Traders’ deaf


facilities tested A MAIDSTONE woman’s cam- paign to assess the facilities available to people with a hear- ing loss inMaidstone town cen- tre businesses has produced disappointing results. Working with volunteers


from local deaf charity, HI KENT, Deborah Kapaj visited businesses in the town during Deaf AwarenessWeek. A total of 67% of the 97 busi- nesses surveyed were given a ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ rating, with only 40% having a hearing loop system and then only 25% of those having loops in working order or staff trained to use them.


Signs indicating that a hear-


ing loop was available were generally poor. However, staff were on the whole helpful and keen to see an improvement in what they offered customers with a hearing loss. HI KENT will be runningDeaf


Awareness sessions for only £20 per person on June 11 and 17, and also offering a British Sign Language basics course, all in central Maidstone. The charity will give advice and practical solutions to businesses to sup- ply and install the equipment necessary to improve communi- cation with their hearing-im- paired customers. John Clayton, HI KENT’S


Chief Executive said “HI KENT will continue to campaign to raise awareness of the needs of deaf and hard of hearing peo- ple. We are hoping that all Maidstone’s businesses will enrol at least one staff member on a Deaf Awareness or basic sign language course.”


Charity fun run MAIDSTONE’S 5km Big Fun Run takes place at Mote Park on Sunday, September 15. Participants will receive a charity running vest or T-shirt, and an information pack. There is also a two for one offer to en- courage participation. Everyone who runs on behalf


of MeningitisUKwill be part of the Meningitis Musketeers team with the motto – All 4 One and One 4 All. To sign up and receive a spon- sorship pack, or for more infor- mation, please call Emma King on 0117 303 3345 or email em- making@meningitisUk.org.


Duo in concert ANDREA and Friends, from Maidstone Operatic, will per- form at St Mary’s Church, Lenham, on Saturday, June 8. The classical music singers,


whotookpartinthe 2012 Lenham Family Festival, sing songs from the musicals from 7pm. Visitors are asked for a donation and proceeds will be shared between Cancer Re- search UK, DemelzaHouse and the Alzheimers Society.


24 Malling


Churchyard trees ‘cause distress’


A HOLLY and two cherry trees in St Mary’s churchyard, West Malling, face the axe as they are causing “pastoral distress” by damaging headstones and graves. The vicar, the Rev David Green, told Tonbridge and Malling Council that the work had been recommended as ur- gent, following a full survey of the churchyard and its 53 trees by consultants Down to Earth Ltd.


Until last summer, the self- seeded holly had foliage down to ground level and was cover- ing several plots, “causing pas- toral distress to the families concerned because of the way that the spiky holly leaves were covering graves and making tending those graves both diffi-


cult and painful,” said the vicar. Heavy pruning had revealed


to Down to Earth that the tree was affecting headstones nearby with one leaning at about 10 de- grees. The cherry trees had been planted “deliberately but per-


Sudden death of parish clerk


TRIBUTES have been paid to Aylesford parish clerk Andrew Flindell, who died suddenly on his 60th birthday. A statement from the parish council said: “It is with great sadness that Aylesford Parish Council has to report the death of its clerk, Andrew Flindell. “An approachable and effec-


tive clerk, he will be sorely missed, both professionally and


personally by the council.” Mr Flindell, a former White-


hall policy adviser, died at his Gravesend home onMay 3. He joined the parish council in May 2005, following a 31-year career in the civil service. MP Tracey Crouch said he


had been very helpful and his deathwas a great loss toAyles- ford. “My thoughts are with his wife and family,” she said.


Editor gives Downs Mail talk


DOWNS Mail editor Stephen Eighteenwas one of the guest speakers at the latest Maidstone Older Person’s Forum. Stephen (pictured) spoke


about the history of the newspaper and said the forum was an appropriate place to discuss Downs Mail, as it was founded 16 years ago by Dennis Fowle, who began the publication on his retirement. Stephen also discussed


his background in journal- ism, the media in general and invited questions from the 120 attendees at the event, at the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone. Other speakers included


Andy Birket from Voluntary Action Within Kent (VAWK), and Sue Thistlethwaite, Stella TesterandSueJacobs on behalf of Parkinsons UK.


Scout appeal MEREWORTH and Kings Hill Scout Group is on the lookout for more leaders so that it can expand. The group is so successful


that it is over-subscribed across all age groups – Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Ex- plorers – from six to 18 years. With just six more adult leaders, it could take more than 50 children off the wait- ing list. For more details, contact gsl@mkhscouts.org.uk


Home sales up HOUSE sales at Kings Hill are at their highest for seven years, according to Kings Hill New Homes. The marketing forum says in


the first three months of 2013, 28 new properties were sold, com- pared to 25 in 2007, the year be- fore the economic downturn. Liberty’s managing director Andrew Blevins said the 2013 performance so far was 65% ahead of the same time last year and double that of the first quarter of 2011.


haps unwisely”, said the vicar, around 25 years ago by the Malling Society in memory of someone whose daughter was now in her 70s and a regular member of the church. The trees were too close to- gether for healthy growth and the root systems were lifting nearby headstones, with one leaning at about 12.5 degrees. The survey had been dis- cussed with the family, the parish council and borough tree officer Liz Guthrie, and all were content for thework to proceed. Mr Green said it was hoped to


plant trees in more suitable areas of the churchyard with a healthy management plan, adding: “I suspect that ‘little at- tention often’ would yield a bet- ter way for all concerned.”


New building


for hospital A NEW building has been pro- posed to house a discharge unit at the front of Maidstone Hos- pital, in Hermitage Lane. A planning application re- quests a modular building to ease transport flow and speed up the process of patient dis- charge. A supporting statement said:


“The proposed site is located at the front of the hospital and will be placed adjacent to the now redundant helicopter pad and the Accident and Emer- gency department. “The unit will be connected


to the hospital via existing dou- ble doors in the main corridor running north/south on the ground floor, and iswithin easy reach of the main wards, stairs and lifts giving access to the first floor. “The external appearance of


the unitwill be similar to those buildings adjacent – white pro- filedmetal sheeting with a con- trasting band, complete with flashings and trims all fixed di- rectly to the modular con- structed building.” Maidstone Council will deter- mine the planning application.


Village fete date RYARSH villagers have chosen Help for Heroes and Crossroads Care as the charities they wish to support at their annual fete. The event at the recreation ground from 1-5pm on June 29, will also raise funds for the vil- lage hall. As well as all the traditional


fun of a village fete, therewill be soccer skills, a balloon race, and dance and music performances, with the afternoon jollied along by Miki the clown. An auction of prizes will in-


clude a football outing to the Gallagher box at the Maidstone stadium, BUPA health screen- ing, a chef’s knife set and brunch at the Swan inWest Malling.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk


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