Malling Health have asked us to issue the following statement on their behalf: "It is with regret that Malling Health have to inform patients of Iwade Health Centre that Dr Oochit will no longer be joining the practice on April 1st due to health issues. Malling Health are committed to providing excellent health care to the patients of IHC and will now interview again for the GP posts available. In the meantime, we have 2 locum GPs and a permanent Advanced Nurse Practitioner who are providing care to our patients and this arrangement will carry on until we have found new GPs to ensure continuity of care. ". Thank you for the update. Karen Graystone Practice Manager will also be leaving the health centre on 30th April 2014. We wish her well in her new venture.

Well done again this month to all contributors and to Mel McDonald for editing the April Iwade Observer. It will soon be thank you to the delivery team who will hopefully be able to deliver in sunshine if they're lucky as it's due from the printers into Iwade on Friday 28th March. New distribution coordinator Stephen Plumb will then split it into delivery rounds and get to the delivery team meaning you should get it in the next week or so! Click on the image to read the April Observer online. You know you want to!

Do you want to do something new, do something extra, do something special? Then maybe the Kent Special Constabulary is for you. Click on more to find out just that!

Thanks to this month's contributors and to Mel McDonald for this month's Spring has Sprung Iwade Observer. Would you like to join the Iwade Observer team? Email nicola@iwadevillage.co.uk for more information :-)

The Iwade Community Speed Watch team urgently need more volunteers. Community Speed Watch enables groups of concerned citizens to reduce excessive vehicle speeds on their roads.

The Year 5 classes at Iwade School are taking part in a project called Go-Givers, Make a Difference. Leeds Class project is focussing on making a difference to litter in Iwade village. Litter is a major problem worldwide, simply because it affects our environment. Our project so far has taken us on a walk around the village, to collect evidence of the litter and the amount of it. Even though, we felt that, generally, the village was tidy, some areas need particular attention. For this reason, we would like the support of you, the villagers, in our campaign. If you are out and about around the village, make sure you put your rubbish in the bins provided.

We thought it was time to update everyone about the progress at Iwade Health Centre. As you might well be aware, we have been awarded the contract to provide GP services at the centre and took over in the middle of last June. We would like to thank everyone for their patience so far and must acknowledge that it has taken a little longer than expected. You may be aware that there are some historical issues at the centre and these had to be sorted first. The contract was awarded under a tight budget allowing for 2 GPs and 1 Advanced Nurse Practitioner alongside other nursing and a full compliment of administrative staff.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is appealing to people to make sure their homes, and those of loved-ones and people they care for or come into contact with, are safeguarded from fire. Just three breaths of fire smoke can be life-threatening and sadly, it is often older residents, or those with mobility problems, physical or mental health issues or impaired sight or hearing, who are injured by fire. KFRS offers free safety advice and a range of free services to ensure vulnerable members of the community are protected from the risk of fire.