News

Provision of talking therapies in Kent

2 November 2015 0 Comments

Ashford CCGEast Kent IAPT procurement

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) is an NHS programme rolling out services across England offering interventions approved by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for treating people with depression and anxiety disorders.

The NHS in east Kent is committed to making sure that talking therapies are available for people with anxiety, depression and other common mental health problems. We want people who need talking therapies to get a high quality service and have a choice of provider.

The current contracts for NHS talking therapies which started in 2012 run out at the end of December 2015.

So the four clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in east Kent, which plan and pay for the majority of local health services, have carried out a procurement for organisations to provide talking therapies from 1 January 2016 (more…)

Health, News

Big Energy Saving Week – Check – Switch – Save

30 October 2015 0 Comments

 

CHECK

SWITCH

SAVE

Make sure you aren’t paying too much or missing out on any benefits or support that could boost your income and lower costs.

Call your supplier or visit your nearest Citizens Advice for more information.

You could save £200 or more by switching energy tariff or supplier. Use your Power to Switch and visit
BeAnEnergyShopper.com or go to a Big Energy Saving Week event near you.

Make your home energy efficient and cut your bills by hundreds. Don’t leave your TV on standby or mobile on charge unnecessarily, and ask your supplier about help to pay for insulation or a boiler
upgrade.

Consumer, News

Banks Joint Declaration – Phone Scams

30 October 2015 0 Comments

Phone scams have been on the rise in 2014 with criminals targeting households across the UK to try and defraud people out of their money.

Typically, the fraudsters call members of the public pretending to be from a trusted organisation – like your bank, the police or a computer company – and once they have your trust, they will ask for your financial information, encourage you to hand over cards or cash to a courier, or get you to transfer money into accounts they control.

The people behind these scams are organised and highly professional – so spotting whether the call is genuine, or fake, can be very difficult.

That is why the UK Banks building societies and card issuers, with the support of the police, have published a Joint Declaration which clearly explains those requests they will NEVER ask of you on the phone. (more…)

Crime, News

Take care with fancy dress this Hallowe’en & Bonfire night

29 October 2015 0 Comments

People gearing up to celebrating Hallowe’en are being urged by the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) to take extra precautions to avoid injury.

The warning about the dangers of children’s fancy dress clothing comes just days before Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night.

We are urging parents to make sure they are not using candles when youngsters are wearing these costumes, as tests have shown they can be engulfed in flames in as little as nine seconds. Currently they are classed as toys, meaning they are less fire resistant than everyday clothing. (more…)

Consumer, News, Safety

World Stroke Day

29 October 2015 0 Comments

The FAST test

  • Facial weakness: Can the person smile? Has their face fallen on one side?
  • Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms and keep them there?
  • Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Is their speech slurred?
  • Time: If you see any one of these three signs, it’s TIME to call 999. Stroke is always a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention.

(more…)

Health, News

Big Energy Saving Week: save

29 October 2015 0 Comments

BESW15 Check - Switch - SaveThe best way to pay less for your fuel is simply to save energy around your home.

This doesn’t mean doing without – you can waste less by being energy efficient. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that the average home in the UK could save up to £130 per year – and avoid emitting 500kg of carbon dioxide – simply by taking energy saving steps.

Are you worried about how much money you’re spending to heat and light your home? Do you want to spend less? There are some simple steps you can take to save money and energy by changing the way you use appliances or making your home more energy efficient. (more…)

Consumer, News

Big Energy Saving Week: switch

28 October 2015 0 Comments

BESW15 Check - Switch - SaveMany people stay on the same tariff or with the same energy supplier for years, without realising they could be getting a better deal elsewhere. By switching tariffs or suppliers, or joining an oil club, you could save hundreds on your fuel bill. Take control of your energy costs – why pay more than you have to?

Make sure you can enjoy a comfortable, healthy home without the anxiety of ever-rising costs, If you’ve never switched before it is well worth having a look around to see what’s on offer. (more…)

Consumer, News

Powergen Site proposals

27 October 2015 6 Comments

Powergen site developmentQuinn Estates are proposing 622 apartments and 22 houses on the “Powergen” site that comprises most of the undeveloped land either side of Victoria Way.

An exhibition was held in County Square on 26th October but, unfortunately, timing led to many who were affected not being able to visit the exhibition.

Quinn Estates have kindly provided South Ashford Community Forum with pdf copies of the display boards. We have posted links to the files below, which will open in Google pdf viewer.

Some displays were split across two boards; we have combined those with plans into a single sheet but this does show minor discrepancies at the join line.

Children, News, Planning and Development

December Newsletter – call for items

27 October 2015 0 Comments

SA_TitleWe are planning another edition of the South Ashford news-sheet for distribution at the beginning of December. If you have any community news, information or events, relating to the Forum Area, http://southashford.org.uk/index.php/about-us/, that you would like included please send details as soon as possible. The earlier we receive the information the more likely the item will be included, but the final date for any item is 13th November. We will list the date, title and venue (or web address for further information) for any community event. If you would like more information included we invite you to take an advert.

We are also seeking advertising to fund the news-sheet going forward. If you know of any businesses or organisations that would like to advertise, please ask them to contact us.

Following this edition, we are hoping to produce another edition in March.

This edition will be distributed to 4700 homes in the Forum area. We will endeavour to distribute it to as many businesses and organisations as is practical.

News, SACF