- The White Rock in Underriver will be putting on a free fireworks display on Friday November 1st from 7.30pm onwards
- Kemsing School - 1st November - Gates 6:30pm - Fireworks 7.30pm
- Hildenborough Scouts - 2nd November - Tickets on the gate: Adult £7/Child £6 Tickets in advance from One Stop and Thomsons Pharmacy: Adult £6/Child £5 Limited number of family tickets (2 adults, 3 children) available in advance only: £20 Gates open 6.30pm. Bonfire lit 7pm. First Firework 8pm
- Otford Scouts - 2nd November - at The Chalk Pit - Tickets: £5 per person, family ticket £16 (2 adults, 2 children) under 5yrs free. Tickets are available from Otford Dry Cleaners, The Crown, Yvonne's (Telston Lane) and on the night at the gate. Refreshments and food (BBQ) will be available.
- 4th Sevenoaks Scouts (Greatness) - 8th November - Website.
- Sevenoaks Preparatory School - 8th November
- Sevenoaks Primary School - 9th November - gates open at 5pm - Fireworks 6.30pm
- 3rd Sevenoaks Scouts (Riverhead & Dunton Green) - 9th November - Gates open 6pm - More info from their website.
- Sevenoaks Round Table - 9th November - Entertainment in High Street from 5pm - Torchlight Procession 7pm - Fireworks 8pm - Details on website.
- Eynsford Fireworks - 9th November - Furlongs farm - 7pm. Tickets £5 on the gate.
Thursday, 31 October 2013
Sevenoaks Fireworks 2013 Roundup
There are a number of fireworks events going on in and around Sevenoaks over the next week or so. The following is a list, in chronological order, of the ones we know about.
Monday, 21 October 2013
New business will take stigma out of counselling
Two Kent women who have joined forces to launch a new counselling practice say they are determined to change attitudes towards mental health and seeking help.
Dominique Wynn, from Hildenborough, and Catherine Palmer, from Sevenoaks, have founded 7oaks Counselling which offers support for a range of life challenges.
The pair feels passionate about providing support in the community and further afield to people seeking counselling to help them cope with experiences such as: death or loss; relationship problems; depression; phobias; anxiety; eating disorders; suicidal thoughts and self-harm.
There is also a preventative arm to the business as 7oaks Counselling also provides support for people wishing to maintain healthy emotional and psychological balance. This is aimed at people who don't necessarily have a 'diagnosed' mental health issue but who need guidance through trying times, challenges or projects that would benefit from having a mentor on board. Dominique and Catherine's aim is to take the stigma out of the dated notion that counselling is solely for individuals seeking help for mental health difficulties.
Both Dominique and Catherine decided to embark on counselling careers after personal experiences which included one of them experiencing the loss of a close family member.
Dominique, who completed her placement at Sevenoaks Area MIND and currently works in a children's centre in Tunbridge Wells, explained: "Unlike in the United States, many people simply don't seek help when they need it. Mental health problems are so deeply misunderstood and people are afraid to admit they are suffering. They suffer in silence and the consequences of that can be tragic.
"So many people are under pressure these days, whether it's at work or at home. The extended family of old has all but disappeared and people just don't have an easily accessible outlet to talk through difficulties which they are experiencing. It is an unrealistic notion for modern society to hold an expectation that everyone is able to cope alone. Asking for support is a strength and not a weakness."
As well as having their private practice in Sevenoaks, Catherine counsels parents and users of a children's centre in Tunbridge Wells. She has also provided bereavement counselling at The Hospice in the Weald, Pembury, and worked at Knole Academy, in Sevenoaks, where she counselled students.
Catherine says "The support we offer can be short term and involve just a few sessions, or longer term. We basically provide non-judgemental and emotional support - the type that can't readily be given by a family member or friend. We offer integrative counselling - a personal approach to counselling which involves blending more than one theoretical model to suit the needs of every individual."
Dominique and Catherine met while studying at K College in Tonbridge in September 2008. They went on to achieve their Diploma in Counselling at the Wealden Psychological Institute in Crowborough.
Dominique Wynn (DipCouns, MBACP) and Catherine Palmer (DipCouns, MBACP) are both qualified Humanistic Integrative Counselling Practitioners, graduating from Wealden Psychological Institute, Crowborough. They are registered members of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), the professional body which provides a framework promoting safe and ethical counselling practice.
