00:26Hello and welcome to KET Tonight live on KAME TV.
00:30I'm Megan Shaw and here are your top stories on Monday the 6th of April.
00:34Our little ball of dynamite.
00:36Chatham parents need funding to secure their home for escaping autistic toddler.
00:41I don't want just a phone call from Abby to say Frankie's been rushed to hospital.
00:49Friendship or fear?
00:51As university offers roll in for the upcoming academic year,
00:55should new students be wary of old traditions?
00:57It does put a lot of pressure on people, makes people make mistakes,
01:01makes people drink too much sometimes out of fear.
01:04And have you been hopping into town?
01:06We've been finding out how people and businesses across Kent have been spending their Easter break.
01:12We've just been chilling to be honest with you.
01:14My daughter is revising for her GCSEs and so we've just been at home watching some movies.
01:31But first, our top story tonight.
01:34A couple in Chatham are raising money to funds,
01:37specialist equipment for their toddler who is autistic
01:39and her frequent attempts to escape her house have endangered her life.
01:44Abigail Funnell has no choice but to keep her daughter Frankie under lock and key
01:48and needs to find £6,500 to buy her a bed that stops her from getting up in the middle
01:54of the night.
01:55Earlier today, I went to her house to meet her.
01:58She's our little ball of dynamite.
02:00A safe bed and a secure home might be taken for granted by most parents.
02:06But for Abigail and Timothy from Chatham,
02:09who live in fear of their autistic toddler escaping the house and harming herself,
02:14it's nothing short of a luxury.
02:17And this is Frankie, who's three years old and is a really big fan of my camera equipment.
02:24And while Frankie was certainly energetic and happy to play,
02:28her mother frequently needs to keep doors and windows locked to stop her from escaping.
02:33As the parents, we don't sleep.
02:36We're in a constant state of exhaustion.
02:41You don't sleep properly.
02:42You may sleep at the night time.
02:45But it's not the sleep because I'm constantly waiting in that stage of,
02:54oh, what was that sound?
02:56Is that her out of bed?
02:57Where is she in the room?
02:59What's she doing?
03:01And it's not healthy at the end of the day.
03:03Dad, Timothy, used to work as a welder,
03:06but gave up working to care full time for his two daughters,
03:10with Frankie still awaiting a formal diagnosis that might allow her to access more care.
03:16And we're just trying to get as much help for her as possible
03:21because the bed, a special bed for her,
03:27is going to cost over £6,000
03:29and a special car seat to keep her safe in the car.
03:42She's nearly £600.
03:46Sorry.
03:47And it's just scary to know that if the door's not locked properly
03:58or if she finds a way to get out,
03:59I don't want just a phone call from Abby to say,
04:05Frankie's been rushed to hospital.
04:07Well, the worst thing has happened to her.
04:14But in the meantime, the couple are calling on their local community
04:18to help raise funds for a specialist bed and car seat
04:22that will stop Frankie from escaping and keep her out of danger.
04:26The couple are still waiting for both a diagnosis for Frankie
04:29and specialist equipment while she still continues to escape.
04:34But without specialist help,
04:36they just feel like they're spinning their wheels.
04:39Megan Shaw for Kame TV in Chatham.
04:44Fire crews have been called to an incident near Dreamland
04:47and Arlington House in Margate.
04:49Images show smoke coming from behind the amusement park
04:53next to Arlington House and the long-vacant Arlington Arcade.
04:58It's not thought that the incident is related to the attraction,
05:01though multiple engines have been called to the scene.
05:03One resident wrote on social media,
05:06one of the old shops under Arlington House is on fire.
05:09All residents have been evacuated.
05:11Kent Fire and Rescue Service and police have been contacted for comment.
05:16As university offers roll in and the academic year winds down,
05:20many students across the country will be preparing for next year,
05:23possibly already considering what societies they'll take part in.
05:26But although new students continuously join these societies,
05:30old traditions oftentimes still remain.
05:32So what's the consensus here in Kent?
05:34And are those traditions still as prevalent as they used to be?
05:37Well, Josh Columbell has been finding out.
05:40University hazing, an unfortunate result of the darker side of society culture,
05:45where initiates endure humiliating tasks in order to be fully accepted into a group.
05:49I met with AJ, who has experienced this kind of initiation firsthand,
05:53and his identity is being kept a secret for privacy reasons.
05:56They don't forget that you haven't done your initiation.
05:58It's something they always point the finger to.
06:01Everyone sort of jeers you on.
06:03Otherwise, you just, I don't know, you just look like a bit of a stick in the mud.
06:06And I can imagine it's a lot worse in other societies as well.
06:10You've kind of got to stick by the initiation rules,
06:16which I think does put a lot of pressure on people,
06:18makes people make mistakes, makes people drink too much sometimes out of fear.
06:22Not only are individuals being affected by this, but also the reputations of the societies.
06:27So what do they think of these humiliation rituals?
06:30I've been in the society for now four years, and it's not only given me my mates for life,
06:35it's given me amazing life experiences that I will use later in life.
