A Medway mum says she'll fight to keep her swimming pool after being ordered to remove it from a communal yard outside flats in Chatham.
Chelsea Davidson was contacted by management company MHS Homes last week, and told to get rid of the 12-foot paddling pool in Silverweed Road.
Also in today's podcast, a Gravesend man who set up a funding group after his step-son took his own life says young people don't have enough access to counselling.
Figures from Childline show more than 500 sessions were delivered across the country every day last year.
The Elliott Holmes Memorial Fund has offered free counselling to more than 250 teenagers since starting their work in 2020. Hear from founder Peter Scutts.
Passengers trying to get to France from Dover were facing delays and disruption due to industrial action on the other side of the Channel.
A number of sailings had been suspended or cancelled.
Katie Price, Baga Chipz and the Sad Oompa Loompa are just some of the acts taking to the stage at Canterbury Pride this weekend.
It's the eighth time the event will be held in the City. Hear from one of the organisers.
Sam Lawrie has a roundup of everything else going on in Kent this weekend.
And in sport, the Kent captain says the team has a lot to offer heading into their next T20 match against Somerset tonight.
They've recorded a win and a defeat so far in the competition and this will be their first match of the campaign at Canterbury.
can't online news. News you can trust. This is the Kent online podcast. Nicola Everett. Hello. Hope you're okay. Thanks ever so much for downloading today's podcast is Friday, June the 7th and coming up. We'll look ahead to Kent's biggest pride event this weekend. Plus, it's next game in the T20 blast. But first today, this is the most read story on the website. A Midway Mum says she'll fight to keep her swimming pool after being ordered to remove it from a community. She's got to remove it from a communal yard outside flats in Chatham. Now, Chelsea Davidson was contacted by management company MHS homes last week and told to get rid of the 12 foot paddling pool in Silverweed Road. She's also upset after finding out she won't be allowed to have her wedding reception there with a 38 year old has been chatting to reporter Joe Crossley. I've already got help from my residents along the block and the residents around the area. We've had our swimming pool up in a community yard for at least 10 years now. Every year between March and September, it's always been a social little yard. We've had barbecues. We've had birthday parties. We've even had little wedding parties down in the yard. And now MHS are telling us they've given me seven days from last Thursday the 30th to remove my swimming pool, to remove all my toys that are in the yard at the moment, to remove our tables and chairs. We're not allowed barbecues. We're not allowed to have fun. It's not allowed to be a community yard. You've taken it down. It just explains to me why you've done that. The reason we took it down at the moment is where we've been given until Thursday. I am still waiting for paperwork from MHS because I've still not received this to tell me the reasons behind not having my swimming pool. I will be saying now that once they come out Thursday, I will be re-erereacting my swimming pool because my children want to have fun. The children on the balcony need the fun. We haven't got nothing around this area for the kids. The only thing we ever get is come the holidays and you might have the occasional Easter Club or the occasional club at the school. But nothing that socialises the teenagers or the youngsters that need to have fun. And this is what we do here. And talk to me a little bit about your wedding plans as well. That's sort of gone out the windows for that same phone call and why is that? My wedding plans have gone out the window thanks to MHS. I'm due to get married on the 8th of August this year. Been together with my partner 19 years now, has taken us this long with lack of money and everything. But MHS is now saying I cannot have my wedding reception in my communal yard because it doesn't justify the rights of the communal yard. I'm not allowed friends. I'm not allowed family. I can't have a barbecue. All the wedding is paid for even my buffet food from street angels is paid for. They're willing to come and help me with my buffet. So I don't understand why MHS is stopping us from enjoying this. We're basically like a family up here. Every previous neighbour to the neighbours we've got now. Everyone is basically family. The kids love playing together. They're always together. If they're not outside playing in the pool or kicking a football, they're trashing my kitchen baking cakes and rolls. It's what we do. We love the fun. Even if it makes a mess, we clear our mess. We've never left MHS a mess to deal with. We've always dealt with it. And we've been given a statement from MHS Homes. This is what it says. The health and safety of our customers is our top priority. Communal spaces are a great way of bringing residents together and building a sense of community. But we also have responsibility to keep people