As integrative counsellors, Dominique and Catherine integrate the theoretical models of Transactional Analysis, Gestalt therapy and Person-Centred therapy. To complement and support these three core models, they have been trained to use a number of additional supporting theories. These include: Egan's Skilled Helper model, Attachment theory, Erikson's Eight Stages of Development and Petruska Clarkson's Therapeutic Relationship.
Their aim is to open a London office in the near future. There is a 7oaks Counselling Facebook page and Twitter feed to provide further information, links & support in the area. For more information, please go to www.7oakscounselling.co.uk.
Press enquiries please contact Suzi Christie on 01435 830031 or e-mail suzi@blueberry-pr.co.uk There is also a photo available of Dominique and Catherine.
Below is a case study that helps to illustrate the type of work carried out by 7oaks Counselling.
Case Study
Fiona came to 7oaks Counselling because she was feeling desperate. She was finding it increasingly difficult trying to cope with her feeling of depression. She had suffered a serious illness 18 months before which meant that she could no longer work. She found that she was drinking more and more and she now realised that she had become dependent on alcohol. For Fiona, life had lost its meaning and she no longer felt motivated to get out of bed in the morning. She resented people and was slowly alienating her entire family. She had thoughts of ending her own life.
My role was to provide Fiona with a safe space where she could freely express what was going on for her without feeling judged or misunderstood. I did not tell her what to do. What I did do was to offer her structure and support. We were able to build a solid working relationship and Fiona felt more able to open up to me. In time, at a pace which suited her, Fiona came to speak about a loss which she had experienced in childhood. The more recent loss of her job seemed to be the catalyst for her depression. She felt that she no longer had an identity. She became aware that she had kept her feelings of grief locked away for many, many years. The process of revisiting her pain took courage and I was able to offer Fiona the support she needed to work through the feelings which she had been suppressing for so long.
Dominique Wynn, from Hildenborough, and Catherine Palmer, from Sevenoaks, have founded 7oaks Counselling which offers support for a range of life challenges.
The pair feels passionate about providing support in the community and further afield to people seeking counselling to help them cope with experiences such as: death or loss; relationship problems; depression; phobias; anxiety; eating disorders; suicidal thoughts and self-harm.
There is also a preventative arm to the business as 7oaks Counselling also provides support for people wishing to maintain healthy emotional and psychological balance. This is aimed at people who don't necessarily have a 'diagnosed' mental health issue but who need guidance through trying times, challenges or projects that would benefit from having a mentor on board. Dominique and Catherine's aim is to take the stigma out of the dated notion that counselling is solely for individuals seeking help for mental health difficulties.
Both Dominique and Catherine decided to embark on counselling careers after personal experiences which included one of them experiencing the loss of a close family member.
Dominique, who completed her placement at Sevenoaks Area MIND and currently works in a children's centre in Tunbridge Wells, explained: "Unlike in the United States, many people simply don't seek help when they need it. Mental health problems are so deeply misunderstood and people are afraid to admit they are suffering. They suffer in silence and the consequences of that can be tragic.
"So many people are under pressure these days, whether it's at work or at home. The extended family of old has all but disappeared and people just don't have an easily accessible outlet to talk through difficulties which they are experiencing. It is an unrealistic notion for modern society to hold an expectation that everyone is able to cope alone. Asking for support is a strength and not a weakness."
As well as having their private practice in Sevenoaks, Catherine counsels parents and users of a children's centre in Tunbridge Wells. She has also provided bereavement counselling at The Hospice in the Weald, Pembury, and worked at Knole Academy, in Sevenoaks, where she counselled students.
Catherine says "The support we offer can be short term and involve just a few sessions, or longer term. We basically provide non-judgemental and emotional support - the type that can't readily be given by a family member or friend. We offer integrative counselling - a personal approach to counselling which involves blending more than one theoretical model to suit the needs of every individual."
Dominique and Catherine met while studying at K College in Tonbridge in September 2008. They went on to achieve their Diploma in Counselling at the Wealden Psychological Institute in Crowborough.
Dominique Wynn (DipCouns, MBACP) and Catherine Palmer (DipCouns, MBACP) are both qualified Humanistic Integrative Counselling Practitioners, graduating from Wealden Psychological Institute, Crowborough. They are registered members of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), the professional body which provides a framework promoting safe and ethical counselling practice.
