Local News

A member of the 2nd Sittingbourne Guides is celebrating after receiving the highest accolade for Guides - the Baden-Powell Challenge Award.

Jade Dowsett, from Sittingbourne, chose to complete a range of exciting activities to achieve the award, including playing life-size Monopoly around Canterbury while away on her adventure weekend and Co-ordinating and presenting a fashion show with her fellow Guides.

Jade told the SFM News Team: "I'm really proud to have completed my Baden-Powell Challenge Award because it has taken more than a 18 months of hard work to get it. As part of the award, I had to work with lots of new Guides which I found very daunting. Our unit was very small but has grown dramatically over the time it has taken me to complete the award. I was pretty nervous, but I took time to get to know each of the younger Guides and gain their respect, this has given me so much confidence and lots of new friends!"

The group's Leader, Lesley Taylor told the SFM News Team: "I'm very proud of Jade for completing her Baden-Powell Award. I was overwhelm with pride as I have never had the honour of presenting a BP award before. She has been truly dedicated to achieving this award, and I'm sure this is something she will look back on with pride for years to come."

Jade, aged 16, received the award during a special presentation event on Friday (23rd October) at Kemsley Community Centre. The Baden-Powell Challenge is the highest award available to Guides - Girlguiding's section for girls aged between 10 and 16. The challenge is divided into five sections, including healthy lifestyles and global awareness. Girls can choose which activities they want to do within each section, from researching the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to giving a presentation on a world issue of their choice. To complete the award, Guides take part in an adventure weekend, during which they face various set challenges, trying new things and pushing themselves outside their comfort zone.

Girlguiding opens up a world of opportunities to girls and young women aged five to 25, offering a hugely varied programme incorporating everything from world issues and science to social action, adventure sports and international travel. The charity builds girls' confidence and raises their aspirations, giving them their own space to have fun and build friendships. For further information about Girlguiding and how to get involved call 0800 169 5901 or visit www.girlguiding.org.uk.

Kent Police are appealing for information to locate a man who went missing from Maidstone Magistrates Court earlier today (Tuesday, 22nd September).

42-year-old Daniel Paul Murray, who has connections to Swale, Ashford and Dartford, absconded from Maidstone Magistrates Court.

Police were contacted at 11.50am after security guards based at the court were unable to locate him.

Officers are continuing their searching for Murray, who also uses the name Daniel McAvoy, and enquiries are on-going. He appeared in connection with a domestic abuse incident and is not believed to pose a risk to the public. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts please call 999 or you can call Crimestoppers, free (from any landline) and anonimously on 0800 555 111.

Plans for the £46m regeneration of Sittingbourne have taken a step forward today with the announcement that building work on the new seven screen cinema should begin in the spring of 2016.

It is hoped that the first films will be screened in the summer of 2017, which would also includes the completion of a 308 space multi-storey car park and new traffic management flows - generating more than 700 jobs in the Sittingbourne area.

Cllr Andrew Bowles, the Leader of Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: "This is an important step in delivering the regeneration of the town centre that we have all been waiting for. The cinema underpins the whole development, so having this agreement is great news and we look forward to announcing the operator and the associated retail and restaurants that will be opening in the town, when the final terms are agreed."

Officers investigating a serious collision on the M20 in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday 18th August) have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Kent Police were called at 2.00am following a collision involving a black Vauxhall Corsa and a lorry, between Junctions 7 and 6 London-bound.

Following the collision, the driver of the car - a 19-year-old man - exited his vehicle and collided with another car, causing him to suffer a serious leg injury. The driver of the lorry - a 44-year-old man from Poland - then suffered a suspected medical episode and died at the scene.

The carriageway was closed during most of this morning's rush hour whilst investigators from the Serious Collision Investigation Team carried out enquiries, but has since re-opened.

The investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Scott Lynch, told SFM News: ‘We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed this incident who has not already spoken to police. We would also particularly like to hear from the driver of the dark-coloured vehicle that collided with the man. Their vehicle is likely to have suffered significant front-end damage. Anyone with information is asked to call the serious collision investigation unit on 01622 798538. quoting reference 18-0075. Alternatively they can email us: sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk."