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Catch up with all the latest news across the county with Chloe Brewster.
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00:28Hello and welcome to Kent tonight.
00:30Live here on KMTV.
00:31I'm Chloe Brewster and here are your top stories on Wednesday the 25th of February.
00:36Play up Chatham.
00:38The Medway town throws its traffic cone into the ring in a bid to be the UK's town of culture.
00:43As someone who's represented Chatham for 19 years nearly, I'm really proud that the community have come together.
00:49And failure to consult.
00:51The words have frustrated SEN advisory teachers over changes to their roles and terms.
00:56Doing the right thing by being out here today, making your voices heard, making sure KCC understands how serious this
01:03is.
01:04And finally, Kent in Bloom, author and celebrity mum of Orlando Bloom, talks us through her new children's book all
01:10about the natural world.
01:11Yeah, I just feel that Kent was an ideal place to sit and write these stories.
01:27But first, our top story tonight.
01:30Chatham has launched its bid to be crowned the UK's town of culture, a government scheme to boost local pride
01:35and regeneration.
01:36This comes after the success of the City Town of Culture competition.
01:40Now towns across the country have the chance to win £3 million of funding in 2028.
01:46It's a campaign supported by Vince Maple, leader of Medway Council, and the historic dockyard Chatham, as Megan Shaw has
01:52been finding out.
01:54Come, Chatham!
01:56With the scarf unrolled and residents involved, the campaign begins for Chatham to be the UK's first town of culture
02:04as part of a government scheme.
02:06I'm really incredibly proud.
02:07As someone who's represented Chatham for 19 years nearly,
02:11I'm really proud that the community have come together to say actually this is an opportunity
02:15actually to put right some of those naysayers and say, look, it's not perfect, but my goodness,
02:21there is so much good stuff happening here.
02:22And if they were successful, I've got no doubt that that funding would go not just to the people of
02:27Chatham,
02:27but the nature of how Medway works, of course, wider Medway would benefit from that, and that's great too.
02:34You might be familiar with City of Culture, a competition ran by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
02:40that awards the city the title and funding to boost regeneration and local pride.
02:47Every town has its own unique story to tell.
02:50Now, the contest has its own category for towns, with the first one to be awarded in 2028.
02:57And there's a lot up for grabs, including a three million prize for the winner and, of course, the all
03:03-important title.
03:04Now, when you think of Chatham and culture, you might think of the historic Dockyard right here behind me,
03:09also Thomas Waghorn, who famously wears the same hat as me.
03:12But a key part of this campaign is that all of Chatham is something to be proud of and earns
03:17the title of town of culture.
03:19Well, Chatham is completely unique.
03:22It's an industrial town, but it's a town that's seen regeneration many times through its history.
03:28So it's developed as the centre of innovation and technology through its shipbuilding.
03:33But the Dockyard closed a few years ago, and Chatham's been on a journey ever since then as well.
03:38So it's had to deal with the closure of huge amounts of industry and the rise from the Phoenix and
03:43the Flames actually being able to mark that town of culture.
03:46But some of the incredible things that have happened in the last 40 years, it's an amazing opportunity to celebrate
03:51that.
03:51But Chatham isn't the only town in Kent throwing their hat into the ring, with Folkestone and Deal forth campaigning
03:58for the title.
04:00So what sets Chatham apart?
04:02Tell me your favourite thing about Chatham.
04:04Oh, I think the history, when you think back about what's happened.
04:07My favourite thing about Chatham is Medway Park Sports Leisure.
04:09St Mary's Island is a definite one. The community there is incredible.
04:12My favourite thing about Chatham is the Chatham Warming Cadet Unit.
04:16And it won't be until spring when the official shortlist is announced.
04:20So until then, residents will have to stay loyal and true to the town.
04:25Megan Shaw, KMTV in Chatham.
04:30Now, a busy main route in Chatham has been closed following a bus blaze.
04:34This part of Dock Road was closed earlier today by emergency services, responding to a fire on a double-decker
04:40bus.
04:41Two fire engines attended shortly before 1pm, and crews used a hose-reel jet to extinguish the fire.
04:47Now, Finn McDermid attended the scene earlier.
