Malling January 2023 local Oracle

Dear Readers

Happy New Year!

We hope you managed to have a safe and happy Christmas and that 2023 turns out to be a good year for us all.

We have again included Malling Mail (Pages 28-31), produced by Trudy Dean, on behalf of Malling Action Partnership and is independent of the local Oracle. She has supplied some really useful numbers and services to call in times of need so please do refer to page 31 for those.

January is traditionally a time of year to make a fresh start, make resolutions and promises to ourselves to have a better year. Why should 2023 be any different? We have many new advertisers to help you.

As always, the local Oracle can be found on our website www.thelocaloracle.co.uk and on our social media pages which can be found on the following links facebook.com/thelocaloracleortwitter.com/thelocaloracle

Thank you for using the local Oracle. All the best

www.mallingaccountancy.co.uk Chartered

Free Initial Consultation. Companies, Sole Traders, Partnerships. Accounts, Tax, VAT, Bookkeeping, Payroll, Property Landlords & Service Charges. Self Assessment Tax Returns, Charity Accounts.

The

t: 0845 5212241 or 01732 221960 c: Gary Richards e: garyrichards@taxassist.co.uk

AIR AMBULANCE

Air Ambulance t: 01634 471900 e: hello@aakss.org.uk www.aakss.org.uk

BATHROOM INSTALLATIONS

Bathroom Solutions

m: 07908 021913 c: David Bartholomew e: bathroomsolutionslarkfield@outlook.com f/b: @Bathroomsolutionslarkfield

Complete bathroom installs, supply and design or fit only. Plumbing, tiling, splash panels, plastering, electrical work. All types of floors fitted. No obligation quotes. Over 15 Yrs Exp. Public liability insured.

BATHROOM INSTALLATIONS

Nightingale Bathrooms t: 01732 652052 www.nightingalebathrooms.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 23)

BROADBAND/PHONE SOCKETS

Broadband/Phone Sockets m: 07845 705900

Why pay service provider prices for internal faults?

- New phone/broadband extentions. - Fault finding repairs/Improve broadband speeds.

- Cat 5 wiring

- Internal/external re-routing/tidying of cables prior to double glazing. Established 2009 25 years BT Engineer Fully Insured.

Gemini

BLINDS

Penumbra Blinds & Solar Control Ltd t: 01892 825522 m: 07767 326211 e: stuart@penumbrablinds.com www.penumbrablinds.com (See Colour Ad On Page 23)

BUILDING SERVICES

Paul Tann Ltd m: 07873 965231

c: Paul e: info@paultann.co.uk www.paultann.co.uk

Specialising in foundations, drainage and all types of paving. Fully insured. All work guaranteed. Established over 20 years.

BUILDING SERVICES

R Blackman General Maintenance t: 01892 838668 m: 07887 948430

c: Richard Blackman e: rblackman040665@gmail.com

Roofing, guttering, PVC fascias, soffits, leadwork, chimney repairs and brickwork.

Interior and exterior painting. Patios & driveways and conservatory bases.

The Small Works Building Company m: 07703 061572 c: Anthony Hale e: anthonynhale@hotmail.com

CAR SALES

Kings Hill Car Sales

a: Kings Hill Car Sales

North Lodge 584 Malling Road West Malling Kent ME19 4PU t: 01732 220540 www.kingshillcarsales.co.uk

Good quality cars, bought and sold. Specialist vehicle sourcing. Company vehicle sourcing. All makes available. Please ring for help.

CAR SERVICE & REPAIR

Kings Hill Garage Limited

a: North Lodge, 584 Malling Road, West Malling, Kent ME19 4PU t: 01732 849322 www.kingshillgarage.co.uk

BUSINESS INSURANCE

Westfield Insurance m: 07753 335044 c: Richard Hills e: richard.hills@westfieldinsurance.co.uk www.westfieldinsurance.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 16)

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Authorised

CAR BODY REPAIRS

Touch Ups Smart Repairs Ltd

t: 01622 710687 m: 07771 621769 www.touchupsltd.co.uk

(See Colour Ad On Page 27)

MOT’s while you wait Servicing for all cars and LCV Repairs to all makes and models Fault diagnosis Tyres at competitive prices Aircon regas and repairs

CARERS REQUIRED

Carers Required

a: Kings Hill t: 07912 878830

Carers required for two young adults who are wheelchair bound, non-verbal and are fully dependant on others.

Includes all personal care and feeding as well as providing sensory activities. Weekday, weekend and occasional night cover available. Based in Kings Hill.

