Wednesday July 31 | 2019
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Young athletes urged to take tests after death of former Angel
TAKING A STAND: Protestors voice their concerns about planning in Capel and Tudeley see pages 3, 4, 5 and 11
Jobs at risk in takeover plan for Hadlow College and West Kent By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE future of staff at the Hadlow Group and a plethora of businesses connected with it, hangs in the balance after the Further Education Commissioner [FEC] recommended that the group should be split up and handed over to other education providers. A tendering process had been set up for bidders to take on the various strands of the group, which employs 1,400 people and teaches more than 10,000 students overall. The Tonbridge area faces upheaval after the FEC, Richard Atkins, said that Hadlow College and West Kent in Brook Street should be run by North Kent College. Hadlow College, which has 2,089 stu-
SWEEPING CHANGE FE Commissioner Richard Atkins dents, became the first in the country to go into educational administration in May after Mr Atkins found that it had ‘completely run out of money’. The intervention came after the departure and subsequent dismissal of the principal, Paul Hannan and his deputy Mark Lumsdon-Taylor amid an investigation into financial irregularities.
TONBRIDGE ANGELS have called for more young players to have heart screenings following the death of former team-mate Charlie Slocombe. A minute’s applause was held in memory of Mr Slocombe before the club’s pre-season friendly with Kingstonian on Saturday [July 27] – the date of his birthday. The 26-year-old defender collapsed while playing in a five-a-side game organised by the Angels at Hayesbrook School in Brook Street on Monday. He was taken to Kings College Hospital in London by air ambulance and put on a life support machine but died the following afternoon.
Screenings
Paul Dubrow, chair of the board governing West Kent and its sister college in Ashford, has also stood down. Three administrators from accountancy firm BDO are probing the accounts while also protecting the students by trying to ensure that the money problems do not affect the provision of courses. West Kent is not subject to the same stringent conditions, but the FEC had already announced a notice of concern for financial health. The group is also being investigated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency [ESFA] over money for apprenticeship schemes which it says the body was not entitled to claim. The Commissioner has called for North Kent College to take over the bulk of Had-
Mr Slocombe, who had been playing for Crowborough Athletic, had previously collapsed while training or working out. He had been fitted with a Reveal heart monitor to look for signs of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). It is understood that no abnormality had been detected. James Folkes, the Angels defender who played with Mr Slocombe, tweeted: “Absolutely shocked and saddened to hear a former team mate @Char_Slocombe passed today after collapsing playing five a side. “As I previously said please all non league ballers get yourself checked out please... don’t need another casualty.” He said: “My heart goes out to him and his family and I seriously urge all players to do it… watching my friend Junior Dian collapse on the pitch was
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