QEQM Hospital League of Friends
Following an application from the Hospital’s Critical Care Matron, we’re delighted to have funded the provision of a leather three-seater sofa for the Intensive Care Unit. It’s for use by relatives waiting for updates and to see critically ill patients.
Inspirations Writers’ Group
Thanet author Carol M. Salter has received more than her fair share of success this July. First, she was surprised to learn she had won the 2020 Faversham Eye Essay Competition, receiving a monetary reward and her short story, Life After Covid, in print. The story, a dystopian view of a worse case scenario paints a bleak picture with a glimmer of hope for the future.
You can read her winning entry at https://www.favershameye.co.uk/post/essay-competition-the-winner-runners-up
As well as winning the competition in July, Carol has had not one, but two pieces of her work published on Kindle this week.
Gristle’s Revenge is the follow up urban novel to Witch on the Warpath. Set twelve years after the first book, it follows the rescue of Harty Springfield’s daughter, Purity. Both contemporary novels are set in Thanet and include information on the local history of the area.
As the Chair and Founder of the Thanet based, Inspirations Writers Group, Carol is delighted to announce the Kindle release of their fourth Anthology, Green, following on from their previous anthologies in the Rainbow Series.
Each member is required to include the specific title colour within their piece of poetry or prose. Carol’s short story is entitled, The Vanishing Man.
When Covid arrived, Carol wanted to try and make a difference during lockdown to those health-vulnerable individuals self-isolating. Her hope being that it might provide some slight diversion.
In April, she began reading weekly from her family friendly, urban fantasy novel, Witch on the Warpath in free Podcasts on YouTube. Despite lockdown being eased, Carol continues with her weekly Podcasts readings to those who would like to continue hearing the story. It remains free of charge and she has received positive comments about its usefulness for those people with visual impairments.
Currently on Chapter seventeen, all earlier chapters can be listened to on Carol’s YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrWc9BJEIecbpe4BT4JWzwg
Adult education
KCC’s Adult Education service is holding a range of free taster sessions during a virtual open week to showcase some of the many course subjects on offer.
The courses take place in the first week of September and will give learners the opportunity to try a range of creative subjects for free, to see if they like the experience before deciding if they want to enrol and a longer course. There are about 30 subject choices as diverse as belly dancing, floristry, sculpture and watercolour painting.
Courses are delivered in a real-time, virtual environment, and are easy to access with a phone, laptop, tablet and an internet connection. They provide a collaborative learning experience and the option to interact with other learners, without having to leave the comfort of home.
Learners will be able to experiment with different materials, mediums and techniques with demonstrations from expert tutors. The open week tasters give learners the chance to see how courses are delivered virtually and may help to develop new, exciting hobbies and interests.
Specialist tutors will be able to advise which courses are the next step up from the tasters. They not only teach the course but will guide the participants through it, to ensure a positive and enjoyable virtual learning experience.
The first taster courses start on Tuesday 1 September and the last ones take place on Friday 4 September.
The creative open week courses are free. For more details and to book a space please visit kentadulteducation.co.uk/about-us/news/creative-open-week-courses or call 03000 4140 25.
haart
Local Thanet estate agent Chris Murton, a former award-winning schoolboy cricketer, has bowled over the bosses at haart estate agents and been promoted to Partner at the age of 26.
Chris had been the manager of the Broadstairs branch after previously working in haart’s Ashford branch.
However, following the coronavirus outbreak, the company has changed its way of working and Chris will now be based at home, backed up by other local haart offices and its national call centre.
“I live locally and know and love the area really well,” said Chris. “For our customers, it is very much business as usual but the best part is that I will be with them every step of the way, seeing a house sale through from start to finish.
“The coronavirus pandemic has given us the chance to work differently and it’s been so successful that we’re going to continue, visiting people at home following social distancing guidelines, using online video platforms and supported by haart’s unique FLINK social media technology, which finds people who don’t even realise they are looking to buy.”
As a teenager, Chris had been a bowler with St Lawrence cricket club who were declared the U13 champions of England. Nowadays, he’s happy playing golf and watching football when the opportunity arises.
haart Managing Director Antony Lark added: “Chris has been chosen as one of our first Partners in a new scheme which will see us growing our network of estate agents across the UK.
“Unlike other organisations that employ people on a self-employed basis with all its inherent risks, our Partners are fully employed by haart, with all the benefits and security this brings.
“Plus, by replacing some of our branches with people working from home, giving them a better work-life balance and more flexibility around their working day, we are able to reinvest the money we save on office costs by providing better marketing and technology to support our customers. It really is a win-win all round.”