search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
downsmail.co.uk It must be acknowledged that the most


important people in this issue at present are the families who have had there lives turned upside down and had to move out of their homes in Tonbridge Road. Urgent action is being undertaken to


prevent injury or accident occurring, and I understand the authorities are working as hard as they can to get residents back. My thoughts go out to them and all of those staff at KCC, borough council, the utility companies and emergency services and blue light staff who reacted swiftly. Once this has been se�led, we must move on to avoid the delays and inconvenience to residents.  a temporary stop notice to house building on Hermitage Lane sites affected,, while surveys are revived and updated appropriately by planning authorities;  a collective “sinkhole task force” led by by experts but including KCC and involving local ward councillors and parish council and KCC representatives;  KCC to fast track the much-awaited consultation promised this summer on Fountain Road /Tonbridge Road junction improvements to provide some joined-up thinking and prevent another major road closure in this polluted and congested area. Let’s hope that with hard work, some good comes from this sad situation James Willis, transport campaigner.


Help keep kids safe online


MODERN technology means video is one of the most popular methods of communication for young people to stay in touch with friends and family. Popular video sites and apps such as


Snapchat, Musical.ly and Periscope allow them to broadcast real-time, live video to an audience over the internet – known as live-streaming. But sadly, as new statistics released by


the Internet Watch Foundation(IWF) revealed on Tuesday (15 May), there are risks. Over a three-month period, research


revealed 2,082 images and videos of live- streamed child sexual abuse were identified. Of those images, 98% were of children aged 13 and under, 28% were


aged 10 or under, and the youngest victim was just three years old. It is truly horrifying to imagine that


children are being coerced and manipulated to live-stream their own sexual abuse. Too many children are abused on social


media platforms, and it is time for the tech industry to take responsibility and do more to tackle abuse at its source. Culture Secretary Ma� Hancock is in the


process of drawing up an Internet Safety Strategy, but it is expected to bring in a social media safety code which is voluntary in nature and doesn’t include plans to prevent grooming. As a result, the NSPCC’s #WildWestWeb


campaign is urging Mr Hancock to bring in a mandatory safety code to regulate social networks to keep children safe online. Your readers can join us by sending an


email or tweet to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, asking him to bring in a new law to keep children safe online. More details on the campaign can be


found on the NSPCC website. In the meantime, parents can play a part


in keeping their children safe by talking to them about being Share Aware. Information about the the social networks, apps and games children and young people use can also be found via the charity’s Net Aware tool. Emma Motherwell, NSPCC local campaigns manager, London and South East


Music unlocks the mind


I’D like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped to raise the profile of dementia during Dementia Action Week (21-27 May). Anything which raises awareness of


dementia must be applauded. It’s one of the biggest medical challenges that we face, and it can be very isolating. We know that people with dementia often live in a silent world, yet music can bring a person back to life. Work that we’ve done at the Utley Foundation with the International


Longevity Centre-UK has shown how music can alleviate symptoms for people living with dementia, yet less than 5% of the 16,000 care homes in the UK provide music as part of treatment. We want to change this and are looking


to appoint an smbassador to mobilise a task force to help create more access to music for people with dementia. Research suggests that there is a


“memory bump” for music: people with dementia retain the clearest memories for the music they enjoyed and heard between the ages of 10 and 30. We’ll be looking to help introduce


musical initiatives which unlock these memories like digital playlists in a person’s home, running community choirs inclusive of people with dementia and bringing trained musicians into care se�ings. We’ve got some way to go to improve


the quality of life and wellbeing of people living with dementia, but thank you to those who have helped us champion the use of music therapy, it’s hugely appreciated. Paul Hardcastle, musician and producer, on behalf of the Utley Foundation


Winter shelter thanks


ON behalf of our board of trustees and staff at Maidstone Churches Winter Shelter, we wish to extend a huge thank you for your commitment to the 2017/18 Winter Shelter. Thank you, also, to everyone who


a�ended our annual celebrations at the Maidstone Baptist Church. Some of you may have already seen a


copy of our project report, which shows what we have achieved together, and which also acknowledges and gives thanks for the role played by all our supporters, volunteers and churches. For those of you who would like a copy


of the report, please let us know and we will be happy to send you one. Please feel free to circulate it to your friends, family, colleagues etc. and help spread the word about Maidstone Churches Winter Shelter. Ophelia Orr, administrator


The five editions of the Downs Mail are delivered to 90% of households in the Maidstone and Malling area, reaching over 190, 000 readers every month.


Maidstone North Contact our teams….


Editorial Editor: Simon Finlay


Simon.finlay@downsmail.co.uk 01622 734735


Assistant Editor: Jon Phipps jon.phipps@downsmail.co.uk 01622 630330 ext. 232


Sales


Sales Manager: Bill Brett Bill.brett@downsmail.co.uk 01622 630330 ext. 221 Advertising Sales Enquiry: 01622 630330 option 1


Accounts Dept.


accounts@downsmail.co.uk 01622 630330 ext 229


Mail Publications Ltd Forge House


Bearsted Green Business Park Bearsted, Maidstone ME14 4DT


Maidstone July 2018 47 Maidstone South Maidstone East Maidstone Weald


Current and archived editions are also free to read online at www.downsmail.co.uk


Malling


Comment


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