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Catch up with all the news from across the county with Chloe Brewster.
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00:36Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:39I'm Chloe Brewster and here are your top stories on Thursday the 16th of April.
00:44It's a terrifying future.
00:47Mum of a two-year-old with childhood dementia is campaigning for urgent support for awareness and funding.
00:53It's disgusting that there is not more awareness and that there isn't more attention from the government for these conditions.
00:59Cash for the community, Medway Council launches new £100,000 grant fund.
01:05You know, so we are thinking about those people who have suffered with addiction, people who perhaps are coming out
01:11of prison.
01:12And pub pushes back.
01:14Fifth owners of Rain and Pub in five years say they're prepared to take on the challenge of pub ownership.
01:19We've had some good feedback from the community already of what was tried and what didn't work.
01:35Our top story tonight.
01:37A family in Kent say their world has been turned upside down after their two-year-old daughter was diagnosed
01:42with childhood dementia,
01:43a condition that currently has no cure or no treatment.
01:47So Emily and Gus Forrester from Sevenoaks are desperately fundraising for it and have already raised over £200,000.
01:54Our reporter Kristen Hawthorne met them at their home.
01:58If she's treated now, she could have a completely normal life.
02:01If she's treated in a year's time, it could be too late.
02:03This is Lenny.
02:05And like any other child, she loves playing with her toys and making a mess.
02:09But behind the smiles is a diagnosis no parent wants to hear.
02:13So Lenny has something called Sanfilippo syndrome, which is more commonly referred to as childhood dementia.
02:19It is a rapidly neurodegenerative genetic condition.
02:24It's extremely rare.
02:26Her subtype only affects one in 200,000 children.
02:29So it's actually classed as an ultra-rare genetic condition.
02:33The cruelest thing about this condition is that you don't have any obvious symptoms
02:37until children start to regress around three, four years old.
02:42We only found out about Lenny's diagnosis by chance
02:45because a close family member had a kind of routine genetic screening
02:49and was flagged as a carrier, and so me and my husband both got tested.
02:52She is just, yeah, a delight to be around, really.
02:57We absolutely adore her.
02:59Bag.
02:59Bag, yes.
03:01Oh, thank you.
03:03Am I shocking?
03:05For a lot of families, milestones are something to look forward to.
03:09But for Emily, they're something that she could lose.
03:12Lenny has about six months to a year until she starts to regress,
03:16and that's why her family are so urgently campaigning for support.
03:19Lenny's symptoms is her hearing loss, her speech delay,
03:23and the fact that her hair is a little bit more fuzzy.
03:25That regression is irreversible.
03:27So without treatment, it's very rapid once the regression starts,
03:32and it's very, very severe.
03:33So when she starts to lose her motor ability,
03:36she'll lose the ability to walk, to eat by mouth,
03:40all of her motor abilities,
03:42and then premature death in her early teens.
03:46Very scary.
03:47It's a terrifying, terrifying future, and it haunts us every day.
03:50But there is hope.
03:52Emily and her family have been campaigning to raise awareness and funding,
03:56backing research and clinical trials
03:58that could give Lenny and other children like her
04:01a chance at a life-changing treatment and cure.
04:04We have surpassed our original target,
04:07which was 200,000, which was looking at the EU site for Enzyme.
04:12We are now looking at 500,000,
04:14which would fund the preclinical work for the gene therapy trial.
04:20And that's our goal at the moment,
04:22and I think that will allow us to help Lenny,
04:24Lenny, but also as many children as possible.
04:27But for now, time is the most critical factor,
04:30because for Lenny, everything depends on what happens next.
04:35Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV, Sevenoaks.
04:40Now, there were severe delays this morning
04:42after a collision on the M2 Medway Bridge.
04:47Drivers that were headed to London
04:48were met with more than 30 minutes of traffic
04:50at rush hour after a crash between two vehicles.
04:53Delays had continued until 10am
04:55when National Highways had cleared the scene
04:57and the traffic was eased.
04:59Paramedics confirmed they were made aware of the incident
05:01but stood down prior to arrival
05:02as no injuries were reported.
05:05The family of a man who died over the Easter weekend
05:08have paid tribute following a serious assault in Whitstable.
