About 2,000 elderly or vulnerable residents will benefit from an initiative by KCC to provide them with a unique videophone system. The council has commissioned assistive care technology provider Alcove to roll out digital support packages across the county, in one of the country’s largest programmes to support adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The £1.5million…

Following the Government’s latest announcements to ease lockdown restrictions, Kent County Council will start a phased reopening of its libraries from Monday, 13 July, with a new ‘Select and Collect’ service that will temporarily replace bookshelf browsing. The reopening will initially start with 12 of the county’s main town centre libraries and will focus primarily…

Kent County Council has confirmed an additional £1 million investment for its frontline Kent Community Warden Service over the next two years. For 18 years the Kent community warden service (KCWS) has served local communities by preventing crime, supporting vulnerable residents and tackling social isolation.  It is a proactive and visible presence promoting stronger and…

A new video, produced specifically to advise retail businesses in Kent on the new COVID-19 regulations concerning re-opening safely, has been launched . The COVID-19 Business Support Hotline, run by the Kent and Medway Growth Hub, has received many enquiries from businesses asking about the new guidelines and how they can make sure they are…

KCC’s new Chairman Graham Gibbens took over the reins from his predecessor Ann Allen in a virtual ceremony yesterday (17 June). Because of restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, which also caused the annual meeting to be delayed by a month, Members were unable to meet as usual at County Hall, so carried out their…

This Carers Week (8-14 June), Kent County Council is urging residents to appreciate more than ever the efforts of the county’s many thousands of carers. Research for the charity Carers UK shows that, across the country, an extra 4.5 million people are currently caring for older, disabled or seriously ill relatives or friends since the…

The popular annual Summer Reading Challenge for children aged 4-11 is under way once more through KCC’s libraries service – despite the library buildings themselves being currently closed. This year’s theme is “Silly Squad” which is all about funny books, happiness and things that make us laugh. Children taking part in the challenge will join the…

With the warm weather expected to continue for the next few days, KCC has expressed serious concerns about members of the public flocking to the county’s most popular attractions and beauty spots, without taking enough notice of the appropriate Covid safety measures. The government’s priority is to save lives and says the best way to…

Changes introduced by the government to streamline the death registration process during the current lockdown have been successfully implemented and had a positive impact on the service in Kent. Ensuring death registrations are completed effectively is a necessary part of our society and like everything this has had to adapt to the changes required as…

KCC is encouraging residents to join in the VE Day celebrations on Friday – the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. To mark the event, staff from the archives at the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone have produced a video with several of them reading excerpts from…

The shortage of medical scrubs experienced by some Kent hospitals and care workers is being alleviated through an initiative from KCC’s Adult Education department. It has launched a range of free sewing workshops to provide appropriate protective clothing for those helping patients fighting COVID-19. These workshops provide expertise and assistance to those who are currently…

KCC’s Community Wardens are hard at work every day, currently helping residents cope with the impact of the Coronavirus lockdown. Among many other activities, the 70-strong force are delivering essential food parcels and hot and cold meals to vulnerable isolated residents and working with shops, food producers, restaurants, food banks, Age UK, Community Cupboards and…