Local News

One hundred and ninety-seven families impacted by COVID-19 have received pre-packaged essential food boxes through Swale Borough Council’s COVID Winter Support Scheme.

The scheme is a partnership between the council, West Faversham Community Centre and Diversity House, who have processed and delivered a total of 398 food boxes to residents’ doors, supporting 707 people across the borough since its launch last month.

The boxes have been a helping hand to those who have had a change in their financial situation, received a positive covid test, are self-isolating following contact from the NHS Test and Trace system or experiencing a change of personal circumstances because of the pandemic.

Nine different pre-packaged essential food boxes including essentials such as pasta, soup, fruit, cereal, toilet roll and handwash, alongside vegetarian, Free-From, Afro-Caribbean, Eastern European, and Asian boxes to meet the various dietary, cultural and religious needs of local residents are available, and each box provides enough food for seven days.

Cllr Richard Palmer, cabinet member for community at Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: "The winter support scheme is a new service that is in direct response to those who are suffering hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So far we’ve delivered 355 pre-packaged essential food boxes to people who are struggling to feed their families. West Faversham Community Centre and Diversity House have been working hard to process applications and deliver boxes to people’s doors."

He went on to add: "We’re aiming to deliver a minimum of 2,000 boxes this winter, so I encourage anyone who has received a reduction in income, loss of employment, positive covid test result or other change in personal circumstance due to the pandemic to get in touch. Once your application is submitted, our community support team will carry out an assessment. If successful, an essential food box will be delivered to you within a couple of days. We know this has been a difficult year for people and we’re doing everything we can to help support families experiencing exceptional hardship this winter.”

 For more information, or to apply for the winter grant scheme please visi:t www.swale.gov.uk/cwgs. 

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible people must:

• have recently been made unemployed within the last two months and are still out of work
• have been furloughed and receiving less income
• have lost income because you cannot work from home
• are not already receiving support from Kent Support and Assistance Service (KSAS), local foodbanks or food support services
• are currently self-isolating because of a positive COVID-19 test or you’ve been contacted by NHS Test and Trace
• are currently receiving support from the Swale Borough Council self-isolation payments
• are leaving your home because of domestic abuse
• are currently living in temporary accommodation
• have recently been discharged from hospital.

Those NOT eligible include people who:

• are quarantining after travelling abroad (unless you test positive during the 14-day quarantine period)
• continue to receive full wages
• are self-isolating without a positive COVID-19 test result or without being contacted by NHS Test and Trace
• are already regularly receiving support from KCC's KSAS (Kent Support and Assistance Service) , local foodbanks or food support services.

Kent Police have confirmed that two charges have been authorised against a fraud suspect, after an elderly man from Sittingbourne was found alone in Chatham town centre.

The investigation began on Saturday 9th January after Kent Police received a call from staff at a taxi company who were concerned for a man in his 80s.

The elderly man, who was safely taken home by attending officers, reported that he had made a cash payment to a man who claimed to be from Swale Borough Council, purportedly for work to be carried out at his property.

He also reported that he had been taken to Sittingbourne and Chatham town centres, where unsuccessful attempts had been made to obtain money at a bank and a pawnbroker.

Following an investigation by detectives in the Swale Criminal Investigation Department, Danny-Lee Andrew was arrested on suspicion of fraud offences on Saturday (23rd January).

The 28-year-old, from Maidstone, was later charged with two counts of fraud and has been remanded in custody to attend Medway Magistrates’ Court on Monday (25th January).

Safety advice from Kent Police

Cold callers can go to great lengths to appear genuine before attempting to coerce, or intimidate, victims into handing money. They tend to target people who they suspect to be vulnerable, including the elderly.

The following advice can help reduce the chances of being defrauded:

• If you receive a request for payment, make a note of the caller’s details and end the call. Avoid paying a cold caller on the spot.
• Research the agency which the caller claims to be from. This can include checking the agency online, or asking a friend or relative to do so on your behalf.  
• If you do return the call, dial an official number you have sourced and not the one the caller provided.
• Never hand over money to a courier who has come to collect money.
• If you suspect the call was fraudulent, wait for at least five minutes for the line to clear before contacting Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or Kent Police on 101. If possible, use a handset on a different phoneline to make the call.

For information please visit: https://www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisoc...

+DETAILS OF THIS INCIDENT WERE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN OUR 'KCC SCAMS' UPDATE+

Train services between Sittingbourne and Rainham will be stopped from 9pm tonight as Southeastern carries out emergency repair work following a landslip on an embankment in the Newington area.

A number of other trains will also be affected, including the high speed service which will now operate between St Pancreas and Rainham. London Victoria services will only run between Gillingham and London Victoria and services from Ramsgate and Dover Priory will terminate and start back from Sittingbourne.

The Sittingbourne to Sheerness-On-Sea service will run as normal, following work to the Kingsferry Bridge part of the line earlier today.

Southeastern are advising customers to make their journey through the area before 9pm, if they can, as journeys will take longer and social distancing on replacement buses "may not always be possible".

As always, stay tuned to 106.9 SFM for the latest information.