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Mumtrained to offer help to young parents
NEWmums are receiving the sup- port of an experienced “nanny” as part of a health service scheme to prepare them for the challenges of being a parent. Jordan Greenway (20), from Allington, is the first of 35 such young mums from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells to graduate from the Family Nurse Partnership pro- gramme inWest Kent. The scheme – an American idea –
is being run by the Kent Commu- nity Health NHS Foundation, of- fering the advice and support of specially-trained family nurses for two-and-a-half years to first-time mums under the age of 20. Jordan, mum to two-year-old Kayden, said: “Itwas a huge shock when I fell pregnant. I wasn’t pre- pared to be amum– I had no expe- rience with babies andwas worried I might break him! “My family nurses, Pippa and Helen, were amazing. They gave me so much confidence and infor-
“It was really important that I
had someone outside my family to talk to and they were always there when I needed them.” Family nurse supervisor Carol O’Malley said: “Being involved in this programme is a serious, long- term commitment and all those tak- ing part have shown how dedicated they are to improving their lives and being the best mums they can be to their children.” Colleague Cathie Burton says the programmes are important as a way of getting support and guid- ance to young families early on. She added: “We know early in-
tervention leads to much better outcomes for our children, devel- opmentally and socially, so it’s a real pleasure to see this working so well in practice.” The programme is being offered
mation on the things to watch out for, how to keep Kayden safe and also places I could take him and the things we could do together.
in Maidstone and Malling. Expectant mums can be referred
to the service by their school, mid- wife or GP.
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YMCA MAIDSTONE The body achieves what
the mind believes
News Pub wins local
hero award THE Chequers Inn, Laddingford, has been declared a community hero by Enterprise Inns.
The local hostelry, run by Charles and Tracey Leaver for the past 21 years, was chosen as South East re- gional winner in the pub chain’s an- nual Community Heroes Awards. As well as hosting numerous fundraising events throughout the year, the pub is the hub of the vil- lage. It holds a fun fruit and flower show each summer to support the village school, hosts the school’s Christmas fair and holds Christmas quizzes to raise funds for the Hos- pice in the Weald.
The Chequers Racers cycle team set themselves an annual sporting European challenge, raising funds for the Kent Cancer Trust – this year they tackled a route through Asturias in Northern Spain. Tracey said: “We have always been firm believers in supporting all aspects of the community and hope that we have been able to con- tribute to the village and the parish. “However, without the support and help of so many people this would not have been possible. We would like to thank everyone who helps and supports us, which has made winning this award possi- ble.”
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