04:50Finn, tell us about how all this started.
04:52Well, the fire services believe that the fire started in the engine compartment of one of these buses,
04:58which the fire broke out and the bus broke down at the top of Dock Road near the historic Dock
05:04Yard, Chatham.
05:06I was there on the scene about 20 or 30 minutes after it happened,
05:09and I actually spoke to a local who had been on one of the buses,
05:12who described how the driver pulled over, made everyone get off the bus,
05:17and that, in her words, the bus went up in flames,
05:19and she said the police, fire brigade and ambulance were all here within a matter of minutes.
05:23And we can see some of the pictures now of this road, which is enclosed by these two walls,
05:27and this smoke just billowing out.
05:29And, as I say, the police closed the road at the top of the roundabout and also at the bottom.
05:35So there were actually some buses sort of trapped, if you like, for about 20 to 30 minutes between these
05:41two closed roads.
05:42So it was quite an interesting scene to see, I suppose, quite difficult, obviously.
05:47But luckily, as I say, no one was hurt, no one was injured, and everything was dealt with quite swiftly.
05:52What was the scene like when you were there?
05:54Was it quite organised? Was it a bit of chaos? Tell me.
05:58Well, it was quite organised.
06:00You, as I mentioned, had the road closed at both the top and bottom.
06:03You had police cars at either end.
06:06And as I arrived, it was about 20 to 30 minutes after,
06:09so the fire had been fully put out.
06:11And you can see some images here now of the firefighters fully extinguishing any remaining parts
06:15that may have been on fire.
06:17But they had fully extinguished it, and it was all wrapped up once I'd been there.
06:22And the fire service said that they had two engines attending,
06:25used a hose reel jet to extinguish the fire, and there were no reported injuries.
06:29Right. So this obviously isn't something you see every day.
06:32What was it like being there earlier and just seeing the bus into the state it was?
06:36Well, it was not something I personally have seen before.
06:38I've covered quite a few fires here at my time in KMTV.
06:41This is the first time that I'd seen a sort of a vehicle fire like this
06:46where the burn marks on the outside and they had the back of the bus open as well
06:50and a full missing wheel.
06:51But, as I say, it was dealt with very quickly.
06:54No one was injured and it was all sorted.
06:56Perfect. Thank you so much, Finn, for telling us about that
06:58and what you saw on the scene today.
07:00Now, a mosque in Gillingham remains unfinished due to £4 million shortfall.
07:05Thirteen years ago, the mosque was awarded planning permission
07:08and was set to boast as a 92-foot super mosque,
07:12but it's been at a standstill and is said to need £4 million to progress.
07:16The Kent Muslim Welfare Association says that if it ever finished,
07:19it could be the most iconic building in Gillingham,
07:22though members of the local community call the unfinished building an eyesore.
07:26Documents submitted to the council's planning department in 2013 said
07:30the building will be iconic and will make a positive contribution to the location.
07:35Now, a grandmother in Ashford has been left heartbroken
07:38after the council confirmed she couldn't return to her home
07:40after a devastating fire last month.
07:43Claire By of Beaver Lane was initially informed
07:46she would be able to return to the home
07:48once the council-owned property had been repaired.
07:53However, Ashford Borough Council deemed the property inhabitable
07:56due to the extent of the damage and contamination from asbestos.
07:59The 56-year-old mother of seven currently resides in temporary accommodation
08:03with no timeline as to when she will be permanently rehoused.
08:07Today, Kent's MPs arrived in Parliament for the PMQs
08:10and witnessed debates from Epstein to student loans to Greenland.
08:13But what were some of the main takeaways for Kent?
08:16I spoke to Jay Blakesley earlier on today to talk all about what went on.
08:20So, Jay, what have Kent's MPs actually been saying in Parliament today?
08:24Well, the Conservative MP for Hernebane Sandwich, Sir Robert Gale,
08:28Sir Roger Gale, sorry, spoke today to the Prime Minister
08:32about how dissatisfied he was, how the Prime Minister handled
08:35a particularly upsetting criminal case that might have came his way
08:39about two months ago.
08:41Take a look.
08:43Roger Gale.
