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00:33Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
00:37I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here are your top stories on Monday the 16th of March.
00:42Fatal fever. Two students die and others hospitalised after a meningitis outbreak in Canterbury.
00:49Some people are going home, yeah, and a lot of people are saying that they're just going to stay in
00:52their rooms.
00:53One moment changed everything. A woman from East Peckham shares her story after a life-changing diagnosis.
01:01One thing I would definitely say in regards to cancer, there's no right or wrong way of doing it. You've
01:07got to do what's right for you.
01:09And peddling for change. A Maidstone father cycles 12 hours to break mental health stigma and raises more than £25
01:17,000.
01:18And I think, you know, people talk about, oh, it's all about talking and talking is important. It's also about
01:23listening and people need to listen.
01:35Well, we've got a fully packed show this evening, but of course our top story tonight is about an outbreak
01:41of a mystery strand of meningitis in Canterbury,
01:44which has killed two young people with several more in hospital.
01:48It is believed this cluster of cases started last week following a club night in the city in chemistry.
01:55The University of Kent has suspended all in-person exams, but the campus remains open as students pile in to
02:02receive antibiotics.
02:04Chloe Brewster has headed down to the campus earlier today and spoke to some students to find out more.
02:08A meningitis outbreak in Canterbury has meant many people here are on the first bus out of town.
02:14Two people have died with the illness and another 11 have been hospitalised.
02:18One of the dead is a 21-year-old student at the University of Kent and the other, Juliet, a
02:24Year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Fathersham.
02:27The UK Health Security Agency have contacted more than 30,000 people in the Canterbury area.
02:33Students from two different on-campus university halls have been told to head down to the Senate building just behind
02:38me here
02:38to collect antibiotics.
02:39You can see them queuing up around the block.
02:41They've been here since about half eight this morning, many of whom are wearing masks.
02:46Some people are going home, yeah, and a lot of people are saying that they're just going to stay in
02:50their rooms.
02:51Some people are scrambling trying to get antibiotics as well.
02:54Someone I used to work with is in hospital at the moment, but yeah, they're being treated, so hopefully they're
03:01going to be okay.
03:01Well, especially when something's so local like that, it can feel personal, there's a chance to come out to know
03:06these people, and yeah, it's just been quite a lot, really.
03:10I think there's definitely some concerns for people's safety, understandably, but also the fact it was a delayed response to
03:18cancelled exams as well, adding that extra pressure on people.
03:21Club Chemistry, a nightclub in the city, has confirmed a visitor to the venue had contracted meningitis.
03:27The owner has called the news heartbreaking, but health chiefs are now weighing up whether to give antibiotics to anyone
03:33who attended the club across three nights earlier this month, with the potential operation affecting more than 2,000 people.
03:40An meningitis has been something I've been tackling with sort of all my life.
03:44I first had it when I was about 18 months old.
03:46It makes me feel quite concerned and just very uneasy.
03:53I've got, I'm quite tense right now because I've seen the damage it can do.
03:57I've seen people sort of without certain limbs.
04:00I've seen people who've been wheelchair-bound.
04:02I've seen people who really struggle sort of in a day-to-day basis, and I'm quite lucky with sort
04:09of how I came out.
04:10But obviously it does cause to, it can lead to death, which can be quite concerning.
04:15Sources told Kent Online that staff at East Kent Hospitals have been told to wear full PPE when treating people
04:21with symptoms of meningitis.
04:23And for now, the university here has stopped in-person exams, but campus remains open.
04:28The UK HSA say they're working with local teams as the situation continues to unfold here.
04:33Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Canterbury.
04:38As you've seen in that video there made by Chloe, she spoke to Corey Miller, who actually joins me now
04:45to tell me a bit more about your perspective on things.
04:50You had meningitis.
04:52Can you tell me a bit about your story with that?
04:55Yeah, sure.
04:56So I was 18 months old when I got diagnosed.
05:00And although I don't remember the entirety how it came about, I know from my mum.
05:06So initially it started with sort of vomiting, nausea.
05:11And I was sent to the hospital and they didn't think anything too much of it.
05:14They thought it was just any other virus.
05:16And they wanted to send us home.
05:18However, about 12 hours later I started getting hallucinations and my condition deteriorated.
05:25So from that they sent me to the hospital in London.
05:28So I was in Downs Valley, hence they moved me to London.
05:32And yeah, so with that, luckily I haven't had too many big sort of issues in my eye with my
05:40life.
05:40The only main thing is I'm deaf in my left ear amongst a fair amount of sort of post-meningitis
05:45symptoms.
05:46And we've got this lovely picture of you here doing some fundraising.
05:50Can you tell me what it's like being a survivor of meningitis?
05:54Yeah, sure.
05:55So this is actually a marathon that my brother ran for the charity Meningitis Now.
