News
Widow’s thrilling trek swells charity’s coffers
THE widow of a much-loved GP has completed a self-funded char- ity trekaroundtheGrandCanyon– which has helped to raise more than £9,000 for research into the ill- ness that claimed him. DrNigelMinett,who hadworked
at the Orchard Surgery in Langley, died in 2012, just 10 weeks after his diagnosis for pancreatic cancer. His widow, KateMinett, was one
of aparty of 20 trekkers, all ofwhom had been affected by the disease in oneway or another. But Kate was one of only two in
the party who slept under the stars in sub-zero temperatures, braving rattlesnakes, scorpions and ven- omous spiders as part of the “amaz- ing, exhausting, exhilarating and emotional” experience. Shededicatedher tripto themem-
ory of her husband, who spent 20 years as aGP at theMardenMedical Centre, and to raisemoney for Pan- creatic CancerUK. Kate said: “An incredible experi-
ence, so much natural beauty in God’s creation, so many beautiful hurting souls. “I would like to thank everyone
KateMinett stands above the Grand Canyon on her fundraising trek inmemory of husband Nigel, left
who took the time to con- tribute to my fundraising activities,who
have visitedmy JustGiving page or sentme donations. “I amtruly overwhelmed by your
generosity and the lovelymemories ofmy husbandyou shared. I amstill collecting sponsormoney – as of the beginning of November it has topped £9,400.” Pancreatic cancer is the tenthmost
common cancer in the UK affecting around 9,400 people every year.
It is regarded as a “silent killer”
because it is often too advanced by the time doctors discover it. Kate’s trek involved a week of
training in Arizona and Utah in preparation for an eight-mile hike, whichwas a timedascent of thepop- ular trail to Observation Point in ZionNational Park. She added: “It is difficult to find
thewords to trulydescribe the expe- rience. Awonderful teamof excep- tional human beings, all sadly touched by this dreadful cancer. There were somany sad stories but hope prevailed.”
downsmail.co.uk Council tax is
under strain ALMOST 60p in every £1 of council tax paid could be spent caring for children and the elderly by 2020. New analysis by the Local Gov-
ernment Association, ahead of the autumn Budget, shows the strain on council spending of rising de- mand for children’s services and an ageing population, which will leave less for services frompothole repairs to libraries. The LGA forecasts that for every
£1 of council tax collected in 2019/20, 56p will go on caring for the elderly, vulnerable adults and children – up 15p on 2010/11. The LGA suggests this could
leave just 6p in every £1 for refuse collection and as little as 5p for roads and street lighting. The LGA warns that as well as
the cost pressures, by 2020, local government in England will have lost 75p from every £1 in central government funding onwhat it re- ceived in 2015. There had been hope that local
government would be allowed to keep all of its business rates income by the end of the decade, but this was not in the Queen’s Speech. The LGA says the Government
needs to set out how it intends to help councils keep up with infla- tion and demand for services.
Ice Skating in the Park
Friday 17 November – Monday 1 January Calverley Grounds
www.tunbridgewellsatchristmas.com TunbridgeWellsChristmas Supported by
6 Maidstone Weald December 2017 RTW_Xmas
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
