KARA

Jim's Stores. Welcome to 'Jim's Stores' where members will find details of all the merchandise on offer, from warm fleeces to Polo Shirts, ties, pin badges and car windscreen badges. * Manager Gwen Tring. *Please note that only Retired Members of the NHS Ambulance Service are allowed to wear the Crown Badge *Please note that all prices are subject to change. KARA Ties  These good quality ties, with the new crown badge, as shown above, are available at £8.  KARA Fleeces, Polo Shirts & T Shirts  *Fleeces Shirts etc now only available in Blue (Dark) Fleeces that members have ordered to date are the Premium ones priced at £18 up to 2XL, 3XL on £ 18.50. Polo Shirts , size up to 2XL priced £10, size 3XL priced £10.50. T Shirts priced £7.50. 3XL ^ £8.00. All priced include the embroidery. Caps priced £7. Car Windscreen Badges ; they are 7cm x 4.5cm and only £1. Association Lapel Badges £2 Association Keg Fobs £0.40 KARA Ladies Fashion Items for the ladies are available. KARA Blazer Badges Please speak to Gwen regarding the purchase of Blazer badges. The above are available for purchase or order from Gwen at Member Meetings Books  New, Just Published, this thoroughly researched book, filled with historical photographs showcasing the people, places, and vehicles associated with Kent Ambulance Services over the past century https://www.woodfieldpublishing.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p453_kent-ambulance-and-first-aid-services-janman.html ISBN 9781846832031 £24 Also Avaiable: NHS Ambulances ' the first 25 years'. An illustrated history of ambulance vehicles during the first 25 years of the National Health Service. Published by Trans Pennine at £5.99; Price to Association Members £5.

KARA Committee Chairman Frank Stocks Chairmans Messages and E-News The Chairmans message can also be viewed via the E-Newsletters, Publication dates & Edition numbers shown on the Calendar. With E-News Extra's in-between as/if required. If you have any news articles which you would like published in the E-Newsletter please send them to the KARA Secretary or Chairman. Those members who do not have email addresses (consented ), will be sent copies via post. President - Ken Smith Committee Members 2025 /2026 TERM Officers Chairman - Frank Stocks Vice Chairman - Vacancy Secretary - John Wye / Adam Benton Treasurer - Chantal Hutty Our Committee Ken Davies Gwen Tring Graham Ruck Barry Holmes Annette Davies Duff Robinson E-Newsletter Editor - John Wye / Adam Benton Website Editor - Barry Holmes Committee Meetings - Meetings dates are published on the home page. Venue: Lenham (Unless stated otherwise) SECAmb Meeting of Associations - Meeting: TBC Copies of the full Minutes may be requested by Members, by applying to the Secretary. They can also be viewed at Social Meetings on request.

Your Call - Newsletter for SECAmb Members SECAmb NEWS Latest Headlines on SECAmb Website Please see SECAmb Website for latest updates and articles in your E-News Public Trust Board Meetings Next Trust Board meeting is on TBC Following meetings; TBC Public Council Meetings Next Council Meeting -See SECAmb website for latest regarding meetings. Public Governor for Kent & Lead Governor, James Crawley Public Governor for Kent, David Escudier Public Governor for Kent, Roger Laxton To read the full stories, and for further information log into: www.secamb.nhs.uk

News 2025 AGM 5th June Yes!...It happened! We had a fantastic talk from Mark Bathurst on the life and restoration of the Medway Queen. Great catcup conversations, food and...... Election of the Comittee and new Chairman for 2025 We will add all the details after the next comittee meeting which has now been moved to 12th July. SASA are having their annual reunion for 2025 I t might seem a long way away but people have booked up very quickly this year. In fact, we have 60 attending so far. There are only 23 spaces remaining should you like to book for the weekend. The Hotel has had a fabulous refit and upgrade with excellent facilities. Please follow the link to read a detailed letter from Carol Burgess which details all the facilities, room types, costs etc. Plus the booking form to download. View and Download SASA Membership Status Membership currently stands at 124 Members and 38 Associate Members. Total membership of 162 John Wye - May 2025 Very Important Reminder... Especially at this time! Have you moved house, changed your telephone number, landline or mobile? Or your e-mail address? Or any of your membership details? And if your on your own the details of a contact , family member or friend. Any changes please let us know, so that we can update our/your records and remain in contact with you. Also remember to keep your membership card safe and if you lose it let us know immediately.