05:13Nineteen-year-old Ashton Harrington
05:14was found with several stab wounds on Belmont Road.
05:17Emergency services attended at the scene.
05:19However, he was confirmed deceased upon arrival.
05:22Two people have since been arrested
05:24and charged in connection with the incident.
05:26His mother, Camille Harrington,
05:27has issued a tribute to her son,
05:29describing him as a loving father.
05:31She said he had the biggest personality
05:32and was loved by all of those who knew him.
05:36Next, Katie Clark allegedly racially abused a woman
05:39before exposing herself and attacking four police officers
05:42when she was arrested
05:43and taken to Medway Police Station in Gillingham.
05:45Our reporter, Nayla Mohamed,
05:47joins me in the studio now to tell us more.
05:50Nayla, so what happened here?
05:52So over a period of three days in November in 2023,
05:55Katie Clark racially abused a woman she was harassing
05:58and then in the same period of those three days,
06:00she exposed herself to the very same woman.
06:03And when these offences were reported to the police,
06:06the 36-year-old then attacked four officers
06:09who came to arrest her.
06:10She was taken to Medway Police Station in Gillingham,
06:13not too far from here, where the abuse continued.
06:15She was quite aggravated in the cells,
06:17hurling abuse at officers as well.
06:19And then in February last year,
06:21Clark did admit to the exposure
06:23and to the racially aggravated offences
06:25and did plead guilty to other offences
06:28when she appeared in court in January this year,
06:30but those cases were adjourned.
06:33She then appeared in Medway Magistrates' Court
06:36on the 2nd of April of this year
06:38and where she was sentenced.
06:40And the victim of the harassment
06:42did write a victim statement
06:44where she said that she had anxiety and stress
06:46because of the abuse held at her.
06:48And what else was brought up in court?
06:51So the court also heard that in January last year,
06:54Clark and her partner, who both lived together,
06:57entered the boots at Blue Water,
06:58which you can see on the screen here next to me,
07:01and they stole just over £280 worth of items from there.
07:06And then in November again,
07:07she went to Fremlin Walk in Maidstone
07:10and stole a bunch of fragrances,
07:12around £400 worth of items.
07:14And then they returned to Blue Water
07:16where they proceeded to steal more items
07:18from John Lewis next to Waterstones
07:21and went back to Boots to steal some more.
07:23They were arrested the same day
07:24and Clark was asked to provide a drug sample
07:27which she refused to give.
07:29And just quickly, Nayla,
07:30can you tell me what was the defence?
07:32So Jeff Playford was defending Clark
07:35and said that she should be given credit
07:37for her early pleas
07:38and added that she had serious mental health issues
07:41and is now on medication for it.
07:43Did also say that she was struggling financially
07:45and which is why she had to do the thefts.
07:48But Judge Leake said that Clark would get full credit
07:51for the early pleas,
07:52but the offences that she committed were quite serious.
07:55And taking into consideration the mental health,
07:58the fact that she has two children
07:59and the fact that she's looking after her ill father,
08:02he's put it on a 10-month community service
08:05where she has to do rehabilitation sessions,
08:0815 of those.
08:09And then she also has a 24-month restraining order
08:12against the lady she harassed
08:13and she has to pay back the compensation
08:15of the items that she stole bit by bit.
08:17Thank you so much for joining me, Nayla.
08:20A bearded dragon and a leopard gecko
08:22have been rescued by firefighters
08:24after a fire broke out in Maidstone last night.
08:27Emergency services were called to a property
08:29on Hillary Road at around 7.50pm yesterday.
08:32Two fire engines attended the scene
08:34with crews using hose-reeled jets
08:36to bring the flames under control.
08:38No injuries have been reported
08:39and emergency services were able to rescue
08:41two reptiles from the fire,
08:43which was believed to have started
08:44after a tumble dryer caught a light.
08:48Now, organisations to tackle youth unemployment,
08:51mental health challenges
08:52and supporting children with special needs
08:54could receive tens of thousands of pounds in Medway.
08:57It comes as the council has launched
08:59three new grant pathways to replace government funding
09:02that has been scrapped by Whitehall.
