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People power to save youth centres


SWADELANDS school could be a key player in the future of Maidstone’s youth facilities under KCC proposals to “get more services for less money”. The county has pledged that Lenham, Shepway and Park Wood will feature prominently in future plans. Teenagers pro- duced a 400-name petition cam- paigning against the closure of Lenham Youth Centre, based at Swadelands. However, schools that accom- modate a new group of “youth tutors” will have to share the cost of their services, the Maid- stone Locality Board was told, causing opposition members to argue the county had merely paid lip service to the public consultation process. KCC hopes to save almost


£1m on youth services by de- volving responsibility to com- munities. Maidstone will have


Locality board meetings open to public THE new locality board for Maidstone had been due to meet in private to discuss proposed cuts to the youth budget. However, Cllr Ian Chittenden (LibDem) tackled leaders of both


KCC and Maidstone Borough Council and argued that the meeting should be open to the public, in the interest of “open government”. Cllr Chittenden successfully argued that therewas a strong case


for the March 14 meeting being held in public, given the large amount of public interest shown in the 900 responses received from the public consultation. The Locality Board comprises nine representatives from each


of the county and borough councils, as well as from the police, fire service, local businesses, parish councils and the NHS.


just £138,000 a year to hire local providers to deliver youth serv- ices across the whole borough. Schools that accommodate


youth tutors would be expected to contribute 40% towards their cost, the board was told, al- though schools could share the same tutor to reduce costs. Other ideas, yet to be decided, include setting up fleets of pool


The Savage family - from left, Emma, Annie, Becky, Elliot and Guy –with the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Rev Trevor Willmott


Village church ‘alive and kicking’


THE recent baptism and confirmation service at Holy Cross Church, Bearsted,provedtobeareal familyoccasion–in all sensesof theword. The church was packed for the service, conducted by the Bishop of


Dover, The Rt Rev Trevor Willmott, duringwhich three families and one couplewere either baptised or confirmed, or both. Rev John Corbyn, Vicar of Holy Cross, said: “This service and the num-


berof candidates showthatHolyCross isagrowing and thriving church. “It shows just how wrong are themerchants of gloom when they try


andwritethe obituaryof the Churchof England–theChurchofEngland is alive and kicking and living in Bearsted!” During the service, only one childwas baptised. However, therewere


10teenagers and adults baptised and confirmed,12teenagers and13 adults were confirmed and one adult was received into the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church.


River Len nature reserve designation


OUR report on the new outdoor gym at MallardsWay, Downswood, incorrectly stated that recognition was being sought for the open space as a nature reserve. In fact, the nature reserve designation is for a stretch of the River Len that runs along pedestrianised Old Spot Lane, coming from the direction of Mote Park. We also published an incorrect figure for Downswood’s parish precept for 2012/13. It should have been reported as £23,500 but contained an extra digit.


THE work of a Hollingbourne artist whose creativity has sprung from battling a lifetime of illness is to go on show at the Graham Clarke Gallery at Maid- stone’s Hazlitt Arts Centre. Former Maidstone Grammar School student Rupert O’Nion was a gifted musician before being struck down with a rare condition. Now largely house- bound, he has turned his bed- room at his parents’ home near


30 East


cars or minibuses to help teenagers in rural areas get to youth clubs and facilities, shar- ing existing buildings and run- ning mobile youth clubs. KCC will continue to operate


the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, provide outdoor pur- suits activities and training op- portunities and monitor quality control, but most youth services


will be outsourced from January. County Council leader Paul


Carter told the group said: “There are all kinds of exciting opportunities open to us. We have the potential to deliver a better service with less money.” In Maidstone, the InfoZone


Youth Centre in Palace Avenue has been earmarked as a hub for running services in the area, working in conjunction with the Switch Cafe in the town. Sport, art and culture could


allbecombinedaspartofthe offering, said KCC’s head of in- tegrated youth services Nigel Baker. He added: “Maidstone has made it clear where its pri- orities lie. It is for this board to take it forward and agree how the services should now be commissioned.” A focus group has been set up


and its recommendations will be reported to the Locality Board.


Residents fight to get open space made village green


RESIDENTS in Senacre are fighting to get a green parcel of public open space designated as a village green. The land, behind numbers 57–


71 inWoolley Road, forms a nat- ural buffer between the residential area and possible de- velopment land between Will- ington Street and Otham. It is used by families for pic-


nics and as a play area, al- though play equipment on hardstanding lay derelict and the playground is defunct. Terry Huckstepp, who has


lived inWoolley Road since the houses were built 42 years ago, has already succeeded in get- ting a tree preservation order on an oak tree which sits in the middle of the land. He is now collating a resi-


dents’ petition, alongwithward Cllr Bob Hinder, to get the field, along with the neighbouring woodland, listed as a vil- lage green. There was a public outcry several years ago when so- cial housing provider Gold- ing Homes an- nounced it


Hollingbourne into a studio, from where he produces mod- ern art and sculpture. Rupert (30), who used to play piano, guitar and cello and also sings, won a place at the Royal College of Music. However, he had always suf-


fered from bouts of sickness, which grew more frequent with the stress of studying. A keen artist, Rupert quit music for art college in Devon, ,


wanted to build more bunga- lows for the elderly on the land. A deed of settlement has now


been removed and the land once more belongs to Maid- stone Borough Council. Cllr Hinder said: “Village


green status would protect this important piece of land for the benefit of the residents for all time.” A public meeting will takes


place at the Reculver Walk Day Centre at 7.30pm on Wednes- day, April 11 to explain the im- portance of the application. Mr Huckstepp said: “The council’s parks’ department have already said they are in favour of this application and the council is responsible for cutting the grass. A couple of benches is all that would be re- quired to make this a lovely green for the community.”


Cllr Bob Hinder, with Terry and Jan Huckstepp on the land they want designated as a village green


Artist draws on life as work goes on show


leaving after two years with an HND. He was in his mid-20s when the illness got worse. Following a year of tests, Ru-


pert was diagnosed with fi- bromyalgia and the chronic fatigue syndrome ME. Rupert once more turned his attention to art, the results of which form this month’s exhi- bition, which can be seen from April 2 to April 28,Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5.30pm.


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