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News Sally Army’s


move to Kent THE SalvationArmy has quit Lon- don and marched to Kent after a two-year review of its operation. The organisation’s South East Di- visional Headquarters is now at 11 Tower View, along with The West Malling Service Centre, which to- gether, employ 35 staff at Kings Hill.


Their role includes providing pastoral care, operational and mis- sion support to local branches of the church and charity. Divisional Commander Major


Mark Herbert said: “The Salvation Army spent two years evaluating every aspect of its mission service in order to be better equipped to support our church ministers and communities in theUKand Ireland. “We transformed how we allo-


cate resources so that we can be more effective and creative in de- livering relevant and vibrant min- istry to every generation, and in offering services based on local needs.” The move is also the result of re-


cent expansion from 20 staff to a combined total of 35, some of whomwork across the London and South East Divisions. Andrew Blevins, managing di-


rector of Kings Hill developer Lib- erty Property Trust, said: “We are delighted that The Salvation Army chose Kings Hill.”


Perfect score


for care home STAFF at a residential home in Har- rietsham are celebrating after scor- ing the perfect 10 in an inspection. Rectory House, which provides support to those with learning dis- abilities, received full marks for its standards of care in the 2016 Your Care Rating Survey – the first time a perfect score has ever been achieved. The Rectory Lane centre scored


full marks in every area assessed, giving the service the first perfect rating in the history of the Your Care Rating scheme – 120 points above the national average. All users strongly agreed that


staffwere sensitive to how they felt, had a real say in their care, and were happy with the support they received. Home manager Robert Mycroft said: “I and the rest of the team are delighted to have received such a positive report. Every day the fantastic staff here at Rectory House work hard to ensure that all the people we support are happy andwell cared for, and seeing them show their appreciation in thisway makes it completely worth it.” Rectory House is part of the Em-


brace Group, an independent UK provider of health and social care.


14 Maidstone Weald May 2017


downsmail.co.uk


Leeds Castle brings in photo ID tickets


LEEDSCastle has introduced a newsystem of photo-identity tickets in a bid to stop the practice of “Facebooking swapping”.


The heritage attraction – dubbed


the “loveliest castle in the world” – claims reaction to the new system has been “extremely positive”. But some local people feel they should be offered a discount to en- courage them to visit the site near junction 8 of the M20. One mother-of-two said: “It was common practice for people to go on Facebook and swap their tickets, as it could save you money. “But we’d nearly always have a


meal at the Fairfax, buy some food for the ducks or a drink or an ice cream while we were there. Per- haps there should be a discre- tionary rate for people who can prove they live locally. “I won’t be going again. It feels as


if local people are being penalised.” A year-long adult ticket costs £24.90, with a pensioner paying £21.90 and a child £16.90, with fur- ther concessions for the disabled. Last year, Downs Mail reported


how Leeds Castle chief executive Sir David Steelwarned ticket-swap- ping was hitting the charity’s fi- nances and claimed local causes might suffer.


He said: “Too often I hear and


read on social media of tickets swapping hands, being shared or not being purchased at all as peo- ple use the footpaths over the estate to gain entry and the benefit of what we offer without paying.” He said at the time he had “re- sisted” officials checking tickets in the grounds, but that has now been reversed. Even walkers on public footpaths have been challenged. A spokesman for Leeds Castle


said: “As of March 27, Leeds Castle introduced a photo ID system for all admission tickets. “This is a widely-accepted


Policewarning aswarm weather brings break-ins


POLICE are reminding Maidstone residents to make sure they lock their doors this spring, following a spate of burglaries with the arrival of better weather. Officers have been investigating


a number of reports over the past week and say the warmer weather creates chances for opportunistic thieves as windows are left open. Items taken include electrical de-


vices, power tools and bicycles. Acting Detective Sergeant Suzanne Basford said: “In some of the reports, burglars appear to have entered through a back door which had been left open or un- locked, possibly due to theweather getting warmer. “Unfortunately, this does create opportunities for opportunistic of- fenders. “Kent Police will always thor- oughly investigate the circum- stances behind any reported incident, but it is always better to prevent offending where we can. There are some simple steps all members of the public can take to


Sir David Steele, chief executive of Leeds Castle, left


process for tourist and other her- itage attractions which offer admis- sion tickets that are valid for a year. “The transactional image is


stored securely and used solely for ensuring the validity of the tickets on presentation and to protect the ticket holder from misuse of their ticket, should it be lost. “Our terms and conditions have


always stated that ticketswere non- transferable and nothing has changed in that respect. “Since the introduction of photo


ID, our visitors have been very ac- commodating, understanding and, as a whole, extremely positive.”


Gille jailed


MATTHEW Gillett’s shoplifting spree in The Mall in Maidstone has ended with him going to jail. He was sentenced at Medway Magistrates’ Court to 120 days in prison after admitting shoplifting. On March 29, the 34-year-old, of Cambridge Crescent, Maidstone, stole household goods worth £129 from a shop in The Mall, Maidstone. The following day magistrates sentenced Gillett to 30 days in prison.


Because the offence was commit-


ted during the operational period of a suspended sentence, the overall length of his sentence is 120 days.


help deter thieves.” Crime prevention tips include locking back doors and windows before answering the front door; ensuring valuables cannot be seen from the outside; making sure sheds, garages and other outbuild- ings are locked to ensure criminals cannot gain access to tools which would help them break into your home and keeping receipts sepa- rate so that thieves cannot return stolen items to the shop for a re- fund.


Sandwich bar A SUBWAY sandwich outlet is set to open off the A20 near Lenham. The venue – part of the Texaco garage – will serve take-away food and will also have a seating area and toilets. Lenham councillors are con-


cerned about the potential for lit- tering and the impact on independent stores in the village square.


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