08:44Mr. Speaker, you will recall that some months ago, I asked the Prime Minister
08:51why, as the Director of Public Prosecutions, he did not bring charges against Mohamed Fayyad
08:58for rape and for assault.
09:01And the Prime Minister replied that this did not cross his desk.
09:06I understand that the Met Police delivered two dossiers to the Crown Prosecution Service.
09:12So if the Prime Minister didn't see them, who did?
09:15And could he tell the House when he expects the Metropolitan Police
09:20to bring charges against those who aided and the Betty had fired?
09:26I stand by my answer.
09:28Hundreds of thousands of files are submitted to the Prosecution Service every year.
09:32It is important that the investigation is going on.
09:35I can't tell him when the decision will be made or what the decision will be,
09:39as he well knows.
09:40But it is important that every allegation is properly investigated
09:43and properly dealt with according to the law.
09:47So what else was discussed that folks here in Kent might want to know?
09:51Well, there was actually quite a large outrage in lieu of the release of the Epstein files
09:57and, of course, the arrest of Prince Andrew recently.
10:00And Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats,
10:03very particularly pressed the Prime Minister for answers regarding the use of UK airports
10:09by Epstein and his co-conspirators.
10:12So earlier today, we spoke to Mike Martin, who is Kent's first and only Liberal Democrat MP,
10:18about the larger issues and opinions here.
10:23Yes, so I think yesterday was a really important day.
10:26The Lib Dems tabled a humble address which forced the government to release all of the files
10:32relating to Andrew's appointment as a special trade envoy about 15 years ago.
10:38And there are loads of questions around whether Mandelson pressed the government
10:44or whether the royal family indeed asked for Andrew to be given that role.
10:48And so it's not really clear how he got that role.
10:50And then there's a lot of questions as well around his behaviour in that role.
10:55And I think that, you know, this leads on to the current police investigations.
11:00I don't want to say too much more, but the key fact is that the government
11:03is going to be releasing those papers as a result of the Liberal Democrat motion.
11:07So Liberalism, at its essence, is about holding truth to power.
11:11And it's absolutely right that we see all of the papers relating to his previous work
11:17so that we can judge for ourselves as the public.
11:21And still to come here on Kent tonight after this short break,
11:25we'll take a look at a protest by SEN advisory teachers
11:29who held the demonstration outside County Hall in Maidstone this morning
11:32over changes to their roles and terms and conditions.
11:35And we'll see how Kent has been heating up with our reporter Naila Mohamed
11:40enjoying the sunny weather, lucky her,
11:41and giving us a scoop on why it's happening now of all times.
11:45We also take a look at Swanton House in Ashford,
11:48which will finally get development after being left abandoned.
11:51All that and more after this short break.
11:54See you soon.
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21:04you know i got three or four times they're trying to take good and go run away so it's not
21:10feel safe
21:11for small business especially but there are works on the way to transform chatham's reputation have
21:18a look at that building behind me parts of the chatham waterfront development providing new
21:24residential buildings here in the town center the hope is that this will make it a safer area
21:31for people to work and for people to invest in the future anti-social behavior exists wherever you
21:38let it exist and we're not allowing that to happen so we are investing in our town centers we are
21:44put
21:44forward the shopfront grant scheme scheme for businesses so that they can tidy up the area
21:49by actually making it aesthetically more pleasing by upgrading their shopfronts there's a lot of work
21:54to that effect to make making chatham town center a more inviting place for businesses
21:58st john's church has been a success story in chatham's regeneration a previously derelict building
22:07brought back to life as an asset for those that live here i think sometimes um because of its
22:13difficult past and particularly kind of we think back to kind of time since like the closing of the
22:18dockyards actually it's been a really difficult time for people and for kind of a couple of generations
22:23of people that have lived in medway and so there's almost i think for me a call to look beyond
22:29some of that not to brush it under the carpet but to say well look at what is happening you
22:33know look
22:34at the scene behind me and the diversity and the vibrance and the fun and the families that are
22:39emerging and calling this place home but those at the church are more divided about whether chatham
22:45has turned a corner i've seen quite a lot of crime going on and then now all of a sudden
22:50it has cut
