Cost of dying to rise in Maidstone
THEcost of dying will go up in Maidstone – for the second year in suc- cession. But the county town still claims to offer good value as a place to be cremated or buried. The cost of a burial plot in the Sutton Road cemetery is set to rise
from £625 to £700 – anincrease of12%– while theprice of a burial plot for ashes is to go up by 23%, from £325 to £400. However, the town has been applauded for recent environmentally friendly initiatives, such as replacing three small incinerators with two larger ones and reducing mercury emissions. Proposals included in Maidstone Council’s budget for 2012 mean that from April it will cost residents almost 54%more to bury a loved one’s ashes in the town– ris- ing from £130 at present to £200, while it will cost £500 for the burial of an adult (an increase of 7.53%) and £250 to bury a child aged five – 15 (an increase of 21.95%). There is no charge for burying a child up to the age of five. The cost of a cremation is to rise by £20 - just over4%-with the £270 Saturday supplement rising by 3.7% to £280. The cost of cremating a
Funding for South
East organisations ONE of Kent’s youngest parish coun- cillors, Sam Lain (18) from Staple- hurst, has launched a social enterprise fund to support community groups in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Sam,who was co-opted to the parish council in May last year, and lives in Offens Drive, works as the central busi- ness support administrator in the prin- cipal’s office at K College, Tonbridge. AsMDof Kent’s Talent, he has run a county-wide talent contest for the past four years, which has raised almost £5,000 for cancer charities. Sam was a winner of the Kent Try
Angle award in 2007, 2009 and 2010 for service to the community. Now he and his volunteers have set
up the new social enterprise ‘Lain & Rose’ – a business venture which he hopeswill benefit local areas through a community foundation to provide fund- ing for local groups and organisations. A launch event was held on Febru-
ary 1 at K College, when details of the scheme were unveiled. Samantha King, executive director for operations, said: “The new model for the company brings a real benefit to the community and supports many areas.”
Historic house proposal A PLAN has been submitted for a two-storey rear extension to Mere- worth House, in Lees Road, Ladding- ford, after a previous application, for a single- storey extension,was turned down because the proposed flat roof was out of character with its Grade II listed status.
Trees could be felled A PLANNING application has been submitted to remove a protected holly and lime tree from Linton Park, Heath Road, Linton. Maidstone Council will decide on the proposal.
Headcorn MOT plan A PLAN to convert an oast house at Great Tong Farm, Great Tong, Head- corn, into anMOTtesting station, has been submitted. Maidstone Sports Cars’Andrew Marsh, says none of the land is part of an agricultural holding.
Pub gets shelter PLANNING consent was granted for an open-sided shelter to be built next to the car park entrance of The Crown and Horseshoes pub in Sut- ton Road, Langley.
child under 16 rises by just under4%to £106. The council’s head of finance, Paul Riley, said that the fees and charges were still on a par with other areas in the South East. A scale of charges, which covers everything from maintaining the cemetery and graveyard, to use of the chapel organ and the provision of plaques, is designed to raise an extra £50,000 during the year. The proposed increaseswill go before the council for approval at the
end of February. In the meantime, KCC has made it easier for local people to register
a birth or death, offering the service at 24 local libraries and five Gate- ways in Kent. In Maidstone, the service has transferred from the Archbishop’s
Palace to the Maidstone Gateway, King Street, and Maidstone Library, St Faith’s Street. Appointments can be booked online at
www.kent.gov.uk/registration or on 08458 247 400. The main register offices will still be available for registering mar-
riages, civil partnerships, legal preliminaries (notice), providing a na- tionality checking service, settlement checking service, and ceremonies.
Nominate your unsung heroes
WHO are the Stars of Maidstone working tire- lessly and selflessly in our town?Are there peo- ple or organisations you believe should be thanked for making a difference to you and/or theMaidstone community? It could be the organisation who helped in your time of need, such asaspecificwardinMaidstone Hospital, or the local newsagent who consistently brightens up your day, or a neighbour who helps to make your community a special place to live. You can nominate people you consider wor-
thy of an award for any of the 15 categories listed (right). A shortlist will be submitted to
the Celebrate Maidstone judging panel, from which the winners will be chosen and invited to receive an award at the Stars of Maidstone event held at the Mercure Hotel on Friday,May 11 Keypeoplefromanumberof organisations that contribute to Maidstone’s wellbeing and pros- perity will be invited to attend alongside the winners and their
families. The event also offers an evening of en- tertainment and a three-coursemeal. Vote now for free at www.celebratemaid-
stone.org.uk and earn the chance to win one of two pairs of tickets up for grabs for the event.
Lifetime achievement award ONE of Dave Kings’s first Maidstone-based community endeav- ours was when he and his wife began leading the youth group at Shepway Free Church in the 1970s. However, it was his decision to give up paid work to become a volunteer that made it possible for him to change people’s lives. Dave started small by befriending families and people in need. From there, Dave has founded a huge range of community- minded initiatives including the Oasis Community Cafe, the Shepway Christian Advice Centre and, perhaps most notably, KingsReach Services, which he established with his son Stew- art. The service offers educational facilities in Kings Reach Schools for teenage boys and girls who have been excluded from local secondary schools. Beacon Furniture, a service that collects unwanted furniture
Celebrate Maidstone chairman Neil Pattison and Dan Maudhub ofWonderful Creative Industry, present Dave King (centre) with his lifetine achievement award
and redistributes it to families in need, also comprises part of Dave’s work, as does the Ark Project, which offers a place in Hollingbourne where children enjoy quality time away from often difficult environments. Son Stewart said: “Wherever you go, at whatever time, there
will be someone who waves, chats or hugs him. It truly is amazing and Idon’t think you can number the individuals and families he has impacted and supported over the past 25 years.” Dave said: “My biggest desire is to see communities and families move out of poverty and for people with little hope to go on to lead a fulfilled and worthwhile life.” Dave was awarded the MBE in 1999 for services to young people.
Send in your photos and videos
YOUcan also share your experience of living in Maidstone by filming a 30-second clip of you and at least two other people at your favourite place in and around the town. Also, send in your best pictures of the town and they, as well as videos,will be showcased on the Celebrate Maidstone site.
The categories
Star postie – delivering post to your home or office Star lollypop person – serving the community in any weather Star bus driver – helping us get where we need to go Star shopkeeper – someonewho has helped you from behind the counter Star resident – a community member looking out for others Star volunteer – a helper in the voluntary sector who made a dif- ference in your life Care sector: star courage – a per- son who has helped others in the face of their own personal suffer- ing Emergency services/NHS –a specific incident where the police, ambulance, fire service or NHS has helped you Star investor in the next genera- tion – a person or organisation that has paved the way for the benefit of the next generation Business contribution – a busi- ness that has helped the commu- nity Arts contribution – a theatre, dance studio, gallery or art college that has made Maidstone a better place to live Maidstone Borough Council –a person or section of the council that has helped you Schools and colleges – a teacher or staff member who has inspired you Retail endurance – the longest- running business in town
Anyone wanting to be a partner through advertising, sponsorship or other support can send an email to: joinin@celebratemaid-
stone.org.uk
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