insideKENT Magazine Issue 71 - February 2018 | Page 127

NEWS
NEW £2.7MILLION SERVICE STATION OPENS IN ASHFORD
The Willesborough Service Station is the
latest site in the UK to offer charging facilities
for electric vehicles. Businessman,
Kanagaratnam Rajamenon took over the old
petrol station and garage in Hythe Road last
August and has invested in new petrol tanks,
an extended canopy and extra pumps.
A 2,100sqft Budgens supermarket has also
been added.
The development breathes new life into a
derelict site which has stood empty for some
time. The investment has created 20 jobs –
all given to local people living within walking
distance – and the supermarket has been
welcomed as a real boost to the community.
Both the service station and the Budgens store
are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
HOSPICES OF HOPE FOUNDER STEPS DOWN
AFTER 26 YEARS
Graham Perolls, executive
director of Kent-based charity,
Hospices of Hope, is stepping
down from that role 26 years after
founding the charity.
Graham set up Hospices of Hope
following a visit to a Romanian
hospital just after the revolution
in 1989. He had already set up the
ellenor Hospice in Dartford in
memory of his parents and used
his experience to introduce
hospice care into Romania,
setting up the first Romanian
hospice charity called Hospice
Casa Sperantei – Home of Hope
– in 1992.
From very small beginnings
Hospice Casa Sperantei is now the leading provider of free of charge
hospice care in Romania and Graham’s work has transformed end
of life care in that country. His work has been recognised by the
Queen who, on the recommendation of the then British Ambassador
to Romania, made him a Companion of the Order of St Michael and
St George for 22 years of extraordinary service in a foreign country.
He has also been awarded an OBE.
and feature 12 fuel pumps, three electric
charging points, free ATM, hot food-to-go,
Costa Coffee and a wide range of fresh foods.
“Our decision to invest in Ashford shows our
confidence in the area, which is currently
undergoing a huge transformation with a
series of major new developments
transforming the skyline of the town,” said Mr.
Rajamenon.
KENT OFFERS THE COSIEST PUBS
ACCORDING TO NEW APP!
The Campaign for Real
Ale (CAMRA) have
launched an innovative
new app that puts good
pubs and great pints at
people’s fingertips. The
Good Beer Guide app
collates data from over
40,000 pubs so