22:51down a little bit going down the high street no i think it hasn't got a reputation but there but
23:00i'm a
23:00chatham girl so i feel safe here because it's what i know the reputational writing is on the wall here
23:07though not everyone agrees about what it says the future for this post-industrial town
23:14is very much under construction ollie leader in medway
23:21now i don't know if you've noticed but the sun was actually out in kent today and temperatures in
23:26some areas of the county have even reached 17 degrees this comes as a welcome change to the
23:31wet february that kent and the rest of the uk has been facing so so far some people enjoy the
23:37sudden
23:38sunny weather with others slightly more concerned i'm not i can tell you that earlier today our
23:43reporter nayla mohammed went to rainham to find out more about whether this sudden change does more
23:48harm than good i'm here in sunny rainham where it's finally 17 degrees and i can leave my umbrella at
23:56home and with what's been a wet year so far this week could be a welcome change with highest temperatures
24:02across the county reaching 17 degrees likely to be the warmest day of the year so far but what are
24:07residents in rainham doing on such a sunny day like this just went for a walk i take photographs so
24:13i've
24:13been out taking a few photographs um enjoying the sunshine but i spent some time i spent some time
24:19about today i must admit i did spend my three inside today uh because i had three in the middle
24:22of the day um i did spend them inside because i was doing work you know how it is and
24:28to work in
24:28school it's a great town but uh but yeah it's yeah it's nice to not be consistently raining down
24:33while walking home now i actually just bought seed in seed in february you don't seed your lawn
24:39in february it's lovely but it's not right you know global warming we shouldn't be walking around
24:46like i am today so yes in maybe end of march may even but not now no and everyone it
24:55makes you feel
24:55better but it's not right to have sunny weather in february but what is the impact of unexpected
25:02warm weather on the county where unpredictable and consistent warm weather actually tricks plants
25:07and trees into budding sooner than they should do exposing new plant growth to cold snaps which
25:12then die off because they're not ready to deal with these new cold temperatures which is what
25:16happens to a lot of crops this time of year because february is getting warmer and warmer each year so
25:21these new crops are tricked into growing and then die off it also increases the risk of floods and
25:27waterlogged soil but this is only consistent with prolonged dry spells and on that note let's take a look
25:33of the weather for the rest of the week you don't need me to tell you that recently we've had
25:38a lot
25:38of wet weather but today as nayla has been telling us it's been nice and sunny across the county so
25:44will our beer gardens be warm for the weekend let's have a look at your forecast
25:54a clear night for the county with temperatures reaching 12 in dartford and 9 in ashford and royal
25:59tunbridge wells winds reaching speeds of seven and eight tomorrow morning will be cloudy for kent
26:03with some sun in canterbury temperature seeing its lowest in ashford um into the afternoon we'll
26:08continue to see cloudy skies with temperatures climbing to 13 in medway wind speeds picking up to
26:1316 and 18 miles per hour looking at the rest of the week we will see some rain on friday
26:19some clouds on
26:32sunday the sun is out so let's enjoy the nice weather together on kent tonight after the break
26:37we discuss a kent couple who have become the first to welcome a british baby born using a transplanted
26:43womb from a dead donor dr spinks also will join us to talk to us about how doctors may have
26:48potentially
26:49been given commissions in order for patients to use weight loss drugs all that and more after the break
27:48we'll see you next time
37:17exploitation. So it's kind of a multidisciplinary approach for this. And there's a lot of
37:23regulations, but I think it's all look promising for the future. It's really great.
37:29Now, earlier this week, we found out that doctors may be given compensation for encouraging more
37:34patients to use weight loss drugs. We'll be discussing this and more about fertility
37:38with our health expert, Dr. Julian Spinks.
37:48Spinks, we heard a bit about what this might mean for Kent with people with fertility issues.
37:54Do you see this womb transplant as transformative?
37:57Yes, this is the starting point going forward. We've had one previous pregnancy, but that was
38:02where a sister donated their womb to their sister. But taking things like being able to transplant a
38:09womb out of someone who's dead into somebody else and have it work properly and being able to produce
38:15a baby, despite having to be on quite powerful drugs and so on, is really a breakthrough because
38:21these are people who have no other way to have their own child because their womb is missing.
