Over the last four years, Hythe Town Council’s dementia awareness forum has done great work to raise the profile in the local community of the needs of people living with dementia, as well as their carers. Last Friday I was invited by Dudley Shipton and Ann Mayne who lead the forum to a special event at Waitrose in Hythe, to mark a £10,000 donation from the store to support the work of the dementia forum. We were also joined by the store manager, Luke Collins and other members of the Waitrose team. This is one of the largest community donations made by Waitrose this year to a single organisation and will greatly help the important work that is done by the forum. The Hythe Dementia Forum meets regularly on the third Thursday of each month at 2pm at the Town Council offices in Stade Street. Hythe Library also hosts a ‘Let’s Talk Dementia’ session every Tuesday morning. Bright Shadow, another organisation that specialises in dementia care holds weekly community sessions every Thursday afternoon at the Hythe Sports Pavilion. Waitrose in Hythe runs frequent dementia friends information sessions and anyone who is interested is welcome to attend. Further information about these meetings can be found by calling the store on 01303 230318. The Hythe Dementia Forum also works closely with Age UK Hythe and Lyminge. At the heart of their work is understanding that dementia is a broad umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders, and that regardless of what type someone is diagnosed with, each person will experience dementia in their own way. This is why sharing information and understanding in the community about dementia is so important. I would like to thank everyone who is involved with or supports the Hythe Dementia Forum for their important work.
I was also pleased last Friday to visit another local charity, Headway Folkestone, which is based at the Marigold Centre in Shaftesbury Avenue, Cheriton. Headway promotes wider understanding of all aspects of brain injuries and provides information, support and services to people with a brain injury, their families and carers. Again, brain injuries can be very varied in how they impact on someone’s life, and the people around them. Headway also runs a popular day centre from their base in Folkestone which is greatly valued by all who use it.
I have received concerns over the last few months from residents in Sellindge about noise pollution coming from the Converter Station run by National Grid. Last Friday I met with the station manager, Ian Plowright, along with some of the local residents who have been most affected by this. National Grid are keen to reassure residents that they will do all they can to identify how and where this noise is spreading and to take effective action against it. If you have been affected by this and have not previously contacted National Grid, please let me know I and will be able to put you in touch with the team at the Sellindge Converter Station.