06:38With all the horror stories of initiations up and down the country,
06:42people are not joining societies now.
06:44If you ban anything, people are going to be able to break the rules of something.
06:47People are going to find loopholes.
06:48You must know, and they need to police it a bit more.
06:50Studies have shown that programmes put in place have led to a reduction in incidents on participating campuses.
06:56But what's the general consensus among students?
06:59I get the idea as a concept of initiating people in, that team mentality,
07:05but it can definitely turn toxic.
07:07There are some that involve some brutal activities, which I feel it needs to go.
07:13It's alright if there's limits.
07:17I've heard there are some pretty nasty ones, we'll see.
07:21I think they're funny.
07:22Yeah, they are funny.
07:23But the ban in the studio, yeah, I mean, you don't want to be doing weird stuff and that.
07:26In an official statement from KSU, they said Kent's student union is absolutely clear
07:32that student group activities that involve pressure, humiliation, exclusion, risk or harm,
07:37whether physical, emotional or social, go against the values we expect our student groups to uphold
07:42and have no place within our student community.
07:45If any students have experienced something that has made them feel uncomfortable,
07:48we would strongly encourage them to come forward and speak to a member of KSU staff.
07:53Students can email or use the student report tool on screen now.
07:58However, encounters like these are just the tip of the iceberg,
08:02as other students have told me stories so concerning I am unable to repeat them.
08:07It's situations like these that students should be protected from,
08:10so the question still stands, will these initiations continue despite the ban?
08:15Josh Colombo, KMTV.
08:19Look at the weather.
08:25It's been sunny today in Kent and that will continue tonight.
08:28Clear skies, temperatures reaching around 9 degrees in Dover,
08:31lows of 6 towards the east.
08:33Tomorrow morning, starts for warmer, highs of 19 across Dartford and Mainstone,
08:38practically tropical, lows around 15.
08:40That's sunshine continuing into the afternoon that counts,
08:43most of the count it, during highs of 19 again.
08:45Dover still mild at 15.
08:47And your outlook for the rest of the week,
08:49sunny skies, 21 degrees on Wednesday, down to 20 on Thursday and 13 on Friday.
08:55The sunshine's set to stick around.
09:03And finally, with all that nice weather,
09:05how have you been spending your four-day weekend?
09:08Bank holidays were first introduced by Sir John Lubbock,
09:11who was born down in Kent, though that's now part of Bromley,
09:14which was Kent at the time,
09:15and created them to give bank workers a dedicated day of rest.
09:19And as it's Eastern Monday today,
09:21Maisie Walker has been finding out more in Rochester.
09:35Rochester, well known for its history,
09:37it saw busy streets this afternoon
09:39as people made the most of the bank holiday.
09:42Bank holidays were originally introduced to give bank employees time off.
09:45By the time, they've been widely adopted by people and businesses.
09:49Although today, many of them remain open.
09:51Bank holidays were first introduced by Sir John Lubbock,
09:55a scientific writer, banker and politician,
09:58who actually grew up here in Kent.
10:00I spoke to some locals to find out how they were spending their time off.
10:04Just out on the bike today, really.
10:06Yeah, yeah, tried to get as far as Whitstable,
10:08but it didn't quite come off.
10:09So, in Rochester now,
10:12but obviously there's worse places to be.
10:14So, yeah, nice sunny day.
10:15It's nice to just enjoy it.
10:17A bit of music, a bit of atmosphere.
10:19I did go to church yesterday with my friend.
10:22She belongs to the local Baptist church.
10:24She met she was a member of,
10:26and I go with her infrequently.
10:28I don't mind, but I wouldn't say I'm a devout Christian or anything,
10:31but I'm happy to go, you know, Easter.
10:34We've just been chilling, to be honest with you.
10:36My daughter is revising for her GCSEs,
10:40and so we've just been at home, watching some movies,
10:44trying to keep her cool, calm and collected,
10:45and now we're just out enjoying the sunshine.
10:48Yeah, relaxing, enjoying the weather.
10:50It's been a bit windy this weekend.
10:52We've got a boat moored at Rochester Cruising Club,
10:54so we're meant to go away for the weekend,
10:56but our plans have slightly changed due to the winds,
10:58but we've enjoyed the Rochester High Street
11:00and coming out with family and friends.
11:02While many of the businesses I visited were camera shy,
11:05they were clearly thriving,
11:06with a heavy footfall throughout the day.
11:09Only a handful of shops along the High Street were closed.
11:12Some owners told me they stayed open
11:14to remain competitive with neighbouring stores,
11:16while others said they were trading as usual
11:19after already taking extended time off
11:21over the Christmas period.
11:22So whether it's a chance to switch off
11:24or an opportunity to stay open
11:26and bring in some more customers,
11:27the bank holiday seems to be put into full use across Kent
11:31as we all ride into the summer.
11:36Maisie Walker for KMTV, Rochester.
11:41And that's it from us this evening on KMTV.
11:44In the meantime, keep up with our special programmes
11:46on kmtv.co.uk,
11:48but for now, enjoy the rest of your holiday.
12:09Thanks for listening to KMTV.
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