Kent Community News & Appeals

Martha Trust Events 

On Saturday 10^th May the Betteshanger Brass Band will be in concert at St George’s Church , Deal at 7.30pm. Only £5 a ticket! It should be a great evening of entertainment with refreshments provided.

On Saturday 17^th May Martha Trust will be marking its 21^st Birthday with a community held Summer Fete at Fowlmead Country Park , Deal between 10 – 3pm. The Betteshanger Brass Band, Kent Circus Workshop will be there providing entertainment, along with lots of stalls and activities for all the family to enjoy. Free entry.

The annual Martha Trust Sporting Dinner will be held at the Ramada Hotel, Whitfield, Dover on Thursday 19^th June with guest speaker Graham Gooch. The evening includes a 3 course meal with wine, comedian, raffle and auction. A date not to be missed!

 For more information on any of these events please contact 01304 615223 

Fund Raising Goes Green At Cartridge World!

A Kent business is raising funds for Kent Air Ambulance Trust by collecting empty printer cartridges – and helping the environment at the same time!

Colin and Eileen Harms, who run five Cartridge World stores in Sittingbourne, Chatham, Strood, Canterbury and Maidstone, will make a donation to the trust for every used cartridge taken into the branches. The cartridges will be refilled or recycled preventing them going to landfill.

In addition, customers can join a loyalty programme and help support both the Kent Air Ambulance Trust and Demelza House Children’s Hospice. Customers collect stamps for each cartridge refilled, and for each completed card (six stamps) Cartridge World will donate 50p to each of the two charities.

Colin Harms said: “Kent Air Ambulance is funded entirely by donations and it costs £1.5 million each year to keep this life-saving facility available to everyone. Every donation counts and by collecting your empty cartridges at home, at work or at school and bringing them into your local Cartridge World you can help to keep the helicopter flying.”

Kent Air Ambulance Trust is no longer able to accept empty cartridges at its Marden base and has asked supporters to deliver them direct to their local Cartridge World store.

County Fundraiser, Lynn Hyder at Kent Air Ambulance Trust, said: “We have many supporters who have helped raise funds over the years by collecting recyclables. With the help of Cartridge World we can continue collecting empty printer cartridges, preventing them from going to landfill and at the same time raising vital funds to keep the air ambulance flying.”

Cartridge World is the market leading refiller of printer cartridges. It can refill almost any brand of inkjet or toner cartridge matching the manufacturer’s original product to ensure consistent quality of print, at a saving of up to 60 per cent on the cost of a new product.

Free Lets For Mote Hall

Maidstone Borough Council is offering five free lets of Mote Hall, Maidstone Leisure Centre to local community groups

The council has offered five free lets every year since 1995, and previous groups to benefit include Pegasus Gymnastics Club, Maidstone Orchestral Society and Maidstone Youth Forum. 

The criteria for a free let are: 

• The event must be sporting or cultural; 
• The event would be unlikely to proceed without a free let; and 
• The event should be essentially non-fundraising. 

The council is particularly keen to support events that will benefit the youth in the borough.

Mote Hall has a seating capacity of over 1,200 and can be used for a number of different sporting or leisure activities. 

Organisations that wish to make an application for a free let of Mote Hall for an event before May 2009 should contact Amanda Scott on 01622 606247 or email amandascott@maidstone.gov.uk 

Kent Volunteers

For many people becoming a volunteer is not a conscious decision but something that happens quite by chance. From a simple offer of help at a school fete, shopping for a neighbour, washing the five-a-side kit, a love of gardening or being a listening ear to someone at a stressful time.

Whatever the reason, volunteering brings its own rewards and satisfactions - like learning new life skills, increased social life, improving your local community and much, much more.

Kent County Council's 'Next Four Years Plan for Kent' promised to "Promote Kent Volunteers to encourage people of all ages and in every community to help local voluntary and charitable bodies and encourage its own staff to volunteer their help."

More information about volunteering in Kent at www.kent.gov.uk.

Samaritans Medway, Gravesham and Swale West

Samaritans Medway, Gravesham and Swale West are available 24 hours a day to provide confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide.

Samaritans realise the importance of people having the opportunity to explore difficult feelings. Being listened to in confidence and accepted without prejudice can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings.

If you need to talk to someone, call the Samaritans on 01634 730981 or 08457 909090 or email jo@samaritans.org.

The Samaritans are looking for volunteers - ordinary people offering confidential emotional support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those feelings which may lead to suicide. You don't need any formal qualifications or previous experience to become a Samaritan. You do need to be a good listener who can allow people the time and space to explore their feelings.

To volunteer, you need to be 18 years old or over and willing to give 22 hours per month, which will include one overnight shift.

If you would like to help, please call 01634 730981 for more details or register your interest on www.samaritans.org.

Kent Association For The Blind

The KAB is a registered charity aiming to provide a quality service, sensitive to the individual needs of those who are visually impaired, helping them to attain the highest level of independence. KAB welcomes donations to help support their activities which include:

• Counselling, information and advice on all matters concerning sight loss
• Encouraging people to increase their independence and safety
• KAB demonstrates and provides equipment for everyday activities
• Recording and distributing Talking Newspapers and magazines to help people keep in touch
• Recruitment of volunteers to provide companionship
• Development of sight, rehabilitation and resource centres throughout the County and in Bromley

Volunteers are always needed to support the important work of this organisation in areas like: 

• Helping at rehabilitation training courses
• Driving people to and from events and courses
• Driving a KAB mini bus
• Helping in the production of the Talking Newspaper service
• Delivering specialist equipment
• Visiting
• Helping at KAB Social Clubs and Craft Classes
• Reading and writing correspondence
• Helping as a fund raiser
• Taking part in fundraising events eg. London Marathon, KAB abseils, parachuting
• Helping at the KAB Maidstone Shop
• Helping at one of the KAB Centres

For more details about the KAB visit www.kab.org.uk

www.yourcounty.co.uk