Town July 2014

News

downsmail.co.uk Hospital café lease advertised

THE contract to run a new and bigger café at Maidstone Hospital is being advertised, inviting in- terest from allcomers, including the likes of coffee chains such as Costa. The successful applicant will

have a new home at the front of the hospital after itwas agreed to relo- cate the hospital’s League of Friends activities elsewhere. The League’s Oast Café and

shops will be converted to make way for the new café, which will be run through an agreed lease. The arrangement is part of work

at the hospital’s main entrance, which is due to be updated for the first time in years this autumn – making it more welcoming to pa- tients, visitors and staff, according to its trust. The redevelopment will also pro-

vide a more open reception desk, improved facilities and better sign- posting. As part of the deal, it is proposed

that Maidstone Hospital League of Friends will manage a larger, new shop on the site currently used as a seating area. The trust’s director of estates and facilities, Jeanette Rooke, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Friends on this exciting new project, which will give the main entrance area a cleaner, fresher ap-

Meet big cats

VISITORS will come face to face with some of the world’s most beautiful wild cats at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation’s open days. More than 50 cats, including

tigers, lions, leopards and cheetah will be the star attractions at the events from Thursday, July 17 to Sunday, July 20. Entry is £10 (free for under 5s) and the centre is open from 11am to 5pm each day. There will be a falconry display,

face painting, a barbecue, bouncy castle, arts and crafts and stalls. The charity is based on Headcorn

Road, Smarden. Places must be booked on line. For details, email enquiries@whf.org.uk, call 01233 771915 or go towww.whf.org.uk.

Assault sentence

JAMES Sheehy (24), of Ashford Road, Maidstone,was given a com- munity service order by Mid Kent Magistrates Court after he admit- ted assaulting another man in the town. He was ordered to carry out 150

hours of unpaid work within 12 months and to pay compensation of £125 with £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Café conversion

ELIZAMazur has been given plan- ning permission to replace a retail shop with a café at 3 Corn Ex- change, Market Buildings, Maid- stone.

28 Maidstone Town July 2014

pearance, with clearer information and a warmer welcome for our pa- tients, visitors and staff. “We hope the project will start

within the next few months andwe look forward to helping the Friends design an area that will suit their needs and allow them to continue the vitalwork they do for us.” It is proposed that the new shop

would be ready for the League to move into before its existing shop closes. The League of Friends has main-

tained a long and successful pres- ence at the hospital, raising thousands of pounds for equip- ment. Its book shop alone raised £22,000 for the hospital in 2011. Chairman of the Maidstone Hos-

MAIDSTONE’S Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has joined with the League of Friends to buy a specialist chair for patients. The chair will help weak patients sit up and get out of bed. It

will help to strengthen their posture and muscle activity and boost their morale. Some patients will even be able to go out- side with the help of this specialist chair, which cost £3,740. Claire Chalklin, clinical specialist respiratory physiotherapist,

said: “This chair will be of enormous benefit to some of our weakest patients – it will allow them more freedom as well as helping their recovery.” Joyce Langton, chairman of the Maidstone Hospital League

of Friends, said: “The chair is fantastic andwe can see first-hand howmuch of a help it will be to our intensive care patients.” Mrs Langton is pictured with ICU Sister Alison Crayford, nurse

Ligia Rodrigues, physiotherapist Claire Chalklin (Clinical Spe- cialist Respiratory Physiotherapist) and Graham Neads (League of Friends)

Interact club awarded charter Awards venue

INVICTAGrammar School’s Interact Club received its charter at a recent meeting of the Maidstone Riverside Rotary Club. Guests including the former Mayor of Maid- stone Cllr Clive English saw Interact president Alice Musgrove receive a badge of office and cer- tificate on behalf of the school. Head teacher Julie Derrick welcomed guests and spoke about the ethos of the school while Alice gave an insight into the events held, along with a brief history of the group, founded two years ago. She concluded her speech by thanking her team for their hardwork. Ellie Monks-Walker and Georgia Phipps explained how they had

raised £1,000 for their local charity, Trinity Foyer in Maidstone. During the more formal part of the proceedings, members were pre-

sented with Rotary pins and both the retiring president Alice, and the in- coming president, Sophie Aujard, were given their charter, badge and a cheque towards their fundraising.

Disco to help cancer charity

A DISCO at the Hilton Hotel in Maidstone will be raising money for Pancreatic Cancer UK on Fri- day, July 18. Hosted by Jane Seaman, who lost

both her parents to the disease, the event will feature music from the ‘50s to the present day. There will also be a raffle, with

prizes including a hypnotherapy session, free passes to Indulgence Events, a willworth £150 from Gul- lands Solicitors and season tickets

to Doddington Place Gardens. Jane said: “Each year about 8,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which has the lowest survival rate of all.” The event runs from 7.30pm to

1am and includes a buffet. Tickets are £20 fromwww.eventbrite.co.uk/ e/once-upon-a-time-dance-the- night-away-tickets-11441559011. Donations can be made through Jane’s Just Giving page: Jane-Sea- man1.

THE organisers of Kent’s biggest annual showcase for the food and drink industry has confirmed it will return to the Kent Event Cen- tre, near Detling, in 2015. Produced in Kent’s Taste of Kent

Awards celebrated its 10th anniver- sary recently and the organiser staged the final at the Kent Event Centre for the first time. The organisation has confirmed

that the 2015 awards ceremony will be held at the centre, home to the Kent County Agricultural Society. The centre is preparing for the opening of its new £1.5m confer- ence building. The 72-metre long hall can seat up to 4,000 people and will be an addition to the existing Clive Emson Conference Centre, John Hendry Pavilion and the Astor Pavilion.

Thief in court STEPHEN Ingram (38), of Kingsley Road, Maidstone, received a sus- pended prison sentence after he ad- mitted shoplifting meatworth £17. Mid Kent Magistrates sentenced

him to 120 days, suspended for 12 months, after he admitted the theft from premises in Northumberland Court, Maidstone. He must also have drug depend-

ency treatment and pay £17 com- pensation and a £60 victim surcharge.

pital League of Friends, Joyce Langton, said: “We are pleased to be working with the trust on this new development to provide the League of Friends with a shop in a prime position in the Maidstone Hospital main entrance. “We are still talking to the trust regarding a suitable location for the League of Friends’ book shop.”

Friends join ICU to provide therapy chair

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