insideKENT Magazine Issue 80 - November 2018 | Page 193

NEWS
HEVER CASTLE’S 5-STAR HOLIDAY COTTAGE
ONE OF THE TOP PLACES TO STAY
Hever Castle’s luxury holiday cottage is one of the top places to stay in the
UK, according to VisitEngland. The 5-star, four-bedroom house, Medley
Court, was named as a recipient of the annual ROSE award in October.
The fourth annual award recognises the owners, management and employees
of establishments that go the extra mile in order to provide excellent customer
service. The award can only be won once and features just 100
accommodation providers a year.
Hever Castle house manager, Roland Smith, said: “We are delighted that our
excellent service has been recognised with the VisitEngland ROSE Award.
It is testament to the hard work of the whole team in consistently providing
a warm welcome to visitors to Medley Court.”
VisitEngland director, Patricia Yates, said: "From B&Bs in beautiful countryside
and glamorous glamping, to boutique hotels to quintessentially English
pubs with rooms, a range of outstanding accommodation providers right
across the country are being recognised. It is the human touch that these
people provide that make visitors’ experiences memorable, ensuring repeat
business and helping the industry thrive.”
BLUEWATER SETS THE GOLD STANDARD
WITH ITS GREEN SPACES
Bluewater has been
awarded gold status and
a business landscape
award by The
South & South East
Britain in Bloom
Awards for its beautiful
parkland spanning over
50 acres and featuring
stunning lakes and
Nature Trail. The 2018
awards saw nearly 300
entries from Community Gardening Groups, Parks & Greenspaces,
Villages, Towns & Cities and Parishes in Bloom.
Bluewater’s green spaces were judged on a number of categories,
including design, facilities, conservation and environmental
sustainability and scored an excellent 184/200. Judges commended
the high standard with which landscaping and planting is
maintained at Bluewater, as well as the popular Nature Trail and
overall cleanliness of the area.
For the third year running, Bluewater also celebrated winning a
prestigious Green Flag Award this summer for its stunning parkland.
The award recognises and rewards the best parks and green spaces
across the UK, and is awarded to places that boast the highest
possible green standards, are beautifully maintained and have
excellent facilities.
The great outdoors at Bluewater is managed by landscape
professional Gavin Jones, and is haven to a wide variety of flora
and wildlife and is home to three children’s playgrounds, including
sandpits and climbing areas. Bluewater’s Nature Trail now has
even more to discover with the addition of a new bug hotel,
stepping logs and hopscotch, making it the perfect place for a
family day out.
Robert Goodman, Bluewater’s general manager, said: “We’re
extremely proud to have been awarded gold status and a business
landscape award by The South & South East Britain in Bloom
Awards. It’s a real achievement to have the excellent work by the
Gavin Jones team, who maintain the parks and lakes at Bluewater,
recognised. We hope our guests from in and around Kent continue
to enjoy Bluewater’s green spaces.”
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD LEUKAEMIA SURVIVOR
FROM ROCHESTER NOMINATED FOR AWARD
Two tireless fundraisers from
Rochester, including a
seven-year-old leukaemia
survivor, have been
shortlisted for a prestigious
Perrys Exceptional Charity
Award.
Cianna Critcher, who was
diagnosed with leukaemia at
the age of three, went
through over two years of
gruelling treatment, losing
her beautiful long hair in the
process. Despite this, Cianna
has raised thousands of
pounds for The Royal
Marsden Hospital and CCLG
(Children’s Cancer and
Leukaemia Group) by
running cake sales, raffles
and a lemonade stand.
Fellow Rochester resident, Marta Jimenez Varela, is also up for an
award in the same category. Marta works as the sole fundraiser for
Shaftesbury Young People, a charity supporting young people in care.
Marta built up the fundraising department from scratch, doubling
donations in her first year to an impressive £50,000 and securing a
significant grant.
Now in its third successful year, the Perrys Exceptional Awards, launched
in 2016 by Kent-based accountants Perrys, aims to recognise
inspirational and outstanding charities, individuals and businesses
across the county.
Stewart Pope, CEO at Perrys Chartered Accountants, said: “Each year
the awards bring together individuals, charities and businesses from
across the county who demonstrate everything that makes Kent a great
place to live and work. We’ve had some fantastic nominations this year
and we look forward to unveiling the winners at our ceremony in
November!”
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Leeds Castle in
Maidstone on Thursday 8th November.
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