KentOnline

Ahead of the August bank holiday weekend we're being encouraged to visit part of the Kent coast [https://kentonline.co.uk/romney-marsh/news/amusement-park-boss-urges-visitors-to-come-despite-poor-wate-328893/] - despite it's poor water quality rating. The owners of Dymchurch Amusement Park say there's more to do there than just swimming. Last November the Environment Agency downgraded the beach's water quality to poor and issued a no-swim warning. Also in today's podcast, a woman who moved to Kent when the war started in Ukraine has told the podcast she doesn't think the Russian president will ever agree to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Donald Trump has started plans to bring the leaders together after meeting them separately over the past week. Hear from Margarita Bondarenko who's from Kyiv and now lives in Canterbury, she's been speaking ahead of Ukrainian Independence Day this weekend. A Medway nurse is urgently fundraising for immunotherapy [https://kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/i-am-clinging-to-vital-70k-treatment-to-keep-the-cancer-at-328860/] after being diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer. Charlotte Flannery was told the tumour on her ovary has fewer than 100 recorded cases and she needs £70,000 for further treatment to prevent it from returning. In sport, it's another home game for Gillingham [https://kentonline.co.uk/sport/football/gillingham/] this weekend. They welcome top of the table Crewe Alexandra to Priestfield looking to maintain their unbeaten run in league two. Hear from defender Andy Smith and manager Gareth Ainsworth. Cricket [https://kentonline.co.uk/sport/kent-cricket/], and Kent have won their latest game in the One Day Cup. The Spitfires bowled Northamptonshire Steelbacks out for 243 and reached the victory target with seven wickets to spare. And, the Women's Rugby World Cup gets underway later [https://kentonline.co.uk/medway/sport/medway-rugby-club-celebrates-homegrown-talent-as-england-beg-328768/] with England taking on the USA. It's hoped the tournament will encourage more girls to get involved in the sport. We've been speaking to a young player from Medway Rugby Club.

A Kent landlord has revealed plans to offer woodland to a council for a traveller camp. Fergus Wilson has said he will sell a 12 acre site in Boughton Monchelsea, that he bought in the 1980s, to Maidstone Borough Council. The local authority recently launched a search for suitable land to accommodate a 15 pitch camp. Also in today's podcast, the Reform UK leader of Kent County Council [https://kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/kcc-leader-urges-councils-to-check-up-on-asylum-seeker-hotel-328868/] has told local authorities to check up on the legal status of asylum hotels. Linden Kemkaran has spoken out after a High Court decision to stop people being housed at a hotel in Epping. Thousands of teenagers across Kent have been picking up their GCSE results [https://kentonline.co.uk/folkestone/news/live-gcse-results-day-for-thousands-of-kent-pupils-328862/] today. National figures show the number of students getting top grades has risen slightly from last year and remains higher than before the Covid pandemic. Hear from Gracie and Amelia who collected their results last year and have advice for anyone getting them today. We've also been speaking to a careers advisor at North Kent College. A Maidstone man, who was a victim of childhood bullying, is attempting to run seven marathons in seven days in seven countries [https://www.justgiving.com/page/ben-white-17?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL] for charity. Ben White, from Teston, was physically and verbally bullied during his time at secondary school. He's explained how the verbal abuse he suffered for how he ran had a profound effect - but says that running has saved his life. And in sport, Kent's cricketers are back in One Day Cup [https://kentonline.co.uk/sport/kent-cricket/] action today. The Spitfires are bottom of Group B with just 1 win in 5 and are at The County Ground to take on the Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