09:04While the authority previously distributed
09:06out that money to applicants,
09:07this is the first time it's come directly
09:09from council pockets.
09:11Local democracy reporter Olly Leder
09:13has been speaking to previous recipients.
09:15It's a new fund designed to turbocharge
09:18social regeneration across the five towns.
09:22And with £400,000 up for grabs,
09:25it's little wonder organisations and community groups
09:29were queuing out the door
09:31to find out how they could get a slice.
09:34People want to work together
09:35and actually sort of have their projects funded
09:38and sort of see what they can do for the community.
09:40A lot of it is volunteer-led.
09:42And so that need is there, that demand is there.
09:45And so we're supporting it in Medway.
09:46This is the first year Medway has dished out grant funding
09:50like this, a response to the government
09:53scrapping the UK's shared prosperity fund.
09:56Even though that national funding stream
09:58has come to an end,
09:59we've taken very much a proactive decision
10:03to continue the concept.
10:06For previous recipients,
10:08those grants were a game changer.
10:10With the special needs children,
10:14the impact, I'm not to believe it's been huge.
10:18Being together outside in a nice environment
10:21where there's lots of fun
10:22has made a big difference to people's lives
10:25and how they feel about things on their doorsteps.
10:27Medway Together is not a like-for-like copy
10:31of the Prosperity Fund.
10:33The projects being funded
10:35can have a wider range of goals.
10:38For Peter Chatwell,
10:39who used previous funding
10:41to reduce youth unemployment
10:43through the power of AI,
10:46Medway Together offers a fresh chance
10:49to reach those on the fringes of society.
10:54We're looking at this,
10:56at now, can we use this fund
10:58to deliver something even more impactful
11:01on some people who are even more marginalised.
11:05You know, so we are thinking about
11:06those people who have suffered with addiction,
11:09people who perhaps are coming out of prison.
11:12So looking at really marginalised people
11:14who are really struggling.
11:16With such financial pressures
11:18facing the local authority,
11:21the fund's future is not guaranteed.
11:24But its outcomes here in the community
11:27could be felt for years to come.
11:30Olly Lieder in Chatham.
11:36Time for a short break,
11:37but still to come.
11:38A group of campaigners
11:40known as the Q Ship Society
11:42have launched a new project
11:43to save a historic vessel
11:45at Chatham Dockyard.
11:46They were calling on Medway Council
11:48to support restoration plans
11:49and allow for it to have a new home
11:51at Collier Wharf.
11:53We talked to a best-selling author
11:54and mindfulness coach as well.
11:56Join us after the break
11:58for all that and very much more.
12:00Thank you and goodbye.
15:24Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight,
15:27live here on KMTV.
15:28Official plans for the UK's
15:30first industrial-scale
15:32waste-to-hydrogen plant in Fannett
15:33has been submitted to Kent County Council.
15:36The proposal outlines a development
15:39on a 16-acre site
15:40near Manston Airport
15:41close to Ramsgate.
15:43Backed by around £120 million
15:45of investment,
15:46the project could result
15:47in more than 100 lorry movements a day
15:49once operational.
15:51If given the green light,
15:52the facility would run 24 hours a day,
15:54processing up to 22,000 tonnes
15:57of non-recyclable waste each year
15:59and converting it into hydrogen fuel.
16:05A group of campaigners
16:07known as the Q Ship Society
16:08have launched a new project
16:10to save a historic vessel
16:11in Chatham Dockyard.
16:12Known as HMS Saksifaraj,
16:15it's one of only three remaining
16:17World War I ships in the world.
16:19The group are calling on Medway Council
16:20to support restoration plans
16:22and allow for it to have
16:23a new home at Collier Wharf.
16:25While the future of the ship
16:26remains uncertain,
16:27campaigners say there is still hope
16:29that the vessel could be saved.
16:31Isabel Rodney has this story.
16:33Built in 1917
16:34in Wrenfrew, Scotland,
16:36HMS Saksifaraj
16:37is one of the last surviving
16:39Flowercast sloops.
16:40Launched a year later,
16:42she played a vital role
16:43in safeguarding Britain's
16:44supply lines at sea.