06:00That's a charity that I've been very closely involved with in my life.
06:04So I feel quite alienated sometimes when it comes to my condition
06:09because I don't think there's a lot of sort of knowledge around it.
06:13And especially sort of with me,
06:15I know that there's been other people who've been subjected to the symptoms worse.
06:20So I know there's people, again, being without limbs who've suffered sort of mentally.
06:25In terms of myself, it sort of had an effect on my speech.
06:30That sort of comes from the hearing being deaf in my left ear.
06:32Along with, I get constant brain fog.
06:35When I just came out of the hospital, I had quite severe balancing issues
06:39and I had to go to physiotherapy and relearn how to walk and sort of properly talk.
06:44And it's a bit challenging sort of thinking about what I want to carry on doing
06:49because I want to do some form of presenting,
06:52but a lot of that does weigh on sort of memory and speech and language,
06:55which I struggle with as a result of the meningitis.
06:58However, I am very thankful that I am relatively unscathed from it.
07:03Yeah, and I mean, with this outbreak happening in Canterbury,
07:06I can imagine it's obviously affecting everybody.
07:09But how does it feel for you?
07:10How do you feel like things have been dealt with?
07:13So I am a bit concerned.
07:16I think what the university is doing is good to a degree.
07:20However, I think it does need to be more enforced,
07:23sort of just people staying away from one another.
07:25I saw they had the clinic of giving out antibiotics and stuff.
07:29I know when I came back from the hospital,
07:31my mum, my dad, my brother, they all had to take probiotic,
07:35just something to prevent them from getting ill.
07:38So I think the distribution of that is sort of very important.
07:43I know that some societies have stopped sort of running.
07:46However, I don't think there's been much to address the actual stress around it
07:50and sort of the welfare of the students.
07:52They've got a link to sort of the welfare.
07:55But other than that, there hasn't been too much sort of support around it.
07:59And they did say the campus is still open, just like walk around.
08:04So I think that's another sort of issue
08:06because it is a bacterial illness.
08:08It does spread through that.
08:12And I believe this spread through chemistry, which is a nightclub.
08:16And just that sort of interaction, constantly being with people,
08:19I think it's very important that people sort of stay away from one another
08:22and just in their own sort of dorms.
08:24All right, Corey, well, we'll speak to you a bit later in the show.
08:27Thank you so much.
08:29And to understand more about meningitis and how it's directly affecting the University of Kent,
08:34I spoke to the UK Health Security Agency earlier today.
08:38We first became aware of this cluster very, very late on Saturday evening.
08:43So we got word through of a large number of cases then.
08:48And so yesterday was when we were in a position to provide more public information.
08:53And it was recognised pretty early that we needed to provide information to the public
08:57because, as you can imagine, there will be lots of people very worried
09:01when they know of people who become seriously unwell with an infection.
09:05It is really important to recognise that we do see single cases in universities
09:11and we take action around those, but the cluster was only identified late on Saturday evening.
09:17So we know that we've got a particular risk of infection and clusters at university age
09:25because we know that there's quite a lot of intense social mixing,
09:29particularly when people first start university in their earlier years.
09:33And so we do not uncommonly see small clusters of university students who have meningococcal infection.
09:41So we do know that meningococcal infection does circulate at very low levels all of the time.
09:47So we know that a proportion of people at all times can carry the infection in the back of their
09:52throat.
09:53But we know that when people go to university and mix a lot more readily with others,
09:58there is a higher risk that they will transmit the infection to others,
10:02which is why we say that we do occasionally see clusters in university students.
10:08I think it's fair to say the university has been incredibly helpful.
10:12They've provided a huge amount of information to students.
10:15They've made a venue available for individuals to collect ciprofloxacin, the antibiotic that we're recommending.
10:22They've done a huge amount.
10:23They've provided lots of comms to students.
10:26I think it's really important to recognise this is a really worrying time for people who have links to the
10:32university.
10:32And it is inevitable that people will be really anxious.
10:36I think it's important that we just provide as open information as we possibly can
10:42and provide the most up to date information so that people can do what's required of them to protect themselves.
10:50UKHSA has identified a number of people that we particularly consider at greater risk,
10:55and that includes very close contacts of cases and individuals who live in particular blocks of the university.
11:02And we have asked them to come forward specifically to receive the antibiotic.
11:08As we get more and more information over the coming days,
11:10it's very likely that we're going to be asking for more individuals to come forward who are at particular risk,
11:16and we'll certainly provide those details as we know them.
11:20So if anyone else at the university is identified at particular risk,
11:25the university will be in contact with them.
11:29Now, that's all we have for time on this part of the show.
11:33But don't go anywhere, as we, after multiple major surgeries and months of treatment,
11:38a woman from East Peckham has now been told her cancer has returned and she can no longer be cured.