38:26Thankfully, the condition leaves them with ovaries so they can have their own eggs and the husband
38:31or partner sperm put together to produce that baby. But really, it marks another breakthrough
38:37for people who have low fertility or problems.
38:40So we know in early 2025, a baby was born with a womb transplant from a living donor.
38:45So what does it mean for the research that this womb was from a dead donor? How does that
38:49support the research going forward?
38:51Well, if the womb is coming from a sibling, a sister or somebody like that, the likelihood
38:57is that the tissue match is going to be closer. So there's less problems with rejection.
39:02Taking it from a dead donor means that they're less likely to match perfectly, which means it's
39:08a bit trickier using the medication to make sure that the womb isn't rejected.
39:13And using heavy medications obviously carries a potential risk to any baby that's in that
39:18womb. The good news is these days they're finding a way to overcome that.
39:22You know, there are a number of other fertility issues women face. You know, in Belle's case,
39:28she had the issue where she didn't have a viable womb, but there's Asherman syndrome as well.
39:32How do you think this could help women across the board who are experiencing fertility issues?
39:36Through my career, we've gradually been able to do more and more. In vitro fertilisation came
39:43along actually when I was a medical student. And now that is routine, although not that easy to
39:47get on the NHS. The more we can do this, the more we can help people out. And most of
39:53the time,
39:53this is people who genuinely have a good reason to want to have a baby. I think it's more difficult
39:59if you start considering extending people's fertile life until they're a lot older. But that generally
40:04doesn't happen in the UK. So just moving on from the fertility stuff, we learned earlier this week
40:09that GP practices in England are to be paid an average of £3,000 a year in bonuses to prescribe
40:14patients weight loss drugs. What do you think of that? Well, it's not really a bonus, I have to say.
40:19We all work with a scheme called the Quality and Outcome Scheme, which is all about preventative
40:27medicine. And it was put in because our core pay has always been for treating people who are ill.
40:34There wasn't additional money and funding and so on to actually treat people and prevent illness,
40:39which is more important. This scheme changes every year. New things come in, some things are taken
40:44away, some things are changed. This time round, we're looking at weight loss drugs, assessing people
40:50whether they're suitable for it, and then referring them on. And the money for that covers the cost of doing
40:55that work. This is new work we weren't doing before. But I think that the way it's being portrayed as
41:01a
41:02sort of bonus, in reality, £3,000, probably two thirds of that is going to go on costs and so
41:07on. So there
41:08will be a small amount of money, but actually not very much, because for a typical practice, you're
41:12looking at three or four GPs that's being split between. Just very quickly, can you tell me what makes
41:19someone eligible to have one of these weight loss drugs? Well, with Wigovi, it is very tricky.
41:25You've got to be severely obese, then you've got to have four out of five severe chronic illnesses.
41:31And so very few people qualify for it. It's a little bit easier for things like semaglutide,
41:37but you do have to go through a process of trying to lose weight by other means and help from
41:41weight loss
41:42clinics before you're allowed to apply for that. Thank you so much, Spinks. After the break,
41:47we'll take out a lot more, much more to come. See you soon. Goodbye.
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45:17Welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
45:20Now earlier on today we spoke to Sonya Copeland Bloom, the mother of Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom.
45:27She's written a book all about nature and mini beasts for children and it's based here around Kent.
45:34I was joined by Sonya earlier to discuss her time in Kent as well as how Kent influenced her new
45:38book and the experience of writing it.
45:42So, Sonya, can you tell us all about your book? What's it about and why did you write it?
45:48Yes, well I'd love to do that. My book is called Amazing Tales and Truths About Garden Mini Beasts.
45:55And it's adapted from six books that I originally wrote years and years ago.
46:01I'd like to show you them quickly.
46:03And these are all about the invertebrates and the fun word for that is mini beasts, so we'll call them
46:13mini beasts.
46:13Invertebrates have no backbone and they represent 97% of all living things on earth.
46:21So they're vitally important.
46:23In fact, I often feel that the whole world really belongs to mini beasts.
46:28So I felt that I would like children to grow up like I did, appreciating nature.
