With cold and wintry weather predicted over the next few days, families across Kent are being urged to follow a few simple measures to keep their loved ones safe and healthy. A level two cold weather alert has been announced for Kent by the Met Office which triggers actions in the NHS, public health, social…
An enthusiastic army of dedicated volunteers mobilised across Kent during the pandemic to help their local communities. Generously giving their time and skills to aid others, they provided vital assistance to the vulnerable, elderly and self-isolating, supporting frontline health services. Now Kent County Council (KCC) is launching a £170,000 grant-funded pilot initiative, in partnership with…
Ways in which Kent’s pollinators can be supported to thrive using footways, railways, riverbanks and verges was the focus of this year’s Plan Bee summit. The event was convened by Seán Holden, Chairman of KCC’s Environment & Transport Cabinet Committee and Kent’s Plan Bee, and took place on Tuesday 23rd November. Held virtually for…
Kent County Council is urging the county’s residents, community groups and businesses to join the worldwide call for the elimination of gender-based violence during 16 days of action from 25 November to 10 December 2021. The global 16 Days of Action movement was launched by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) in 1991. At…
Residents and visitors are being reminded to report, and not to touch or pick up, dead or sick birds they find while out and about enjoying Kent’s great outdoors. All bird keepers are also legally required to follow strict housekeeping measures to help protect their flocks. The call to follow Defra guidance comes after a number…
Making life more straightforward for pollinators will be a key focus of this year’s Plan Bee summit, which will be held virtually for the second year. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles and wasps and are key to ensuring successful seed and fruit growth for plants, thereby ensuring our environment is secured for the future.…
With all of Kent’s 99 libraries reopened after adapting their services to cope with the impact of the pandemic, KCC is now looking to the future. It has launched a public engagement exercise which will help inform its next strategy and is encouraging as many people as possible to take part. The county’s residents are…
Kent County Council is launching a new voucher scheme to enable local businesses to put a new digital or technology solution in place to help with future growth. The Technology Resilience Voucher Scheme is part of the C-Care (Covid Channel Area Response Exchange) project which is funded by the EU Interreg France (Channel) England programme.…
Concerns that changes in drinking habits and levels of alcohol consumption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are causing increasing health issues, are leading health experts to remind residents they can ‘Know Your Score’ with a simple online quiz and find steps to cut back. Estimates show the majority of people in Kent (approximately three-quarters) drink…
As COP26, the climate-change summit in Glasgow, nears its conclusion, a new tree-planting initiative in Kent has been announced. Kent County Council, in partnership with Ashford and Swale Borough Councils, has been awarded £275,129 from the Local Authority Treescape Fund which will lead to the planting of more than 41,000 trees and saplings across those…
Playground, an exciting programme of creative play sessions for young children, has begun across Kent this month. The project is a partnership by Kent County Council with the University of Kent’s Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries, and Artswork, the South East Bridge Organisation, and has been commissioned for KCC’s Reconnect Programme. The project is…
As part of the National Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week (15-21 November), the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board (KMSAB) is calling on organisations and individuals across the region to help raise awareness of how to spot the signs of adult abuse and to report concerns effectively. Whether it’s a sudden change in the appearance…
All new infrastructure and developments in Kent and Medway should have net zero carbon emissions and use resources efficiently, under new-look design guidance published by Kent County Council, Medway Council, and Kent’s District and Borough Planning Authorities today. Communities must also be well connected both digitally, and through an effective network of footpaths, cycleways and…
A new plan has been published setting out how Kent County Council hopes to sustain and improve bus services in the future. As part of the Government’s National Bus Strategy, launched in March 2021, all Local Transport Authorities including KCC were asked to form ambitious proposals and submit them alongside a funding bid to central…
Fireworks season is well underway and Kent County Council’s Trading Standards Team is busy helping to keep communities safe. As well as checking and advising retailers on selling and storing fireworks safely, Trading Standards officers also respond to reports of people selling fireworks illegally, most often from private homes, the backs of vans or anonymously…
A full County Council meeting was paused today as Members of all political parties came together to pay tribute to Kent County Council’s Chairman, Mrs Ann Allen MBE, who passed away last month. Mrs Allen touched the lives of thousands of people in Kent and beyond in her roles as Chairman, County Councillor, Borough Councillor…
The trial of electric scooters in Canterbury has been extended from today until the end of March 2022. Kent County Council is announcing the continuation of its part in the national trial following guidance from the Department for Transport (DfT). Rental e-scooters were first introduced in Canterbury last November when the Government gave permission for…
