Tim Prater | Councillor for Sandgate & West Folkestone, Sandgate Village, Harvey West & Hythe East

Folkestone and Hythe District Council Ward Grant Application Forms 2020-21

Article: Aug 9, 2020

Folkestone and Hythe District Councillors have up to £3,000 per Councillor they can agree as ward grants during the course of a year.

New for 2020 the forms and guidance notes to make an application to a Councillor are online at:

https://www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/community/community-funding/ward-budget

Tim Prater with a Seagull Proof Waste Sack

Seagull Proof Sacks for Refuse Collections: Now Available in Sandgate

Article: Jul 17, 2020

Seagull proof sacks are now available to households in Sandgate (mainly the High Street / Esplanade areas and roads off) who have "purple bag" refuse collections. Stop the purple bags being pecked apart and waste pulled everywhere by putting your bags in the sack on collection days.

Full details of how qualifiying households can apply for their (one!) free sack are at https://sandgatepc.org.uk/2020/07/17/seagull-proof-sacks-for-refuse-collections-now-available-in-sandgate/

Something is Wrong on the Internet cartoon (From xkcd: https://xkcd.com/386/)

Fixing The Internet: Lower Leas Coastal Park {Updated 24/7/2020]

Article: Jul 16, 2020

In early June, after massive issues at the Lower Leas Coastal Park coming back out of lockdown (as in previous summers) and after ongoing and lobbying from me and others, a number of changes were made to the Lower Leas Coastal Park terms of use, including the Banning of BBQs, new bins, diversionary signage and overnight closure of one of the car parks to reduce the impact on local residents.

Kent Downs fields / flowers (Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent. / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/))

Kent Downs AONB Draft Management Plan Consultation

Article: Jul 16, 2020

The Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a nationally protected landscape and home to some of the most enchanting countryside in Britain. The Kent Downs covers about a quarter of the County of Kent focusing on the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge, stretching from the White Cliffs of Dover to the Surrey and London borders. Within Folkestone and Hythe District the AONB is predominantly found to the north of the district.

The Folkestone Haven

Article: Jul 10, 2020

The Folkestone Haven offers safe, inclusive and welcoming spaces for people who are struggling to cope with their mental health during the evening, weekends and bank holidays when other services may be closed.

The Folkestone Haven is for adult residents (18+) of the Folkestone and Hythe District who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and feel unable to cope. This includes people who may be anxious or worried about anything affecting their mental health but don't have support networks available to them. It is for people who use or have used mental health services and those who have never used them before.

It is open access and no appointment is necessary, and the service is completely free.

The Folkestone Haven is based at the Rainbow Centre, 69 Sandgate Road, Folkestone CT20 2AF (Folkestone.Haven@hestia.org 07827 533871). They are open Monday-Friday from 18:00 to 23:00 and Weekends & Bank Holidays from 12:00 to 23:00.

The Folkestone Haven's aim is to support people using the service to reduce their crisis and anxiety, and to safety plan, drawing on strengths, resilience and coping mechanisms to reduce the need to use crisis services in the future. We will also refer and signpost to other support services.

You can learn more at https://www.hestia.org/folkestone-and-hythe-district

Tim says:

"When I first heard of the haven I thought it was a really important scheme and wanted to help. I was really pleased I was able to support the Haven with a small grant from my ward grant budget in January this year.

"Although the Haven is in central Folkestone, it's there to support anyone, from across the district, who need their help. We don't talk about mental health issues enough, and those with issues often don't get the support they deserve. I'm delighted that in Folkestone and Hythe, the Folkestone Haven can offer people that place to start to talk."