46:38I know today they spend a lot of time on their phones, but it's so important nature for everybody, for
46:46all of us.
46:48And I spent my time as a journalist training, writing factual stuff.
46:53So when I retired, I decided to write fictional stories, but having my heroes and heroines as mini beasts.
47:02And I thought if I wrote the right sort of stories, children could go outside and find them for themselves
47:09and learn to love nature,
47:11which is my mission in life, if you like.
47:15Thank you so much. I was just wondering, obviously, you're writing this book about nature and stuff.
47:21How does living in Kent, the Garden of England, what does that mean to you?
47:24I know you raised your family here, your son, Orlando Bloom.
47:27How does that translate to your sort of love of the county and nature?
47:32Well, it's a beautiful county and it's got lots of lovely natural parts to it.
47:38So how could I not? And I also live in a house.
47:42Well, my partner and I have lived in two or three houses and they all had gardens.
47:47You don't need a huge garden. I mean, anybody can go out and if they even have got a little
47:55tiny garden,
47:56they will find lots of mini beasts. Mini beasts are everywhere.
48:00But yes, Kent meant a lot for me because, you know, I've lived in Canterbury.
48:08My children were here and there's a statue of Orlando in the middle of Canterbury.
48:13And my daughter and my son both went to school very nearby here in Canterbury's and Edmonds and Kent College.
48:23So that, yeah, I just feel that Kent was an ideal place to sit and write these stories.
48:30I know you talk a lot about the nature again.
48:33And what do you hope children learn from reading your book about nature and insects
48:37and how to, you know, respect their environment here in Kent?
48:42Well, by reading the stories, first of all, you know, they would love the stories, I feel.
48:50I mean, there was one parent that rang me and said that contacted me
48:54and said that her son loved Eddie the Earthworm story
49:01and she had to read it to him for five weeks running every night before he went to sleep.
49:08And so, you know, children do seem to have loved the stories
49:12and I've written them with a lot of love and appeal so that children should like them,
49:19but also, so importantly, learn about them.
49:22As long as I could make them exciting and enjoyable for children, I seem to have succeeded in many ways.
49:31I know my granddaughter, Daisy, she loves them, you know.
49:36Granny will read it again.
49:39She always wants the same, often the same story, her favourite ones.
49:44Thank you so much for talking to us today, Sonia. I really appreciate it.
49:48Where can we access your book?
49:50Oh, well, it's meant to be available either now or any minute now in all good bookshops.
50:01There's going to be an e-book of it and I'm hoping that people will take it to heart
50:08and, who knows, might be a bestseller.
50:12Thank you so much, Sonia. I really appreciate talking to you.
50:17Well, it's been lovely and I thank you so much for taking the trouble to come and talk to me
50:22and hear about my book, Amazing Tales and Truths About Garden Minibisks, published by Conrad Press.
50:30Oh, it was so lovely to talk to Sonia there.
50:32Now, on the theme of books, World Book Day 2026 is upon us next week on the 5th of March.
50:39A Kent-born actress is thrilled to have written a children's book that's been specially selected for the day.
50:46Rose Ailing Ellis, whose book The Big Bang has been selected, tells the story of a deaf kitten
50:55and his kitten friend who gets scared by a storm.
50:58Her book aims to teach the importance of helping others, especially those with disabilities.
51:02Ailing Ellis, a former EastEnders actress from Hive, was Strictly Come Dancing's first deaf contestant
51:10and subsequent winner of the competition in 2021.
51:14Fanet District Council has announced a £1.5 million plan in order to make improvements to the local area.
51:22The Pride in Place Impact Fund aims for immediate and visible improvements in key locations including
51:28Sarah Thorn Theatre, Margate Museum and Piedmont Park in Broadstairs.
51:33Officials have said that the project must revitalise the community, improve public areas and help regenerate high streets and town
51:40centres.
51:41Several local authorities will be invited to bid competitively for the grants of up to £20,000 for projects
51:48and final recommendations will be reviewed before going to the Council's Cabinet for approval on April 30th.
51:54And now hoardings surround the long-awaited redevelopment in Elwick Road, Ashford and is due to be completed by next
52:01summer.
