News


downsmail.co.uk Benefits top residents’ concerns


ALMOST10,000 people with 41,000 enquiries sought help from Maidstone Citizens Advice Bureau in 2013/14.


The main issues related to bene-


fits (23%), relationship and family – primarily domestic violence – (15%), legal (14%), debt (13%), housing (13%) and employment (11%). The bureau, operating from


Bower Terrace, Maidstone Gateway and a monthly outreach service in Park Wood, Marden and Head- corn, succeeded in obtaining £154,706 for its clients while getting debts worth £116,780 written off. Atotal of 97% of clientswere sat-


isfied with the service – the other 3% did not respond. In his annual report, chairman Sir Michael Buckley said: “These are excellent figures and testimony to the hard work and skill of our staff, both paid and volunteer.” The bureau also offers home vis-


its to people who are ill or disabled. Maidstone CAB faced a signifi-


cant cut in its budget in 2013, due to changes in funding by the Legal Aid Agency. In 2012/13, 36% of the bureau’s income came from the agency, which reduced to just 7% in 2013/14. The largest single source of fund-


ing is still Maidstone Council, which contributed £200,693 to the bureau’s total funding of £561,080 in the year. Chief executive Bonny Malhotra


College looks


to the future FOLLOWING the death this sum- mer of Sue McLeod, principal of MidKent College, as the result of a brain tumour, the governing body has announced its leadership plans. Current acting principal Simon


Cook will continue in this role until the end of August 2015. Stephen Grix’s contract as part-time chief ex- ecutive and the college’s chief ac- countable officer will be extended to August 2016. It is planned to adver- tise for a permanent principal at Easter next year. Chair of governors Sheila Potipher


said: “With our highest-ever enrol- ments this September, we are look- ing forward to a bright positive year ahead for our students and staff.”


Pub scheme


APROPOSAL to turn a building on the site of The Victoria pub in East Farleigh into residential use has been withdrawn. The scheme involved converting


the Coach House, which is located to the rear of the pub, in Heath Road, into a two-bedroom home.


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told the annual meeting: “With all the changes within the benefits sys- tem, the withdrawal of legal aid and financial cutbacks, the work of the CAB has become even more complicated and competitive. “To attract addi-


BonnyMalhotra


tional funding we have to some ex- tent to re-invent and re-package a service that pre- dominantly exists to help those who


could not help themselves. “While our clients’ problems are becoming more complex and multi-faceted, providing a bespoke and holistic service is becoming more challenging.” During the year, volunteers for Maidstone CAB gave 47,556 hours of their time to the community. Technology has opened up a


whole new way of working for the bureau and, with the use of the iPad, partners and their clients are now able to receive “face-to-face” advice without having to travel to the bureau. The bureau is always keen to re-


cruit more volunteers and anyone interested should call Maria Mc- Farlane on 01622 750770 or email advice@maidstonecab.org.uk.


Advisers ‘making life safer in town’s prison’


INMATES at Maidstone Prison are being helped by a partnership be- tween the prison and the town’s Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Volunteers from the CAB visit


the prison – a hub for jailed foreign nationals – twice a week, offering advice to the inmates and staff. As well as sending prisoners


back into the community with a re- duced chance of re-offending, their advice is also helping to save lives. Speaking at the bureau’s annual meeting Martin Finnan, custodial manager for resettlement at HMP Maidstone, said inmates’ issues were the sameas those ofpeople on the “outside”, with fears about debt, housing and finances. Between the start of the scheme


on April 1 this year andAugust 31, prison outreach workers Jo Woolla- cott and Richard Pellant visited the prison 176 times. Prisoners had learned to trust the volunteers, and uptake had “gone through the roof”, said Mr Finnan. “This is because of the integrity of the CAB staff,” he said. “We could fill their day, five days aweek.”


Flower festival boosts appeal for homeless


FLORAL displays depicting the many and varied aspects of Kent lifewere on display at St Peter and St Paul Church, East Sutton, during their hugely successful flower festival. Local landmarks, tourist attractions and community groups


were represented in awide range of creative and colourful displays depicting life in the Garden of England, including one by Janet Moore, which focused on the plight of the region’s homeless and the work of Maidstone Christian Care. The display included almost 200 cans of food whichwere


donated following the festival to the Maidstone Day Centre in Knightrider Street. Mike FitzGerald, chairman of Homeless Care, visited the


festival to thank Janet for her hardwork and the support of all those who contributed to the can collection. Janet is pictured with her display and Mr FitzGerald.


Worker cut from machinery


EMERGENCY crews had to cut a man free after he became trapped in machinery at work in Laddingford. Police, the air ambulance and fire crewswere called to the Wood-


falls Business Centre in GravellyWays, where firemen spent more than two hours releasing the man. He was flown by air ambulance to King’s College Hospital in London for treatment to serious chest and stomach injuries, which were not thought to be life-threatening. It is believed the business made kitchen units. The health and safety executivewas investigating.


Maidstone South November 2014 Pavilion plan


PLANNING permission was granted for a replacement playing field pavilion in Hunton. Maidstone Council gave the


green light for a new timber build- ing at the King George V Playing Fields in West Street on condition that it is only used for activities as- sociated with the playing field and local community events.


Maidstone Prison houses in-


mates from 39 countries and Mr Finnan said 35 clients had between them debt totalling £250,000. He said: “They worry about the effect the debt has on their families. “TheCABcan bring trust and in- dependent advice to the table that we do not have. They are doing a vital job at Maidstone Prison, not just for the prisoners but also for the staff and society as a whole.” MrFinnan said theCABadvisors


were also instrumental in helping reduce incidents of self-harming. “Stress and a sense of worthless- ness can cause people to self-harm and even die,” he said. “CAB is helping to achieve a safer environ- ment by helping people to solve their problems.” Mrs Woollacott admitted the in- troduction to prison work had been “a culture shock” but said: “The problems are exactly the same.” The prison outreach service was


made possible by grant funding from the John Paul Getty 2 Foun- dation, supplemented by funding from the prison itself.


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