11:43However, she's encouraging everyone to listen to their body and seek medical advice
11:47and always treat people kindly.
11:50We'll also be taking a look at Vision Sign Inquire, which is also very exciting.
11:55So we'll see you then. Bye-bye.
12:09We'll see you then.
13:00Bye-bye.
13:13Bye-bye.
15:20Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
15:24A woman from East Peckham had her world turned upside down when she was diagnosed with colon
15:29cancer in 2023.
15:31After multiple major surgeries and months of treatment, she's now been told the cancer
15:36has returned and she can no longer be cured.
15:38She's sharing her story while raising money for Macmillan, the charity that supported
15:43her throughout her journey.
15:45Maisie Walker reports.
15:47Most people count down the hours until work ends, the minutes until school is over, the
15:52seconds until dinner is ready.
15:54But at the same moment, someone else is counting too.
15:58Not down to a meal, not down to the end of a day, but down to the end of their
16:03time.
16:04We meet people every day that may not know their story.
16:08Donna Woods from East Peckham has been battling with cancer since 2023.
16:13She's a reminder that although people may seem healthy, they may not actually be.
16:18Her message is short but powerful.
16:20If you can be anything in this world, be kind.
16:23Donna was diagnosed with colon cancer about three years ago.
16:28She had emergency surgery to remove a tumour from her colon and once she had recovered from
16:33that surgery, had six months of chemotherapy.
16:36In August 2024, she was told the news that the cancer had spread to her ovaries and needed
16:43a full hysterectomy.
16:44She now lives with a stoma after finding out it had spread into her abdomen wall lining.
16:49It was surreal.
16:51It was like something out of the movies that you see, where you're taken into an office,
16:58people looking at you, waiting for your reaction.
17:02And a few of the staff at the hospital still actually remember me because I was very matter
17:08of fact, OK, like I didn't think shock more than anything.
17:13Shock.
17:14One thing I would definitely say in regards to cancer, there's no right or wrong way of doing
17:19it.
17:19You've got to do what's right for you.
17:21I have found, for me, the hardest part has been the unknown.
17:26So one thing that's really highlighted to me since I have been poorly is that you really
17:32don't know what's going on with someone.
17:35So what I have found is, I don't think at the minute I look poorly, however, I really am and
17:44how important
17:45it is to always be kind to people because you really don't know what's going on behind the scenes.
18:00Donna hopes to give back to Macmillan in thanks for the support they've provided throughout her cancer journey.
18:06She has described how her two Macmillan teams have listened, cried and laughed with her in times she needed them
18:12the most.
18:12Her efforts to raise £5,000 for them are still ongoing.
18:23And today marks the start of Sign Language Week and the theme is More Than a Language, Culture, Community and
18:30Belonging.
18:30And that's exactly what Vision's Signing Choir aims to do.
18:34This is a choir that meets up every week to sign through every song rather than just sing, all while
18:39raising awareness of deaf and hard of hearing community, of the deaf and hard of hearing community.
18:44Our reporter Naila Mohamed went to the choir to learn a song for herself.
18:52This is not your average choir. Here, words take a back seat and your hands take centre stage.
18:59This choir is very different to all the others. There was no singing involved unless you want to.
19:04All the words instead are done with your hands, the most important part in communicating with people who are deaf
19:11or hard of hearing.
19:12Kisses with you, acts and heal up.
19:15Vision's Signing Choir meet up every Thursday evening in Jenningham to bring people together for one sole reason, to sign.
19:23And this choir creates a community where everyone is welcome.
19:27Night to night, hearing, deaf, they can all come together, enjoy the music, whether they're feeling it, whether they've got
19:35hearing aids in.
19:36But we all mix together and we can sign and we can sing. Well, we don't really sing much, but
19:42we sign and we just enjoy the music and everyone can get together.
19:47Other members of the choir say that it provides a safe space for those who are deaf or hard of
19:52hearing, especially when they may not have a space of their own.
19:55It would be nice to have more spaces where deaf people feel comfortable and where they can communicate in their
20:02own language and, like, feel a part of something because, you know, they've had a lot of oppression over the
20:08years.
20:09A lot of their spaces have closed down.
20:15This is Mina.
20:17She started to lose her hearing nine years ago and often feels judged when she's out in public.
20:22That's when she and her daughter joined the choir.
20:27You can tell people, sorry, can you face me?
20:32Can you speak clearly?
20:34And maybe for the first two minutes they will remember.
20:40But then they start to look away or they look down or they start to mumble.
20:48And when you keep, you can't keep asking them, can you repeat that?
20:52Can you repeat that?
20:55Because in the end you get, oh, never mind.
20:59So you just feel that, yeah, you're being judged.
21:06The choir is open to seasoned pros and beginners alike as they learn a new song almost every week.
21:13So I took this as an opportunity to learn some sign language myself.
