You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July 2013.
The NHS wants to hear your views on fertility treatment. National guidance on the assisted conception services has been reviewed nationally and NHS Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is keen to hear what local people think. The survey, which covers Kent, Medway and Sussex, will run until 12 August.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently reviewed its clinical guidance on fertility, which was last published in 2004. As a result, CCGs need to review decisions about how best to meet the assisted conception needs of people across the local area. As part of the review, CCGs will consider the new NICE recommendations, local capacity and resources, population needs and the views and experiences of local clinicians and patients.
The survey asks respondents for their views on:
• treatment referral
• options for same-sex couples, people with physical disabilities or psychosexual problems, and
• fertility preservation for patients undergoing treatments which may affect their future chance of conception, such as chemotherapy.
The questionnaire is open to people across Kent, Medway and Sussex. To take part in the survey, visit: http://www.medwayccg.nhs.uk. The questionnaire is available until 12 August 2013.
To open the survey click HERE
Exam Results Helpline advisers urge students to ‘stay calm’, as they prepare for thousands of calls from students (and parents) who are keen to talk over their options after receiving unexpected exam results this year. The Exam Results Helpline telephone 0808 100 8000 is a free telephone helpline staffed by independent careers advisers. Students across the UK who receive unexpected exam results (A levels, GCSEs and equivalent qualifications) can call in for advice about their learning and career options. More
Free Family Printmaking workshops
Sunday, 11 August
10.30am – 12.30pm
1.30 – 3.30pm
Rochester Art Gallery, 95 High Street, Rochester (inside the Visitor Information Centre)
Families are invited to come along and try their hand at a range of fun and simple print making techniques as part of the Rochester Art Gallery’s exhibition ‘The Illustrators Art – Prints from London Print Studio’.
The free workshops will be led by artists from Medway Fine Printmakers. The exhibition features a range of work by five artists and includes pop-up books, and amusing prints of animals that families will love – can you spot the dog riding a donkey, a sausage fight or a rabbit with an egg?
The sessions are suitable for accompanied children aged 7 plus, and are free but must be pre-booked by calling Medway Council’s Arts Team on 01634 338319 or emailing arts@medway.gov.uk
Summer months are a busy time for the NHS, with soaring temperatures leading to increased numbers of patients suffering heat exhaustion, sunburn and allergic reactions from insect bites. More
Medway Council tonight unveils its strategy for delivering a long-term sporting legacy for the people of Medway.
The launch of En Route to Rio: Delivering Medway’s Sporting Legacy 2013-2016 is being staged to coincide with Medway’s largest mass participation sporting event – the Medway Mile.
In addition, two new flagship events inspired by the success of the Medway Mile have also been announced. More
LEADING BEAUTY BRANDS LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE PINK RANGES FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Shop with a conscience and shop pink this October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Beauty favourites, Avon and ghd, have joined forces with leading charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, to launch exclusive pink products which carry a minimum 10% donation to Breakthrough’s life-saving work.
Avon and ghd, along with many more leading retailers, will all be doing their bit to help the nation turn pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. More women than ever before are being diagnosed with breast cancer so it’s crucial that everybody gets involved and helps raise vital funds to stop women dying from the disease.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to saving lives through improving early diagnosis, developing new treatments and preventing all types of breast cancer. With 1,000 women dying from the disease each month in the UK alone, every penny raised is vital in order to help us create a world freed from breast cancer. Do your bit, do it pink.
1. Avon Pro Viva Pink Nail Varnish, RRP £4, 25% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, available from your local Independent Avon Representative or online at avonshop.co.uk
2. ghd pink styler and paddle brush gift set RRP £135, £10 donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, available in the finest salons and at http://www.ghdhair.com. ghd has been supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer for 10 years.
