đž âWe know the work we do has a massive impact on peopleâs livesâ
Plus: County council decides there is no climate emergency, and water workers discover dumbbell is cause of sewer-blocking 'fatberg'
It is not often you will hear a chief executive muse on how they would like to see their organisation made obsolete, but Richard Martin is one such leader.
Each week Touchbase Care, which operates a community hub for adults with disabilities from its base in Tontine Street, provides services for almost 80 members from Folkestone and further afield. The charityâs mission is to support them to develop new skills in a socially-inclusive environment right in the heart of the town.
âWe donât want to be on the periphery, we want to be in society,â Mr Martin told the Dispatch over coffee. âWe are very passionate that just because you have got a disability, you shouldnât not be seen. You should be integrated into society.
âIn an ideal world, services like ours wouldnât exist, because people would be in society. But unfortunately thatâs not the way it is. So we are really passionate about being in society, in a community, and being part of that community and being visible. We want people to know about us.â
At Touchbase Care members can join from the age of 18, and in the past they have included regulars in their 80s. The charityâs services are open to those with disabilities and neurodiverse conditions, all benefiting from a supportive environment in which they can socialise and grow in confidence through a programme of diverse activities delivered by staff and volunteers.
Mr Martin is keen to point to the benefits of a service which is not aimed at any one age group or type of disability. âJust because youâre a young person with a disability, why should you have to go to a group with other people the same age, with the same disability? Thatâs not life.
âLife is about integration, diverse cultures, and just because you have got a disability that shouldnât be taken away from you. Thatâs why weâre really keen to keep that diversity.â
Aptly for an organisation based in the Creative Quarter, many of the activities enjoyed by members centre around music, arts and crafts. Regular sessions include drumming workshops, ceramics classes, filmmaking and painting, with the walls of its classrooms festooned with evidence of the creativity of its members.
An importance is also placed on getting outside in natureâand the charity operates an allotment which allows those with the green-fingered urge to help tend to an impressive range of produce. On a visit to the site earlier this week the Dispatch watched on as a group of around 10 Touchbase Care members diligently got to work on a range of gardening tasks, including picking vegetables, cutting back dead flowers and gathering material for the compost heap.
Rita Barnett, who is a regular volunteer at the allotment in Postling, expressed her delight at seeing the members embracing the challenge of tending to their little plot of land and enjoying the chance to be out in the countryside.
âThey enjoy learning new things and there is something new to learn every week,â she said, taking a break from some pruning. âAs volunteers, weâre all gardeners at heart, we love gardening. So we are here to help them to grow, to learn about the garden and just enjoy it, basically.â
She called on others who may have a few hours to spare each week to get involved in the project. âWeâre always looking for volunteers,â she added. âThereâs always more support needed, and young blood as wellânot just us oldies.â
After a few hours of hard work in the gentle September sunshine there were crates of fresh produce to be transported back to Tontine Street, where it will be used to produce healthy, hot lunches for members to enjoy. Any surplus is then offered up to the public in exchange for a small donation.
Mr Martin explained that for many disabled people, reliant on the care system for support, access to fresh, healthy meals can be a serious issue. âUnfortunately people who live in care or supported living often have carers who are untrained, particularly when it comes to nutrition and food,â he said.
âWe offer a hot lunch every day, and we sit and eat lunch together. A lot of our guys tell us they sit at home and have dinner on their own, or their carers come in and they make them a ready meal, because itâs quick and convenient.
âSo food is a big part of what we doâsitting, socialising, having those conversations. For a lot of our guys, if they didnât have a hot meal with us they wouldnât have a hot meal every day.
âIâm really proud of what we do, and Iâm not ashamed to say that we offer an amazing service. Iâm proud of that. Some people shy away from saying how good a job they do, but we do a good job, we know that we make a big difference to people. I think thatâs a thing to celebrate, not to hide away from. We know the work we do has a massive impact on peopleâs lives.â
You can find out more about Touchbase Care and the services it offers on its website here. If you would like to help support the charityâs work, whether by donating or becoming a volunteer, you can find details here.
News in brief
đ Kent County Council has voted to rescind the authorityâs 2019 declaration of a âclimate emergencyâ. Before last weekâs vote at County Hall in Maidstone there were clashes outside between activists on both sides. Kent Current reports that around 30 climate campaigners showed up to oppose the Reform motion to scrap the declaration, and they were met by a smaller group with a banner describing climate change as a hoax. Inside the chamber, the motion was passed by 50 votes to 21, with three abstentions.
đ° Engineers from Southern Water used AI to uncover a so-called âfatbergâ blocking a sewer in Folkestoneâand found the cause of the blockage was a discarded dumbbell. Electronic sewer monitors identified a buildup of wastewater in Chalcroft Road, which allowed workers to clear out the debris before it caused more serious flooding. âWeâre spotting hundreds of potential blockages before itâs too late,â said Daniel McElhinney, proactive operations control manager at Southern Water. âOur teams use high-pressure jets to clear sewers thanks to the pinpoint accuracy of the AI machines.â
đ§ Work has now started on the transformation of Bouverie Square following the closure of the townâs bus station last weekend. The site has been fenced off and construction crews have set to work on redeveloping the area into a park, all part of a wider regeneration of the town centre funded by central government levelling-up cash. Bus services are now operating from new stops along Middelburg Square. If you are unsure where your bus will now depart from, you can find full details on the Stagecoach website here.