16:46But today,
16:46her future is uncertain.
16:48Q Ship Society
16:49is now fundraising
16:50and calling on Medway Council
16:51to support plans
16:52for a new home
16:53at Collier Wharf in Gillingham.
16:55Behind me is HMS Saksifaraj,
16:57a rare First World War vessel
16:59that campaigners say
17:00will soon be lost
17:01without urgent action.
17:02HMS Saksifaraj
17:04is the last of the class.
17:06One of only three
17:07First World War ships
17:09that was built
17:10for the Royal Navy
17:11left the world.
17:12The Two Ship Society's
17:13plans for the vessel
17:14is to slowly restore her
17:17as close as possible
17:19to her original configuration.
17:20Currently moored
17:21in Chatham's Ocyard,
17:22I came to take a closer look
17:24at HMS Saksifaraj.
17:26However,
17:27I found it was completely
17:28inaccessible to the public,
17:30sitting behind
17:30a restricted industrial site
17:32and could only be seen
17:33from afar.
17:35Now, the Q Ship Society
17:36is working to change that,
17:38with plans to move
17:39the historic Royal Navy vessel
17:40to a more permanent
17:41and publicly accessible home.
17:43There's a grim
17:44sort of outlook
17:45for Chatham Docks.
17:47We recognise the struggles
17:48that the council have,
17:51as all councils do
17:52at the moment.
17:53The society currently relies
17:54on volunteers
17:55and has been working
17:56with local businesses,
17:57but says the cost of restoration
17:59still remains a major hurdle.
18:01There is a cost attached
18:03to obviously bring the ship
18:05to a standard
18:06where it can be moved.
18:07However,
18:07the council has offered
18:08the solution
18:09that they could potentially
18:10transform the vessel
18:11into a museum.
18:12With an area such as Medway
18:14that has such
18:15significant naval history,
18:18we would hope
18:19that this would be considered
18:20so that we can
18:22hopefully open it up
18:23to the public.
18:23With only a handful
18:25of First World warships
18:26still in existence,
18:27supporters say saving
18:28HMS Sacrifice
18:29is not just about restoration,
18:31but instead about protecting
18:33a unique piece
18:34of Britain's naval history.
18:36Isabel Rodney
18:37at KMTV News, Chatham.
18:40We reached out to Medway Council
18:42for a comment,
18:43but they are yet to reply.
18:44Now, an award-winning patisserie
18:46in Tunbridge
18:47has just opened
18:48a second branch.
18:50Dolce's Patisserie
18:51in Royal Victoria Place
18:52is famous for its
18:54homemade macaroons,
18:55cakes and quiches,
18:56which have won them
18:5711 Great Taste Awards.
18:59Husband and wife duo
19:00Elaine and Dolce Chua
19:02say they promise
19:03a friendly service,
19:04handmade flavourful food
19:05and a warm and comfortable space.
19:07The new branch
19:08has recently began
19:09welcoming customers.
19:11One of Shakespeare's
19:12most powerful tragedies
19:13is set to grace
19:14theatre-goers in Kent.
19:16The Royal Shakespeare Company
19:18will stage Hamlet
19:19at the Marlow Theatre
19:20in Canterbury
19:21as part of an
19:21eight-venue tour.
19:23Directed by Sophie Drake
19:24and starring Ralph Davis,
19:26the production promises
19:27a modern take
19:27on Hamlet's tale
19:29of revenge,
19:30betrayal and immortality.
19:31Hamlet will be
19:32at the Marlow Theatre
19:33in Canterbury
19:34from Tuesday, April 21st
19:36to Saturday, April 25th,
19:38with an accessible,
19:39friendly performance
19:40taking place
19:41on the 25th.
19:43Next,
19:44the Angel Pub
19:45in Rainham
19:45is now on its
19:46fifth licensees
19:47in five years,
19:48but the couple
19:49currently in charge
19:50are confident
19:50they can be the ones
19:51to make it work.
19:53With new developments
19:54around the pub
19:55along with plenty
19:56of dog walkers
19:56and cyclists nearby,
19:58they're aiming
19:58to attract people
19:59within walking distance
20:00and have already begun
20:01integrating themselves
20:02into the community there.