CARPENTRY

Red Carpentry

t: 01622 751447 m: 07896 904056 c: Richard Dillon

Exterior & interior doors & frames supplied and fitted. All types of windows. Solid & laminate flooring. All types of carpentry work undertaken. Over 30 years experience.

6942024

CHIROPODY & PODIATRY

Hard skin removal

Verruca treatment Orthotics

Diabetic foot assessments

Ingrowing toenail surgery

Surgical referrals

Corn removals and nail cutting. Health promotion and holistic health advice including exercise referrals.

CLEANING SERVICES

GLEAMING CLEANING

Always busy? No time for cleaning?

Ovens NEED to be deep cleaned!

Ironing pile getting bigger? Garden that never stops growing? Hoovering & dusting getting you down? Call us to leave your house gleaming! Need any painting or decorating? No job too BIG or too SMALL! For a professional 1-2-1 service with A Smile Free quotation 1st clean 10% Off Call Terri: 07486 860647 or 07769 996921

COMMUNITY CENTRE Hermitage Park Community Centre

a: Allington, Maidstone ME16 9FZ t: 01622 427492 www.hermitagepark.org (See Colour Ad On Page 3)

COMPUTER

DECORATORS

Impact Decoration

Computer support, repairs & upgrades. Virus and malware removal. Complete business and home connectivity service. For additional services see our website. Unit 7, Kilnbridge Works, East Farleigh, ME15 0HD

CONSERVATORIES

t: 01732 873726 m: 07882 597433 c: Sam Gregory e: info@impact-decoration.co.uk www.impact-decoration.co.uk Kings Hill based, polite and tidy. Internal and External decoration. City and Guilds qualified. Dulux Select Approved Decorator. Fully insured. Domestic & Commercial clients.Virtually dust free sanding. Paper hanging.

DECORATORS

JP’s Decorating

m: 07956 874044 or 07944 126353 c: Phil e: jpcookies4@yahoo.co.uk

For all your interior and exterior painting, no job too small. All quotes guaranteed to beat the rest. I have many years experience. Kings Hill based. Domestic/Commercial & insurance. (References available on request)

COMPUTER SUPPORT

AA Computer Services

t: 01732 247003 m: 07904 910400 e: info@aa-computerservices.co.uk www.aa-computerservices.co.uk

Complete Home and Small Business computer and network services. Microsoft Certified Professional. From PC advice, repairs & installations to websites and networks (including wireless) No fix - No fee!

COMPUTER SUPPORT

Home Computer Help t: 01732 220467 m: 07966 825265 c: Rob e: hchelp194@gmail.com

Experienced IT Professional providing an in-home service.

Computer setup. Virus removal Software installation. Internet & email troubleshooting. Training & advice. Fixed prices - no hourly rates.

DECORATORS

G J Services

a: West Malling t: 01732 850343 m: 07764 684495 t: Guy Williams e: gjservices@btinternet.com

Painting Decorating General Maintenance Wall papering Free Estimates

General Property Maintenance. Interior and Exterior Painting. Decorating and Repairs.

DECORATORS

Rathbone Decorating Services

t: 01622 721491 m: 07753 487796 c: Robert Painting and decorating. Interior and exterior. Special rates for pensioners. Wallpapering and coving. Free estimates. Friendly personal services.

DECORATORS

Roast & Tongue Decorating Specialists

a: 1 Hawkridge Grove, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JB t/f: 01732 873754 m: 07971 542609/07824 887677 e: m.roast@gmail.com

Interior and Exterior Decoration

Plastering, Wood repair-care trained (ideal for rotten joinery) Carpentry Wallpapering, Coving, Tiling. City & Guilds Approved, 18 yrs exp. Insurance & Commercial work. References on request.

ELECTRICIANS

Domestic

Landlord safety inspections EICR

t: 01732 843661 m: 07830 456928 info@andypayneelectricalcontractors.co.uk www.andypayneelectricalcontractors.co.uk

ELECTRICIANS

ASD Electrical Services

t: 01634 624555 m: 07885 605424 e: asdelectricalservices@gmail.com

(See Colour Ad On Page 17)

ELECTRICIANS

Letter Boxes, Cat Flap Installations. Free Telephone Advice and Call Out Over 30 years’ experience

DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIRS

SOS Window Works t: 01622 206690 m: 07779 006696 e: soswindowworks@virginmedia.com www.soswindowworkskent.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 25)

P. B. A Electrical Services Ltd t: 01732 247237 e: info@pbaelectrical.com www.pbaelectrical.com

(See Colour Ad On Page 23)

FENCING

All Seasons Garden Fencing t: 01732 844634 m: 07847 717553 (New Number) c: Mark Steward www.allseasonsgardenfencing.co.uk

All types of garden fencing & gates. supplied, erected and repaired. Close boarded. Panel, post & rail, decking & pagodas. No job too small. Approved by 3 local Parish Councils. Free quotations.