21:24Though my signing does need some work, the environment allows for mistakes.
21:30And in a choir where voices aren't needed, the message of community is still being heard loud and clear.
21:47And of course, don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kent
21:51by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
21:55There you'll find all the reports, including this one, about a TikTok trend going viral
22:00showing highland cows in Ashford and how the added attention may not be ideal for the animals.
22:05Here it is.
22:06A typically quiet nature reserve in the Kent countryside has recently found itself in the spotlight.
22:12It's because of a recent TikTok video that went viral, showing the visitor petting one of the highland cows.
22:18Since then, the site has seen hundreds of people hoping to do the same thing.
22:23But Kent Wildlife are urging people to rethink.
22:26Part of that video was her approaching the cows quite closely and at one instance sort of going to sort
22:33of pet them.
22:34And that isn't something that we advise.
22:37It's not part of our guidance around working with our livestock here.
22:39It is a public site.
22:41A lot of people use the site.
22:43But that TikTok went viral.
22:45And so we've seen a massive influx of people onto the site, especially at the weekends.
22:51Lots of families, lots of couples, lots of people coming to enjoy the highland cows.
22:55And take photos with them.
23:00So it all took off really because we obviously saw this video.
23:05And we have also needed to sort of address how you interact with these animals on site safely.
23:09If you're coming to the heathland to see the highland cows, this is as far as you should be to
23:14get a picture.
23:15Otherwise, the animals can't get quite distressed and it can have negative impacts on their grazing.
23:20Disturbance is a massive issue.
23:22Obviously, it's great people come down to experience it.
23:26But when we get people coming off the pathways, we're potentially stressing not just our animals, but also the wildlife
23:34additionally present on the site.
23:37The cows, if they keep getting pressure, will try and leave as best they can.
23:43But when you've got 500 people across an area of heath like this, there's not always places for them to
23:50hunker or hide.
23:52While the viral video has brought many people to the reserve, one family said a different post online encouraged them
23:58to keep their distance, showing the impact social media can have.
24:02We saw videos, was it Facebook or TikTok?
24:04So, on TikTok, yeah.
24:07And Vicky loves highland cows.
24:08So, we thought we'd come down, yeah.
24:11And what did you think about the TikTok when she started stroking the car and everything?
24:15Oh, we didn't see that one.
24:16Yeah, so we didn't actually see that one.
24:17But we saw a post after that was just warning people not to get too close, which obviously is quite
24:23sensible.
24:24Yeah, stay away, don't touch them.
24:26Why do you think you wouldn't touch them?
24:28Well, they're wild animals, not to interrupt them, and obviously they can be dangerous as well.
24:33The Trust says that you shouldn't pet or feed the animals, including the ponies that are also on site,
24:38because it can contaminate biodiversity in the area and cause an over-dependence on humans.
24:44While Kent Wildlife are pleased about the interest in the animals and the site,
24:48they hope that getting up close is a fleeting trend with no lasting beef.
24:53Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV, Ashford.
24:58Two young boys who were accused of smashing up a local authority's HQ during an immigration debate
25:04have been charged with criminal damage.
25:07The 12 and 14-year-olds will appear in court at the end of the month,
25:10following trouble at Swale Council's Sitting Born offices on December 10th.
25:15The first four men's toilets were broken and taps were left running,
25:19causing water to leak through to the ground floor.
25:22The £10,000 damage meant the offices were unable to reopen to the public the next day.
25:28The boys who were arrested days later have been released on conditional bail.
25:33And the judge is not happy with the prosecution of an 80-year-old man, Eric Ball,
25:37whose dog bit in every delivery driver, David Cooper,
25:41as he dropped off a parcel outside of his Broadstairs home.
25:45Judge Simon James says this could and should have been a civil matter.
25:50The dog has no history of aggression and the injured party chose to enter the property
25:54despite signs of the presence of a dog.
25:58Eric Ball admitted an offence for the dog being out of control and causing a massive injury.
26:03And now it's time for a look at the weather.
26:10Tonight, Kent will see cloudy skies with temperatures hovering between 9 and 10 degrees.
26:16Tomorrow morning will be similar, with Canterbury reaching highs of 11,
26:19while other areas are staying at around 10.
26:23By the afternoon, then, skies will clear across the county
26:26and bring some sunshine with highs of 14 and lows of 13 degrees.
26:31Wednesday, we have clear skies.
26:33Clear skies from Wednesday to Friday, actually,
26:35and 15 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday, 13 on Friday.
26:47And now time for another break.
26:49But coming up, we'll have a recap of our latest headline,
26:52including a story that's been hitting nationals
26:55about an outbreak of a strand of meningitis.
26:57All of that and more to come.
26:59See you then.
27:11See you then.