safe in these areas. We understand one of our customers wanted to celebrate their wedding reception in the communal space. However, as part of their tenancy agreement, we ask people not to use these spaces for barbecues, which can potentially lead to a fire hazard or for large family-sized paws or trampolines, which also carry a health and safety risk. This is an important part of keeping people safe. Kent Online News. Other top stories today and a probation officers revealed a Rochester man who murdered a woman as she walked home should have been graded high risk when he was released from jail. Jordan McSweeney missed three probation meetings in June 2022 and was recalled to prison, but it wasn't put through as an emergency. He killed Zara Alina in Ilford two days later, an inquest into her death is continuing. His claim to anti-social behaviour is ruining the peace and beauty of the River Stour in Canterbury. There have been reports of people throwing bottles in cans at tour boats and targeting wildlife with catapults. Police say they've stepped up patrols and have confiscated a slingshot and ball bearings from one teenager, while issuing orders and warnings to others. Some news from court next and a shoplifter from Faversham has promised not to enter another supermarket. After being caught, stealing goods to fund his cocaine addiction. Albert Ramston breached his criminal behaviour order when he targeted stores, including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Co-op between April and May. The 23-year-old from St Paul's Avenue has been released on bail under conditions ahead of sentencing next week. Elsewhere, a woman who stole meat and cleaning products from Asda and Morrison's stores in Sittingborne has been jailed. The 43-year-old was arrested after police reviewed CCTV. She's been locked up for six months and ordered to pay compensation. A convicted drug dealer from Tumbridge Worlds must pay back more than £300,000 in criminal gains. William Ferguson is serving a 13-and-a-half-year prison sentence for selling cocaine across Kent. It's thought to have made him more than £700,000. The 29-year-old whose last address was Woodland Road has three months to pay or face more time in prison. Next today, a Gravesend man, who set up a funding group after his stepson took his own life, says young people still don't have enough access to counselling. Figures out today from Childline that have been seen by the Kent Online podcast show that more than 500 sessions were delivered across the country every day last year. The Elliot Holmes Memorial Fund has offered free counselling to more than 250 teenagers since starting their work in 2020. Peter Scuts has been speaking to Lucy. We struggled to get access for help for Elliot. Once we started talking to a number of his friends, we realised they were struggling as well, couldn't get help. I had a marketing company. I retired when we lost Elliot, and about one year later, I made a couple of phone calls in the private sector. I found out that the first couple I called could actually see someone virtually immediately. I explored this a little bit more, found out that there was a lot of counsellors locally that weren't being used whatsoever by the private sector. Whilst we had lots of young people on waiting lists for two, three years, even longer, the help was always there, but it just needed funding. So we set the Elliot Holmes Memorial Fund up. We started running events, engaging the community, raised the money to pay for it. So in its simplest form, we've put young people who want help together with counsellors who've got immediate capacity. It's not an incredible legacy for your son as well, and it's so strong of you to put this to good in a way. What sort of issues are young people facing at the moment? I know it's been a difficult time after COVID, but what kind of problems do young people go through and why might they need this counselling? Just to give people an idea of how bad it is, Darrant Valley Hospital helped me with some research, and I got them to dig out some stats on 13 to 18-year-olds who live in Grapesham, which is our target market. So they gave me some figures on young people who had been admitted to Darrant Valley Hospital with either mental illness, overdose, or serious self-harm. In 2017, there was 73, this is just in Grapesham. In 2020, that rose to 149, and in 2022, 187 young people 13 to 18 were in Grapesham were admitted to Darrant Valley Hospital. We're seeing young people struggling with loneliness, anxiety, a lot this time a year are coming through with exam stress, but there's usually something behind that, and family dynamics. And of course, there are really long waiting lists across the NHS, but I know access to therapy for young people is a particular issue with some of them having to wait a year, two years to be seen by a therapist. I mean, that's just too long, isn't it? We have mental health awareness week, and suddenly it all comes alive, and lots of people talk about it. However, in reality, we need more people doing. So it's all right talking about it, it's all right saying that the help is there, but when you