Aylesham Workshop Trust is a trading name of the Aylesham & District Community Workshop Trust. It is a social enterprise based on a not-for-profit company aimed at supporting economic regeneration in the former mining villages of Aylesham, Elvington, Betteshangar, Chislet, Mill Hill on the edge of Deal, Tilmanstone and Hearsden.
Aylesham Welfare Leisure CentreWe have free food outside of Aylsham Welfare Lesiure Centre now for collection only. Please bring your own bags.
Please make sure you are keeping to social distancing rules. Thank you
We asked DDC Councillor Linda Keen to find out why our residents will have to go to Dover to be Vaccinated and why it appears no elderly residents had been contacted yet.
Linda has asked us to publish her letter to the MP
Dear Natalie
I have received several emails and calls today from local Aylesham residents who are very concerned about the way the vaccination rollout is being organised in Aylesham, for two reasons.
First, the local Aylesham Health Centre has been allocated for vaccinating health workers which is obviously essential to keep our NHS going. But this is causing havoc in the village with the attendees parking all over the place and causing severe and dangerous congestion for local traffic and pedestrians. The vaccination organisers need to draw up and issue a safe parking plan for all those attending, as a matter of urgency.
Second, local residents are concerned about getting their own jabs, as the Local Health Centre is not being used for this purpose. Apparently, Aylesham residents will have to go down to the Maison Dieu Health Centre in Dover - which raises questions about access for those many local residents who do not have cars. There is no bus directly to Dover from Aylesham (the train is not accessible for people with disabilities), and the vaccination organisers need to provide some sort of transport to ensure that everyone can get there. In addition, I am told that no-one in Aylesham currently appears to be receiving any vaccination jabs at all. While appreciating the need to vaccinate our valuable health workers at the Aylesham Surgery, residents are increasingly worried that they are being left behind, and want to know when the village vaccination programme is going to begin.
Dover District Council has little or no influence over the local NHS vaccination provision, and I have no idea whom I should contact about this in the local NHS. Please, as a matter of urgency, could you ask the appropriate local NHS vaccination organisers to take immediate action to resolve these serious concerns, and communicate clearly with the local community to ensure that residents know what is going on.
Many thanks – and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best
Linda
Cllr Linda Keen
Merry Christmas from all the Trustees and Staff at Aylesham Community Project stay safe.