31:35Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
31:39Our top story this evening is of course about the outbreak in Canterbury of meningitis,
31:44which has killed two young people with several more in hospital.
31:48It's believed this cluster of cases started last week following a club night in the city at chemistry.
31:54The University of Kent has suspended all in person exams, but the campus remains open
31:59as students pile in to receive antibiotics.
32:03Chloe Brewster headed down to the campus earlier today.
32:08A meningitis outbreak in Canterbury has meant many people here are on the first bus out of town.
32:14Two people have died with the illness and another 11 have been hospitalized.
32:18One of the dead is a 21 year old student at the University of Kent and the other Juliet,
32:23a year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Fathersham.
32:27The UK Health Security Agency have contacted more than 30,000 people in the Canterbury area.
32:32Students from two different on-campus university halls have been told to head down to the Senate building
32:37just behind me here to collect antibiotics.
32:39You can see them queuing up around the block.
32:41They've been here since about half eight this morning, many of whom are wearing masks.
32:46Some people are going home, yeah.
32:48And a lot of people are saying that they're just going to stay in their rooms.
32:51Some people are scrambling, trying to get antibiotics as well.
32:54Someone I used to work with is in hospital at the moment.
32:58But yeah, they're being treated, so hopefully they're going to be okay.
33:01Well, especially with something so local like that, it can feel personal.
33:05There's a chance to come out to know these people.
33:08Yeah, it's just been quite a lot, really.
33:09I think there's definitely some concerns for people's safety, understandably,
33:15but also the fact it was a delayed response to cancelled exams as well,
33:19adding that extra pressure on people.
33:21Club Chemistry, a nightclub in the city, has confirmed a visitor to the venue had contracted meningitis.
33:26The owner has called the news heartbreaking.
33:29But health chiefs are now weighing up whether to give antibiotics to anyone who attended the club across three nights
33:35earlier this month,
33:36with the potential operation affecting more than 2,000 people.
33:39meningitis has been something I've been tackling with sort of all my life.
33:43I first had it when I was about 18 months old.
33:46It makes me feel quite concerned and just very uneasy.
33:52I'm quite tense right now because I've seen the damage it can do.
33:56I've seen people sort of without certain limbs.
33:59I've seen people who've been wheelchair bound.
34:01I've seen people who really struggle sort of in a day to day basis.
34:07And I'm quite lucky with sort of how I came out.
34:10But obviously it does cause to, it can lead to death, which can be quite concerning.
34:15Sources told Kent Online that staff at East Kent Hospitals have been told to wear full PPE when treating people
34:20with symptoms of meningitis.
34:22And for now, the university here has stopped in-person exams, but campus remains open.
34:27The UK HSA say they're working with local teams as the situation continues to unfold here.
34:33Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Canterbury.
34:37To understand more about meningitis and how it's affecting the area,
34:41I spoke to the UK Health Security Agency earlier today.
34:45We first became aware of this cluster very, very late on Saturday evening.
34:51So we got word through of a large number of cases then.
34:55And so yesterday was when we were in a position to provide more public information.
35:00And it was recognised pretty early that we needed to provide information to the public,
35:05because, as you can imagine, there will be lots of people very worried when they know of people who become
35:10seriously unwell with an infection.
35:12It is really important to recognise that we do see single cases in universities and we take action around those.
35:20But the cluster was only identified late on Saturday evening.
35:24So we know that we've got a particular risk of infection and clusters at university age because we know that
35:34there's quite a lot of intense social mixing,
35:37particularly when people first start university in their earlier years.
35:40And so we do not uncommonly see small clusters of university students who have meningococcal infection.
35:48So we do know that meningococcal infection does circulate at very low levels all of the time.
35:54So we know that a proportion of people at all times can carry the infection in the back of their
36:00throat.
36:00But we know that when people go to university and mix a lot more readily with others,
36:06there is a higher risk that they will transmit the infection to others, which is why we say that we
36:12do occasionally see clusters in university students.
36:15I think it's fair to say the university has been incredibly helpful.
36:19They've provided a huge amount of information to students.
36:22They've made a venue available for individuals to collect.
36:25So profloxacin, the antibiotic that we're recommending, they've done a huge amount.
36:30They've provided lots of comms to students.
36:34I think it's really important to recognise this is a really worrying time for people who have links to the
36:39university,
36:40and it is inevitable that people will be really anxious.
36:43I think it's important that we just provide as open information as we possibly can
36:50and provide the most up to date information so that people can do what's required of them to protect themselves.
36:57UKHSA has identified a number of people that we particularly consider at greater risk,
37:03and that includes very close contacts of cases and individuals who live in particular blocks of the university.
37:09And we have asked them to come forward specifically to receive the antibiotic.
37:15As we get more and more information over the coming days,
37:18it's very likely that we're going to be asking for more individuals to come forward who are at particular risk,
37:23and we'll certainly provide those details as we know them.
