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00:27 - Hello, and welcome to Cancer Night live on KNTV.
00:31 I'm Sophia Akin, and here are your top stories
00:34 on Tuesday the 7th of May.
00:36 Improving outcomes, charity raising funds for equipment
00:40 as Medway Neonatal Ward celebrates 25th anniversary.
00:44 - No one ever knows that they're gonna need this service
00:46 until they're in that situation.
00:48 - Marking a fresh start,
00:50 Gillingham unveils former Cambridge United boss,
00:53 Mark Bonner, as their new manager.
00:56 - I mean, appointing him now, it gives Mark Bonner
00:58 the summer to get to grips with the team,
01:02 bring in his own backroom staff as well,
01:04 and really mold the club into what he wants it to be
01:08 going into the next season.
01:10 - And we travel to Ghana to speak to those in science,
01:13 creating opportunities for diverse talent
01:16 in the latest Kent Discovers.
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01:24 Five years since it opened,
01:32 a neonatal intensive care ward
01:34 says it's improved patient outcomes for families
01:36 and premature newborns in Medway.
01:39 The Oliver Fisher Neonatal Ward
01:40 at the Medway Maritime Hospital first opened in 1999
01:44 after the All Saints Hospital was decommissioned.
01:47 Returning more than two decades later,
01:49 the first family to use the ward
01:51 say that it's vital that the ward
01:53 has the best equipment possible to detect complications,
01:56 Oliver leader De Sacks reports.
01:58 - For nearly 25 years, the Oliver Fisher Neonatal Ward
02:02 and Medway Maritime Hospital has held babies in need
02:06 after Medway's first intensive ward
02:08 was decommissioned in 1999.
02:11 - Many babies on this ward are born prematurely.
02:14 That means they can be less than a pound in size,
02:17 some born just 23 weeks into gestation,
02:20 half the term of a usual pregnancy,
02:23 and those babies will end up in an incubator like this one
02:27 where they'll be nourished and looked after
02:29 until they're ready to be taken home by their parents.
02:32 - Alice was the first baby to be treated on the ward.
02:36 Alongside the Oliver Fisher Trust,
02:38 Alice and her father, Jeff,
02:39 are now trying to ensure the ward
02:41 has the best equipment it can
02:44 so complications from being born prematurely
02:46 can be detected as early as possible.
02:50 - No one ever knows that they're gonna need this service
02:52 until they're in that situation.
02:54 And seeing all the technological advances
02:57 that have come on over the last 25 years
02:59 is just astonishing really, isn't it?
03:01 - Absolutely, yeah.
03:02 - And that's why donations
03:03 and people interacting with charity
03:05 really are vital for us to keep doing what we're doing.
03:09 - Every time we have a board meeting,
03:11 we discuss new technology, new equipment
03:15 that comes fresh to the market,
03:17 where we can play an active part
03:19 in purchasing for the Trust and for the unit.
03:22 And I think that's really, really important
03:25 that sets this unit,
03:27 the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Unit,
03:29 apart from maybe other charities
03:33 for other special care baby units
03:34 who aren't in the position to be able to do that.
03:36 And we've always said that,
03:37 I suppose the mantra that we've always had is
03:40 to make sure that we can provide
03:43 the best care that we possibly can.
03:45 - One in seven births require a neonatal intensive care unit,
03:49 with the Oliver Fisher Ward seeing 1,200 babies
03:53 passing through its door every year.
03:55 Those who work here say it has been crucial
03:58 for improving patient outcomes.
04:00 - Managing these babies and families closer to home
04:03 is one of the ethos in neonatal intensive care.
04:06 So we should be keeping our babies and mums
04:10 and the families closer to homes.
04:12 So if there wasn't any unit in Medway or in West Kent,
04:16 the babies and family would be transferred
04:19 far away from their home.
04:22 There could be more disruption for the families as well,
04:24 the fathers and remaining family members.
04:27 So it is extremely important that this unit is present
04:31 where it is to look after babies and families
04:34 within Medway and in West Kent area.
04:37 - With celebrations set for its anniversary in July,
04:40 both the Trust and doctors on the ward hope new equipment
04:43 will continue to improve the lives
04:45 of Kent's smallest patients.
04:47 Oliver Leeds, the Sats for KMTV in Medway.
04:50 - Now most of Kent's train stations are shut today
04:53 as train drivers have held another round of strikes.
04:56 Aslef is holding a six-day overtime ban
04:59 which started yesterday.
05:01 It's in a dispute over pay,
05:02 as they say they've not had a pay rise in five years.
05:05 Southeastern's running a limited service
05:08 with around 200 train journeys
05:10 rather than the usual 1800 train journeys.
