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TOWNCENTRIC in conjunction with English Tourism Week Your Local Tourist Information Office is CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS!! Enter our “Photograph Your Borough” Competition And see your picture in the 2014 Gravesham Calendar. Collect your entry form and details from The TIC and start “Snapping” Competition closes 16th March 2013 when a panel of Tourism Experts will look for the final twelve. Calendar winners will be displayed in the Tourist Office from 20th March. Tourist Information Officer Silver Winner 2011 for Tourist Information Centre of the Year at the Beautiful South Regional Awards. TOWNCENTRIC - Tourist, Regeneration and Information Centre 18a St George's Square Gravesend Kent DA11 0TB Tel: 00 44 (0) 1474 33 76 00 Website: www.gogravesham.co.uk Follow us on Facebook@GoGravesham and twitter@GoGravesham We are open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and closed on Sunday and Bank Holidays.

DOWNSIZING IS UPSIZING AT PIERMONT HOUSE Shanly Homes highlights: according to Rightmove, downsizing is the main reason for UK buyers to move house in 9 out of 10 regions in England and Wales, with 40% of buyers looking to buy a smaller home. Perfect for this market, the nine exclusive two and three bedroom apartments and duplexes at Piermont House in Beckenham, Kent by Shanly Homes offer all the benefits of downsizing to a new home, including equity release, less maintenance and lower energy bills. Due to their central location, spacious design, external living space and high specification they also ensure buyers are upsizing their lives to ensure an exciting fresh new start. Karen Tibbs, Head of Sales and Marketing at Shanly Homes comments: “Downsizing offers homeowners the opportunity to release money to fund holidays and trips abroad or assist children with buying their own home. Many also take advantage of de-cluttering their lifestyle and getting rid of unwanted household items, leaving them feeling they ‘should have done it sooner’ once they have made the often emotive decision to move.” Piermont House offers ideal apartments for downsizers with spacious rooms, wide entrance halls and stunning fully fitted kitchens to ensure couples have plenty of independent space during retirement. Each property also has a patio, balcony or roof terrace to enjoy the outdoors and even some gardening if desired. In addition, the three duplex apartments have a spiral staircase leading to a study and private roof terrace, which could be used as a hobbies room, guest bedroom or playroom for the grandchildren. The apartments have been stylishly designed with fully fitted kitchens complete with stone work tops and integrated appliances including a wine cooler. All bedrooms include fitted wardrobes to ensure plenty of storage space and the spacious master bedroom enjoys en-suite facilities, many of which include a separate bath and shower. There is also an additional family bathroom. Each property has an audio visual entry system, as well as wiring for a security alarm. There are allocated parking spaces, carports, and cycle storage is set behind electric entrance gates. Located on Overbury Avenue, a wide tree lined road within walking distance of the town centre, which has a distinct village atmosphere, the development is near a great selection of cafes, bars and restaurants. There is also an excellent range of leisure facilities nearby, to ensure older people can enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle, which according to academics at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute can add six years to your life expectancy. These include The Spa at Beckenham, a David Lloyd fitness centre, tennis club, golf facilities at Langley Park and Beckenham Place. Beckenham has more parks and open space than the rest of the Bromley borough, including Kelsey Park which is located just around the corner from Piermont House. Boasting boasts lakes and rich wildlife, it is an ideal setting to take the grandchildren for the afternoon. For downsizers with a love of the arts, theatre and all the activities on offer in London, Beckenham has eight railway stations offering fast and easy access across the capital. This includes Beckenham Junction with services to London Victoria in just 23 minutes, London Bridge in 35 minutes and St Pancras Eurostar Terminal in 37 minutes. By road, Junction 4 of the M25 is only 8.5 miles away, whilst the town is also one of the termini of the Croydon tram link. The apartments at Piermont House are available from £499,950. For further sales information, please call 020 8658 4274 or visit www.shanlyhomes.com.

