Older residents facing financial hardship could now be eligible to get more help from Folkestone & Hythe District Council.

The council has been allocated funding by Kent County Council from the Household Support Fund Extension (HSFE), which runs until 30 September 2022.

Unlike the original scheme, the HSFE will focus on energy bills and for people over pensionable age. F&HDC will be directly contacting households that could be eligible.

Food will also remain a priority, but the HSFE can be used to support households with wider essential costs.

Vulnerable households are defined as those that are struggling to afford essential food and utility bills and have no other available support.

Tim Prater, Cabinet Member for Revenues, Benefits, Anti-Fraud and Corruption, said:

"The extension of the Household Support Fund is a welcome boost and will help some of the most vulnerable in our district who are struggling with the increased cost of living."

We are pleased to be working with Kent County Council again to offer this extra support to those who most need it. Funds are limited so we encourage people to apply as soon as possible.

Applications for an award may be made via a self-referral or via a request from a council officer, councillor, or voluntary/community organisation.

For full details of the criteria and to make an application, visit folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/household-support-fund

We’ve been doing something *very* special to Sandgate Library…

Over the last month, the library has had a lot of improvements. A new accessible toilet has been built, and the front door access improved for wheelchairs and buggies. We’ve added new storage and changed the lighting to be more energy efficient and less hard on the eyes. There are also a range of other improvements to make it a nicer, and more accessible, place to be.

There is a little further to go, but we’re thrilled with what has been done. We can’t wait to share it with you.

We’ve reopened Sandgate Library again from 9.30 Saturday 1st October, and then should be open for our usual opening hours. https://sandgatepc.org.uk/library-opening-times/

Come and have a look – it’s well worth it!

The library works have been fully funded by:

• S106 money from the Shorncliffe Development (paid by Taylor Wimpey and earmarked for local libraries);
• a grant from the F&HDC High Street Fund.

In addition, we were delighted to be supported through donations of:

• free bookcases from a local school after they had a flood, and;
• free chairs and tables from Saga.

This enabled us to give:

• St Paul’s Church chairs, a table, a cupboard and bookcases;
• Shepway Foodbank a filing cabinet, office cupboards, a desk, and;
• The Folkestone Fish Museum, a trolley and display cabinet.

Nothing was wasted!

A local builder has completed the building works after winning the publicly advertised tender, and a local company has reupholstered some of the furniture. We’re proud that Sandgate Library is for the local community, and the refurbishment has also benefited more than library users but also local charities & businesses.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has hailed the local election results as a "turning point" for his party's prospects.

The party has gained over 220 new councillors across England, Wales and Scotland - the biggest net gain of any party.

They won seats at the expense of the Tories across swathes of their heartlands in southern England.

And they took control of Hull City Council, after a decade of Labour rule.

With nearly all results declared, the Lib Dems have gained 191 councillors in England, 20 in Scotland and 11 in Wales.

Boris Johnson has said the Conservatives had had a "tough night" in some areas, but argued results overall had been "mixed".

• PM admits mixed results as Starmer hails London wins
• Magic pixies, dead heats and other election moments
• Lib Dems end Labour's 10-year grip on Hull

The Lib Dems have gained seats in traditional Tory areas including Wokingham, where the Tories have lost control after two decades in charge.

The same was in true in West Oxfordshire, while the Lib Dems have also displaced the Tories as the largest party in Tunbridge Wells in Kent.

The Lib Dems also took overall control in Somerset and in Westmorland and Furness, new single-tier authorities that had been targets for the party.

The party has also taken back control of Hull City Council from Labour, where they had been fighting to regain power since 2011.

Polling expert Sir John Curtice said the Lib Dems' gains reflected its relatively poor performance in 2018, when most of the seats up for grabs this time were last contested.

He added that the Lib Dems' gains reflected the decline in Conservative support since then, with its advance most prominent in areas where it was in second place to the Tories.

The BBC projects the Lib Dems would take 19% of the votes had all parts of Britain gone to the polls - matching its best local election performance since it entered coalition government with the Conservatives in 2010.

It has also been a good set of elections for the Greens, who have gained over 84 councillors across Great Britain.

The Liberal Democrats had entered the local elections hoping to build on by-election successes over the Tories in Chesham and Amersham and North Shropshire last year.

Speaking to party activists in Wimbledon, south-west London on Thursday, Sir Ed said the victories for his party were an "almighty shockwave that will bring this Conservative government tumbling down".

He added that voters had "had enough" of the squeeze on living standards, along with the government's decision to raise National Insurance from April.

He also said voters had responded positively to his party's plans to cut VAT using the proceeds from a windfall tax on the profits of oil and gar companies.

Labour, which has also backed a windfall tax on energy companies, had also put the cost of living at the centre of its campaign.