insideKENT Magazine Issue 84 - March 2019 | Page 143

NEWS
PALACE VISIT FOR MEDWAY GP
A Medway GP recognised by the
Queen has visited a royal residence
to receive her honour in person.
Dr Farnaaz Sharief, Clinical Lead
for Mental Health at Medway
Clinical Commissioning Group
(CCG), was invited to Buckingham
Palace to receive her Member of the
Most Excellent Order of the British
Empire (MBE) from the Duke of
Cambridge. She had been appointed
an MBE in the 2018 birthday
honours list.
The Queen’s birthday honours
recognise people who have
committed themselves to serving and
helping Britain, having made life
better for other people.
An Elected Clinical Member with
the Medway CCG Governing Body
and a Medway GP, Dr Sharief also
works tirelessly as a volunteer to
provide mental health support and
advice through the Manage Your
Mind programme, which she
established in 2012.
130 KENT ATTRACTIONS SIGN UP FOR
KENT BIG WEEKEND
The 13th Kent Big
Weekend will take place
on 6th & 7th April
2019, when 130 Kent
attractions will open their
doors for free to
thousands of lucky Kent
residents. This celebration
of tourism, run by Visit
Kent, is aimed entirely at
Kent residents, inviting
them to celebrate the best
attractions and activities
that Kent has to offer.
For one weekend during England’s Tourism Week 2019, Kent residents will have the
chance to enjoy a day out in the county, discovering and rediscovering the amazing
things to see and do in their home county. Families across Kent can enter for the chance
to win tickets to a host of top attractions and fun-filled activities across the county until
17th March when the ballot closes.
Some of the county’s biggest attractions have signed up to this year’s event giving
residents plenty to choose from – with a select number of pairs of tickets or family tickets
available for each attraction. Experiences on offer this year include close-up animal
encounters, brewery and vineyard tours and tastings, rounds of golf, family activities,
stunning stately homes, relaxing afternoon teas, river tours, castles, fascinating museums
and shopping experiences. Attractions confirmed to take part in the Kent Big Weekend
for 2019 include Leeds Castle, Dover Castle, Hever Castle and Gardens, Wildwood
Trust, Betteshanger Country Park, Ightham Mote, Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch
Railway, Kent Life, Jetstream Tours, The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Diggerland,
Eagle Heights and many, many more.
To register and to see the full list of attractions taking part, visit
www.kentbigweekend.co.uk
She said: “The investiture was mind-
blowing – my family, friends and I
were amazed at how personalised
our welcome was, and how incredible
it was to be with such remarkable
people being honoured for their
achievements. Meeting the Duke of
Cambridge was a wonderful
experience – I hope to use this
honour wisely and reach out to more
and more people, empowering them
to improve their emotional and
mental wellbeing.”
Dr Peter Green, Clinical Chair at
Medway CCG, the organisation
responsible for planning and buying
local NHS services, said: “All of us
at Medway CCG offer our
congratulations to Dr Sharief once
again. Her work to support the
mental health of our community is
outstanding and it is only right that
she receives this recognition.”
CABINET AGREES TO
SOLAR FARM PROPOSAL
AS ASHFORD LEADS THE WAY
IN KENT
Ashford Borough
Council’s Cabinet
has agreed to a
proposal for a solar
farm project in
Shadoxhurst. The
50-acre site
(equivalent to 20
football pitches)
was purchased by
the council in 2017 and is currently used for grazing with little
scope for alternative agricultural use.
It is believed that Ashford would be the first local authority in Kent
to build and run its own solar farm, joining around 20 other
pioneering councils across the UK in investing in such an eco-
friendly initiative.
Following the procurement of advice from the Association for
Public Service Excellence (APSE), the proposal is for a system
9MWp (9 megawatts or 9000KWp) in size and would directly feed
the National Grid. Cabinet has agreed that, subject to planning
approval and public consultation, a solar farm is the optimal use
for the site and would provide a significant income stream while
having a low environmental impact.
The installation would consist of rows of frames each holding
several panels in order to have minimal impact on the ecology of
the field and to enable grazing to continue. It is estimated that the
project could generate £7m over a 25 year period, which supports
the council’s entrepreneurial ethos, securing future council services
in a challenging economic climate.
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