Design and HND Landscape Management. All aspects of hard and soft landscape works undertaken from design to implementation. Free consultation and estimates. Portfolio & references available. Fully insured.

DRIVEWAY/PATIO CLEANING & REPAIRS

Bramko Ltd

Contact Mark Killick on 01732 357660 or 07899 894838

e: mik1969@hotmail.co.uk

NPTC Qualified Block paving, patio slabs & decking restored to original condition. Weed moss, & grime removal to prevent slippery surfaces. Patio slabs from £45, Block paving from £75. Free estimate & advice.

Gutter Cleaning from £50

(See Colour Ad On Page 19)

Capstone Foster Care t: 0800 012 4004 www.capstonefostercare.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 25)

GARDEN SERVICES

Goldcrest Gardening

t: 01732 840652 m: 07864 682844

e: info@goldcrestgardening.com www.goldcrestgardening.net

Our reliable service includes: -Weeding, mowing, edging. -Autumn/Winter tidy. -Planting for next growing season. -Seasonal pruning. -bed preparation and soil enrichment. -Greenhouse cleaning. Public liability insured.

GAS & HEATING SERVICES

Blaize Services Ltd

t: 01622 430290 m: 07581 154499

c: James

e: info@blaizeservicesltd.com (See Colour Ad On Page 17)

GAS & HEATING SERVICES

Meadow Gas m: 07835 096573 or 07399 975441 e: meadowgasservices@gmail.com

(See Colour Ad On Page 22)

GAS & HEATING SERVICES

RWS & EA Ltd

t: 01732 871458 c: Robert Baron e: robert.baron4@btinternet.com

Central heating. Vaillant Boiler Specialist. Servicing, repairs and systems upgrades. Fully insured. 40 years knowledge and experience.

GATE AUTOMATION

Parkers Gates & Fencing Ltd m: 07879 414440

e: sales@parkersgates.com www.parkersgates.co.uk

(See Colour Ad On Page 22)

Bramko Ltd

m: 07899 894838 t: 01732 357660

c: Mark Killick

e: mik1969@hotmail.co.uk

(See Colour Ad On Page 19)

HAIRDRESSING - MOBILE

Kelly’s Hairdressing Services m: 07951 202655 c: Kelly

Qualified mobile hairdresser. I am experienced in cutting and colouring and have had advanced training in L’Oreal colour

Professional and affordable service in the comfort of your own home. I am polite, friendly and reliable.

HANDYMAN

DME Property Services

m: 07469 202653

e: dmepropertyservice@gmail.com

inst: DME Property

We offer a range of both internal and external property maintenance. Wall and floor tiling. Internal and external painting. Wallpaper hanging and stripping. Skirting and coving. Patios and paving. Jet washing & other external cleaning. We are a small, friendly, reliable business offering competitive rates.

HEALTH & FITNESS

Larkfield Leisure Centre t: 01622 713225

e: leisurecentres@tmactive.co.uk www.larkfieldleisure.co.uk

(See Colour Ad On Page 5)

HEALTHCARE/HEARING

Hearing Matters Ltd

a: 26 Kings Hill Avenue, ME19 4AE t: 01732 443655

e: info@hearingmattersltd.co.uk www.hearingmattersltd.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 26)

HYPNOTHERAPY

DH Wellbeing & Hypnotherapy

t: 01622 320240

e: sally@dhwellbeing.co.uk

Hypnotherapy can help most areas of life including anxiety, stress, depression, confidence, overwhelm, worry, panic attacks, low self-esteem, phobias, fears, pain management, sports, exams and work performance. As a qualified hypnotherpist I can help people let go of the things that are preventing them from living the life they want to live - no matter how big or small.

LEAFLET DISTRIBUTION

the local Oracle t: 01732 795777/521494 e: info@thelocaloracle.co.uk www.thelocaloracle.co.uk

From production to distribution. We can help you reach new customers for your business. Call to book your space.

