THOUSANDS ACROSS THE REGION TO TAKE ON NEW-LOOK GUNG-HO ! AS WORLD ’ S BIGGEST INFLATABLE OBSTACLE COURSE RETURNS TO KENT
THIRD DOUBLE HEADER TOUR FOR CELEBRATED YOUNG KENT SINGER SONGWRITER LUKE JACKSON & GRAMMY WINNING AMY WADGE
Acclaimed young singer songwriter Luke Jackson is to join forces for the third time with Cardiff ’ s Amy Wadge for what promises to be a dazzling double header UK tour in the New Year .
Between January
9th-31st , Luke will tour England and Wales with Amy , known for her winning songwriting collaboration with “ Britain ’ s hottest pop star ” Ed Sheeran . She and Sheeran , having reached No 1 in the official UK chart with “ Thinking out Loud ” which went platinum , won the coveted Song of the Year at the 2016 Grammys . The global smash hit was the first song to celebrate a whole year in the Top 40 .
Jackson , the widely acclaimed 22 year-old singer songwriter from Kent , has recently played dates in Scotland , Belgium , Germany and The Netherlands while in 2015 there was no doubting his versatility when he supported one of Britain ’ s most successful rock bands , Marillion , on a UK and European tour .
BECOME A VOLUNTEER READING HELPER IN 2017 AND MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE TO A CHILD ’ S LIFE
Thrill-seekers will hit speeds of up to 40MPH on Europe ’ s tallest inflatable slide which has been transformed for when the world ’ s biggest inflatable obstacle course returns to Kent in 2017 .
Up to 5,000 runners at Gung-Ho !, at Brands Hatch , West Kingsdown , on Saturday 3rd June , will fly down the five-storey-high , 200ft-long Thriller after organisers added water to the fun-filled inflatable – an act inspired by a wet weekend in Manchester in 2016 .
The ten inflatables – including three which make their debut in 2017 – will be filled with enough air to pump up more than 100 million footballs , making it the biggest course of its kind anywhere on the planet .
Cbeebies presenter Alex Winters , the brains behind the event , said : “ As soon as last year ’ s visit had come to an end I knew I wanted to bring Gung-Ho ! back to Kent . Everyone was so up for Gung-Ho ! and helped make it one of our best events yet .
With many runners taking part for charity in 2016 , thousands of pounds are expected to be raised for good causes this time around . Participants can go Gung-Ho ! in aid of the race ’ s national charity partner BBC Children in Need , who are offering discounted tickets and a free t-shirt to those who run as part of Team Pudsey , via www . bbc . co . uk / Pudsey .
Tickets and more information are available at www . begung-ho . co . uk .
Beanstalk – a national literacy charity – is searching for members of the community across Kent and Medway to volunteer as Reading Helpers in local primary schools in a bid to raise literacy levels in 2017 and to inspire confidence in struggling and reluctant readers .
By starting the New Year as a Beanstalk reading helper , volunteers will provide a child with the gift of reading , having a life-changing impact on their ability , confidence , and self-esteem .
“ In the last academic year 42 % of children in Kent did not reach the expected standard in reading in the new SATS in Kent ,” explains Malou Bengsston-Wheeler , area manager at Beanstalk for Kent and Medway . “ Our aim at Beanstalk is to support schools to address the problem by providing 1:1 support for pupils who struggle with reading to prevent them from getting left behind .”
Volunteering as a Beanstalk reading helper is extremely rewarding , makes a lasting difference to children ’ s lives and is a great way to give something back to your local community . So if you are able to spare three hours a week , why not make this your resolution for the year ?
To find out more about volunteering as a Reading Helper in primary schools in Kent and Medway contact the Maidstone office on 01622 662026 or apply via the website www . beanstalkcharity . org . uk .
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