05:13 Southeastern is one of 16 operating companies to walk out.
05:16 Only four lines have run in the county today.
05:19 They're advising people shouldn't travel
05:21 unless it's absolutely necessary.
05:23 - Also we absolutely see massive frustration from customers.
05:27 These strikes have been going on in one form or another
05:29 for the best part of 18 months.
05:31 What we have to do as the operator really
05:34 is try and make the services simple
05:37 to understand as possible
05:38 and provide as clear communications as we possibly can.
05:41 So people can make that informed choice about their journey.
05:44 Really significant impact on our customers,
05:45 which we're really sorry for.
05:47 But unfortunately, the nature of strikes,
05:49 they are designed to be disruptive
05:50 and they're very disruptive to Southeastern today.
05:53 - Last year, train driver union Aslef
05:55 rejected the pay offer on the table worth 4% annually.
05:59 The rail delivery group said it's written to Aslef
06:02 to try and find areas of common ground for negotiation.
06:05 Now, Mark Bonner has been unveiled
06:07 as the new Gillingham Football Club manager.
06:10 The Gills have been searching for a new manager
06:12 after former boss Stephen Clements
06:14 was sacked a week ago today.
06:15 Club chairman Brad Gallinson was keen to get his new manager
06:19 after interviewing potential candidates last week.
06:22 I was joined on the line earlier by our sport reporter,
06:24 Bartholomew Hall, when the news broke.
06:27 So Bartholomew, we've dragged you in on your day off
06:29 'cause this is some pretty big news for the Gills.
06:31 What can you tell us about their new boss?
06:34 - Well, what we know about Mark Bonner so far
06:36 is that this is gonna be his second managerial job
06:39 since he took over as the boss of Cambridge United
06:42 back in 2020.
06:44 Now, there were some questions
06:45 at the start of Stephen Clements' tenure at Priestfield
06:48 about how experienced he was.
06:50 Of course, it was Clements' first ever managerial role,
06:53 but there's less questions this time about Mark Bonner.
06:56 He's had some great experience and some great success
07:00 when he was in charge at Cambridge.
07:03 He took them up to League One for the first time
07:05 in almost 20 years.
07:07 He had a very famous win over Newcastle
07:10 in the third round of the FA Cup
07:12 where he beat them in their own back garden.
07:14 And interestingly,
07:16 he didn't have a professional playing career.
07:18 He was a manager of Cambridge United's academy team
07:23 before falling into the job and leading them for three years.
07:27 - And how does his appointment fit
07:29 into the club's wider plans?
07:32 - Well, going into the summer window,
07:34 the club is gonna be wanting to make a few changes,
07:36 bring in a few new players.
07:38 And we were hearing from Brad Gallant,
07:40 the chairman just a few days ago,
07:42 one of the reasons why he parted ways with Stephen Clements
07:45 is because he is really wanting to get into a position
07:50 of pushing for promotion.
07:51 He doesn't want to sort of waste time.
07:53 And if he was to go into the new season,
07:55 allowing Stephen Clements to make the changes to the club
07:58 and bring in the players that he wanted
08:00 and it didn't work out,
08:01 well then that would have potentially been
08:03 another transfer window waiting for a new manager
08:06 to come in and make the changes that they wanted.
08:08 So yeah, I mean, appointing him now,
08:10 it gives Mark Bonner the summer
08:13 to get to grips with the team,
08:15 bring in his own backroom staff as well,
08:18 and really mold the club into what he wants it to be
08:22 going into the next season.
08:24 We'll hear from him later this week.
08:26 He's expected to be talking to the press.
08:28 So no doubt we'll be breaking that down
08:30 on the new episode of Invictus Sport this Friday at six.
08:32 - Thanks for joining us, Bartholomew.
08:33 We'll let you get back to your day off now.
08:35 Now a decision to grant planning
08:38 to the last active part of Chatham Docks
08:40 has been called off due to a legal challenge.
08:43 The planning committee was scheduled to vote tomorrow
08:45 on proposals for the Basin 3 business campus.
08:48 It would see the working docks demolished
08:50 and the business hub in its place instead.
08:53 Well, our local democracy reporter, Gabriel Morris,
08:55 joins me now with more.
08:56 This has only just been confirmed, hasn't it, Gabriel?
08:58 So tell us, what's the latest you can bring us on this?
09:01 - Well, Sophia, this is a breaking news story.
09:03 The local democracy reporting service
09:05 has been working this afternoon to gather the facts on this
09:07 and figure out exactly what is happening.