Click the Button >>>>>>>> for the Latest E News no31 Summer Lunch Click the picture to download the Menu and booking form.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Remember to send it back to Chantal by the 11th June, so not long! Please return completed form with payment to Chantal Hutty 93 Maidstone Road Paddock Wood Tonbridge Kent TN12 6AE. or Bank Transfer Payment into our a/c – details; Kent Ambulance Retirement Association, Sort Code 60-01-21 a/c No; 48589519 Please check the Committee page for some exciting and good news! Welcome to the KARA Website This site has been set up for the benefit of members of the Kent Ambulance Retirement Association. It is being developed to offer another way of viewing and receiving news from the association, particularly for those who are unable to get along to member meetings and our members living out of the county and in far off places. As you can see above we have pages which will include, messages from the Chairman and Reports, Committee Members, News, Annual and one off events, Jim,s Stores and Photo Galleries. Design updates and changes will be undertaken as required. Each time the site is updated, however minor, the date will be registered at the top of this page, so keep logging in to keep in touch with KARA We would welcome comments from members regarding this website, please send them to the web editor, contact details can be found in editions of your newsletter. The site has been developed to compliment the' KARA E-News' which members will receive as usual and articles for this should still be sent to the E-News Editor, whose contact details are published in the E-news. Due to EU regulations we have added a 'Use of Cookies' notification which you will only see on your first visit to the website. SECAMB SUPPORTS ITS FOUR RETIREMENT ASSOCIATIONS All four previous ambulance areas; Kent, East & West Sussex and Surrey each have their own associations all of which are actively supported by South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Personnel can join any association and move from one to another; they can pick up a leaflet at any location of work. Page Content Home Welcome Latest 'E News' Focus Retirement Associations KARA Meetings and Events Bring back Memories History KARA Archives Members Book Committee Your Committee Members Chairman's Chat SECAmb News See llatest E-News or SECamb Website for latest information News E-Newsletter Social Meetings 2025 Meetings Past Presentations Events Fishing Competitions Christmas Lunch Spotlight Spotlight on Service Vehicles Gallery Christmas Lunch 201 *Some pages will be hidden when not required. Meetings & Events ***** All social and committee meetings are 1030 for 1100 start***** Click on an event for more detail and you can add it to your own calendar Bring back memories! Ambulance vehicles both past and present, which will bring back some memories for you? Kent Welfare Ambulance Trojan Ambulances Bedford K fleet 1952 with two Austen Lomas 1948 and Martin Walter Bedford SCC Bedford K SCC Bedford K and crew Bedford J1 white livery leaving Southborough Ambulance Stn Converted Bedford Service Van Ford Transit with Land Rover Support Unit Ford Transit with Pararmedic Unit markings Mercedes Ambulance Mercedes Ambulances lined up at Make Ready Station Welfare Ambulance.jpg Kent Welfare ambulance; apparently very useful during floods. Trojan Ambulances.jpg Made+Ready+vehicles.jpg Mercedes Vehicles lined up at Make Ready Station Welfare Ambulance.jpg Kent Welfare ambulance; apparently very useful during floods. 1/12 These are a selection from the KARA Archives - Copyright

Spotlight on 'Service Vehicles' Here are a few randomly selected photographs from the archive! Have you any photographs to donate? ASV3-Interior of KCC's New Ambulances ASV38EHA150001 ASV39EHA16 ASV40EHA17 ASV78EHC22 Apr1992 ASV47EHA29 ASV7-Saloon of Hanlon Ambulance ASV93EHD87 Aug1995 ASV97EHD106 May2000 File 07-08-2017, 18 32 13