52:03Swanton House has been vacant for more than two decades but now is to be replaced with 34 flats across
52:09two new blocks and up to four storeys high.
52:12Initially, plans were deferred by Ashford Borough Council's Planning Committee and went through a major redesign after the building was
52:19deemed a dangerous eyesore.
52:21However, the project was updated to keep more in keeping with the character of the area.
52:27Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all of our latest stories here on KMTV by visiting
52:32our website www.kmtv.co.uk
52:35There you can find all of our reports, including this one that I actually did, about a real-life school
52:40of rock in Kent.
52:42Laybourne Saints Peter and Paul Primary Academy, pupils took a keen interest in being in a school band.
52:47The excitement has even rubbed off on the teachers. Let's take a look.
52:55These pupils from Laybourne Saints Peter and Paul Primary get band practice in school every single week, offered by Rocksteady.
53:02Most pupils who come into Rocksteady have no prior musical experience and some get their places for free through a
53:09bursary scheme.
53:12I want to be a single in the future and I think this has really helped me, like, because I
53:18was very shy before I started this, now I'm very confident.
53:22This really, like, is something to look forward to and you get excited about it.
53:27I'm not next to everyone in class and I don't get to speak to them a lot, but when I'm
53:32here I get to, like, speak to them and sort of, like, connect with them.
53:38When I go to secondary school I really want to play the drums because it's just nice because I love
53:42how you can be really loud and really quiet at some times.
53:45I guess it's a good excuse to be as noisy as possible, isn't it?
53:51The group are preparing for an upcoming concert in front of the whole school.
53:55It's designed to inspire pupils who may have never learnt on an instrument if it wasn't through this opportunity.
54:02I think it's amazing for confidence. Lots of the children that are part of the Rocksteady band are those that
54:07are less confident in the classroom,
54:09maybe find academic subjects more difficult and it means that they can perform and do things that they would never
54:17realise they could do
54:18and it makes them realise there's possibilities for the future and that they can do all sorts of things.
54:22The concerts make the whole school realise what fun music can be. In fact, we love it so much that
54:28we also have a staff band now
54:29because the staff wanted to get involved too. So we love Rocksteady at our school. It's really fantastic.
54:35Rocksteady is really unique in that we teach full bands up to nine kids at a time and we want
54:41to teach everyone everything.
54:42I hope in ten years there'll be many of these kids. I actually went to see a student I taught
54:47when she was six.
54:48She's 15 now and her band won Battle of the Bands last week so it was a really good full
54:54circle moment to see.
54:56Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Pink Pampheret are just some of the musical stars that have come from here in
55:01Kent.
55:01But what if in Laybourne are the next generation of these same stars?
55:06Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Laybourne.
55:11A chimpanzee born at Wingham Wildlife Park has been rejected by her mother just hours after birth.
55:17Though bosses at the park just outside Canterbury have described the newborn as a precious new little bundle of joy
55:22and mischief.
55:23The infant's mother Tara has shown disinterest in the infant.
55:27Jane the newborn chimp has been named in honour of the late primatologist Dr Jane Goodall.
55:32She is also the third critically endangered western chimpanzee to be born at Wingham in the last eight years.
55:38And a statement from the park reads that Jane is receiving the very best care and every decision we make
55:43is with her future in mind.
55:45And now for the weather.
55:52A clear night for the county with temperatures reaching 12 in Dartford and 9 in Ashford and Royal Tunbridge Wells.
55:58Winds will reach 7 or 8.
56:00Into tomorrow morning will be cloudy in Kent with some sun breaking out in Canterbury.
56:05Going into the afternoon we'll see cloudy skies with temperatures climbing to 13 in Medway with wind speeds picking up
56:10to 16 and 18 miles per hour for the rest of the week.
56:13It will be a bit rainy on Friday and clouds will remain on Saturday and Sunday with 11 degrees so
56:18not quite as hot as it was today.
56:28You've been watching Kent tonight live here on KMTV.
56:32There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
56:35Don't forget you can always keep up to date with the latest news across your county by logging on to
56:39kmtv.co.uk.
56:42Thank you so much for watching. See you later. Goodbye.
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