A man who died after falling in the River Medway in Maidstone [https://entonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/river-tragedy-victim-named-as-inspirational-author-who-had-328787/] earlier this month has been named. Daniel Grossett was discovered a day after being spotted going into the water near Archbishops Palace on August 11th. He'd previously been on an episode of the podcast and plenty of tributes have been paid. Also in today's episode, Kent Wildlife Trust bosses have told us how vital money that could be spent on conservation is having to be used to repair damage [https://kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/frustration-after-vandals-cause-nature-nightmares-at-beaut-328812/] at some of their sites. A viewing screen at one site has been destroyed by vandals while camping equipment has been dumped at another. Hear from area manager Steve Weeks. Kent Gladiators star Matt Morsia says he's torn his bicep tendon while filming [https://kentonline.co.uk/hythe/news/the-worst-three-weeks-of-my-life-gladiator-star-suffers-h-328814/] for the show. The 39-year-old from Hythe, who's known as Legend, got ill after surgery and has been updating fans on his YouTube channel. An 11-year-old boy from Swanley who took his GCSE Maths exam early [https://kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/boy-11-takes-gcse-maths-five-years-early-328411/] is among those waiting for results tomorrow. Brian Idogun, who is in Year 7 at Orchards Academy, sat the test along with thousands of teenagers earlier this year. A Kent zoo is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a promise to protect more rare and endangered animals. Hemsley Conservation Charity near Sevenoaks was set up in 2015 [https://kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/news/i-started-a-zoo-for-rare-animals-aged-22-it-s-been-an-inc-328784/] by Adam Hemsley when he was just 22. And in sport, Gillingham [https://kentonline.co.uk/sport/football/gillingham/] have continued their unbeaten start to the league two season with a 4-1 win over Chesterfield. Armani Little scored two penalties, and there were goals for Lenni Cirino and Marcus Wyllie at Priesfield last night. We've got reaction from manager Gareth Ainsworth.

A tractor driver is in a critical but stable condition after his vehicle fell from a bridge [https://kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/vehicle-falls-from-overbridge-prompting-emergency-response-328722/] onto the M20. Police say he had been driving along the A227 near Wrotham when his trailer became separated from the tractor and overturned. Also in today's podcast, there's been mixed reaction to news further traffic restrictions could be put in place on Rochester High Street [https://kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/it-s-an-easy-way-to-make-money-but-is-that-the-trade-off-328739/]. You already can't drive along it on Saturdays - now a consultation is underway into plans to stop vehicles on Sundays and bank holidays as well. A Kent politician says the Conservatives will need to learn lessons from Donald Trump [https://kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/why-i-think-tories-are-missing-a-trick-by-not-copying-trump-328613/] if they want to win the next election. Robbie Lammas, who's a Tory councillor in Medway, travelled out to America to campaign for the Republicans last year. He was also previously chief of staff for the chairman of the Conservative party. A Folkestone woman who was left with brain damage after an epileptic seizure [https://kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/i-felt-so-stupid-after-brain-damage-i-sat-at-the-kids-tabl-328202/] has landed a book publishing deal. Nicola Hodges suffered four brain haemorrhages following a fall five years ago. A traffic bollard has been given a knitted makeover [https://kentonline.co.uk/weald/news/can-you-see-it-now-traffic-bollard-gets-knitted-colourful-c-328725/] in a bid to stop crashes in a Kent village. It's been installed to try and stop vehicles bumping up onto the pavements to get through the narrow roads of Yalding. And in sport, Gillingham [https://kentonline.co.uk/sport/football/gillingham/] will be hoping to go four games unbeaten in league two later. They're hosting Chesterfield, after Saturday's 1-1 draw at Tranmere Rovers.

A two-year-old boy has died after a car hit pedestrians [https://kentonline.co.uk/whitstable/news/man-arrested-after-two-year-old-boy-dies-in-crash-328696/] in a car park in Whitstable. Emergency crews were called to the junction of Harbour Street and Cromwell Road on Saturday night and a man in his 20s has been arrested. Also in today's podcast, two people are due in court charged with murder [https://kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/news/man-and-woman-charged-with-murder-after-stabbing-328674/] following the death of a man in Gravesend. Police were called to a disturbance involving a group of people outside a property on Augustine Road last Tuesday night.  It's been revealed temporary accommodation is costing councils in Kent [https://kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/revealed-the-shameful-housing-crisis-now-costing-kent-counc-328629/] almost £50 million a year. That's up from around £26 million two years ago. A pub in Gillingham with a troubled past has undergone a transformation [https://entonline.co.uk/medway/news/change-of-fortunes-for-troubled-pub-as-regulars-come-to-the-328554/] after being taken over by regulars. The Woodland Tavern on Canterbury Street was given up by the previous landlord after police requested a licence review last year. A Sevenoaks woman is getting ready to take on a challenge in Spain - that'll see her run more than a marathon a day for almost two weeks. Laura Whyms wants to set a world record when she completes the Camino de Santiago. And in sport, and it was a point for Gillingham in the league at the weekend [https://kentonline.co.uk/sport/football/gillingham/]. Joe Gbode scored and equaliser late into added time to secure at 1-all draw at Tranmere Rovers - hear reaction from manager Gareth Ainsworth.