Member - Social Meetings 2024 /2025 Don't forget to pencil in the proposed dates of our Social Meetings for 2024/2025 (Updates listed in your E-News) These are held at the Lenham Community Centre at Lenham. Come along and join in, have a chat with old and new colleagues and enjoy the buffet lunch provided and our Guest Speakers. All social meeting & AGM times are 1030 for 1100 start. Refreshments are available on arrival and a buffet lunch is provided. Eric Hartland on Historic Images of Kent At Novembers social meeting Eric Hartland presented old images of locations around Kent and up to date photographs taken from the same spot, well almost, as some spots would have been a bit dangerous. The project that Eric is involved with, is the Kent Photo Archive, a project between the Maidstone Museum and Maidstone Camera Club. The website currently contains over 1000 archive images. Croatia - Here we come! At February's meeting Frank Stocks stepped in to give us a talk about a Charity Road Trip to Croatia with a load of Medical Supplies. Having collected the supplies and arranged for a vehicle to convey them. The team comprising of Frank, Barry Holmes and Dave Ogilvie left on the 11th March 1993. They left giving themselves six days to do the round trip; it took seven, sometimes perilous journey including cold and snow to deliver them; one of their nights spent in the van, in which they learned they could have frozen to death. They had left Ramsgate on the Sally line on a route which took them through France, Germany and Austria to an area, Rijeka in the (Republike Bosne I Hercegovina ) Croatia. The facility that they were delivering to, as was fate, they were desperately in need of some of the drugs and medical supplies they had on board. Could you give us a 'talk' on your experiences? Brief History of Flags John Wye gave a presentation, 'A brief history of Flags, which was well received at the April 2018 Social meeting. Could you give us a presentation?

KARA - The beginings of the Retirement Association By Barry Barnsley During the latter part of 1992 I was at Ashford Ambulance Station with the then Chief Ambulance Officer who was presenting long service/good conduct medals to staff. After the presentations he was approached by Murray 'Badger' Swift and Bert Leadbetter who asked him whether it was possible for a retirement association to be set up. Mr Robinson subsequently spoke to me and asked me to research whether there was any interest in such an idea. I then visited the Personnel Department at Headquarters in Coxheath and obtained the names and addresses of all members of staff who had retired either through ill health or age during the past 15 years. I then designed a questionaire which was circulated to all known retirees and whilst a number were not returned, I guess due to either changes of address or circumstances, a significant number were returned with the vast majority in favour of the idea. KARA subsequently started in 1993 with John Hart as President and Bob Smith as Chairman. Embroidery by Mrs M.J. Ludlow Please, please look out those Old Photographs & Documents... We need your help! We want more old and newer photographs. Can you help? If you have any photo's of stations, vehicles, ambulance related and especially of those of our ambulance service staff; plus any documents. Please rifle through your drawers, boxes in your attic, in the bottom of your wardrobe. If you find some we would be grateful for them or to copy them for KARA's Collection. We are especially in need of some photographs of Staff, Stations - events and Vehicles of Dartford, Northfleet and Maidstone Help us to save your history... Please contact any member of the committee if your search is fruitful. Thanks *Note. Two more envelopes full of photo's have been handed into Coxheath Reception for us - Thanks to the receptionists for looking out for us. Members Book an Archive for KARA Members John Wye January 2019 Members Book The Members Book is an archive register for members in which the members name, locations of service (abbreviated), length of service - year to year, membership year to year and current membership status is registered. Although we have filled in some of the 'blank spaces' in the book, some of the information in relation to our past members is still proving difficult to find. If you can help fill in the blanks, please let us know. Members Book - Part Two Personal Photo and Story Entry of a personal photograph and your story to fit on a A4 sheet. (Av. 500 words.) Suggestions as to what you may wish to include; where you were born, your childhood, your schooling, work or service before and after ambulance service, service highlights, after retirement, notable events, and don't forget to mention your partner. To date I am still working on previous member stories as there has been little response from current members. If your not keen on giving us your story at least make sure we have a photo or two of you in the archive. A copy of the latest edition of the 'Members Book' is available to view at Social Meetings. If it is not out on the tables - please ask if you wish to view.

KARA Photo gallery * Hover over photograph for description. Click on to view enlarged & move on left < and right >.