NEWS
FLAGSHIP BALL RAISES £ 50K FOR CHARITY
KENT TO BENEFIT FROM LOTTERY FUNDED PROJECT SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS
Vital information support services, run by charity Action on Hearing Loss, will be expanded across three areas of the UK including the South East of England in a bid to tackle social isolation.
Nearly 300,000 are living with hearing loss in Kent. The vast majority of these are aged over 50, with the condition more likely to occur the older people get. Those who leave the condition unmanaged face barriers to communication, making it more likely that they withdraw from social situations and become isolated.
A charity ball held in the magnificent surroundings of Kensington Palace raised £ 50,000 for Demelza Hospice Care for Children. More than 200 guests enjoyed a champagne reception on the terrace of The Orangery at the Palace, home to many past and present members of the British Royal Family, where they were able to admire the spectacular palace gardens before dining on a sumptuous three-course meal.
Demelza’ s chairman Sarah Phillips welcomed guests to the flower-laden Orangery and gave an update on the work of the hospice, which cares for some 500 children and their families in South East London, East Sussex and Kent.
Sarah Kemsley, Demelza’ s major donor manager, said:“ Our guests really appreciated the surroundings for this year’ s ball. For many, it was the first time they had been to Kensington Palace.”
Among the auction prizes were an overnight stay in the officers’ mess, followed by a day training with the Royal Marines at their Commando Training Centre near Exmouth, and a stunning Stevenson Brothers’ rocking horse signed by Joanna Lumley, along with mementoes from her recent Ab Fab film.
To challenge these issues the charity has received £ 972,681 from the Big Lottery Fund to expand its Hear to Inform and Connect project in three areas across the UK, including the South East of England. This will be delivered by specialist staff and trained volunteers working within local communities in Kent.
The service will provide invaluable face-to-face support to empower and increase the number of older people who take action to manage their hearing loss. Through a mixture of information stands and talks offering advice on all aspects of hearing loss from getting hearing aids to learning how to lip-read, the project will help people be better informed and keep them connected to family, friends and the world around them.
The project is due to launch in November 2016 with funding running for three years. For more information on Hear to Inform and Connect including to register your interest as a volunteer or supporting organisation, contact Crystal Rolfe on crystal. rolfe @ hearingloss. org. uk or 020 7296 8362.
VISIT KENT WELCOMES ITS FIRST CORPORATE INVESTOR
Visit Kent has welcomed the first member of its brand new corporate investor scheme. Leading law firm Brachers has joined the destination management organisation as a corporate investor, as part of a drive to build mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with businesses that have links to or interest in the tourism industry.
Visit Kent currently has more than 150 investors from across the tourism industry and the county’ s local authorities. While the organisation has worked with numerous non-tourism but Kent-based business over the years, this is the first time one has joined as a full investor.
CEO of Visit Kent Sandra Matthews-Marsh MBE said:“ We are delighted to welcome Brachers as the first corporate member of our tourism family. The firm has a long history in Kent working with various visitor attractions, food producers, transport companies and local government, and we know they will offer excellent support to our tourism investors.”
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