LOCKSMITH

A.Maidstone Locksmiths

a: 27 Dixon Close, Maidstone ME15 6SS t: 01622 410057 m: 07837 751611 c: John e: john@maidstonelocksmiths.com www.maidstonelocksmiths.com Free estimates.

24 hour emergency service. Domestic and Commercial. All types of locks supplied & fitted. UPVC specialists. KCC trading standard approved. ASR Locksmiths m: 07958 301926 e: asrlocksmiths@aol.co.uk www.asrlocksmiths.co.uk

24 Hour. No call out charge. Free estimates. Gain entry. All locks repaired, replaced or upgraded. UPVC windows and doors repaired.

PLASTERERS David Terry Plastering t: 01622 661780 m: 07971 919694 e: d-j-terry@hotmail.co.uk www.davidterry-plastering.co.uk All internal plastering. Plaster over Artex, coving, plaster boarding and re skims. Painting and

PRINTERS

a: 80 Churchill Square, Kings Hill ME19 4YU t: 01732 525818 www.getitrepaired.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Back Page)

ROOFING

William Kent & Sons Roofing

t: 01732 824059 m: 07778 586865

All roof work undertaken: roofing repairs, renewals, flat roofs, new roofs, lead work, slate, tiles & chimneys. UVPC fascias & soffits & guttering. Lofts insulated fitted. All exterior decorating. All work guaranteed. No job too small. Free quotation. Family run business. Registered waste carrier.

SCRAP METAL CLEARANCE

TLC Scrap Metal

t: 07804 057096

c: Tom Calvert

Man with flat-bed truck available for free metal collection. Clearance work undertaken 90% of rubbish recycled. Fully licensed to remove and transport scrap and rubbish.

SOLICITORS

Diligent Law Solicitors

a: 20 Churchill Square, ME19 4YU t: 01732 316000 e: info@dligentlaw.co.uk www.diligentlaw.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 14)

SOLICITORS

Laker Legal Solicitors

t: 01732 757071 e: info@lakerlegal.co.uk www.lakerlegal.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 16)

TAXI SERVICE

CC Travel m: 07703 803468 c: Colin e: colincooper39@gmail.com

Gatwick from £60 Heathrow from £85 Local to long distance

Licensed & insured to carry 8 people. FREE onboard Wifi. Reliable, friendly, door to door service based in East Malling.

UPHOLSTERY

Interior Decor

a: Decor House, Walnut Tree Farm Ryarsh, West Malling, Kent ME19 5LJ t: 01732 871042 e: interiordecor@hotmail.co.uk

Furniture Recovered; Cushion refilling service. Handmade curtains, blinds of all types supplied and fitted. Est: over 30 years Highly recommended City and Guilds qualified.

WILL WRITING & ESTATE PLANNING

Humphrey & Scace

t: 01732 252540 e: info@humphreyandscace.co.uk www.humphreyandscace.co.uk

(See Colour Ad On Page 15)

SECURITY AND ELECTRICAL

CPS Ltd t: 0800 083 2483 m: 07813 925125 e: sales@cpskent.com www.cpskent.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 19)

THEATRE

Hazlitt Theatre t: 01622 758611 www.hazlitttheatre.com

(See Colour Ad On Page 4)

TILING

Reseal UK

m: 07943 044118 e: info@resealuk.co.uk www.resealuk.co.uk (See Colour Ad On Page 24)

WILL WRITING & ESTATE PLANNING

Isla Law Ltd

a: Springfield House, Maidstone, Kent ME14 2LP t: 01622 934887 m: 07825 575826 c: Ruth Pannell MA (Cantab) TEP e: enquiries@islalaw.co.uk www.islalaw.co.uk

Wills, Lasting Power of Attorney & Probate.

Family business based in Maidstone. Over 10 years' experience. Fully regulated and insured. Fair, fixed fees agreed in advance.

SHUTTERS

Stylehouse Shutters

t: 01732 752121 m: 07962 356184 e: hello@stylehouseshutters.co.uk www.stylehouseshutters.co.uk

Based in West Malling, supplying and fitting the highest quality, bespoke window plantation shutters. Free no obligation survey. Local, friendly service. 3 year guarantee.

(See Ad On Front Page)

TREE SURGERY

t: 01732 810695 m: 07734 087425

c: Amanda & Mathew Everest e: handetrees@outlook.com www.handetrees.co.uk

NPTC qualified and fully insured. All aspects of tree, hedge and stump grinding work carried out. We are a local friendly business. We offer a professional service from start to finish. All our quotes are free.

