Volunteers win funding for three years
VOLUNTEERS who meet and greet visitors to the town centre Gateway are to stay, thanks to a further three years’ funding from the lottery fund. The future of the Gateway vol- unteers hung in the balance after news that the current lot- tery funding, amounting to some £60,000, was due to run out in February 2014. However, following a joint ap- proach to the Big Lottery Reach- ing Communities fund by Maidstone Council and Volun- tary Action Maidstone, funding will continue for three years. There have been 53 Gateway volunteers in Maidstone since the scheme began in September 2010. They come from a variety of backgrounds and have very
Car wash approved A FORMER builder’s yard at Malling Road, Snodland, will be transformed into a multi-bay car wash. Tonbridge and Malling Council granted per- mission for the development at the site on the corner of Hallow Lane.
Tortoise stolen A PET tortoise was taken from a brick pen in the garden of a property in Old Road, East Peckham, between 1.30pm and 6:10pm on Friday, June 7.
Gateway volunteers have won funding for another three years
diverse skills and abilities. However, they share a desire
to improve their skills, gain con- fidence and help others. Volunteers all have some form
of extra support need, find other volunteering difficult to access or could be feeling isolated or socially excluded. Project worker Rachel Cop- pins said: “We help volunteers
FITNESS fans at Kings Hillwill have the chance to work out at any time of the day or night fol- lowing planning approval for a new 24-hour gym. Tonbridge and Malling Council
has given the go-ahead for the fa- cility, which will be run by Infin- ity Fitness UK in a vacant office unit at 10 Kings HillAvenue. The new gym, which will be accessed with a personal PIN number outside standard open- ing times, is a few plots away
learn first aid, customer care, sign language and get them in- volved in educational classes. This has really brought volun- teers into the community, in a similar way to the Gamesmak- ers at the Olympic Games.” The volunteers help the coun-
cil’s frontline customer services team, keeping the queue to the desk at a minimum, advising
24-hour gym gets the go-ahead
from the David Lloyd high-end leisure club. David Lloyd objected to the
rival proposal, citing the potential impact on highways and parking and raising concerns about the loss of a potential business and employment space. LibertyPropertyTrustappliedfor
the changeofuse of thebuilding in January, saying the gym would focus on “value for money” and would therefore not detract from theDavid Lloyd fitness centre.
visitors of waiting times, help- ing people use payment kiosks and computers and generally creating a welcoming environ- ment for customers. Liz Tredget, volunteer centre manager, said: “Not only do the volunteers get a tremendous amount from this opportunity, including work placements and training opportunities, the council staff have commented on their improved ability to un- derstand their customers.” Laura Mason, Maidstone Gateway team manager said: “The scheme has been hugely beneficial to the community. It teaches us all that whatever challenges an individual may have, they still have skills that can support others.”
Cannabis seized AROUND 100 cannabis plants were seized by police who raided a property in Watering- bury.
Officers went to the property
in Bow Road on Friday, June 14, after obtaining a war- rant. A 49-year-old man from Maidstone was arrested on sus- picion of producing a con- trolled drug.He has been bailed until September 6 pending fur- ther enquiries.
18 Malling
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