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Thirteen of the 14 Best for Bearsted candidates were voted on to the


parish council on May 7, alongside longserving members PatMarshall and Richard Ash (pictured below)


Marshall Meet your parish councillors


THE new chairman of Bearsted Parish Council is Fiona Redman. Fiona has 20 years’ senior man- agement experience, latterly with the NHS, and believes she can con- tribute business, governance and relationship-building skills, along with a fresh approach to the issues affecting the community. She said: "I’m committed to a


parish which is good for families, good for business and good for liv- ing. As a resident and mum of pri- mary school children, I relish being part of the local community.” Vice-chairman is Richard Camp.


He moved from London to Bearsted nine years ago and now joins dozens of others on the daily commute. As a parent, his priorities include


good schools, safe spaces for chil- dren and adults to play or relax, and the sense of community en- gendered by events such as the classic car show and the Music on the Green. Deputy vice-chairman is Dan Conner. He works in IT for the Ministry of Justice in London and shares the angst of those who have to use Southeastern trains on a daily basis. Married with two daughters,


who attend Thurnham School, he is keen to represent families in the vil- lage.


Richard Ash has lived in Bearsted since 1974, been a gover- nor at Roseacre Junior and Madg- inford Infant schools and is a governor at Madginford Primary School. A former bell ringer at Holy


Cross Church, he has been treas- urer of the Bearsted Scout Group, a member of Bearsted Woodland Trust and the local history society.


He is also a trustee of the Madginford Community Hall. He has been a Maid- stone coun- cillor since 1992 and was mayor in 2008-2009.


Geoff Bennett works as trade


and commercial manager for a local glazing company. He has lived in the village for seven years and is a member of the Bearsted and Thurnham Club, the local golf club and chairman of the tennis club.


Suzanne Camp designed the plaque on the green in commemo- ration of the diamond jubilee under the name Suzanne Norfolk. She also refurbished the picture of cricketer Alfred Mynn on the vil- lage sign and created the sign at Roseacre school. She works from home as a por-


trait artist and wants Bearsted to maintain its community feeling and be a place where everyone can benefit from good local amenities. Kenneth Cox, an IT specialist,


has lived in Bearsted for 10 years and is a family man with two young children who attend pre- school in the village. He said: “I want to ensure my children continue to grow up in a villagewe can all be proud of." Graham Farrow is a retired fire


officer who now runs his own busi- ness. He enjoys cooking, travel and sport. He has lived in Bearsted with


wife Helen for 12 years and is now the proud dad of two pugs. He said: “I believe that Bearsted


This page is sponsored and edited by:


Bearsted Parish Council www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk


24 Maidstone East June 2015


has a special community which de- serves to be protected and main- tained for everyone.” Helen Farrow, Graham’s wife,


had a long career in dentistry in London and now runs her own wedding cake business. She enjoys walking the dogs, going to the gym and gardening. Helena Goodwin has been a Bearsted resident for more than 20 years. She is married, with two chil- dren who were brought up in the village and are now at university. After 35 years in marketing, she


runs her own business and is an ac- tive member of Bearsted Tennis Club. She said: “I care strongly about the village and its commu- nity, which has played a major part in our lives.” Fabienne Hughes was born in France and arrived in Bearsted 23 years ago. She is married to Jon and they have two children, now aged 19 and 16. She said: “Having been brought


up in a close-knit community, I tried to give my children the same environment – local nursery, local schools, local football club, tennis club, dancing at the WI hall and learning to ride a bike on the Green which, to me, is Bearsted’s heart.” Jon Hughes has raised two chil-


dren in Bearsted, and encountered problems that affect everyone, in- cluding the lack of school places, planning issues, litter, traffic and the state of the roads. A former parish councillor, he


believes the new group could help to address some of these core is- sues. Pat Marshall has more than 40


years’ service on the parish council andwas its first lady chairman. She represented Bearsted on Maidstone


Council for more than 20 years and was mayor in 2002/3. She was the first occupant of Madginford estate when she moved to the village in 1965 and was a founder member of the resi- dents’ association and campaigner for the community hall. Pat has organised the Bearsted


and Thurnham Carnival and Fayre, held each year since the Queen’s silver jubilee, which raises thou- sands of pounds for charity and vil- lage amenities. She has been a governor of Madginford Infant and Junior schools for more than 30 years and was awarded the MBE for services to the community in Maidstone in 2006.


Tony Ryan, a keen cook, spent 20


years in catering and hospitality and is now a director of an events management company. He has lived in Bearsted for 12


years, loves the village and is a committee member of the Bearsted and Thurnham Club. He enjoys sport but says these


days it is mostlywatching, not par- ticipating. Paul Young is a former chairman


of the parish council. He has lived in Bearsted for 10 years and is mar- ried with two daughters, who at- tend Roseacre Junior and Invicta Grammar schools. He works as an account manager


for an IT outsourcing company managing investment and retail banking clients. He said: “Iwant to ensure all sec-


tions of the local community are represented by the parish council. I want to improve communications, monitor over-development and put in place a long-term council plan that benefits the whole community.


Council Office: Madginford Hall, Bearsted Telephone: E-Mail:


01622 630165 Chairman:


clerk@bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk Fiona Redman


MEETINGS HELD SECOND TUESDAYOFMONTH (7.30PM) AND THE PUBLIC IS VERY WELCOME


Pat


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