WINDOWS

Acorn Glassline

a: Parkwood Ind. Estate, ME15 9YR t: 01622 752288 m: 07860 831791

e: info@acornglassline.co.uk www.acornglassline.co.uk

(See Colour Ad On Page 18)

MALLING MAIL

Malling

We are a Charity based in the East Malling Centre, Chapman Way, East Malling. We aim to help families and individuals manage in difficult times. During the main part of the pandemic we distributed 4000 food parcels and we continue to do what we can to support our local community.

We wanted Christmas 2022 to be a time of celebration after the last couple of years beginning with a party for Ukrainian families organised by ourselves, KCC and TMBC. The families were treated to a drumming workshop, party food and finally a visit from Santa Claus. This was a great way to bring families together at such a difficult time. It is always heart-warming to see how generous people are and even more so this year when things are so tight. As a result of donations from individuals, East Malling WI, Malling Lions, Driscolls, One Stop and others we have been able to distribute around 170 warm packs to older residents of East Malling and Larkfield. These contain things like blankets, hot water bottles, fingerless gloves and a Christmas treat and includes information about the services on offer at the Centre. Around 40 “Christmas in a bag” parcels have gone to local families who are finding things particularly difficult at the moment. Children at our afterschool clubs joined the “Elf Squad” and made Christmas Cards to go into our packs and parcels.

Children from Kings Hill School entertained at our monthly Memory Café, and children from St James the Great Primary and Nursery Academy entertained diners at the Christmas Silver Lunch Club with some lovely carols. Following on from that our Community Café hosted two Christmas Lunches for Craft and Chat and our Silver Lunch Club, and a buffet-style Christmas Lunch for our Involve Lunch Club. Our lunch clubs run through the year and provide beautifully cooked two or three course meals for those who are over 55 or with complex health needs. Although anyone is welcome please pre-book at office.eastmallingcentre@gmail. com so we can cater for the right number of people!

Christmas Celebrations finished with a Christmas Fair – are we the only place where Father Christmas arrives by motorbike? And finished off with a Coffee Morning to celebrate the work of all our volunteers. We really could not do without them.

Our Community Supermarket gets busier every week. For a yearly fee of £3.50, people come for a prebooked slot on a Tuesday. They can buy a range of foods (fresh, chilled and tinned), hygiene products, pet food & nappies at prices always 50% lower than supermarkets. We are grateful for support from Fareshare, Morrisons, Offham Community Group, Burham Church and Tescos for their regular donations. For those in urgent need we also offer SOS Parcels to help tide people over. Contact Julie on 07775 989507 for information about the Supermarket and SOS parcels.

These are difficult times and we are able to offer a range of support – such as appointments at our Citizens Advice Drop in or with the Green Doctor – and Katherine Salter our Community Development Worker is available to help (Contact cdw.eastmallingcentre@gmail.com)

Please do come in and see us – the Community Coffee Mornings on Fridays are free, with bacon butties and cake on offer. For those who want to save on fuel bills, we are a Warm Welcome Space on Fridays from 10–2pm with a friendly smile, hot drinks and soup –all free.

Addington Birling East Malling Kings Hill Larkfield Leybourne Mereworth Offham Ryarsh Trottiscliffe West Malling

East

Community Centre by Liz Simpson

Inside: Local Plan news, and KCC’s Plans for children

with

Special Education

Needs

and Disabilities. News from East Malling, Leybourne, Larkfield and West Malling

LOCAL PLAN TALKS TO RESCUE AXED BUS ROUTES

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has received over 2,000 responses to its Local Plan website. Others have come in by email and post. They are all being analysed and the results will be fed back to councillors in March. Respondants chose the defence of Green Belt, green spaces, open countryside and biodiversity as their most important issue. The second most important was affordable housing to buy or rent.

This information will be used to compose the Borough Council’s final draft Local Plan for submission to the Government Inspectors.

It is currently unclear whether the national changes recently announced will have any further impact on the Plan.

Caravan site approved in Leybourne Green Belt.

A Government Inspector has granted five years temporary planning consent for 6 caravans on Birling Rd Leybourne, despite its position within the Green Belt. The Inspector said that he had concerns for the welfare of the children on the site. The permission is subject to the occupiers providing landscaping details within 3 months.

KCC has confirmed the axing of 38 bus routes in the County, including the locally important number 58 connection to Quarry Wood and Maidstone Hospital.

A group of Parish Councils has met to see what they could do together to restore all or parts of these routes. One way forward might be for them to jointly commission bus routes from an established provider, using KCC funds given by Government to enhance the bus network.