actually need it, you try and find it, especially face-to-face counseling. It just isn't there for the young people. So we've come up with it, so no barriers, simple way, self-refer online to access the service. Kent Online reports. Now, this story was developing as we recorded today's podcast, passengers trying to get to France from Dover were facing delays and disruption due to industrial action on the other side of the channel. A number of sailings had been suspended or cancelled. The port of Dover remains open and it's understood Dunkirk is not affected, but P&O have assured customers they will be put on the next available ferry, Irish ferries and DFDSC ways are also experiencing disruption. It can follow the very latest by heading to Kent Online and clicking on the travel blog too. Figures show overall crime in Kent fell in the past year, but instances of robbery, vehicle offences and theft are on the rise. After being elected to a third term of office last month, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott says he wants to bolster neighbourhood policing and make our streets safer. It's thought the idea of other train companies using the high-speed line in Kent could encourage Eurostar to resume calling at international stations in the county. They haven't stopped at Ashford or EBS fleet since the pandemic and currently don't have any plans to before 2026, but council bosses think that could change after five firms expressed an interest in using the route. A reminder, we're being warned to expect disruption around Sittingborne and Sheppy this weekend as the Kingsbury Bridge is going to be closed. As we told you in yesterday's episode, no trains will be running on or off the island and all road traffic will have to be diverted over the A249 crossing. Now, there are concerns about bus services reaching villages like iWade and Bobbing as the closure also coincides with roadworks at the Grovehurst Junction. And a reminder to drivers, there will be closures on the A249 this weekend. The northbound carriage way will be shut between the Stockbury and Key Street roundabouts from 8pm on Sunday until 5am on Monday. You can see pictures of the congestion last time around when the closures happened by following Kent online on socials. Now, Katie Price, bag of chips and the sad umpelemper are just some of the acts that are going to be taking to the stage at Canterbury Pride this weekend. It's the eighth time the event will be held in the city. It's all going to kick off with a parade in the high street from 11am before the live entertainment stalls and attractions in Dane John Gardens. Well, John Fitterharding is one of the organisers and I spoke to him after they announced some of the first acts. I'm really excited. One of the things I'm most excited for is obviously yourselves closing us off on the Saturday. So we're going to have floor filler anthems with Rob Wills, which will be amazing last year. That was just that topped off the end of our end of our show. Obviously, we've got Michelle McManus, who is a little bit of a blast in the past. But even I remember all the way back then and she was amazing. Another one I'm really looking forward to Chodeshop Sue. She's going to be doing a DJ set for us. You've got Urban Cookie Collective, really popular. And then we've got some of our classics. We've got Bag of Ships, who is our staple and always really popular. And a lot of people are very keen to see her. And Booty Lover returning. That's a favourite of mine as well. So come in, tell us about the Emperor. How did that all come about? Whose idea was it? No, it's not myself that comes up with these crazy ideas. It's Stephen, who's our entertainment director. And he knew how popular she was and she's a trained actress as well. So amazing. So I'm looking forward to what she's going to do. Last year was huge. The weather was absolutely perfect. I know you obviously. You can't book the weather. Unfortunately, it's a fun thing. The one thing I can't control and hate it. But it was, I mean, Danger on Gardens is a wonderful venue. It was absolutely packed. Give us a bit of a sense for anyone who hasn't been before of what else you've got going on aside from those main acts on the stage. So for us, one of the really important things for Pride is we've got a really good community feel. We also want to be appropriate for families to come. I've got two children myself who are five and seven and they love Pride. They come along. They enjoy some of the fairground rise that we have. They really enjoy seeing kind of campfire and rescue the police. They also interested really enjoy the color and the atmosphere. So we've got a lot of community groups who are coming down. We have an even better selection of food vendors this year catering from every food type that you can imagine. And I'm hoping, I'm hoping that we get the weather again as well. Guy, a few people have said to me, what will the input them be doing? Can you, can you let us into any little secrets? No, but I really wish I could, because it's the same question that I've asked. Stephen, exactly. I think there's, I think there's definitely going to be