Help shape Knole’s future Can you help us by participating in one of our focus groups about our plans for Knole? You will be helping us shape the way visitors experience it in the future. And we’ll give you a National Trust gift voucher as a thank you. We’re also looking for people you know, or even friends of friends, who can help us. We are hoping the groups will be as mixed as possible, so everyone is eligible, regardless of age, social background, nationality or anything else. When: Mid-November, and carrying on into next year. Each session will probably be about two hours long. The first groups will be on Mondays and Tuesdays, in the morning, afternoon and evening. How often: One or two first of all, and more if you would like to come back. Which of these groups do you fit into the best? You can choose more than one. Focus group 1: ‘Curious mind’: people who... • Love learning new things • Are interested in a wide range of things • Look for new things to do or learn • Like to ask questions about factual details • Appreciate good service • Visit alone or in a couple Focus group 2: ‘Exploring as a family’: people who... • Enjoy visiting places as a family (adults with children or grandchildren) • Enjoy activities that the whole group gets something out of and can all participate in • Look for stimulating experiences for the children/grandchildren • Are not completely led by the children – the adult/s makes the final decision on where to go / what to do Focus group 3: ‘Out and about’: people who... • Visit with other adults rather than just with children • Love sharing their experiences with friends or family members • Don’t get very absorbed in the detail of things • Want their day to create special/emotional memories and/or experiences • Want everyone in the group to have a good day out, even though everyone will have different interests Focus group 4: People with a disability • To begin with we are concentrating on people with one of three disabilities: a visual impairment, mobility problems or a learning disability. Read on for a fuller description of the project, and the small print. Knole needs you! Over the next few years, the historic house of Knole is undergoing a transformation. We plan to create better visitor facilities, a brand new conservation studio, improved interpretation for the park, and an exciting presentation of the landmark and its precious contents. Knole was the inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s novel ‘Orlando’, and her words capture the timelessness and extraordinary story of Knole. Our plan is to use Knole’s literary history to create a whole new presentation for visitors. We think we have come up with a great new approach which will allow us to tell the story in a way that interests and excites our visitors. But we need your help to get it right. We are looking for volunteers to test the new storyline of Knole. In a series of workshops, we are going to present our ideas and ask you: • How do you feel about using literature to illuminate the visitor experience? • What do you think about the positive and negative feelings that writers through time have recorded about the palace? • What do you think about using a book to tell the story of Knole? • Is our approach to the storyline understandable? Is it engaging? Is it informative? • Does it make you want to visit and find out more? • Is there anything else we could do to make Knole more accessible to you? Our plans for Knole have the visitor at their heart, and our volunteers will play an integral part in how Knole is presented. Please join one of our groups and tell us what you think. The small print Taking part in these focus groups is entirely separate from any other volunteering you may do at Knole. What we give you to thank you for taking part does not constitute payment for your normal volunteering at Knole. Similarly, although we will pay your expenses in attending, this will be done separately from any other expenses we may defray. What next? For more information, or to get involved, contact Jonathan Sargant on jonathan.sargant@nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01732 467173. Thanks again! Jonathan Jonathan Sargant Community Learning Officer Knole Tel. 01732 467173

Your NHS is changing. Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), made up of your local GPs, are taking over the planning and buying of healthcare in your area. But they want to do it with your input. Here’s what they are up to and how you can get involved… West Kent CCG Area: Sevenoaks and the Weald, Maidstone, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Budget: £525,373,568 List size: 463,741 GP practices: 64 As the largest CCG in Kent, West Kent would like to hear from as many of their residents and patients as possible to develop a health care system with real insight and involvement. Patient participation groups are being set up and virtual networks are being designed to give the opportunity to talk to the GPs and the organisation. If you are interested in hearing more or joining any groups just ask to be counted in. CCG Chair, Dr Bob Bowes said: ” We want to create an environment where patients receive high quality local care while striving to improve the health of the local population.” Count me in: Email westkent.cccg@nhs.net Find out more about changes to the NHS at www.westkentpct.nhs.uk Article from Your Health Summer 2012 NHS magazine.

New 24 hour dementia helpline: 0800 500 3014

Information

Do you have any questions about dementia or concerns about your memory or the memory of someone close to you? Perhaps you need someone to talk to and would prefer to discuss your feelings anonymously.

If you care for someone with dementia and need support, you can call for help or advice using the new 24 hour dementia helpline on 0800 500 3014. Your telephone call is free from a landline.

