kitchen slave by her
stepmother and ugly sisters but who
had the last laugh by having a fairy
godmother who helped her go to
the ball and marry a prince?
The magic of the Disney classic
Cinderella has stood the test
of time. Cinderella, which
was Disney's 12th animated
classic, has been digitally remastered. Medway Matters has six
copies of a two-disc special edition of the
movie to give away. This DVD version of the film
has been digitally re-mastered and now has surround sound, as
well as bonus features including the chance to design your very
own princess gown. The DVD also includes deleted scenes and
a piece on the making of Cinderella.
The DVDs have been given to Medway Matters by the Piracy is
a Crime initiative, which is working with Medway Council's
Trading Standards Team to wipe out illegal copies of DVDs that
are on sale throughout the UK.
To find out more about the battle against pirate DVDs you can
visit www.piracyisacrime.com or phone 0845 60 34567.
Alternatively, you can phone the council's Trading Standards
Team on 333555 or email [email protected]
To be in with a chance of winning Cinderella, which is worth £25,
all you need to do is answer this question:
Who helps Cinderella go to the ball to meet
Prince Charming?
The closing date for entries is Friday, 29 September 2006.
Send your answer, full name, daytime phone number and
address to: Post: Cinderella Competition, Medway Matters,
Corporate Communications, Medway Council, Civic Centre,
Strood, Rochester, Kent ME2 4AU.
Email: [email protected] marking your entry
Cinderella Competition.
Text: 07739 657073 starting your text MM Cinderella
Terms and conditions apply - see www.medway.gov.uk/rules
August bank holiday rubbish and recycling collections
If it is normally collected on:
It will be collected on:
Monday, 28 August
Tuesday, 29 August
Tuesday, 29 August
Thursday, 31 August
Thursday, 31 August
Friday, 1 September
Friday, 1 September
Medway has three household waste and recycling centres.
To find out where these are or for more information phone
333333 or email [email protected]
ADVERTISEMENT
Find out....
....about Medway Council’s
Performance Plan
The plan explains how the council has
performed in the past 12 months and
what it intends to do in the coming
year. Available free from the Civic
Centre, Strood; Compass Centre,
Chatham Maritime; Municipal
Buildings, Gillingham and at
www.medway.gov.uk
In your
next
issue....
32
24-hour Medway find out how your
council serves you
www.medway.gov.uk
Medway Council is looking for
people who can give time, energy
and commitment to adopting a child.
We need families for all ages of children but
especially for older children and those from
black and ethnic minorities.
Visit www.medway.gov.uk/adoption
call 01634 331113
Liveability complete how local projects
for local people have
made a difference
It was a massive change how we care for children and
young people
Serving You

Issue 5 - Medway Council

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