Local News

A programme to support people struggling to feed their families and pay their bills has reopened across the borough.

Swale Borough Council has received more than £500,000 from Kent County Council’s (KCC) Household Support Fund to help households access food boxes, get vouchers to pay their electric, gas and water bills, and buy items needed to keep warm until March 2024.

The money is being used to support organisations within the local community who have been on the ground helping people navigate the cost-of-living crisis.

Swale Food Bank, Children and Families in Sheerness, Faversham Food Bank and Sittingbourne's Diversity House will all be providing emergency food parcels.

West Faversham Community Association will be providing meals to the young people visiting their youth hub and Age UK will be delivering hot meals and shopping to pensioners.

The council’s fuel and water home advisor and Citizens Advice Swale will be providing Fuel Bank Foundation fuel vouchers to people with pre-paid meters as well as advice and support. Children and Families will be providing Mastercard vouchers for people with billed utility accounts.

Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the community committee at Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: “We were able to support almost 6,000 local households with the previous round of funding over winter. Unfortunately, just because the weather has improved it doesn’t mean people are finding it any easier to make ends meet. We’ll be continuing to work with our partners in the voluntary and community sector who have been doing a tremendous job of reaching those who need the help most.”

Cllr Elliott Jayes, vice chair of the community committee at the council, told SFM News: “The local organisations have done an amazing job reaching out to find and support people who are struggling with the cost of living. We can’t thank them enough for the work they’re doing, and we’re lucky to be working with such committed and hardworking partners. We’re committed to continuing the great work that has already taken place and supporting those most in need.”

To find out how to access the support available, visit www.swale.gov.uk/hsf.

Local senior citizen's charity, Age UK Faversham & Sittingbourne, has decided to merge with Age UK Medway to ensure it can still run its vital services for elderly people locally in the future.

It's understood that funding from Kent County Council is coming to an end soon and the board of trustees have taken the decision to merge with the nearby Medway branch following the news that their Chief Executive Clare Burgess was leaving.

In a Press Statement, they told SFM News “We are very sad to lose Clare’s skills and expertise from the charity and we wish her every success in her new chapter. Clare successfully led the charity through the Covid pandemic, indeed joining right at the start of lockdown one.

“She was instrumental in redesigning services to enable the charity team to support our community through the worst of the pandemic and through her leadership the team were kept safe and not one case of Covid was identified during the successive lockdowns.

“More recently, Age UK Faversham and Sittingbourne had their grant funding of £350,000 withdrawn from KCC, but thankfully with Clare’s income generating experience and partnership skills the charity has managed to work with a number of funders and partners to successfully plug some of this gap.

"Clare’s resignation from the charity has given the Board of Trustees of Age UK Faversham and Sittingbourne some time to reflect on the best way forward for the charity, our team, and our beneficiaries. The current climate is not a positive one, our local authority is unlikely to be in a position to give any future funding and charities all over the country are shutting their doors.

“Working in collaboration, partnerships, and creating income generation are the ways that charities will survive the next few years and many funders wish to ensure their funding is given to charities who are sustainable and less fragmented. To this end the Board of Trustees have unanimously agreed to merge Age UK Faversham and Sittingbourne with Age UK Medway.

“This decision, we feel, is a hugely positive step and will give further sustainability to ensure the longevity of the charity’s ability to continue to support our beneficiaries and reduce the postcode lottery of services in the areas of Medway, Sittingbourne, Faversham and surrounding areas.”

It is understood that Clare Burgess will be leaving the organisation in July with the merger due to be completed in August.

A dispersal order will be in place over the weekend to tackle nuisance vehicles in Swale. It will operate from 7pm this eveining (Friday 19th May) until 7pm on Sunday (21st May) evening and includes Ridham Dock, Sheppey Way, Old Ferry Road, Swale Way, Barge Way, Neats Court Retail Park, Rushenden and Rushenden Marshes.

Kent Police say the enforcement "is due to an increase in reports of nuisance vehicles and, in some cases, dangerous driving at weekends. It allows officers to stop anyone involved in anti-social behaviour and move them on".

Inspector Ryan Chase, of the Swale Community Safety Unit, told SFM News: "Residents and visitors to the area have reported concerns about the dangers posed to other road users and the impact on the quality of life of the local community.The order gives our officers additional powers to require anyone causing a nuisance to leave the area and, if necessary, arrest those who return once dispersed. Those who persist in this behaviour also risk having their vehicles seized."

Anybody who wishes to report instances of antisocial behaviour should report it online via the Kent Police website at www.kent.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/

Yesterday (Monday 15th May 2023) marked the start of Operation Sceptre, an initiative to tackle knife crime across the UK which brings together all 43 police forces and the British Transport Police in a week of intensified action.

Throughout the week, Kent Police has planned activity to target knife crime from its root cause right through to enforcement. 

The operation will see officers engaging with local communities, working with young people to dispel myths around knives, or carrying out test purchases with retailers. Operation Sceptre showcases the many varied and impactful ways in which policing is working to reduce knife crime and tackle violence.

The officer leading Kent Police’s efforts in the campaign, Police Sergeant Jamie Edwards, told SFM News: "Each of the county’s districts has a tailor-made plan for the week responding most appropriately to the differing demands of knife crime in their area. Members of the public can expect to see high visibility patrolling, weapons sweeps, the use of knife arches at public houses and bars, and even engagement with local schools and youth associations. Officers will also be holding knife amnesties for those in possession of bladed weapons to forfeit them in knife boxes."

Commander Stephen Clayman is the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s knife crime lead. He told SFM News: "Introduced in 2015, Operation Sceptre has galvanised activity, dedicating a week to intensified activity twice a year. This doesn’t mean we only look at this twice a year, but Sceptre is an opportunity to really focus on our efforts to tackle knife crime at a number of levels – from engaging with young people in schools to proactive patrols and knife sweeps. As ever, partnership working is integral to our approach and this week will also shine a spotlight on the many initiatives where policing joins charities, local organisations and government to bring real change for our communities. This is an ongoing mission and one which needs collective ambition, energy and patience."

Operation Sceptre will also highlight the Home Office consultation on new knife legislation proposals to tackle the use of machetes and other bladed articles in crime. The consultation is the result of partnership working between the NPCC National Knife Crime Working Group and the Home Office with proposals developed to support policing in targeting knife crime at a number of stages from retailers to offenders.

The consultation is open to everyone and closes Tuesday 6th June. To take part please click here: Machetes and other bladed articles: proposed legislation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)