Author Profile

Lauren Abbott - labbott@thekmgroup.co.uk

Lauren Abbott was news editor of the Dartford and Gravesend Messenger series until 2011. She then took responsibility for the KM Group's My Kent Family website before also taking on the role of Trending Content Writer across the Iliffe Media group in 2021.

‘Banning smoking outside schools, hospitals or playgrounds is government interference at its worst’

05 November 2024

We mustn’t turn smokers into criminals trying to keep cigarettes from children, argues our columnist, who says adults have a right to make decisions.

‘They’ve got to step in - this is harming children’: Parents call for phone-free childhood

28 October 2024

Can children cope without a smartphone until age 14 or 16? Thousands of Kent parents think so and they’re on a mission to change things.

‘Up to £40 for a family ticket? When did swimming get so expensive?’

22 October 2024

Since when did swimming become so costly asks our columnist - who fears charges have turned it into a luxury outing and no longer a regular activity.

From chickens to children - what are the noises angering Kent’s neighbours?

21 October 2024

There were 9,000-plus noise complaints in Kent last year - but with children playing and babies crying among the gripes are we becoming less tolerant?

How to spot ‘very convincing’ parking scam circulating in Kent

18 October 2024

Police are warning people not to answer ‘very convincing’ parking fine messages circulating in Kent - but can you get your money back if caught out?

‘Stories of poor water quality have gone from a trickle to a flood but we’re no further forward’

08 October 2024

Water bills are to rise but £157m must be returned in rebates so is improving our waterways taking one step forward and two back asks our columnist?

Be Bright Be Seen: Free reflective keyrings and jackets to help keep children stay safe this winter

04 October 2024

We’re giving away thousands of reflective keyrings and high-vis jackets to help Medway’s school children remain visible in the darker days ahead.

Be Bright Be Seen: Free reflective keyrings to help keep children stay safe this winter

04 October 2024

We have thousands of reflector keyrings to give away to help Kent pupils remain visible during the darker days to come.

‘Why did Tory hopeful Kemi, with her £91k salary, attack maternity pay?’

01 October 2024

Why did an MP earning £91,000 a year attack maternity pay, ponders our columnist, but might it help those raising the next generation of taxpayers?

‘£1.65 for a first class stamp? I’ll grumble and yet I rarely send a letter’

24 September 2024

Rising prices and unreliable deliveries - our columnist asks if she’s any right to grumble about postal services or is she part of the problem?

‘Parents won’t follow the rules unless the punishment is enough to dissuade them’

23 September 2024

Close to 900 parents have received multiple fines for term-time holidays - will the new threat of prison or a £2,500 penalty tackle repeat offenders?

144

‘Why only London or Wales? Every primary school pupil should get lunch for free’

17 September 2024

Free lunches are being served in London’s primary schools for the second year running and our columnist believes it’s time this happened everywhere.

‘The winter fuel debate could save the country £1.2bn but will it leave MPs out in the cold?’

10 September 2024

People are watching which way MPs vote on winter fuel payments, believes our columnist, with debates rumbling as autumn’s first cold snap arrives.

113

‘They face every day with incredible bravery and unwavering courage’

07 September 2024

A young boy fundraising for memorial benches after losing his own brother suddenly just last year is among this year’s Children’s Awards winners.

‘Oasis’ dynamic pricing isn’t new - families face inflated holiday costs every August’

04 September 2024

Why the fuss about Oasis ticket prices, asks our columnist, who argues families needing August holidays have paid inflated prices for years.

‘I’m sick of celebrities queuing up to tell us how bad their exam results were’

20 August 2024

It’s exam results time and our columnist is getting irritated by the multi-millionaire celebrities lining up to tell students grades don’t matter.

100 possible ‘grey belt’ plots identified in Kent for housing

19 August 2024

There may be 100 likely sites of ‘grey belt’ land in Kent that could be suitable for housing development, suggests a report, but where are they?

127

‘Viral videos of solidarity since the riots remind us of the good that comes when we exercise our moral duty’

13 August 2024

From the imam offering chips to rioters to the ‘nans against Nazis’ our columnist has become entranced by online videos showing acts of solidarity.

‘Society prefers children who aren’t seen and not heard to those who play in our streets’

07 August 2024

‘Where are all the children?’ asks our columnist, who fears society is gradually waging a war on play that means fewer youngsters are on the streets.

Rural churches face ‘funding crisis’ in increasingly cashless society

04 August 2024

Rural churches reportedly face a funding crisis as fewer visitors carry cash, banks close and village internet struggles - can Kent’s parishes adapt?

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