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downsmail.co.uk Museum hours to be reduced
Maintaining the building and keeping tabs on the 600,000 exhibits means the museum needs to close on at least one day aweek. After the summer season, it is
MAIDSTONE Museum has become a victim of its own success, forcing it to close on Mondays. The new opening hourswere ap-
closed on Sundays in 2016, al- though Maidstone Council leader Cllr FranWilson is vehemently op- posed to this. The museum is currently open
likely the museum and art gallery in St Faith’s Street, will not be open to the public on Mondays – al- though it will still be available for school groups and children’s par- ties, as before. This will also mean the visitor in- formation centre being closed, al- though the service will still be available by phone and email. Low Sunday visitor numbers could also see the doors being
Chance to
expand skills PEOPLE of retirement age can learn new skills and information in a friendly environment with no exams at the end. Asecond University of the Third
Age (U3A) group has been set up in the Maidstone area to ease a large waiting list at the original group. Maidstone Invicta U3A will serve the areas on the edge of the town including Staplehurst, Harriet- sham, Barming and Aylesford. U3A is a national organisation
with more than 800 groups across the country. Members organise opportunities
for fellow members to learn about and experience different things with subjects as varied as art ap- preciation, languages, music, his- tory, life sciences, philosophy, computing, crafts, photography and walking. There are no qualifi- cations at the end – the emphasis is on learning for fun. For more information call David Hoxey on 01622 630799.
from noon to 4pm on Sundays from Easter to the end of Septem- ber, and it will remain open seven days aweek this summer. Monday closing would result in
small financial savings as no front of house staff would be required, but the main benefit would be be- hind the scenes, according to Dawn Hudd, the council’s director of re- generation and communities. She said: “Running a complex
operation which combines an Eliz- abethan manor house with a con- temporary extension, a collection of over 600,000 objects and 70,000 vis- itors per year, requires dedicated downtime to change over exhibi- tions, maintain fixed exhibits, carry out audits, conduct maintenance and repairs to the building and other essential works.” She said that failure to close the museum to the general public on Mondays would seriously affect the council’s ability to maintain the building and collection – and this could put its accreditation with Arts Council England in jeopardy.
proved by former cabinet member Cllr Malcolm Greer. However, the council’s culture and leisure de- partment has taken the decision not to introduce the new hours until later in the year. In the meantime, research is to be carried out with current and poten- tial users to see what the impact of Sunday closing could be. CllrWilson said that while itwas important for staff to keep on top of preparation work, hence the need for a Monday closure, she was not happy at the suggestion the facility be closed on Sundays.
Pupils’ recipes help hospice
DOZENS of budding young chefs from Maidstone and the surround- ing area have had their recipes in- cluded in a charity cook book. Entries chosen for The Children’s
Choice Cook Book include recipes from primary school pupils from 41 Kent schools, including Loose, St John’s at Grove Green, Staplehurst, Allington and Barming. Recipes including Barnaby Williams’ Healthy Nachos were on show to classmates when the book was launched at Loose Primary School. The Contract Dining Company,
which caters for schools and ran the competition, has had 5,000 copies of the book printed. These will be on sale for £1, in a bid to raise £5,000 for Demelza Hospice Care for Chil- dren. Pupils whose recipeswere included
in the book, including Hayley Buckle, fromAllington Primary School, Emily Moreton, from St John’s and Jas- mine Ayres, fromBarming school, re- ceived a certificate and a goody bag.
Pupils who had recipes published in the cook book received certificates Contract Dining Company opera-
tions director Tracey Spellman said: “It has taken about six months from beginning to end, but it was great fun. We are really pleased with the book – it’s stunning.” Demelza’s community fundraiser
Leila Ilkhan said: “We cannot say thank you enough to all the very tal- ented schoolchildren who put for- ward their delicious recipe ideas.
Friends’ gift of chair to hospital
A SPECIALIST chair to aid the re- covery of those in intensive care in Maidstone has been bought by the hospital’s League of Friends. The chair, which cost £3,740, will
allow those with severe weakness to sit up and get out of bed and oth- ers to enjoy time outside. The chair also works to strengthen patients’ posture and muscle activity and stimulates the respiratory muscles of those who have been on a ventilator. Claire Chalklin, clinical specialist respiratory physiotherapist, said: “We are extremely grateful to both Maidstone’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for working with physiother- apy to source this fantastic chair, and recognising the need, and to
32 Maidstone South July 2015
League chairman Joyce Langton, ICU sister Alison Crayford, ICU nurse Ligia Ro- drigues, Claire Chalklin and the league’s Graham Neads check out the new chair
the League of Friends for their con- tinued support and generosity. “This chair will be of enormous benefit to some of our weakest pa- tients – it will allow them more freedom aswell as helping them to progress with their recovery.” Joyce Langton, chairman for the
Maidstone Hospital League of Friends, said: “The chair is fantas- tic and we can see first-hand how much of a help it will be to our in- tensive care patients and staff. “We are delighted to have joined
forces with the ICU to buy this piece of equipment.”
“The book looks absolutely bril-
liant and we’re so grateful to every- one who worked so hard to make this happen – we can’t wait to start trying all the meals. The money this book will raise will make a real dif- ference to our children and families.” Anyone who would like to buy a
copy of the book should contact Emma Grove at the hospice on 01795 845270.
Charitywalk
THE Weald of Kent Rotary Club raised £15,500 for Cancer Research UK in its 30th North DownsWalk. More than 400 walkers took part
in the annual walk, which starts and finishes at HarrietshamVillage Hall and takeswalkers through the beautiful North Downs. The walk, sponsored by Maid- stone-based Family Funeral Serv- ice, was also used by groups of Air Training Cadets, Scouts, cheerlead- ers and other individuals to raise money for their own causes. In the 30 years thewalk has raised
more than £475,000 for national and local charities, including about £250,000 for Cancer Research UK.
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