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News Healthy new start for Fusion
PARK Wood’s Fusion Healthy Living Centre is on the move and the parade of shops on Parkwood Parade, Wallis Avenue, is to be bulldozed.
Lawyer finds his
niche at centre MARTIN Bullivant, who recently took over as manager of the healthy living centre, is a trained lawyer. Lancashire-born, he spent 17
years as a probation officer, work- ing in Portsmouth, Southampton and Jersey, where he was a social policy advisor for the Jersey gov- ernment.
He then became a church minis-
ter in Bolton and his move to Kent – prompted by the desire to be closer to his children and grand- children – coincided with a period spent as a professional artist and painter.
Five star cafe
FUSION is proud to be able to boast a 5* hygiene rating fol- lowing an inspection by Maid- stone Council.
Considering the café has had to create a kitchen from scratch, rather than be pur- pose-built, the accolade is dou- bly rewarding, says Mr Bullivant.
The work is phase three of Gold- ing Homes’ multi-million pound redevelopment of Wallis Fields. Most of the shops – including Fu- sion – are to relocate to the new pa- rade in Cobb Way. The move will mean a better- planned, more appropriate build- ing for Fusion, which has become the hub for hundreds of residents in Park Wood. There will be even more opportunities for families to get involved, whether as clients, volunteers or just drop-in users. Although Fusion is referred to by most people as the Fusion Café, in reality it is far more than just a place to grab a coffee or a bite to eat.
Prices are kept deliberately low and the menu, designed to encour- age healthy eating, has a sufficient smattering of fry-ups and the om- nipresent baked beans to make it appealing to all appetites. With a section of the café set aside for internet use at just £1 for two hours, it is a lifeline for many Park Wood residents who other- wise have no internet access or lim- ited use via their mobile phone. It also means they can get help filling in job applications, benefit claims and other important forms which must be submitted online or re- quire connection to a printer. Martin Bullivant, the manager of the centre, said: “Fusion is not a café; it has a café: there is an im- portant difference. “Everyone knows the best way to get people through the doors is to offer them food and, as this is not a commercial venture, we can afford to keep prices low. Any surplus we make is ploughed back into the centre.”
ONE of the highly successful serv- ices offered by Fusion is the Men’s Group.
The group currently has a regu- lar attendance of between eight and 12 men of all ages. They meet over a meal once a
week, where a part-time health and wellbeing co-ordinator gets the group to break out of the male sub-culture and address their is-
Fence proposed
A PROPOSAL has been sub- mitted to erect a 2m high fence along Willington Street, near 5 Lambourne Road, Madgin- ford. Maidstone Council will decide.
sues and problems, in a bid to both empower and enable them to move forward.
The group has been instrumental in creating the allotments at Christ Church.
The allotments received some funding from the Golding Homes Community Chest but it was the men who did the essential spade- work and erected polytunnels.
An artist’s impression of the new Fusion centre, with flats above
What was once an office recep- tion has now grown to accommo- date ovens, hobs, microwaves, dishwashers and a preparation area capable of turning out a dozen hot meals at a time under the watchful eye of a full-time kitchen manager and two part-time assistants. Every day local supermarkets de-
liver supplies of fresh fruit and veg- etables which are surplus to requirements, close to sell-by dates, and would otherwise be thrown out.
Volunteers looking for a stepping stone to permanent employment can learn about health, food safety and hygiene, the importance of punctuality and customer service by working with the paid staff. Fusion works with organisations such as the Citizens’ Advice Bu- reau, GPs and community war- dens, offering support, counselling and advice on residents’ doorsteps. The centre has medical rooms, counselling rooms and access to specialist services to help residents with everything from sexual health, drug abuse, and discrimination to keep fit and chiropody. There are
chair exercise classes and falls pre- vention training for the elderly while buggy fit sessions help keep younger mums in trim. A craft club for women and a trip to Disney on Ice was being organised.
The Fusion café is particularly popular with older residents of Park Wood, giving them the chance to get out and meet friends in a so- cial setting and under the watchful eye of the staff, who soon spot if regulars are missing. They are safe in the knowledge that a “no-show” means someone will come to their aid or check that everything is OK. Mr Bullivant said: “The café works like a kind of unofficial mon- itoring system, as we tend to know who comes in and when. We work with so many other groups that we tend not to give advice ourselves when we know there is someone who can do it better than us. “But we can often see beyond a simple enquiry and find that there is more to an issue than meets the eye, referring a resident to people such as social services, the police, their GP, the school or Golding Homes – whichever is relevant.”
Group ‘empowering’ men Family time for crafty kids
EVERY Thursday, the Fusion Café closes early and it becomes a hive of activity for children and their parents who pile in to enjoy the weekly Crafty Kids sessions. For just 50p per child mums and dads can roll up their sleeves and get stuck into making, baking and being creative with their children before tucking into a family meal together.
Caravan plan is opposed BRIDGET Cash has applied to install an additional mobile home and day
room at a gypsy site in Marley Road, Harrietsham. In June 2013 she was given planning permission to station one mobile and one touring caravan at The Mellows permanently. Maidstone Council will consider the application to which at least one neighbour has objected. They wrote: “There is no evidence of require- ment. The development site is within the AONB.”
Mr Bullivant said: “When time, money and patience is tight, sit- ting down and talking to your children and playing games or taking part in activities with them can be demanding. “This gives them space to do that – and then the chance to sit around the table, as a family, eat together and talk about what they have been doing.”
Keeping cool
A NEW air conditioning unit is set to be installed at Bearsted Railway Station to cool the ticket office during the summer.
Formore local news
www.downsmail.co.uk Maidstone East May 2015 31
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