đ¨ Police have arrested two people suspected of being involved in a nationwide scam using SIM-swapping techniques to hijack mobile phone numbers. By impersonating victims and requesting e-SIM replacements from mobile network providers, fraudsters can gain access to email accounts, banking apps and social media platformsâwhere they are able to change passwords and contact details to lock victims out. Between April and August this year, multiple victims reported breaches of personal and financial data to Kent Police. Last Thursday officers executed warrants at five addresses in Folkestone, recovering approximately ÂŁ100,000 in cash and multiple mobile phones believed to be linked to fraud. Two suspects, 27-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, were arrested and have been bailed while enquiries continue.
â PS Waverley, the worldâs last seagoing passenger paddle steamer, called at Folkestone yesterday. Thanks to subscriber Bridget Chapman, who was on board for the shipâs voyage from Eastbourne, for sending in the picture below.
đ˘ Anti-racism campaigners are expected to counter a planned gathering by opponents of immigration at Napier Barracks on Saturday. Information shared on social media suggests the demonstration and counter-demonstration will take place at 11am outside the former army facility, which is currently being used to house asylum seekers.
đ Birchwood School, a specialist referral unit for secondary age pupils, has been found to be âgoodâ across all areas following an inspection by Ofsted in July. In a report published last week, the education watchdog described the Bowen Road schoolâwhich caters for around 15 pupilsâas offering youngsters âa fresh start when they joinâ following what for many were previous ânegative experiences of educationâ. The inspectors state: âClear and consistent routines create a safe environment and reinforce the schoolâs high expectations.â You can read the latest report in full here.
đ Environmental activists are urging people to join in with the Great British Beach Clean in Sandgate this weekend. If you can give an hour of your time, then meet at Castle Road Car Park at 10am on Sunday. Amanda Lowman, from Sandgate Environmental Action, said: âThis annual event is more than just a tidy-upâitâs a chance for people to come together, protect our marine environment, and contribute to a nationwide citizen science project. Volunteers will collect data on the types of waste found, which feeds directly into the Marine Conservation Societyâs campaigns for cleaner oceans and better waste policy.â Organisers are asking participants to sign up in advance so they have an idea of numbers. You can register here.
đś Thanks to subscriber Debbie Lawrence for sending in the picture below of the Friends of the Royal British Legion Community Choir taken during a performance at an afternoon tea hosted by the Mayor of Folkestone earlier this month.
Whatâs on this week
đš Award-winning soprano Claire Booth will be performing at The Grand tomorrow evening, September 25. She will be accompanied by pianist Andrew West. Their performance will follow a talk by novelist Zoe Gilbert about writing words for music. Tickets for the event, which is organised by Folkestone New Music and starts at 6.30pm, can be found here.
đŞ OpenArtFolke and the Under the Moon Art Market are teaming up to host the Fete of Folkestone at Payers Park and The Glassworks on Saturday, September 27. The organisers invite people to âcome and talk, meet some new people and discover some of what goes on behind the scenes in Folkestoneâs creative communityâ. There will be art, entertainment and activities taking place from 11am to 5pm.
đş The spirit of Oktoberfest will be coming to Folkestone this week, with celebrations at the Harbour Arm and The Beer Shop. Returning for its third year, WĂźnder Harbour will be bringing three weekends of Bavarian-inspired fun to the Goods Yard at the harbour. Meanwhile up in Rendezvous Street the festivities at The Beer Shop will begin with a tapping ceremony tomorrow, September 25. You can find out more details here and here.
đď¸ The Drifters will be performing at the Leas Cliff Hall tomorrow, September 25, as part of the soul outfitâs latest UK tour. Fans can expect a show featuring timeless classics such as Saturday Night At The Movies and Under The Boardwalk. You can get your tickets for the concert, which starts at 7.30pm, here.
đ¸ Folkestone-based singer-songwriter Lucy May Walker will be hosting her latest writers round at the Music Workshop on Sunday, September 28, from 4-6pm. The event is inspired by the writers rounds of Nashville, which see a number of performers on stage at the same time, taking turns to play their songs and tell the stories behind them. These sessions often sell out, so grab your tickets as soon as you can here.
Do you have an event in Folkestone you would like to promote in a forthcoming edition of the Dispatch? Send details to us and weâll help spread the word!
Thatâs all from me this week. As always, Iâd love to hear from you if you have a story you think I should be covering in a future edition of the Dispatch. I have a few ideas up my sleeve for the next few weeks, but I am sure there is stuff out there that hasnât yet appeared on my radar. So do drop me a line to rhys@folkestonedispatch.com if you have any tips. Next weekâs newsletter will be in your inboxes at the same time next Wednesday.
All the best, Rhys
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