20:04Our reporter,
20:05Kristen Hawthorne,
20:05went to find out
20:06if the glass
20:06really is half full.
20:09New owners,
20:10new prices
20:11and new plans.
20:12The Angel Pub
20:13in Rainham
20:14is getting another shot
20:15and the couple
20:16in charge
20:17say it's a dream
20:18that's been brewing
20:18for years.
20:19It was our dream
20:21and we've got to do
20:22this together
20:23and what's made it
20:25even more exciting
20:26is how welcoming
20:27the community are
20:28and how helpful
20:29they are.
20:29And they love seeing
20:30us behind this bar
20:31and not a load
20:32of members of staff.
20:34It's us.
20:35We're serving the people.
20:36They come in,
20:36they greet us
20:37and we have a chat
20:38and they literally
20:39come to see us.
20:40Some of them have got
20:42our personal numbers
20:43and they'll text us
20:44saying we're coming
20:45down tonight
20:45and I believe
20:48that some of them
20:48even say
20:49should we go
20:49and see Paul and Liz
20:50as opposed
20:51shall we go
20:52to the Angel.
20:52Despite being the fifth
20:54team to run the bar
20:55in five years,
20:56the pair are confident
20:57they will make it work.
20:58We've had some good
20:59feedback from the community
21:00already of what was tried
21:03and what didn't work
21:04in their eyes
21:05and it is quite consistent
21:07on what they're saying
21:10so they have said
21:11they want a proper
21:12boozer back
21:13and they want pub rub,
21:15they want a fish finger
21:16sandwich,
21:16they want a burger
21:18and we're going to
21:20do that for them.
21:21Paul and Liz
21:22are confident
21:23that by appealing
21:24to the dog walkers,
21:25cyclists
21:25and soon-to-be
21:27nearby residents
21:27that their pub
21:29will be much more
21:29successful than it was
21:31for previous owners.
21:32Because the new houses
21:33will bring people
21:33to the pub
21:35so hopefully
21:36the quicker they get it
21:37done the quicker
21:37we can get some more
21:38people in.
21:39Obviously passing trade
21:40is going to affect us
21:41like that
21:42but we have a lot
21:43of footfall here
21:43as well.
21:44Dog walkers,
21:45this is the main
21:46entrance and exit
21:47right opposite
21:47on the corner.
21:49They come in
21:50with their dogs
21:50with free dog treats
21:51there,
21:52free water.
21:53The water's actually
21:54on a beer pump
21:55so they can pull
21:55out their own water.
21:58A lot of the locals
21:59walk down to the pub
22:00as well.
22:03You've been posting
22:04on Facebook as well
22:04haven't you?
22:05Although the road's
22:06closed,
22:06we're not,
22:07we're open,
22:08come on in.
22:08Yeah.
22:09So I think that's helped.
22:10But what is the reality
22:12of success here?
22:13We know that lots
22:14of people love their pub
22:16and lots of people
22:17want to run a pub
22:18and the thing that's
22:19perhaps stopping those
22:20pubs from surviving
22:22and thriving
22:23is the fact that they
22:24are up against
22:25a lot of costs.
22:27There are soaring
22:29employment costs,
22:30there's beer duty,
22:31there's energy costs
22:33and all of these
22:33things cumulatively
22:35take their toll
22:36on keeping those
22:37pubs thriving.
22:38With the pair having
22:39a fresh outlook on
22:40the future of the Angel
22:41with already clear
22:43community support
22:44and new homes on the way,
22:46they might just be
22:47the kickstart that sticks.
22:49Kristen Hawthorne
22:50for KMTV,
22:51Rainham.
22:54And now let's take a look
22:55at the weather
22:56for the coming days.
23:02It's set to be
23:03a cloudy night
23:04across areas like
23:05Maidstone,
23:06Medway and Margate
23:06with temperatures
23:07reaching around 15 degrees
23:08in Dartford.
23:09Into tomorrow morning
23:10it's looking like
23:1110 degrees around
23:12Medway and Maidstone
23:13into the afternoon.