Thousands of young people and their families enjoyed a hot summer afternoon of free music at Rochester Castle Gardens on Sunday, 21 July. Young performers from around Medway took part in Under Siege, Medway’s free concert showcasing the musical talents of young people in the area. More
More than 10,000 people partied at the Prom last weekend with tribute acts, including Only One Direction, Cold Player and Counterfeit Quo.
Successful Asian music artist PBN (Panjabi By Nature), who had the crowd jumping with his hit single – Go Crazy, said “This was the first time that we have performed in Gravesham and I was blown away by the positive response. The crowds were amazing, I was delighted that I was able to showcase my music to a new audience. Festivals like this are a great way to promote the Brit-Asian culture to wider audiences, congratulations to Gravesham Borough Council and Cohesion Plus on a great event.”
As a part of the Party On The Prom in the Fort Gardens was the 2013 Summer Queen Festival. Since 1948 there has been a crowning of a Summer Queen in Gravesham, this year’s Queen is Abigail Jewiss from Riverview Diamonds. Ladies in waiting Robyn Pullar and Megan Rielly accompanied the Summer Queen together with last year’s Queen Katie Hagen
The world’s largest travel website, TripAdvisor, has once again recognised the high standards found at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, following the maritime heritage attraction’s exceptional traveller reviews. The TripAdvisor ‘Certificate of Excellence’ awards businesses that consistently earn top rankings from the website’s large community of reviewers and cites “with a high rating, The Historic Dockyard Chatham has earned a place amongst the very best”.
Mr Bill Ferris OBE in front of the fantastic No1 Smithery
Mr Ferris continued; “We are having a terrific visitor season with numbers well above our best ever to date, so we hope that even more visitors will leave as satisfied in the future! ”
More than 200 pupils at St John Fisher RC School have been working on their road safety understanding and abilities. The Year 7 and 8 pupils have been working with Medway Council’s Road Safety Team and Kent Police PCSO Rowan Cornwall on a number of activities and discussions. For many students, starting secondary school provides the first opportunity to independently travel to school. More
With the start of another series of the popular BBC show Who do You Think You Are?, Medway residents are invited to discover their family history at Medway Archives & Local Studies Centre (MALSC).
Each week volunteers from Kent Family History Society will be at the Strood centre to help beginners in family history.
The helpdesk is at MALSC every Tuesday and Thursday 9.30am to 12noon.
Thousands of people are expected in Rochester for the grand finale to the Medway Festival of Sport 2013.
Up to 3,000 runners and walkers of all ages are due to take part in the Medway Mile on Friday, 26 July in Rochester. More
Swashbuckling Summer School Holiday Family Fun returns to The Historic Dockyard!
From 27th July until 1st September, it is fun ahoy at The Historic Dockyard Chatham as the popular pirate extravaganza returns. This year, in conjunction with the exhibition Exploring Antarctica: The Final Expeditions of Scott and Shackleton – it takes on an exploration theme! More
There are lots to discover this summer holiday at The Guildhall Museum, Rochester and the Old Brook Pumping Station, Chatham. More
What follows is the insight of Nanny Wade, a resident of the Hoo Peninsula, into the plans of the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. She has all the disarming logic of my own grandmother, I may even adopt Nanny Wade to bring some of this mastery of the bleedin obvious back into my life. (Ed)
Boris’s Great Plan.
Knock down Heathrow and build thousands of houses in it’s place and build a
huge new airport on the Hoo Peninsula. So far, so good.
Who wants to move to Boris’s new town when one of the biggest employers in
the area is no longer there? Oh yes, they can travel to work in Grain! They
can join all the regular commuters and the airport traffic struggling to get
along the already horrendously gridlocked roads. The A2/M2 is full to
overflowing now and the road from the A2 out to Grain is little more than a
country lane in some places, therefore much more land will need to be taken
to build the new roads over a much wider area than the airport covers.
People living well away from Grain will need to be relocated to accommodate
all the new infrastructure needed for many miles.