As integrative counsellors, Dominique and Catherine integrate the theoretical models of Transactional Analysis, Gestalt therapy and Person-Centred therapy. To complement and support these three core models, they have been trained to use a number of additional supporting theories. These include: Egan's Skilled Helper model, Attachment theory, Erikson's Eight Stages of Development and Petruska Clarkson's Therapeutic Relationship.
Their aim is to open a London office in the near future. There is a 7oaks Counselling Facebook page and Twitter feed to provide further information, links & support in the area. For more information, please go to www.7oakscounselling.co.uk.
ENDS
Press enquiries please contact Suzi Christie on 01435 830031 or e-mail suzi@blueberry-pr.co.uk There is also a photo available of Dominique and Catherine.
Below is a case study that helps to illustrate the type of work carried out by 7oaks Counselling.
Case Study
Fiona came to 7oaks Counselling because she was feeling desperate. She was finding it increasingly difficult trying to cope with her feeling of depression. She had suffered a serious illness 18 months before which meant that she could no longer work. She found that she was drinking more and more and she now realised that she had become dependent on alcohol. For Fiona, life had lost its meaning and she no longer felt motivated to get out of bed in the morning. She resented people and was slowly alienating her entire family. She had thoughts of ending her own life.
My role was to provide Fiona with a safe space where she could freely express what was going on for her without feeling judged or misunderstood. I did not tell her what to do. What I did do was to offer her structure and support. We were able to build a solid working relationship and Fiona felt more able to open up to me. In time, at a pace which suited her, Fiona came to speak about a loss which she had experienced in childhood. The more recent loss of her job seemed to be the catalyst for her depression. She felt that she no longer had an identity. She became aware that she had kept her feelings of grief locked away for many, many years. The process of revisiting her pain took courage and I was able to offer Fiona the support she needed to work through the feelings which she had been suppressing for so long.
Thursday, 10 October 2013
St Clere Estate - Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour
We have alot of neighbours. We have residents of Kemsing, Heverham, Seal, Wrotham, Ightham, Otford, West Kingsdown, Ash and Stansted neighbouring our land. When we took over running the estate we wrote a plan for the estate, and one of our three key values is to steward the estate for the benefit of our family, staff and tenants, and for the benefit of our neighbours. I love living in this little corner of England where there is so little change to the landscape, and I imagine our neighbours do too. We love our neighbours, and hope they love us too.
But to keep the house standing, the farm running, the hedgerows trimmed, the cottages habitable, the footpaths walkable and the woodlands managed takes time and money. I have had to accept that sometimes we have to make compromises and to seize opportunities to bring in money even when ideally I would like to keep this place frozen in time. Not moving forward is not an option, estates all over England have been sold off in pieces because they didn't move with the times.
Since we've moved in here we have been overwhelmingly supported by our neighbours. We've unwittingly annoyed other neighbours. I hate upsetting people, and in this role, that's a real problem. I am slowly learning to develop a thicker skin. There was the neighbour who wrote to us once we'd lived here for two months letting me know how arrogant he found the fact that we hadn't introduced ourselves to him. There are the neighbours who find it intolerable that we won't allow dogs to be walked off footpaths however many times we explain there are often guns fired to control vermin in those areas and we are worried they might get shot! People don't like the fact that at harvest time our grain is picked up by huge lorries sent by the people we've sold the grain to, and those lorries cause inconvenience and difficulty moving through Wrotham. Others hate it when we occasionally have to burn linseed straw after harvest. I would argue that such inconvenience is part of living in the middle of farmland, and that it is only by economies of scale that the land can continue being farmed. If farmland doesn't make money, it will inevitably end up being sold for other use.
I am told I can't please all the people all the time, but I find that nearly unbearable! I just hope that most of the people notice that we are doing our best as stewards of the countryside.
The decisions we're taking at the moment are likely to impact on our neighbours. Our monstrous farm site, with the two huge blue silos which can be seen from all over the valley (the towers of San Gimignano this is NOT!) is in desperate need of demolishment. But it's going to cost a fortune to take down the towers so we need to try to pay for that somehow. We are about to put in planning applications for the site. I will be very interested to see how the development proposals are viewed by our neighbours. My hope is that they will agree with me that, although the site is within an AONB, it is currently an Site of Outstanding Unnatural Ugliness and that on this occasion, staying still is a worse option than making change.
