News | Lockdown Business help


is ‘available’ MAIDSTONE Borough Council says Government help is at hand to "cover certain types of busi- ness" affected by the second lock- down. Cllr Paul Harper, chairman of


the Economic Regeneration Com- mittee, said: “In order to reduce social contact these (lockdown) measures are essential. However we know that businesses are the lifeblood of the communities we live in and we will do all we can to help them stay afloat during these extraordinarily difficult times.


“Maidstone Borough Council understands this new grant scheme will include those that may not be in the business rates system. “We are still awaiting the final details of this new scheme."”


Care home


staff listed LOCAL care home staff have been shorlisted in the Great British Care Awards 2020. Diana Serban, Joy Cagande, Shell Barrow, Alex Popa-Barth and Alina Abagiu at Abbotsleigh in Staplehurst have been nomi- nated for their work across all cat- egories of the care sector. At Lulworth Residential Care Centre in Maidstone, Catherine Singh, has been listed for her work in dementia care. There will be a special award


this year for care home staff who have shone throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.


Sales surge for


Aylesford farm A FARM in Aylesford which switched to providing home de- liveries during the first lockdown claims sales soared 400% on the Saturday before the country went into the second shutdown. Before the pandemic brought


the country to standstill in March, Watts Farms , had supplied fruit and vegetables to the top restau- rants and caterers in the south- east. But in the last lockdown, it made some 40,000 deliveries. Director Ed Gray said: “We


were incredibly busy on Saturday before the second lockdown with sales up 400%."


Many local farms diversified


into new areas of business during lockdown to stay afloat.


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downsmail.co.uk


Barber vows to defy lockdown work rule


A WEST Malling barber has pledged to work through the COVID-19 lock- down in open defiance of government restrictions.


Met Warwick, 39, (pictured) who runs Kings Hill Barbers in Churchill Square, can expect to get a call from the county council trad- ing standards officers who will have to enforce the new rules run- ning from November 5 to Decem- ber 2.


But Mr Warwick said: “It’s my business and my finances. I don’t agree with the instructions and I’ll be staying open.


“I will stand side by side with other barbers who take the same path. We must stand together. A couple of people have objected but, frankly, I don’t care. I’m not both- ered what people think.” Mr Warwick, who opened the shop only ten weeks ago, said he is prepared to go to court to contest any punishment. Jamie Baldry wrote on Facebook: "I’ll be continu- ing doing my job as a nail technician throughout ‘lockdown’ as there is no support for me. There wasn’t the first time round and there won’t be this time."


As Downs Mail went to press, a


Kent County Council spokesman said: “The legislation has not yet been passed and until it is we can- not confirm its contents, particularly with regard to which businesses will be affected by closure. However, we will consider taking proportionate action against any business that does not comply with the law to en- sure Kent maintains a fair, safe trad- ing environment and its residents are protected.”


Shoppers in a panic


AS THE UK enters a second lock- down, shoppers have been snap- ping up everything from toilet roll to pasta. Empty shelves were seen three


days ahead of the new national lockdown, which was announced by Boris Johnson in an address to the nation on Saturday, October 31. Earlier this year, panic-buying


forced supermarkets to put buying restrictions on certain items for the first time since World War Two as customers stockpiled hand sanitiser, alcohol, and toilet roll. The Tesco superstore in Grove


Green, pictured, was running low on chicken, pasta and loo rolls, even with shoppers limited to three items of in-demand products. Customers were also filling trol-


leys with tinned foods, such as baked beans and corned beef. One staffer told Downs Mail that


“tempers were getting frayed” when customers found the shelves empty. Shoppers in Sainsbury’s at


The lockdown will be "devastat- ing" to many of the county's firms, claimed Jo James, chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Com- merce. She added: "Business thrives on confidence and there is certainly not a lot of that around now." Among the big casualties of the latest lockdown was Leeds Castle which will shut to the public for the whole of the lockdown.


School pupils


now isolating A TOTAL of 12 pupils were forced to isolate after a member of staff tested positive for Coronavirus. Nine staff members and 12 stu-


dents at Five Acre Wood School were told to isolate until October 29. The rest of the school remained open whilst the pupils were sent schoolwork to complete at home. Principal Peggy Murphy said at


Aylesford said there were shortages of bread, meat and pasta. Harrietsham Co-Op posted on


Facebook: “Please be kind and con- siderate to our colleagues and fel- low customers alike. We have enough to go around, if we just con- tinue as usual. We don't want to have to start limiting what you buy, but please just think about our local community before you buy more than you need.”


the time: “We have had a confirmed case of COVID-19 within our school community. My colleagues and I are following Public Health Eng- land (PHE) guidance to ensure the safety and well-being of all our pupils and staff and as a result 12 pupils from one class and nine members of staff will be self-isolat- ing at home until Thursday, Octo- ber 29.” Following the announcement of a second lockdown on October 31, Prime Minister Boris Johnson de- clared that schools would remain open amid parents’ childcare wor- ries.


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