a meet and greet option. I mean, I know that I'm going to be having a photo with her. And I know the people that I've spoken to want a photo with her. I mean, she's just iconic now. And can you imagine that is, I bet she didn't think that she turned up to that job that day, that she was going to be across international news. Because I'm pretty sure she's travelled to America as well. She's gone that far, is far and wide. Unfortunately, due to financial pressures, the festival is just on for one day this year instead of two. But we have got a guide to all of the pride events that are going to be happening in Kent this summer at Kent Online. And now with the roundup of everything else going on in the county over the weekend, here's Sam Laurie. June is here, and that means several things. The evenings are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, the euros are just about to start, and of course, Pride Month has finally arrived. And speaking of festivals, there's a huge foodie festival coming to Rochester Castle this Saturday and Sunday. The Medway Food and Drink Festival made its successful debut last year, and it's back with even more street food, local projects and craft beer and cocktail bars. Not to mention the live cooking demonstrations, talks from culinary experts, music on the outdoor stage and lots of children's entertainment. And if you fancy turning back the clock this weekend, the Faverschim in the 40s festival is taking visitors back in time. To commemorate 80 years since the D-Day landings, this new event is full of retro activities, including vintage vehicle displays, bomb disposal workshops, 1940s re-enactments, and swing music in the marketplace. But if swing music isn't your thing, how about a huge outdoor rock concert from one of Britain's biggest bands? Dreamland series of summer concerts kicks off tonight with a headline performance from chart-topping band Elbow, followed by a DJ set from Drum and Bass group Rudimental Tomorrow Night, they'll both be on the open air scenic stage at the Margate Fairground. If you're planning on heading down to the seaside venue this weekend, or any of this year's summer concerts, we've got a full list of dates on our website, as well as a guide to everything you need to know about the venue, from Waiter Park to nearby pubs to visit before the show. And finally, there's still time to catch a fantastic musical this weekend. Family musical Madagascar, based on the animated Dreamworks film, is still at the Orchard West Theatre in Dartford until Sunday night, while feel-good show everybody's talking about Jamie is at the Malay Theatre in Canterbury until Saturday night. The smash hit show, which currently stars former Strictly dancer Kevin Clifton, will then wrap up and make way for next week's production, a reimagining of '90s sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey with the original cast reuniting on stage, and there are still some tickets left. Well, that sounds like a pretty busy weekend to me, so whether you're flying the rainbow flag at Canterbury Pride or dancing the night-to-eight Dreamland, I hope you have a truly fabulous weekend. Ken's online, sports! A bit, and the Ken captain says the team has a lot to offer, heading into their next T20 match against Somerset tonight. They've recorded a win and a defeat so far in the competition, and this will be their first match of the campaign at Canterbury. Sam Billings says he's keen to impress the home supporters. Oh, support has always been fantastic. It always is, home in a way. So, to get back on the lights against the Champions, the holders will be a tough game, but what a great way to start our campaign at home. So, we always play well at home, we're a tough side to be. And as we show today, we've taken one of the better sides in probably the T20 history in this country. There always a strong side down here. We've taken them right down to the wire, and we arguably should have won that game. So, like I said, we're in a really good space, and hopefully we can get start our campaign off at home. They're strong side, they battle the way down, they're nicely balanced. So, yeah, I think also teams are looking at our side as well. We're going, yeah, they've got a strong side and they battle the way down. They've got plenty of bowling options as well. So, yeah, I think it'll be a really cracking game and what a great first fixture for the game faithful. Player gets underway tonight at 6.30. We'll have details of the result. Bulletins over on Sister Radio Station KM FM tomorrow morning and then Kent play Middlesex at home on Sunday. That's all from us for today. Thanks ever so much for listening. Don't forget, you can follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads. You can also get details on the top stories. Direct your email each morning via the briefing. To sign up to that, you just need to head to KentOnline.co.uk and whilst you're on the site today, don't forget to check out the latest review from our secret drinker. Hope you have a fantastic weekend. We'll be back with the podcast on Monday. News you can trust. This is the KentOnline podcast. [BLANK_AUDIO]