For more information, email helpline@alz-dem.org or visit the website: http://www.dementiawebkentandmedway.org.uk/24-hour-helpline.html

 

ASK - Arthritis Support Kent Do you suffer with arthritis? A new local arthritis support group is open at St Philips Church, Birken Road, Tunbridge Wells. ASK meets monthly and the next meeting will be held on Wednesday 23rd May at 2pm Guest speaker Christine Hillier from Arthritis Research UK All arthritis sufferers, family and carers welcome. Various arthritis information available. £1 entrance includes tea/coffee and biscuits. Car park and easy access on Sherwood bus route. For further information contact 01892 534341 or email arthritissupportkent@hotmail.co.uk

Dial 2 Drive has been shortlisted for the Heart of the Community, run by the Kent and Sussex Courier and Sevenoaks Chronicle.

The feature will appear in the papers on the 11^th November along with the first voting coupon. Two further coupons will be printed in the 18^th and 25^th Nov papers.

Any votes for Dial 2 Drive would be greatly appreciated. You can send in your votes in one envelope, saving on the cost of postage, but they must reach the Courier by midday on 2^nd Dec 2011. Please feel free to send/drop voting forms in to either office:

17-19 Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1LS

Knole Academy, Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3LE

Many thanks for your support of this Community Transport Scheme for people unable to access public transport due to older age, illness or disability in West Kent.

Calling, church goers, choirs, and those who like to dress up

BBC Songs of Praise is coming to Gravesend and will be filming over two evenings in November, at St. George’s Church, in the town centre.

Links to all information is here: http://www.dickensfellowship.org/costumed-filming-bbc-gravesend-kent

They are looking for a costumed congregation for a Dickensian Christmas Special followed by a second filming (not in costume) for Lent 2012 to be filmed the following day.

The filming dates are the evenings of: Wednesday 23^rd and Thursday 24^th November and you have to apply direct to BBC for tickets (all forms are on the above link).

Virginie Whittaker

Tourism Manager

TOWNCENTRIC

Gravesend Town Centre Regeneration & Information Centre

18a St George's Square, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 0TB

Tel: 01474 338001

Fax: 01474 337601

Website: http://www.gogravesham.com

The ideal place to visit and stay - just 24 minutes to London St Pancras and 12 to Stratford and the Olympic Village

Gravesham Borough Council - Connecting with the Community

 

Another brilliant idea from Kent.
We have been asked to publicise the following service which we think looks really helpful and is the kind of project DropBy wants to promote and support.

A new service for people who have found themselves single & isolated due to the death or separation of a partner.

 

Participants can come and learn a new skill and have fun while they socialise with like-minded people.

 

A 12 week series of workshops to equip participants with practical skills

 

Including:
Personal safety and home security
Online and telephone banking
Personal finances
Basic car maintenance
Simple DIY
Healthy eating and cooking for one

Each course will incorporate a social event, such as a pub lunch or theatre trip.

CAMEO groups will provide an extended social circle and opportunities to learn new and essential life skills. CAMEO will help people to help themselves and one another. The project will support isolated people to learn new skills and to become involved in adult learning, volunteering and new social friendships. The project aims to foster a spirit of community involvement and to empower people to become involved in decisions that affect their lives and their communities.

If this is you, then do not be alone, come along and learn a new skill, have fun whilst you socialise with like-minded people.

 

Sally Simms
Development Officer
CAMEO – Come and Meet Each Other
Voluntary Action West Kent
19 Monson Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN1 1LS

01892 530330 ext. 511
sally.simms@vawk.org.uk

The Kent High Weald Partnership would like to help you Eat Yourself Fit!

We will be transforming community and private gardens over a course of 8 practical taster sessions for the over 50s.

Taking place in and around Tunbridge Wells, all tools and training will be provided by our team of wildlife gardening experts.

Participants can learn about;

·         Wildlife gardening

·         Growing your own food

·         Countryside volunteering

·         Urban Gardening Club

·         Local food growing schemes

 
For more information on how you can join in this lottery funded project, please contact Sarah Tree on 01580 212972.

It would be appreciated if you could forward this information to any interested parties.

Many thanks

Sarah Tree

Partnership Officer (Assistant)

Kent High Weald Countryside Partnership
Conservation Centre
Bedgebury Pinetum
Bedgebury Road
Goudhurst
Kent TN17 2SJ

Tel: 01580 212972

www.khwp.org.uk
www.kentcountryside.org.uk

'Linking community & countryside'