Grants for six community projects


SIX community projects have been awarded funding from Maidstone council’s Pride in Maidstone fund. The £70,000 fund, which was awarded in


two rounds, was launched by the council to help build strong communities, tackle disadvantage and increase employment opportunities in the borough. The Pride in Maidstone panel, which


wasmade up of borough councillors, coun- cil officers and a chamber of commerce representative, met in July to consider 38 applications. Members awarded a total of £32,793 to


the six projects that scored highest against the criteria of sustainability, value for money, impact on residents, alignment of outcomes withMaidstone council strategic outcomes, and whether the project filled a need that was not provided for elsewhere. The six successful projects were:


Peter Willson PETERWillson (75), who lived the final 12 years of his life in Bearsted, was well known lo- cally as the life president of Bearsted Woodland Trust (BWT), having been involved with the or- ganisation from the origi- nal purchase of land and beginning work in 2003. BWT deputy chair- man JonWaile said: “Peter had served the organisation as deputy chairman and vice pres- ident before becoming life pres- ident. He was a major force behind getting the project es- tablished and achieving the high rating in the recent Green Flag award for the quality of public spaces. He always gave his time and energy gladly.” Peter had previously lived in


Walderslade and Lordswood and spent his professional life working in the printing trade. With wife of 50 years, Val, he


raised children Spencer and Sally. Sally said: “My father loved gardening and bowls; he served Bearsted and Thurnham Bowls Club as president. He had a passion for the preservation of the environment, in particular BWT, and was always putting other people before himself. He was a lovely,warm, caring hus- band, father and grandfather.” Peter leaves his wife, children and granddaughter Sophia.


Lisa Arundel VILLAGERS at Ulcombe have paid tribute to mother-of-three Lisa Arundel who lost her bat- tle with cancer. Lisa was chairman of the Friends of Ulcombe School, or- ganising numerous events such as firework nights and fairs. She was also known for the wonderful cakes she provided to support village functions. Writing in the village


46 Town


 The Symbol Trust – The Hopshed (£11,315)  Crossroads CareWest Kent – Young Carers Sporting Challenge (£6,825)  BearstedWoodland Trust – Custodi- ans of Miss Pauline Moore’s Meadows (£4,500)  Maidstone Special Needs Support Service – M4S Create (£4,345)  Maidstone United Football Club – United for a Better Maidstone (£3,975)  Beanstalk – Confident and Literate Children in Maidstone (£1,833) The Symbol Trust is setting up and op-


erating three fully-inclusive theatre com- panies, one each for children (7-11), young people (11-16) and adults. These will en- sure that everyone in the area, regardless of special or additional needs, physical or learning disabilities, can access performing arts education and leisure opportunities.


We will remember


newsletter, Ulcombe school head teacher Vincent Hampton said: “Lisa truly loved village life in Ulcombe and thoroughly enjoyed taking an active part in the community. The contribu- tion shemade to the school and the village was incredible and immeasurable. “The gap will be left for all of


us, including staff, friends and neighbours. However, this will be far more so, of course, for her husband and their children, for whom Lisa remained an out- standing wife and mum.” Mr Hampton said: “They are


all very much in our thoughts and we wish them the greatest comfort in their sorrow.”


Derek Hayes DEREK Hayes (78) lived his whole life in Eccles, only leav- ing for na- tional service with the RAF; where he served as a dog handler. He worked


for Kimberly Clark as ama- chine opera- tor working in the fluff room where he got his nickname Fluffy. He retired in 1992, aged 58, after 35 years service with Kimberly Clark. Derekwas married to Dora for


55 years, and was father to Nigel, Michele andMark. Mark said: “My father was a helpful, honest and hard-work- ing family man. He was really involved with his children, grandchildren and great-grand- children. “In his younger days he en-


joyed playing football for Eccles and in the RAF, he was a centre half. He also loved gardening, working on his own garden and an allotment at Eccles.” Derek leaves his wife, chil-


dren, grandchildren Kade, Amelia, Dane, Jakob, Jordan


and Molly and great-grandchil- dren Summer, Max and Archie.


Tina Ruffle CHRISTINA “Tina” Ruffle (57), of Barming, lived locally for 17 years, after moving to the home where her husband Bob had lived all his life. Born Christina Perryman, she


had lived in Pembury, Lamber- hurst, Goudhurst and Hastings. Tina worked in shops and trained as a nurse before meet- ing Bob. She took a degree in nursing and worked in the Maidstone area in a care home before becoming a senior staff nurse at Maidstone Hospital, where she worked until her final illness. Bob Ruffle said: “Everyone


loved Tina. She was very cheer- ful and popular and managed to keep these qualities into her final illness. She was always strong and positive and was al- ways respectful to her patients. “Quite a few of her colleagues


are devastated; she was known to them as ‘Truffle’ and to some of the younger nurses as ‘Mum’.” Christina leaves her husband and her mother.


Joyce Payne MAIDSTONE Model Engineer- ing Society marked the life of Joyce Payne (90), who died ear- lier this year, with a Bank Holi- day Sunday devoted to coll- ecting fares and donations for the Heart of Kent Hospice. Joyce married Amos Payne


who was president of the society for many years and a life mem- ber of the society herself. She was involvedwith several charities, including MENCAP, and was a member of the WI. Joyce was born in Stone Street


and moved with Amos to the Shepway Estate. Shewas widowed in 1997, and


before she died she moved to northWales where she was cared for by daughter Julia.


The Young Carers Sporting Challenge Programme is for young carers to widen their horizons by discovering and devel- oping new interests and skills, including football, ice skating, trampolining and swimming. Miss PaulineMoore, who died in August


last year, had fiercely protected her land from developers for over 40 years. Now in the care of the Bearsted Woodland Trust, the funds will provide signs to help visi- tors make the most of her legacy. Using the money, M4S wants to offer


three 10-week blocks of creative arts activi- ties for up to 10 disabled children, while Beanstalk wants to train three reading helpers for children with literacy problems. Maidstone United Football Club plans to


work with young people and disadvan- taged groups to train them for work in a sports setting.


Gillian Metcalf THE death in a boating acci- dent in the Brazilian rainforest of


Gillian


Metcalf (50), of Plummer Lane, Tenter- den, made national head- lines.


Gillian was


a solicitor for 26 years who specialised in business and planning law and was focused mainly on affordable housing is- sues. She was a partner in the firm of Sharratts in London, and was educated at Guildford Col- lege of Law and the University of Birmingham. Married to Charles, and mother to daughters Alice and Natasha, Gillian was on a hotel boat with her family on Septem- ber 5 when that boat was in col- lision with another. She suffered serious head injuries from which she didn’t recover. The accident occurred during


a family holiday, described in some news coverage of the event as a “holiday of a lifetime.” Tributes have poured in from


friends and colleagues praising Gillian’s professionalism, her de- votion to her daughters and her many strong and positive per- sonal qualities. Colleagues at Sharratts have


talked about their devastation at the sudden loss. Gillian leaves her husband and daughters.


The Stone Shop Memorials. Any natural stone supplied, lettered and installed anywhere. Inscriptions added to existing memorials Renovations and memorial cleaning


The Stone Shop Station Hill, East Farleigh, Kent.


01622 726633 You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk


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