News


downsmail.co.uk Join Birdwatch to helpwildlife


THE annual Big Garden Birdwatch bywildlife conservation charity RSPBwill be taking place at the end of January. The survey carried out bymem-


bers of the public acrossKent and theUKhelps the charity establish which species are thriving and which are barely surviving. In 2019, the birdwatch takes


place fromJanuary 26-28. All participants have to do is


spend an hour or two in total not- ing down the number of birds they see in their garden or in the local park. The RSPB is also looking to


compile data on common and not so common wildlife we some- times come into contact with, such as badgers, squirrels and snakes. A spokesman said: “We’re


going to continue including this part of the survey each year now, to help us see the trends in our other wildlife in the same way thatwe’ve been able towith birds.


This beautiful jay is one of the garden visitors you could spot “Themore people involved, the


more we can learn, so please en- courage your family, friends and neighbours to take part. “It’s not just birds facing tough


times... it's our badgers, snakes and other animals too. So to help us get amore complete picture of


the state of our wildlife, in 2014 we started to ask you to tell us about some of the other animals in your gardens, such hedge- hogs.” The Big Garden Birdwatch has


been running for more than 40 years and regularly gets half a


million participants. It helps to spot population trends and to identify remedies. The RSPB added: “While some


changes in bird numbers can seemscary –we’ve lostmore than half our house sparrows and some three-quarters of our star- lings – it isn’t all doom and gloom. “Since Birdwatch began, blue tit


numbers have risen by 20 per cent and the wood pigeon population has increased by a whopping 800 per cent. Your results help us spot problems, but more importantly, they are also the first step in put- ting things right. This is why it’s so important that we count gar- den birds.” Read more or register at


www.rspb.org.uk and follow the links to the Big Garden Bird- watch.


A LEADING breast cancer con- sultant, who teaches trainee sur- geons andGPs,will be sharing her expertise with residents when she gives a free public talk in Kings Hill later thismonth. Ritchie Chalmers, one of the


breast care teamatMaidstone and TunbridgeWellsNHS,will be dis- cussing the signs andsymptoms of breast cancer and how to self- examine. She says detecting the disease


early helps successful treatment. Her talk,CatchingBreastCancer


Early, is at GenesisCare in Kings Hill Avenue, on Tuesday, January 22. It starts at 7pm.


Cancer advice Call for flood force volunteers


THE British Red Cross has joined forces with the Environment Agency to enlist Maidstone bor- ough’s young people into a net- work of community reserve volunteers. The recruits would be tasked


with preparing safety kit and equipment, filling sandbags, sort- ing supplies and making refresh- ments at reception centres if swathes of the regionwere threat- ened by flooding. The volunteers would also


learn how to protect themselves and their possessions if a deluge hits. This, says the Environment


Agency, is crucial because its own research shows 18- to 34-year- olds are least likely to know if their homes are at risk of flooding andwhat actions they should take to stay safe. Less than half of under 35s


(48%) would know what to do if a flood warning was issued, the agency claims. Simon Lewis, head of emer-


gency response at the British Red Cross, said: “Flooding can have a catastrophic impact on homes and communities, causing untold damage to the things and the peo- plewe treasuremost.


“That's why it’s vital we all


know what to do, and how to help, to lessen the impact and help communities rebuild and re- cover faster. “Sadly, we cannot always stop


things like this from happening, but by becoming a community re- serve volunteer, young people could help make a difference should theworst happen." Maidstone recruits would ulti-


mately join a national network of 10,000 people, the British Red Cross says. For details, visit: www.red- cross.org.uk/get-involved.


Think before you call 999, saymedics


MAIDSTONE’S paramedics are urging people to think twice before calling 999 this winter. South East Coast Ambulance


Service (SECAmb) says its emer- gency hotline should only be used if a casualty’s condition is life- threatening or serious. Other op- tions are available for patients suffering from non-emergency ail- ments, it says. SECAmb’s


call has been


prompted by the onset of winter. The number of calls to the ser- vice’s emergency operations cen-


8 Malling January 2019


tres is already taking off, it says, with 36,000 registered over a two- week period in November. Regional operations manager


Andy Cashman said: “When some- one is facing a serious or life- threatening emergency,


they


shouldn’t hesitate to call 999 for help. “But we’re asking that, when it’s


not an emergency, people consider all other services available to them. These might be calling NHS 111 - which can offer health advice and direct callers to the appropriate


service, or speaking to a GP or pharmacist. “Staff in our emergency opera-


tions centres and out on the road work extremely hard to get people the care they need as quickly as possible. “We will always prioritise life-


threatening and serious calls but we don’t respond immediately to lower priority calls. “People can help usmanage our


demand by remembering that call- ing 999 should be reserved for the most serious incidents.”


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