09:10 Now, tomorrow, the planning committee
09:12 was meant to be deciding on it,
09:14 and our understanding that has now been pulled
09:16 completely off the agenda.
09:19 We've had this through from Medway Council.
09:22 They said they've had confirmation
09:24 that a legal challenge has been submitted,
09:26 and the council is now pausing the item
09:29 to take legal advice on the next steps
09:32 before the item returns to the committee at a later date.
09:36 Now, this news comes following a story
09:38 published by Sky News over the weekend.
09:41 The outlet has seen a letter from an exec
09:46 at ArcelorMittal's Construction Solutions
09:48 urging the levelling up secretary
09:49 to put the application on hold.
09:51 Now, they are the world's second largest steel company,
09:55 and they say development proposed for Chatham Docks
09:58 would have seismic adverse consequences for the UK,
10:01 and it's threatening to pull millions in investments.
10:05 We've also spoken to that current branch today,
10:07 the local democracy reporting service,
10:09 and they've said they have now written to the council
10:11 saying they have received legal advice,
10:15 but it would be illegal to approve
10:18 the controversial proposals.
10:20 - Well, what was the development,
10:21 and how controversial was it?
10:23 - Well, it was very controversial, 172 letters of objection.
10:28 Worth noting that Medway Council's planning officers
10:33 were recommending the decision for tomorrow.
10:35 Now, much of this concern was related
10:37 to the scale of job losses,
10:38 some citing more than 800,
10:40 and the cultural significance to the site.
10:43 But Peel, who are the developers,
10:45 they said the development would create
10:46 a sustainable, versatile, and scalable waterfront space
10:49 which actively promotes job creation
10:52 in creative manufacturing and technology,
10:54 life sciences and IT, and digital sectors.
10:57 So a mixed bag there.
11:00 Now, this will go back to a planning committee
11:04 at some point.
11:05 It's been paused, we understand, for them to have time,
11:08 for the planning committee to have time,
11:09 and inspectors to have time to understand
11:11 this legal challenge and what they now need to do
11:13 to move forward.
11:15 Now, we have spoken to the Rochester and Strood MP today,
11:19 Kelly Tolhurst, and she has reacted to this.
11:21 She's been a long-term objector to these plans.
11:24 She says any delay is good
11:25 because it gives the opportunity for the facts
11:27 and evidence to be scrutinised.
11:29 She went on to say this is a project
11:30 which has major consequences,
11:32 not just for the businesses there,
11:33 but now and for the future of Medway.
11:35 - Gabriel, thanks for joining us.
11:36 It's time for us to take a break now.
11:37 Coming up, we'll be joined by plenty more guests,
11:40 including hearing about a new docuseries KMTV is doing.
11:44 I'll see you in a few minutes.
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15:06 - Hello and welcome back to Cancer Night live on KMTV.
15:16 Now two teenagers who stabbed a 17 year old
15:19 in Canterbury in revenge following an apparent row
15:22 over dogs has been sent to prison.
15:25 Wearing masks and carrying a machete and soldier knife,
15:28 19 year old Lewis Whittington of no address
15:30 and 23 year old Kenny Hamsworth
15:33 ambushed their victim in public just before 7pm
15:36 on the 16th of August last year.
15:38 The victim cannot be named for legal reasons
15:41 but he tried to fight off the other two
15:43 with a bag of shopping.
15:44 He'd previously had a run in with the pair
15:46 about dogs supposedly making a mess
15:48 that threatened him with weapons but he managed to escape.
15:51 The pair then ambushed him at a later date
15:54 where they went on to stab him.
15:56 The teenager was airlifted to a London hospital
15:58 receiving surgery for a collapsed lung but did survive.
16:02 Hamsworth from Canterbury was sentenced to 5 1/2 years
16:05 and Whittington for 7 1/2.
16:08 Now don't forget you can keep up to date
16:10 with all your latest stories across Kent
16:12 by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
16:15 There you'll find all our reports including this one
16:18 about businesses struggling in Gravesend
16:20 since the closure of the Tilbury Ferry.
16:22 - Last month the Tilbury Ferry made its last crossing
16:25 between Gravesend and Essex.
16:28 Used by commuters, school children and day trippers alike,
16:31 the ferry ceased running when operator Jetstream Tours
16:34 said it couldn't secure long-term funding
16:37 from Kent County Council.
16:39 The service, which ran from morning to evening
16:41 five days a week, transported 100,000 people a year.
16:45 Without that footfall, businesses near the pier
16:47 fear for their future.
16:49 - It's kind of killing us because we were struggling really
16:53 before anyway, like, you know, as you know,
16:56 climate change, people online shopping and so forth.