37:27So if anyone else at the university is identified at particular risk, the university will be in contact with them.
37:37This is Corey Miller, who was previously diagnosed with two types of meningitis.
37:43So he's here with me now to talk more about his experience.
37:46So you joined me earlier in the show, you were talking about the kind of support that you feel should
37:51be more available in the area.
37:54What kind of support do you think would help people?
37:57So I think generally just that sense of community and information,
38:02because I feel meningitis as a whole, a lot of people have heard about it,
38:06but they don't know the proper ins and outs in terms of how to identify it,
38:10how sort of life after would be for it.
38:12So with me, I found a lot of my knowledge through meningitis now, the charity that I worked with.
38:19I've done many sort of fundraising events.
38:21I found that was a very helpful place to be because that helped me connect with other people who were
38:26affected by it.
38:27They also have a Dropbox where you can ask any request, and they also have a 24-hour on-site
38:33nurse, I'm pretty sure.
38:35So feel free to call up if you've got any concern.
38:37But yeah, just generally just trying to keep well and informed about some of the symptoms and side effects.
38:43And if it is dire, you should definitely go to the hospital and get it checked.
38:47And maybe what would you say to some of those students who might be quite worried?
38:51There's going to be different reactions across the two campuses,
38:55but what would you maybe say to those students and should they be really worried?
38:59I mean...
39:00I think in general, I'd try to first calm down.
39:06I know it's quite a challenging thing to say overall to calm down with such a warming thing,
39:10but primarily just trying to be in a sense of calm space because with this,
39:16it tends to be prominent within infants and teens or young adults.
39:20And if you do tend to be quite stressful, you're more susceptible to it.
39:25So with that, trying to...
39:27Even if it's on sort of online places where you can call people, talk to people,
39:31just keep that connection alive and try and...
39:35I suppose just, yeah, try to be comfortable with your allotment.
39:39I wouldn't say go out too much as...
39:42So with meningitis, this one, the strain is a bacterial one, you know.
39:46I had pneumococcal and meningococcal in the hospital.
39:50In fact, I think it was just pneumococcal when I was in the hospital,
39:54but I contracted meningococcal whilst I was in the ward being treated by someone else.
39:58So obviously with that, there is, you know, a bit of concern and danger is that around that.
40:04However, nowadays, it's a lot more sort of safer and regulated.
40:08But yeah, just keep clean.
40:10Just constantly wipe down surface washes your hands and keep taking the antibiotics to save it off.
40:17And you're obviously a student of the University of Kent.
40:21You're not directly on the Canterbury campus, but how do you feel yourself in terms of this outbreak?
40:27I can imagine it can be quite daunting, maybe.
40:30Yeah, I find it really concerning because I've got a lot of people, a lot of friends,
40:35a lot of sort of people I know through society who are on campus,
40:39and a lot of their sort of life is through interacting with people.
40:44So it's quite a big sort of turn with that, especially it being so late in terms.
40:48This is where we have got all of our sort of assignments and essays that's due in.
40:52That's again building and compiling with that stress.
40:57It's just really alarming, you know.
40:59And there's another thing with everyone sort of going home.
41:02That's something that sort of flags in my mind a little bit of concern because that's sort of,
41:06with the COVID, the spread of that, people would have it.
41:08They'd be very scared.
41:09They'd try to retreat back to wherever they sort of come from.
41:12So I'd really not want this to sort of be a larger thing, a larger thing of it being spread,
41:18you know?
41:19Yeah, definitely. But you've done lots of fundraising here.
41:23So there is obviously a light at the end of the tunnel.
41:26Tell us quickly about that fundraising that you've done.
41:29Yeah, so definitely. With this one, this is my brother.
41:31He'd done the London Marathon and I was there alongside to support him.
41:34In terms of me, myself, I've done fundraising through, I had like a bake sale.
41:39I've done 8,000 steps a day to help fundraise for that.
41:44I think just, yeah, there's, yeah, there's a lot of different things you can do.
41:49I know that with Meningitis Now, they've recently went to Morocco to walk across the deserts to help raise money
41:54for that.
41:55Fabulous. Okay. Thank you so much.
41:57Time for a quick break now, but we have plenty more after this short break. Bye-bye.
42:29We'll see you next time. Bye-bye.
42:41Bye-bye.
43:12Bye-bye.
43:42Bye-bye.
44:10Bye-bye.
44:40Bye-bye.
45:22Hello, and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
45:26Now, a man from Maidstone who lost his son to suicide is helping to break the stigma around mental health
45:32through cycling.
45:34To what would have been his son's 30th birthday, Matt hosted a charity spin-a-thon last month to raise
45:40money for Mid-Kent Mind,
45:41which raised an incredible £25,000.
45:45Matt joins me now to tell us more.
