Friday, October 28, 2016
NEWS Local church cats lap up attention Gillingham locals are stopping to stroke, play with and talk to cats outside St Andrews Church. The cats sport glittery collars that clearly mark a home address, but that doesn’t stop them enjoying extra attention as they wait in bushes for passers by. One girl was seen using twigs to play with the cats and another stopped to “coo” at them.
Modern Slavery A local recruitment agency believe the local community will be “stronger together” in safeguarding against modern slavery. Sam Hayes, Temp Controller at MC Personnel says the agency are attempting to raise awareness of modern slavery but has yet to receive any reports of it.
Knife Crime A 43-year-old woman has been sentenced to 200 hours unpaid work after carrying a knife. Jessica Kitchin was sentenced at Medway Magistrates Court on 4th October. Kitchin was found with a Goats foot knife in Hemstead Road on 28th July.
STRAPLINE: A rough Christmas ahead for a popular local business
Local business butchered by supermarket giants by Elise Christian epc3@kent.ac.uk
A Gillingham butcher told of his struggles to keep his business alive amid rising meat sales in supermarket chains. Bruce’s Butchers located off Gillingham High Street is a 33-year-old family run business. Store owner Alan Bruce, 50, from Gillingham says “Brexit will have an effect - our prices are already going up and down. Pork has already gone up by 20p in the last 10 days”. Surprisingly though, this is the least of his worries as he gets a large quantity of meat stock from Holland and Poland who he says “remain happy to supply”. A large amount of his stock is also sourced locally. The 525th Asda store in the UK opened in Gillingham last year, posing the largest threat to Bruce’s Butchers yet. Asda also pride themselves on local sourcing and say they are “making it as cheap, easy
Mr Bruce promises to “personalise your Christmas” and risk-free as possible” for small suppliers to do business with them. This puts them in direct competition with Mr Bruce who also prides his business on locally sourced produce. With Christmas looming, Mr Bruce is prepared for the possibility that he will experience a substantial “loss of business” because “everyone is going to Asda now”. Mr Bruce stands firmly by
his prices and finds it frustrating when people try to haggle. He says “people just don’t understand that this is what it costs”. Despite Mr Bruce’s plight over business losses, he still remains positive as he does have a host of “loyal custmers” that his business can depend on. He says these customers come to him because he “personalises their Christmas in a way that larger supermar-
kets just don’t”. Free supermarket parking may also be playing a role in steering customers away from local businesses. Mr Bruce tells of the “parking problems” that his shop incurs. Customers tend to park on residential streets for easy access to the butchers which has a cost. It seems that this problem isn’t going to be improved anytime soon as Mr Bruce describes how contact with the council over the issue has led him to feel “they don’t care about the locals”. He goes as far as to say that the council “don’t want Gillingham High Street to exist”. Mr Bruce is hopeful that he will not have to work into his 70s like his dad who still works alongside him today. He says “I don’t want to be working when I’m 75 like dad”. But a substancial loss of profit may force Mr Bruce to work into his old age. Bruce’s Butchers faces a tense few months ahead.
Kent Union: Black History Month mishap A student Union has used an image of pop star Zayn Malik as the face of Black History Month. Kent Union’s President Rory Murray has apoligised for using the image of One Direction’s Zayn who is of British and Pakistani origin. Members of the Union are deeply upset by the misdirected attempts to celebrate Black History Month. A statement from Kent Union and the University of Kent said they had tried to “recognise and celebrate the immense contributions that people of African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean heritage make to humanity”. The Union has been branded a “natiopnal embarrassment” by its members and is facing questioning and protests from Univerisity of Kent students. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan was another ‘Black History Month’ icon used. Students are dumbfounded that the Union are unable to distinguish between two very different ethnic groups.
Cancer Research UK, Gillingham pose in fancy dress at fundraising coffee morning
Gillingham charity shop Stands up to Cancer with £1500 target The staff at Cancer Research in Gillingham High Street sported orange wigs last week in aid of ‘Stand Up to Cancer’. The charity shop has a £1500 target to reach by 3rd November. The fundraising attempts include a coffee morning with a cake sale and a raffle with top prizes such as a doll house and WW1 memorabilia. Vanessa Davis, Manager of the Gilling-
ham store, said dressing up and hosting a coffee morning “brings all my ladies toghether to do something fun and good”. Ms Davis also mentions that the cakes are made by Ms Davis’ grandma who was also more than happy to support her granddaughter with her fundraising. The staff and shop were decorated in the campaigns offical colours black and orange,
which is also topical in the lead up to Halloween. Fundraising efforts have not been without challenges. The charity shop have also been raising money in a demijohn which they now have to empty at regular intervals after many attempted thefts in store. Despite such attempts, the store has still managed to so far raise a grand total of £1000.