PANATTONI PARK AYLESFORD

Panattoni are currently selling their last plot on the former Aylesford Paper Mill site. The site is said to be the largest logistics centre in the country.

The funnelling of all HGVs along Leybourne Way has caused concern for some time. Residents and and councillors are calling for Bellingham Way, a connecting through route for cars only, to Station Road Aylesford, to be opened as soon as possible. No date has yet been fixed for the road to be brought up to adoptable standard.

SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

Ofsted inspected KCC’s services for children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in 2019 and concluded they must make 9 improvements to deliver an acceptable service. In September 2022 Ofsted revisited the area and concluded that there had not been sufficient progress in addressing any of the significant weaknesses. KCC is going to be sending more children with SEND, including those with Education Health and Care Plans to mainstream rather than Special Schools.

The County Council has agreed to set up a special Committee which will focus on children with SEND only and parent representatives will be part of the committee.

VOTING

From May 2023, the Government is changing the rules to require that everyone shows some kind of photo identification at Polling Stations before they are allowed to vote. This will start with the Borough Council elections in May. There will be a range of photographic identification acceptable but most people will use a driving licence or a passport. If you don’t have either of those, you can do one of these two things now free of charge.

1. Get an older person’s Bus Pass. These are accepted for voting, and you never know...you might use it on a bus too. Go to www.kent.gov.uk and search ‘Bus passes for older or disabled people’ to apply online.

2. Apply for a postal vote. Anyone can have one. Your voting slip comes direct to you at home by post with a reply paid envelope. If you still want to vote in person, you can take the slip to the Polling Station on Election Day. Go to www.electoralcommission.org.uk and search ‘Apply to vote by post’. The application form must be completed and returned to the Borough Council at Gibson Drive, Kings Hill, ME19 4LZ. If you have any trouble, let us know and we will get a form to you.

Alternatively you will be able to get a Voter Card from TMBC.

The Committee will dig deep into what went wrong, and what needs to be done, and monitor progress very carefully.

If you have a child with Special Educational Needs, please join Kent Parents & Carers Together (PACT), a forum for parents and carers. Kent PACT is a way to empower you and enable you to have your say.

The combined voices of Kent PACT are fed into how services are designed and delivered in Kent.

info@kentpact.org.uk www.kentpactnew2022.co.uk Facebook: KentPACT

KEEP SAFE, HEALTHY AND WARM THIS WINTER

HEALTHCHECK

Make sure you and your children have up to date Covid and flu jabs. Check you have enough medicines, including your prescription drugs and paracetemol or ibuprofen to deal with colds and coughs.

Watch out for Scarlet fever, or Strep A symptoms which are child eating less, dry nappy or dehydrated, temperature, difficulty breathing, blue skin or tongue, floppy, can’t stay awake.

Ring 999.

Ring 111 for help and referral to GP if necessary.

Local pharmacies are listed at www.stopthinkchoose.co.uk

BEWARE SCAMS

Loads of these around at present, selling fake goods, energy saving equipment, home improvements etc.

Do not buy from cold callers at the door or on the telephone, and don’t give ANYONE your credit card details over the phone or at the door EVER.

Report scams to Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

KEEP SAFE

Domestic Abuse 08081-689111

On Street harrassment?

Go into a pub and ask for Angela. They will get you help. Ask for an ‘Angel shot’ and they will escort you to your car. Ask for it ‘on ice ‘ and they will call you an Uber or Taxi.

Childline 0800 1111 free call Samaritans 116123 free call

TRAVELLING?

Pack food, medicines, blankets and medications.

Expect delays. Operation Brock and Border Force Staff strikes are likely to continue after Christmas at ports and airports.

WARM ROOMS

West Malling Baptist Church, Swan Street

Mondays 10am to 12 noon. Friendly welcome and hot drinks.

East Malling Community Centre, Chapman Way

Fridays 10am to 2pm the cafe will be offering free hot drinks, soup, board games wifi and friendly company.

Tuesdays Community Supermarket open for prebooked slots for heavily marked down goods or foodbank for those in need. Ring 07775 989507.

The Sycamore Centre, Larkfield Methodist Church, New Hythe Lane Opposite Morrisons.

Mondays and Wednesdays 9.30am to 9pm.

Tuesdays 2pm to 3.30pm with the Craft Group. Thursdays 9.30am to 3.30pm

ALL KCC LIBRARIES

All libraries which are open will be available as Warm Rooms.