 Fourteen more businesses joined a scheme this month to combat crime across Swale.
The Business Crime Reduction Partnership Awareness Week highlighted the benefits of Swale Link, a radio communication system connecting businesses directly to the council's 24/7 CCTV centre and Kent Police. This enables rapid incident reporting and coordinated responses.
The Swale Link network now includes 93 businesses, from charities to supermarkets and the effectiveness of this system has been shown in several recent incidents.
When Kent Police broadcasted information about a wanted individual, our CCTV operators relayed the alert through Swale Link. Subsequently, a high street business in Sheerness reported a sighting, leading to the individual's apprehension and recall to prison.
Similarly, prompt reporting through Swale Link enabled the swift arrest of an individual involved in a theft of joints of meat from a supermarket.
Swale's control centre is expanding its CCTV monitoring capabilities to enhance crime tracking and support businesses across Kent. They offer various services, including public space and commercial CCTV monitoring.
Thinking of holding a lambing event this Spring?
Last spring more than 100 people suffered from sickness and diarrhoea after handling lambs at just one farm in the Kent area. This was caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium.
To help prevent incidents like this, certain events need an animal exhibition licence to make sure they are being run safely and effectively. This includes when animals are exhibited to the public (including petting farms and lambing events) and where a fee is paid.
You can find out more about the licence needed on the Swale Borough Council website.
If you are thinking of holding a lambing event this year, Access to Farms have put together a helpful code of practice which sets out what you should and shouldn’t do on their Visit My Farm website.
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Become a Disability Confident Employer
 Tourism businesses can take advantage of free 1-2-1 support to help them become a Disability Confident employer.
The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.
Being Disability Confident is an opportunity to lead the way in your community, and you might just discover someone your business cannot do without.
It was developed by employers and disabled people’s representatives to make it rigorous but easily accessible, particularly for smaller businesses.
Visit Kent are working with the The Education People to support employers across Kent to become a part of the Disability Confident scheme, providing dedicated guidance and hands-on support to make the process seamless.
This activity is being delivered as part of the Tourism & Hospitality Skills Boost project and is funded by Kent County Council through the Helping Hands Scheme.
If you would like to get involved or to find out more, please contact Shane Forster - the Employer Engagement Lead.
Sponsorship for Mayors Bike Ride
We are inviting local firms to help support our Mayor's fundraising efforts for good causes.
The Mayor of Swale, Cllr Ben Martin is arranging a sponsored bike ride from Calais to Brugge and Ypres next month, in aid of local domestic abuse charity, Sateda and Lupus UK.
The bike ride will take place between 9-11 May and will cover almost 200 miles.
So far about 20 people have signed up to the challenge and we are looking for local firms to support their efforts.
In return for your sponsorship - which starts at £250 - you can have your company logo on the shirts of the cyclists and on all our promotional material.
We are also looking for someone willing to loan us a large van to help us transport luggage, food and medical supplies. If you are able to assist, please contact our chief executive Larissa Reed by 11 April 2025.
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