45:48Matt, so tell me, what obviously inspired you to start the cycling in specifics?
45:53I think after I lost Kelsey, I raised some money through an auction for Mind.
46:00That was in 2023. I raised about £7,000.
46:04But for me, physical exercise, going to the gym was always a way of, I don't know, finding my own
46:13peace.
46:13And so in 2024, I did the first spin-a-thon and we raised about £15,000.
46:24Once again, that was for National Mind.
46:26And then in 2025, I tied up with Mid-Kent Mind because it's much more local.
46:32And we did spin-a-thon number two and raised £17,000.
46:36And this year, the aim was to try and do that.
46:40I know you said £25,000.
46:44It was actually £27,600.
46:46It's went up.
46:47Yeah, it has gone up since we spoke.
46:50So it's £27,600 this year we've raised.
46:53And so obviously every year you're getting better and better.
46:56How does that feel to be able to raise so much money for a cause that obviously is so important?
47:01I don't think it's just the money, actually.
47:02I think it's raising awareness.
47:04It's getting people talking about mental health.
47:07It's getting people involved.
47:09I think the spin-a-thon itself, whilst it's a challenge to do all 12, and some people have done
47:13that,
47:14quite a lot of people involved.
47:15And we've had about 180 individuals involved this year.
47:20I've done one class, maybe two.
47:23They've done it in teams.
47:24So what we've done is we've spread that message out of talk about your mental health,
47:29talk about men's mental health, talk to each other.
47:32And it's become more of a community than just a challenge.
47:38And, of course, men's mental health can be a challenge for them.
47:42It's harder to speak up, maybe.
47:43How would you encourage men to speak up within their friend groups and maybe at work and things like that?
47:49I don't know how you can encourage men to speak apart from saying it's okay to speak and you get
47:55something out of it.
47:56It's been difficult for me.
47:58I've been processing my loss for four years and I still haven't processed it properly, but I am talking more
48:04openly about it.
48:05I find going to the gym helps me.
48:08I'm encouraging other people to do something physical.
48:11I think the Spinathon itself is quite an accessible thing because people look at marathons and go,
48:19oh, that's a long way.
48:20Whereas, actually, to sit on a bike, it's load-bearing, it's quite good and people from, no matter how you
48:27are physically, can still access it.
48:29So, I think it's a good challenge and we're looking forward to it being even bigger next year.
48:34And with all the support and from the community that you've got and the awareness that you've raised,
48:40Kelsey would obviously be very proud of everything that you've been able to do.
48:43Do you mind telling me a bit about him and kind of what he was like?
48:47I mean, Kelsey was a young man.
48:51He took his own life at 26.
48:53By then, he was an adult.
48:55He worked hard, played hard and enjoyed himself.
48:57So, I think, you know, I don't think you can say any more than that.
49:03But he was obviously troubled and whether that blame falls to me, I don't know.
49:09And I'll never know that.
49:10And I think the really important thing about it is not so much talking.
49:15Somebody has to listen.
49:16So, whoever you are, if you're talking about your mental health, talk to someone that can listen.
49:21And if people aren't listening, talk to someone else so you can actually get the help you need.
49:25Definitely.
49:27Fabulous.
49:28OK.
49:28Well, to find out a bit more about that story, we'll take a look back at the story that Maisie
49:33Walker did about the cycling.
49:3612 hours of cycling for Mind.
49:39So, Tim, bring all your best fancy footwork and all of your best singing voices because they're about to be...
49:45Inside this gym, a man from Maitstone is taking on an impressive physical challenge to raise money for Mid-Kent
49:51Mind.
49:51In October 2022, Matt's son Kelsey took his own life.
49:57The Spinathlon, which consists of 12 consecutive 45-minute spin classes, held back-to-back over a 12-hour period,
50:05was created to raise money and awareness for mental health.
50:09Not just highlighting the suffering of young men, but also the detrimental effects it had on Matt's mental health too.
50:15Well, it started off, my son Kelsey took his own life four years ago, and I decided to do something
50:23for mental health.
50:26So, three years ago, in February, we did the first spin-a-thon here, 25 bikes involved, and then the
50:33decision was to try and expand that further.
50:34Around 150 people are expected to take part in the event, with 50 static bikes set up across five locations.
50:43The event will be hosted in person at Lock Meadow Health Club on Barker Road in Maitstone, with additional participants
50:50joining remotely via a live stream.
50:53My experience of being bereaved by suicide has changed the way I feel about mental health, and subsequent to that,
50:59I've suffered my own mental health problems.
51:02And I think, you know, people talk about, oh, it's all about talking, and talking's important.
51:07It's also about listening, and people need to listen.
51:09I think Kelsey talked, but I don't think people listened enough.
51:12So, I think it's a two-way street.