16:59 But now without the guys coming over from Essex,
17:04 we've lost so many customers, it's untrue.
17:06 And people, like, obviously the passing traffic
17:09 because they would get off the ferry,
17:11 this is the way they would come into the town,
17:13 up and down this high street,
17:14 and now we're not getting that at all.
17:16 So, yeah, it's really detrimental actually.
17:18 I think myself and quite a few other businesses around here
17:21 are actually thinking whether we can carry on.
17:23 - The Three Doors pub is the oldest in Gravesend
17:26 and sits right next to the entrance to the pier.
17:28 It says foot traffic from the ferry
17:30 made up 10% of its business.
17:32 - I think it's a very sad state of affairs
17:36 because there's so many people who utilise it
17:39 for very different reasons.
17:41 We have children come across here for school.
17:44 We have cycling groups come through here.
17:47 We have people from just across the way, across the water
17:51 who come and do shopping here,
17:53 come and use the pubs, the restaurants.
17:56 All that's now gone.
17:58 - But Gravesend Borough Council say they are working hard
18:01 with Kent County Council and Thurrock Council
18:03 to restore the service.
18:05 - I can't give a dateline as to when it will come back,
18:08 but we are talking to various government agencies,
18:11 Kent County Council, Thurrock and Essex,
18:14 and meetings took place this week on the very subject,
18:17 and we as Graysham have been very central
18:20 to trying to make that all happen.
18:22 We want it back, and we're trying to encourage them
18:25 to find the funding to make it happen.
18:27 - So you are confident then that maybe within the next year or so
18:32 we will see a return of that service?
18:35 - I'd like to see that service return within that timescale.
18:38 We do need to make sure whoever brings the service back
18:41 can get the boats and the training
18:43 and the proper health and safety practices in place.
18:46 If they can achieve that within the timescale, that'd be fabulous.
18:49 The sooner we bring it back, the better.
18:51 - Kent County Council told KMTV
18:53 that it's disappointing that the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry
18:56 has had to halt its service,
18:58 saying it's worked hard to secure an extension to the contract,
19:01 but it has not been possible.
19:03 The council says that following the results
19:05 of its recent public consultation,
19:07 it will continue to work to secure
19:09 a sustainable long-term solution for the ferry.
19:12 While KCC may be looking for another provider
19:15 for the ferry in the coming months,
19:17 it's clear businesses here in the Heritage Quarter
19:20 are going to struggle without that additional footfall.
19:23 Oliver Leeders of Stats reporting for KMTV.
19:26 - Time now to take a look at the weather for the next few days.
19:30 Cloudy this evening, low winds,
19:38 temperatures settling around 10 degrees,
19:40 lows of 9 near Margate.
19:42 Cloud lingering into tomorrow morning
19:44 with some sunshine peaking through,
19:46 temperatures reaching highs of 13 in Dartford, 12 near Dover.
19:49 By the afternoon, temperatures will be getting warmer,
19:52 up to 18 degrees, clear sunshine across most of Kent,
19:55 still a little bit cooler near Folkestone,
19:57 and the rest of the week finally onto the summery side,
19:59 21 degrees with lots of sunshine, cloud and rain on Thursday.
20:02 And finally, we will be airing the next brand-new episode
20:14 of a docuseries Kent Discovers Tonight.
20:16 Today's episode is all about raising the visibility
20:19 of black women in chemistry, science and in science communication,
20:22 and about how research can help to address
20:25 the lived experience of marginalised groups.
20:27 Before we meet some of the crew, let's watch the trailer.
20:30 - Raising the visibility of black women in chemistry,
20:39 in science and in science communication
20:41 still needs to be an awful lot of change in research culture
20:44 to get rid of the discrimination that marginalised groups feel in science.
20:47 - That's one take-home that we've all, you know, learned,
20:50 that, you know, you can do both and there are no limitations.
20:53 - Defined by our gender, it was not our place.
20:56 Never will it be, they said,
20:58 and are still saying, even as the world evolves.
21:01 - You know, you can be a woman in STEM
21:03 and advance into your career and also have a family.
21:06 - I mean, that's primarily the reason
21:08 why I support women in STEM activities.
21:10 (MUSIC)
21:13 - Well, I'm joined by some of the team now to discuss this further.
21:35 Joined by Dr Jennifer Late,
21:37 a reader in creative practices for social justice,
21:39 who is the lead researcher and presenter of the documentary,
21:42 as well as Dr Anna Ampour, the executive director of EF/EMS.
21:46 It's an organisation invested in the success of African women in science
21:50 and Miriam Yaqoub, a producer on the documentary.
21:53 Well, thank you all, to all of you for joining us.
