Clair Hawkins, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Dover, and I joined local people to discuss how the Government’s cuts are affecting peoples’ lives as well as making it difficult for organisations to provide the vital support that is needed. We heard individual stories and discussed the importance of local volunteers, the changes to Disability Living Allowance affecting families and disabled people in the area and the importance of whole care.

People who spoke included:
Karen Tranter (Manager of Dover Age UK Riverside Centre and event host)
Jan Perfect (CEO of CASE Kent, spoke about the cumulative effect of cuts and benefit changes)
Dawn Hyde (volunteer with Rethink who spoke about caring for her daughter and mother)
Sue Clarke (runs Pegasus Playscheme and spoke about her 21 year old son who has Downs syndrome)
Sharon Maddon (worked for 15 years as an auxiliary nurse, has epilepsy and a crumbling spine and feels under attack by this government)
Tad Tabera (Senior Community Development Worker with Rethink)
Kelly Tonks (Community Development Worker with Rethink)
Cllr Ben Bano (Labour Health Lead on Dover District Council)
Cllr Maggie Cosin (spoke about a case raised with her on the doorstep earlier that day)

To read the article on Kent online please click here