Website: www.stclere.co.uk
Twitter: @stclere
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Clere-Estate/247657508609800
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Sevenoaks Business Show - Friday 11th October
Opening the show at 10am is the RT Hon Michael Fallon MP, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Energy, and patron of the Sevenoaks Town Partnership. As a keen supporter of local business and the Sevenoaks community, Michael takes a personal interest in this event and his opening address is sure to be relevant and interesting. Kent County, Sevenoaks Town and Sevenoaks District Councils will have a presence emphasising the theme of local business collaboration and 'community'. Kent Invicta Chamber and Sevenoaks Chambers of Commerce, with the support of West Kent Partnership, and the Centre for Micro Business will offer free advice and guidance.
Delicious breakfast muffins from XyloBrit, sizeable canapés from Cote Brasserie Sevenoaks and speciality teas from Blends for Friends will satisfy hungry souls searching for added value throughout the day. Discounts and show only offers will be plentiful making this event a bounteous outing.
Tickets please! We have a big red bus for our social media workshop which will travel around town. The Number 7 will be home to ZC Social Media for the day.
On legal issues the event has Brachers LLP as main sponsor. Together with two other legal firms - Devonshires and Warners Solicitors - delegates can have a field day getting to grips with legislation affecting their businesses.
Other sponsors include CCLA a specialist investment management company for charities, faith organisations and local authorities, Sevenoaks Town Council, Sevenoaks District Council, Sevenoaks Chamber of Commerce and Stag Community Arts Centre.
Cooper Sevenoaks MINI will be showing some perfect companions to the business motorist, both trade and executive. If it's human resources you need, Office Angels will be on hand to solve temporary and permanent recruitment solutions.
New and new-to-Sevenoaks companies have chosen the business show to introduce themselves.
Telecoms provider, Connect it Communications from Chatham bring creative solutions to give businesses the edge over their competitors. They provide mobile phones, tracking, Sat Broadband, business broadband, phone systems, lines and call rental, VoIP and hosted phone systems.
In the wonderful world of the web, Andy Olsen from Zine UK in Gillingham is a wizard of SEO, website design and affordable solutions for small businesses. His free website evaluation tool is a practical way to test how effective your current site is performing before making a decision about improvements.
If you are managing a fleet of vehicles, Webworks Multimedia in Shoreham will be showcasing their 'Smartt' apps with intrinsic websites. The recently launched 'Smartt-Vehicles' app is the most comprehensive vehicle management app available. More product launches are on their way.
In the world of finance, Handelsbanken offer a bespoke banking service. The decision making is in the branch, so a swift response is assured.
Also offering financial advice is Sevenoaks based Mike Fisher at Evolve Financial Management Ltd who has 30 years experience advising clients on a wide portfolio of financial issues, educating clients for their future.
The Federation of Small Businesses protects the interest of the self-employed and those who own or run a small business. They will be highlighting their package of legal, tax and other benefits offering real and tangible commercial advantage for the business owner.
Pro-Actions business improvement specialists take business coaching to a new level. Hugh Fenton's workshops are the perfect tonic for new and old hands wishing to focus on business and marketing plans, time management, finance and other key skills. Where would businesses be without the networking breakfast? Alternative Breakfast Club members will represent the collaborative aims of the group and encourage visitors to join them at the Mercure Hotel, Pembury every three weeks with no joining fees or membership charges.
Francis Chappell & Sons, will also be exhibiting, showing the friendly and professional face of funeral directing. Established in 1840, the firm continues to serve generations of families in the south east.
At the Sevenoaks Business Show the atmosphere and sense of supportive collaboration will put the buzz back into your business. Speaking about the event, Stephen Arnold, Chairman of Sevenoaks Town Partnership says:
"We are delighted with the support from our sponsors and suppliers and urge sole traders, business owners, managers and start ups to pop along to see what is on offer.
Companies, recognising the benefits of collaborating to increase their target markets, are choosing to introduce themselves to the wider business community in Sevenoaks.
With free entry, free workshops, free seminars and free refreshments - there's nothing to lose."
Website: www.7oaksbiz.com
Twitter: @7oaksbiz
More information from the organiser: gabrielle@gmppr.com
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