21:56 It must be really nice after all your hard work
21:58 to see this documentary going out.
22:00 So I just wanted to start with you, Jennifer.
22:02 Kind of tell me a bit about this.
22:04 You're the lead researcher and also the presenter.
22:06 Tell us a bit about where this research started
22:08 and I guess how you got it from, I guess, paper to the screens.
22:12 Oh, I think you might be muted.
22:20 If you could unmute.
22:22 The joys of technology.
22:25 - I should try again. - Perfect. There we go.
22:29 - So first in a series of short documentaries that I've got funded,
22:34 and second's on disability in science and disability and inclusion in science.
22:38 And there's three more forthcoming, one on research culture,
22:42 one on gendered expectations and one on being first gen.
22:45 But, yeah, this one is absolutely amazing.
22:47 I'm just so passionate about raising awareness
22:50 of the need to address marginalisation in science
22:52 so that people can choose to do something different and they can change.
22:56 And, Anna, tell us a little bit about why that is so important,
23:00 championing these women in science.
23:02 You're part of the organisation that is really particularly interested in that.
23:06 So why did this organisation, I guess, want a part of this documentary
23:10 and why is that so important?
23:13 Yeah, so it's very important, I think, just because there is a gender disparity,
23:18 but not a lot of people know about it, right?
23:20 So I think the benefits of this documentary is that it sheds light to the issue at hand
23:25 and once you shed light to the issue,
23:27 then there's a better way of tackling the issue, right?
23:30 And so now that we know that there's an issue where there is a huge gender disparity,
23:34 where there's more men than women that are in STEM
23:37 and women are usually discouraged from going into STEM,
23:40 now we can start having the conversation of,
23:42 OK, what can we do about this and start to seek out different solutions.
23:47 And, Marion, what do you think people can do, I guess,
23:50 to support these women getting into STEM?
23:53 Why do you think there is kind of that gap that you're saying there
23:56 and how can we actually support these talented women into STEM subjects?
24:03 Definitely. I mean, the first thing that anyone can do is to be a supporting role model,
24:08 to be a mentor to anyone that they know who's interested in science.
24:13 Send an encouraging word.
24:15 But specifically for African women in science,
24:17 if you're not an African woman in science, you can't maybe be a role model or a mentor,
24:22 but you can definitely champion the women that you do see.
24:25 Look for scientists that don't look like you and champion the work that they're doing.
24:30 If you see someone doing something great, mention it, repost it,
24:34 recognise the work that's being done across the world in the Global South
24:37 and places like Ghana that we had a really great time filming this documentary in.
24:42 Yeah, it looked like you had a great time in Ghana.
24:44 I'll stick with you for now, Marion.
24:46 I wanted to ask you, do you feel that representation is changing over the years
24:51 or do you feel that there is still more that needs to be done
24:53 and more support that other people can give as well?
24:57 I think that there's been progress made, definitely.
25:01 The stats have changed over the years.
25:03 Loads and loads of minority women are going into science and going into higher education.
25:08 They just don't make it very, very far through the pipeline into academia
25:13 and further into their careers, and that's what we want to change.
25:16 We want to take that interest, take that talent and take it all the way through
25:19 and make sure that women, African women, have the chance to really, really excel
25:24 and get to the highest positions if that's what they want.
25:28 I think in terms of what else we can do, I think film is a great way to showcase,
25:36 like Anna was saying, the issues at hand and perhaps some of the solutions.
25:41 Jennifer, you've been researching this for a while.
25:44 What was it like, I guess, seeing your research go onto the big screen
25:47 and see it being made into a documentary?
25:49 How do you think that this might help others to learn about this?
25:53 We don't have long left now to our break, but tell us a bit about that.
25:57 The idea for this documentary and the others is to be a stimulus for discussion,
26:02 so to get people talking and a conversation started,
26:05 and that is the main reason that we've done it.
26:08 It's absolutely fantastic to see that.
26:10 If anyone is interested in hosting a screening and a panel discussion,
26:13 we'll be able to get involved.
26:15 Any of the people that were featured in the documentary,
26:18 then please just get in touch because I'd love to host live discussions as well.
26:22 Great. Thank you so much.
26:23 Sorry I couldn't catch you for another question, Anna.
26:25 We've run out of time, unfortunately, but people can stick around
26:28 and watch that documentary.
26:30 We really appreciate all of your time today,
26:33 and I'm really looking forward to watching the documentary.
26:35 Thank you.
26:38 Well, that's all we've got time for.
26:40 You've been watching Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
26:42 Definitely stick around for Kent Discovers straight after the break,
26:45 and I'll see you tomorrow. Good night.
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