ITV Local teams up with Kent Community Foundation

Getting new content for ITV Local is always exciting especially when it means you have a new media partnership in place.

We have been in talks with Kent Community Foundation for a few weeks and have now set up a special ITV Local channel dedicated to their work in the local community.

Based in Ashford, Kent Community Foundation is a charitable foundation set up to encourage philanthropy for the benefit of the people of Kent. Their concept is simple; they provide the means for individuals and organisations to establish their own charitable ‘funds’ which benefit local people.

I have been filming with some of these organisations in order to launch the channel and have met many fantastic people over the last few weeks.

Here are some examples of projects that Kent Community Foundation has funded in the past. Click the title to watch the video.


Invicta Valiants, Ashford
Ward and Partners helped fund the Invicta Valiants football team for disabled children. The FA and Kent FA have now formed a county junior disability league and cup that included the Invicta Valiants team.



Unit 1 Skate Park, Rochester
Sport Relief sponsored Unit 1 to help re-open the park. The money is also being used to create new spaces within it for the young to meet in a positive and social environment. Meet the team of volunteers and skaters here.


Dover Youth Theatre
The Local Network Fund gave money to Dover’s first youth theatre to help fund theatrical performances. The Dover Youth Theatre advances the education of young people in the art of drama, theatre, films, music song and dance.


For more about Kent Community Foundation visit their dedicated channel.

Also – if you have been helped by the foundation or just want to share your story visit YourNews to upload to ITV Local.

The road to the Beijing Olympics

With only five months until the 2008 Olympics the South’s top athletes are training hard for medals in Beijing.

You can catch up with the best in our dedicated Olympic channel as our sports gurus travel the region to meet local athletes.

Here are some highlights:

Sailing’s Ben Ainslie, winner of two Olympic gold medals and five world championship titles, sets sail for Beijing.

Aldershot plays host to the GB Synchronised Swimming team as they plan for their first Olympic games.

Steve Scott from Battle is ranked 7th in the world in his Olympic sport double trap. Its clay pigeon shooting on a much larger scale - each clay is travelling at 90 miles an hour.

You can meet more British athletes in the Road to the Beijing Olympics.

Plus want to upload your own sporting skills? GrassRoots Sport is for you…

Lights Out on Brighton Pier

Meridian's live camera had a spectacular view today. First we witnessed the buffeting waves crashing against Brighton pier in the wildest storm so far this winter.

Then at about 6pm, the lights went out on the pier altogether in what looked like a power cut!

See what the view's doing right now at http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/live/

ITV Local hits the road!

We'd like to welcome the ITV Local locomotives to all the regional teams as of today! These beauties (albeit beasts) will now help us get from place to place whilst promoting our fantastic sites on the side of the cars.

Top Gear have described the cars as having "striking looks from the outside, simple within. Sort of like a weather girl. We like the bravery of the design, but aren't quite brave enough to go out and buy a Roomster".

Interesting.... well at least the weather part fits in quite well...