23:15Also cloudy,
23:15looking sunny in Dover
23:16though,
23:17let's head down to Dover
23:18looking forward
23:19to the weekend.
23:20It's going to be
23:2117 degrees on Saturday,
23:2214 degrees on Sunday
23:24and 13 on Monday.
23:39next up we're joined
23:41by a mindfulness coach
23:42from Gravesend
23:43who is known
23:44for his long charity walks
23:45to raise awareness
23:46for mental health.
23:47Last year,
23:48Bhupinder Sandhu
23:49trekked from London
23:50to Wales
23:50and London to Edinburgh
23:51to raise money
23:52for the charity Mind.
23:54As April is
23:55Stress Awareness Month,
23:56he's here with us
23:57to answer some questions
23:58about balancing
23:58mental health
23:59with the challenges
24:00of everyday life.
24:02Bhupinder,
24:02to start,
24:03can you tell us
24:03a little bit more
24:04about what you do?
24:05I'm a mindfulness coach
24:07and I talk about
24:08mindfulness,
24:09mental health
24:09and mental health
24:10fitness
24:11to make people
24:12more aware
24:13about the challenges
24:14of stress
24:15in our life
24:15because we need
24:17to think
24:18that stress
24:18is not just
24:19a by-product
24:20of being busy.
24:21At the moment,
24:23we are going
24:24through a time,
24:25I call it
24:26a national silence
24:27emergency
24:29where 91%
24:30of the population
24:31are saying
24:31they are at the limit.
24:3391%
24:34are at the limit
24:36and it's not just
24:37the stress.
24:38As a nation,
24:39we are going
24:39through biological burnout
24:42and this biological burnout
24:44is costing us
24:45about 56 billion pounds
24:49every year
24:50and stress
24:51is not about
24:52just like
24:54some reaction
24:56to an event.
24:58Stress is
24:58our natural way
25:01to deal
25:02with emergency.
25:03In old days,
25:04it may be a predator
25:05we have to run
25:06away from.
25:06Today,
25:07we are just like
25:08to deal
25:09with a crisis
25:10but what is happening?
25:12This 91%
25:13I mentioned
25:14are staying
25:15in this crisis mode
25:16for 24 hours a day
25:18so this is a big number
25:20and it's losing
25:21our brain's ability
25:22to think clearly
25:23and we are
25:26consciously making
25:27ourselves
25:27age faster
25:29so stress awareness month
25:31I think
25:32is the time
25:32we work on
25:34how we can stop
25:36as a nation
25:38from bankruptcy
25:39of mental health.
25:40And as you mentioned
25:42it's stress awareness month
25:43this month
25:44I know you do a lot
25:45of walking
25:46to raise awareness
25:47for mental health
25:47other than walking
25:49what are some of the best ways
25:50for people
25:51to lower their stress
25:52in everyday life?
25:54First thing is
25:55digital sunset
25:56or digital detox
25:57they call it
25:58in workspace
25:59turn off your notifications
26:00two hours before
26:02you go to bed
26:02but the way I say
26:04if they don't give you
26:05work phone
26:06don't have any work
26:07application on your phone
26:09or turn it off
26:10as soon as you leave
26:11the work
26:11you don't need
26:12to bring work
26:13home
26:15and then
26:15other thing is
26:16power of small
26:19micropauses
26:20we don't need
26:21to fix the whole life
26:23today
26:24we just need
26:25to concentrate
26:25on next 10 minutes
26:27or we can
26:28make the next
26:2910 minutes better
26:30and the best one
26:32is box breathing
26:34box breathing
26:35is like
26:35you inhale
26:36for 4 seconds
26:37you hold
26:38for 4 seconds
26:39and then you exhale
26:40for 4 seconds
26:41and then you hold
26:43for 4 seconds
26:43basically
26:44now our viewers
26:45they're looking
26:46at the screen
26:46you start from
26:47left of your screen
26:47you inhale
26:48for 4 seconds
26:51hold for 4 seconds
26:52I'm so sorry
26:52I've got to cut you off
26:53there
26:53I'll definitely take that
26:58thank you so much
26:58for watching Kent
26:59tonight
26:59goodbye
27:03bye
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