Homes plan unveiled at historic hospital site
PRESTON Hall would return to its former glory under development plans revealed at public con- sultation meetings. The Grade II-listed building, including the en- trance hall, stairs, library, garden and terraces, will be restored. Preston Hall became a hospital complex in 1914 for the treatment of wounded soldiers. It was acquired by Royal British Legion Industries in 1919 alongwith the surrounding vil- lage and became a centre for the treatment, train- ing and rehabilitation of ex-servicemen and their families. Since 1948, the main hall and hospital build-
ings have been run by the NHS, while RBLI has developed the village to provide support for the Armed Forces, disabled and disadvantaged com- munities. More than 330 people are employed in RBLI’s manufacturing and social enterprise activities.
Women launch
networking group A NETWORKING group has been launched for business- women.
LadiesWhoLatte meet on the second Thursday of every month at the Hilton Maidstone Hotel in Bearsted Road, be- tween 10am and noon. The meetings are free to attend.
But, for several years, theNHS has been prepar-
ing to vacate Preston Hall, which is expensive to run and maintain and its old hutted ward blocks are unsuited to modern healthcare. Many patient services have alreadymoved out to purpose-built facilities and the hall and ward blocks have been increasingly used for office accommodation. Services including podiatric surgery, South East DriveAbility and the wheelchair assessment serv- ice will be relocated before the NHS leaves the site in March next year. By then, the NHS and RBLI hope to have gained planning permission for 318 dwellings on their land – 40%of which would be affordable housing. The consultation document said: “The proposed development will bring investment to the local community and contribute to the regeneration of the Aylesford area. A secure future for RBLI and its charitable work in the RBLI will be ensured.”
‘Kangaroo care’ wins MPs’ award
LOCAL midwives have won an award after introducing a new way for mothers to look after pre- mature and small babies who do not need neonatal intensive care. Kangaroo care, which the Downs Mail featured recently, is when a baby is carried “skin to skin” next to its mother. Consultant midwife Sarah Gregson said: “Research into kan- garoo care for premature babies has shown that it can lead to a shorter hospital stay,more success- ful breastfeeding, less crying and more quiet sleep. We wanted to see if it would also work for the well premature and small babies we care for.” After successfully trialling the system on the postnatal ward at Pembury, it was brought in atMaidstone Hospital. Themidwives were named winners of the best postnatal care cat-
Carol McGiffin with Amy Holder and Elise Cade (both 10)
Moonlit walk for charity
MORE than 400 women took part in the fifth annual Moonlit Walk, which raised £36,000 in pledges for Heart of Kent Hos- pice, based in Aylesford. Encouraged by ITV’s ‘Loose
Women’ presenter Carol McGif- fin, whogrewupinMaidstone, walkers took on their chosen six or 10-mile route, from David Lloyd Leisure Club in KingsHill.
A RELAXING new landscaped garden and patient areas were opened at Heart of KentHospice, Preston Hall, Aylesford, by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev James Langstaff. He said the improvements would enhance the lives of pa- tients, families and staff. With £350,000 from the De- partment of Health, the Heart of Kent now has a much larger gar- den, a garden room, more wel- coming reception, additional
18 Town
with Trade4Life, a not-for-profit organisation set up to support char- ities in the developing world. A study about kangaroo care was due to be published in the British Journal of Midwifery in September.
Rotary help with Santa's grotto THE Rotary Club of Maidstone will raise funds for local charities at Christmas by helping run Santa's grotto at TheMall. Rotarians will be on duty at the grotto for about six weeks before Christmas but need now to appoint paid Santa and elves. Thiswill involve up to four or five four-hour shifts aweek. If necessary Crim- inal Records Bureau clearances can be applied for. Applications should be made in writing and sent to: Box No
SANTA, Downs Mail, Bearsted Green Business Park, Bearsted, Maidstone ME14 4DT. Last Christmas the Rotary club raised £8,300 for local charities.
Bigger garden for hospice
treatment rooms and other im- provements – important facili- ties to increase service capability to benefit the 300 people it currently supports. Chief executive Kate Bosley praised the professionals who brought the project together. She made special mention of
a new sculpture – a tree with leaves, which serve for a year as a memorial to patients who have died and are then pre- sented to relatives.
Bishop of Rochester Rev James Langstaff and Kate Bosley with the new memorial ‘tree’
To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330
Pair admit to five
counts of arson TWO Shepway men will be sentenced a year after a series of arson attacks started. Neil Clark (34), of Surrey
Road, and Mark Hitchcock (19), of Oxford Road, both admitted five counts of conspracy to com- mit arson when they appeared at Maidstone Crown Court. The attacks, which started
last October, targeted properties including the Lenham office of MP Hugh Robertson, a petrol station in Boughton Monchel- sea and a newsagent’s in Head- corn. They also admitted threats to destroy the Kent Mes- senger offices in Middle Row and the home of Supt Andrew Rabey. They will be sentenced on October 3.
Midwives receive the award from Health Minister Ann Milton
Charity gets green light to expand
egory by the All-Party Parliamentary Group onMaternity. The team have developed fairtrade KangaWraps in partnership
PLANNERS have given the go-ahead for a disability charity to expand its base in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford. Mcch society, which pro-
vides work and training for disabled people, has been op- erating from Britannia Busi- ness Park at nearby Quarry Wood, but now needs bigger premises. Borough councillors ap- proved proposals, jointly sub- mitted by Gallagher Properties and mcch, for a two-storey unit at Hermitage Court, including a cafe, offices and car parking. The charity currently runs a mobile catering service called tuckbytruck, selling snacks to local businesses.
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