News
Church needs more friends
Continued from page one improvements to the 12th century church will eventually dry up. Secretary PaulWallace said efforts
to find new blood in the form of a treasurer and a chair had been un- successful.Headded:“We normally have six or seven members but just in the last two years there’s been a gradual decline, sadly due to mem- bers being ill, passingaway, just get- ting too elderly to carry on.” TheVicar, the Rev DickVenn said
that the PCC (parochial church council) and the friends committee work together to maintain the church. “The friends were set up from the community not just churchgoers,” he said. “People from the community realise the impor- tance of the church for weddings, funerals and such but unfortunately it’s now a wider issue, people have less time to commit. There are groups doing well like Lenham but they were only set up last year so there’s great enthusiasm for fundraising.” The PCC pays for the day-to-day running and expenses and, along
with the parish wardens, is respon- sible for the church. RevVenn said the churchwas due
to be inspected this year: “Ifwe have an architect come up with a list of problems we are in trouble, as re- serves are down to £20,000.” In 2012 the friends gave the PCC £13,000 to help fund a new servery and glass entrance doors. “There are no outstanding issues
with the building at present, but it is an old building and inevitably prob- lems will arise,” Rev Venn said. With the friends’membership at
near crisis point, MrWallace said a merger with “active and successful friends groups” like Lenham and Ulcombe could be away forward.A meeting will be held on May 10 at 6pm in St John’s Church to discuss the future of the charity. On Sunday, March 23, the church
will launch TRIO, “The Responsibil- ity Is Ours” to raise awareness of their funding crisis. Anyone who is interested in joining the committee call either Paul Wallace on 01622 859693 or Stuart Bligh on 01622 850490.
Voices raised to help hospice
MAIDSTONE Riverside Rotary’s 100 Voices choir concert raised more than £2,000 for the Demelza children’s hospice. Club members were given a tour of the hospice, in Sittingbourne, which supports more than 800 families and gives respite care to children with life-threatening illnesses. Club presidentMike Springett said “We are delighted to be able to help
provide funds to enable the hospice to continue the amazing work it does.” He is pictured presenting a cheque for £2,100 to Hannah Shotton.
Stickers target empty homes
POLICE arewarning Bearsted resi- dents about a new burglary tech- nique being used in the area. Reports have been received of stickers or business cards being placed on doors or letterboxes ad- vertising a locksmith service. The sticker has a telephone num-
ber on it, but the number is not reg- istered. If the stickers are not removed, burglars presume the house is empty. Cllr Val Springett and her neigh-
bours in Roundwell discovered the cards on their doors, but fortu- nately, shewas aware of the scam. “Placing the cards gives burglars
the chance to ‘scout out’ the house but they say they are delivering ad- vertising if challenged,” she said. Police cracked a similar case in
Sevenoaks where the offender was leaving mud on doors to see if it was cleaned away. The offender was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.
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