KentOnline

Work is getting underway on a customs checking centre in Kent designed to deal with any potential disruption after Brexit.
The site off the M20 near junction 10a at Ashford will be able to hold thousands of lorries – hear what the town’s MP thinks about it.
Also in the podcast – the first mental health facility of its kind in the country opens in Kent and there are fears children could slip through the net if they don’t go back to school in September.

A family of bison are going to be reintroduced to the wild in Kent as part of a million pound project.
The Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood near Canterbury are involved in bringing the animals over from Europe to live in Blean Woods.
Also in today’s podcast – a beauty salon owner has welcomed news from the government they can reopen and the Gillingham chairman talks about his plans to bring an investor on board to help the club move forward.

There’s startling news today of more job losses in Kent as the economic impact of the pandemic continues to take it’s toll.
Folkestone based holiday and insurance firm Saga have announced they’re cutting around 300 positions as a result of the impact of Covid-19 on its business.
Also in the podcast – the future of Kent’s Manston Airport is looking more secure and hear from one of the man who stages some of the biggest pantomimes in the country on whether he thinks they will happen this Christmas.

The scale of the pandemic on just one food bank in Thanet has been revealed.
The facility in Cliftonville fed nearly 1,000 people last month – up from just 166 during the same time last year.
Also in today’s podcast, the Kent Wildlife Trust calls for targets to reduce pesticides and the Dogs Trust have advice on how to help our pets cope with lockdown being eased.

Our top story today is about care homes and some controversial comments made by the Prime Minister…
Boris Johnson’s suggested ‘too many’ care homes didn’t properly follow procedures during the coronavirus pandemic – he’s now being urged to apologise.
Also in the podcast, the lockdown litter blighting our woodlands and why a shrine at Canterbury Cathedral has been recreated digitally 850 years on.

Theatres, museums and music venues are being given £1.5 billion to help them survive the pandemic.
They’ll be able to access the grants via government loans and grants.
It follows weeks of warnings about the future of performance venues, but what about panto this Christmas? Hear from our senior features writer Angela Cole.
Also in the podcast, tributes are paid following two fatal crashes in Kent, and a salon boss is angry they still can’t reopen.

Ahead of so-called ‘Super Saturday’ we’ve been finding out how police and volunteers are planning on keep people safe as pubs reopen.
Also hear from a Kent MP who’s urging us to ‘be careful’.
Also in the podcast, hear from a hairdresser who’s opening her salon at midnight to cope with a demand for appointments and the University of Kent prepares for its first ever virtual open day.

It’s been confirmed today all children will be expected to go back to school in September – and parents will be fined if they don’t…
 
But what about the children who, by then, would have missed 6 months of school?
Well, the search is on to find retired or trainee teachers to join a pop up academy offering English and maths lessons during the holidays.
Also on the podcast – a promise from health bosses that parts of Kent and Medway won’t face lockdown if covid cases rise and the Tonbridge couple hoping to get humanist weddings made legal.

It’s being dubbed ‘Super Saturday’ but as we reach 100 days of lockdown, there are concerns about the major relaxation of restrictions this weekend.
We’ve been speaking to a behavioural scientist who thinks pubs will struggle to enforce social distancing when they reopen.
Also in the podcast – calls for an investigation into faulty PPE and a 5-year-old fundraiser from Kent gets an award from the PM.

We start today with the amazing achievement of a 5 year-old from Kings Hill who’s completed a challenge to walk every day in June to raise money for charity.
Tony Hudgell had to have his legs amputated when he was a baby and only received his prosthetics just before lockdown.
Also on today’s podcast – concerns over secondary schools opening to all pupils in September as one head teacher says there’s no way they could social distance, and how the benefits system is coping with the pandemic.