They say it creates loads of jobs in the area so new homes will need to be
built to accommodate the new workforce but the land is running out because
there is now an airport there! Oh, and where are all the local people who
want a job there? They’ve been moved out to make way for an airport and new
motorways but they had no trouble finding another home as there were loads
of new ones at Heathrow!
Nanny Wade
Statement from Dr Peter Green, Chief Clinical Officer, NHS Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in response to the publication of the Keogh report.
More
The people in charge of planning and buying NHS healthcare services for Medway are due to meet on Wednesday 24 July, 1.30pm at Fifty Pembroke Court, Chatham, ME4 4EL.
Local people are invited to observe the monthly governing body meeting, to find out about decisions being made on NHS healthcare services in the NHS Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.
There will be an opportunity for people to ask questions at the end of the meeting. Anyone who would like to submit questions in advance is encouraged to contact the CCG executive support team by email: sharon.davies6@nhs.net or by calling 01634 335177.
For further information, and to view the agenda and meeting papers (published on Friday 19 July), visit the CCG website: http://www.medwayccg.nhs.uk.
A woman from Chatham who suffered a heart attack at a phlebotomy (blood testing) clinic has returned to thank the phlebotomists who saved her life. On 2 May 2013, Pat Maltby, 70, who regularly attends the blood testing clinic at Lordswood Healthy Living Centre, suddenly collapsed. Pat explained: “I managed to walk to the lift to go up to the clinic but felt absolutely dreadful. My chest felt really tight and I couldn’t catch my breathe. More
The RSPCA has hit out at owners who left their dogs in hot cars over the weekend, despite repeated warnings about the dangers.
The animal welfare charity was inundated with hundreds of complaints over the weekend from people who spotted animals suffering as the temperature rocketed to 90 degrees in some parts of the country. More
X-Factor winner, Joe McElderry will be making an exclusive performance at The Woodville, Gravesend on Friday 6 September 2013 from 7.30pm.
Joe, who also won ITV’s Pop Star to Opera Star in 2011, will wow fans by performing his hits including number one single ‘The Climb’.
For X-Factor and Joe McElderry fans, this magical night is one not to miss.
Tickets cost £25.25 each and can be purchased online by visiting http://www.woodville.co.uk, over the phone by calling 01474 33 77 74 or by visiting the box office in person.
A public exhibition will next week launch two months of consultation on proposals aimed at ensuring Rochester Airport continues to fly. The two day event takes place 10.30am to 8pm Monday (22 July) and Tuesday (23 July), at the Innovation Centre, Maidstone Road, Chatham.
Residents and businesses will be able to see the latest draft of proposals that could create up to 1,000 jobs plus improved facilities that would increase the airport heritage tourism potential. More
This week saw the first movie premiere held at St Mary’s Island School – with films created and produced by pupils and their dads.
Over the last five weeks Abbie and David MacLaren, Connor and Mark Waite, Ronnie and Acer Alldis have worked on a project to produce a short animated film, showing their ability to take on new challenges, work as a team and most of all making learning fun. More
Matthew Munro, from Chattenden, has been writing books since he was 13 and has now seen his first book published through the wonders of the internet. In its first week of publication “Lady of the Helm” – written under the pseudonym T.O.Munro – has had nearly 300 copies downloaded to kindle devices as far afield as Japan, India and France.
In writing the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy, Matthew was greatly helped by his daughter Tess, aged 12, for whom the reading of the latest instalment became a night-time ritual. Her reaction to the story and her engagement with the characters was a great motivator to keep writing. More
Students home from uni for the summer can win £5,000 by writing about why they love learning. The essay competition is run jointly by UCAS – the organisation which manages admissions to universities and colleges in the UK – and The Times newspaper. More
The RSPCA have reported an alarming increase in animals being abandoned across England and Wales.
In the last year, the RSPCA were called out to rescue more than 37,000 abandoned animals and received a call asking for help every 30 seconds. More
Peninsula Times 