51:15We're saying men should talk, especially young men, and if they don't, or when they do, people don't listen.
51:21I think that's important.
51:23It's a challenge built not just on physical endurance, but on encouraging people to speak up and support one another.
51:29And while the challenge may be tough, the message behind it is a simple one.
51:35No one has to face it alone.
51:38Maisie Walker for KMTV, Maitstone.
51:42And now Sam Reid, Head of Services at Mid-Kent Mind, joins me now to tell us about what you're
51:47kind of going to do with this money.
51:49So, we've got £27 Matt just told me has been raised.
51:53So, what will that go towards?
51:55Okay.
51:55It is such a huge amount of money, and we are so grateful to everybody that's donated.
52:00There's been over 1,000 people that have donated, which shows how much awareness Matt has raised around mental health,
52:07but also for Mid-Kent Mind.
52:09This year, we're going to use the money to support our youth services.
52:12Supporting young people from the age of seven to eight up to age 25 is really important to us.
52:19We can do that through a range of holistic support, whether that be one-to-one sessions, group sessions, social
52:26activities, but also support for parents.
52:29Because behind every young person struggling, there's a family where relationships can be difficult, where mum, dad, carers, grandparents and
52:37the wider family can also be struggling.
52:39So, we want to be able to teach parents the techniques we use when working with young people so they
52:44can better support their young people at home.
52:46And what tips maybe would you give to parents?
52:49Because it can be quite, and I can imagine, difficult for parents to reach out to their children if they're
52:53maybe being defensive or things like that.
52:55What sort of tips maybe would you give to parents who are worried, I suppose?
52:59I think the same as Matt said, find someone to talk to.
53:02Our phone lines are open all the time during the week, Monday to Friday.
53:06And we receive many calls from parents that feel that they've had doors closed on them.
53:11And you have to just keep trying.
53:15When a parent phones us, we will listen to them.
53:17And one of the most important things to us is that people feel listened to.
53:21Because if you are heard, people can give you the right advice.
53:25And that could be you need to speak to your GP.
53:28It could be that we can support you and your child.
53:31So reaching out for help, involving the school, talking to the school about your concerns, speaking to your GP, speaking
53:40to a friend.
53:40But we have to communicate with each other.
53:43And I think the other thing is, for young people, anxiety is normal.
53:48And helping them understand that that is an everyday emotion that we will face.
53:53But when it becomes too much and we need to then ask for help.
53:58So if people watching this are struggling, is it a case if they can just look up Mid Camp Mind
54:02on their browser and they'll be able to get support from that way?
54:06Or how does it work?
54:07Yeah. So if people wish to contact us for support, going onto their browser, Mid Camp Mind, our website's there.
54:14And it shows the services we offer for young people and adults, as well as our counselling and training arm.
54:19So there's a comprehensive website there with a whole range of services.
54:23Pick up the phone to us and speak to us.
54:26My team that I work with are amazing.
54:28Every single one of them are happy to take calls from people and point them in the right direction.
54:34OK, excellent.
54:35And yeah, I suppose in those moments of crisis as well, it can be quite serious.
54:39So maybe looking on that website and finding that information can be one step that could help them get out
54:45of that sort of spiral.
54:47Absolutely.
54:47OK, thank you so much, Sam.
54:50Now, time for a quick look at the weather before we go.
54:59Tonight, Kent will see cloudy skies with temperatures hovering between 9 and 10 degrees.
55:04And then tomorrow morning will be similar, with Kenteri reaching highs of 11, while other areas are staying 10 degrees.
55:10Partly cloudy skies, though.
55:12And then into the afternoon, skies will be clear, ranging from 13 degrees to 14.
55:19Clear skies until Wednesday, that's good news.
55:2215 degrees Wednesday and Thursday.
55:24And then slightly cooler, 13 on Friday.
55:36You've been watching Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
55:39There's more news made just for you throughout the evening.
55:42We've got a new episode of Invicta Sport just after the show.
55:45That will be half an hour long.
55:47So that's all the latest sporting news from across the county.
55:49All of our stories from today will also be uploaded onto our website, kmtv.co.uk, as well as the
55:56full programme, if you want to watch from the start to the end.
55:59And of course, if you have been dealing with the meningitis over in Canterbury or any of the stories that
56:06we've discussed today, certainly reach out to us on our email.
56:10That can be found on Google if you just type in KMTV.
56:14But we will have our bulletin as well at 8pm this evening.
56:20But if you think you have a story you think we should be covering, then certainly get in touch.
56:26We also have a series of special programmes Invicta Sport based in Kent, Kent Film Club.
56:31We've got lots for you to watch.
56:32So if you again go onto your website, you can find everything I'm worried.
56:37Be very entertained for a good long time.
56:40But from me for now, have a very good evening and we will see you again at 8pm this evening.
56:45Bye bye.
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