News


downsmail.co.uk Money heads list of concerns


FINANCIAL issues continue to dominate the list of problems for Maidstone residents who seek help from Citizens Advice Bureau.


Advice on benefits and tax cred-


its topped the list of enquiries in 2014/15, with 25% of clients need- ing help in this area, with a further 19% needing advice on dealing with debt.


Employment (12%), housing


(11%) and relationships and family (9%) followed. The bureau dealt with 7,300


clients during the year, creating a total of 24,893 points of contact, of which almost half (46%) were face to face appointments and 25% tele- phone calls. The bureau secured £300,681 for


its clients and had a further £334,319 in debts written off. Almost all clients (95%) were


Apple pie quiz


for Mencap MAIDSTONE Mencap members will be holding their annual apple pie quiz on Saturday, November 14 at Cobtree Hall, School Lane (off Willington Street), Maidstone. The event takes its name froma


tradition that the quizmaster asks for a slice of apple pie and cream as his fee, and the sweet is also provided to participants. Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm


and tickets are £6 each which in- cludes the apple pie. Teams are of six to eight people. Contact Rita on 07790 643218.


Church concert


A CHRISTMAS concert at Ul- combe church will raise funds for work to take the church off English Heritage’s “at risk” register. TheUKPaper Band will perform


from 7pm on Saturday, November 14, in aid of The Friends of Ul- combe Church, which aims to raise £170,000 to restore the church roof. Tickets are £10 from Molly Poul-


ter on 01622 842988 or Rosemary Davis on 01622 844485.


happy with the service they re- ceived and the main cause of criti- cism was long waiting times for advice.


Addressing the annual meeting, chairman Sir Michael Buckley said: “To some extent, they are the in- evitable consequence of the time re- quired to explore the problems of clients and to give them full advice. “I am proud that the bureau has


gone from strength to strength in the difficult financial climate of the past few years, but very conscious that the credit for this rests with the staff and management and my fel- low trustees.” The bureau has 31 paid staff and 76 volunteers, but is always looking


to recruit more. Chief executive Bonny Malhotra


said: “I never cease to be surprised by the level of commitment given by our volunteers in Maidstone. Colleagues, both paid and unpaid, are this organisation’s powerhouse and events bear witness to the fact that even under extreme pressures we have continued to provide an excellent service.” He said the bureau had suffered


from austerity – cuts in local au- thority funding and funding for do- mestic abuse, along with support from the legal aid agency and other small funding streams – but a num- ber of new opportunities had opened up.


Head moves to support school facing inspection


THE principal of Holmesdale Techology College, Snodland, has been seconded to Swadelands School, Lenham for six months. Julia Camp-


bell will work with the senior team at the sec- ondary school as it prepares for an Ofsted inspection. With Mrs Campbell as head, Holmes-


dalewas awarded a grade 2 at its in- spection last year and rated “good” in all categories. The Ofsted report praised her for being “relentless in her successful drive to improve teaching and raise standards”. Swadelandswas last inspected by


Ofsted in 2012 when the 706-pupil school, headed by Richard Badde- ley,was rated as good overall. In a letter to Holmesdale parents,


Mrs Campbell, previously head of school at Astor ofHever, Maidstone, said: “The local authority is increas-


ingly looking at leadership capacity in schools to identify existing lead- ers to support schools that might be struggling. “The local authority has looked at


the structure within our Malling Holmesdale Federation and isaware that at principal level, due to the ex- istence of the executive principal, there is capacity. “They have identified a particular


school in need of support and given the nature of the issues within the school and my skillset and experi- ence they have requested that I go to work in the school.” Holmesdale’s executive principal


Patrick Hannaway, who will take over the head teacher role in Mrs Campbell’s absence, said: “The school needed a package of support. They are getting ready for Ofsted and Mrs Campbell is very skilled and experienced.” A KCC spokesman said Mrs Campbell (pictured) was being sec- onded to Swadelands until Easter, adding: “She will be working with the senior management team.”


Operating from its base in Bower


Terrace and at Maidstone Gateway, advisers now help those migrating from benefits to Universal Credit. It has also become the delivery centre for PensionWise in Kent and Med- way. Mr Malhotra said: “Often pro-


viding a bespoke service at both venues has been difficult to man- age but volunteers rally to our cry of help and give us additional days above their duty days.” The bureau provides outreach services at Parkwood, Marden and Headcorn as well as home visits and also provides an advice service in Maidstone jail for prisoners, their families and prison staff.


Town centre


road changes WORK is to start on improving traffic flows in the centre of Maid- stone.


Preliminary work for the Bridges Gyratory Improvement Scheme (BGIS) will get underway in the new year, with construction work starting in May, 2016. The £5.74m scheme will see the construction of two northbound lanes on the east side of the river, which will allow traffic heading north towards the M20 to avoid having to cross both bridges. The scheme is expected to in-


crease the capacity of the junction by 10-20% at peak times. The granite paving of the Lower


High Street is to be extended at its junction with Bishop’sWay to cre- ate a pedestrian-friendly street scene with improved crossing points. The Maidstone Joint Transport-


ation Board asked project manager Russell Boorman to consider the creation of a dedicated cycle lane on St Peters Bridge and to ensure that flood prevention measures were put in place.


PCSOs rewarded for bravery in gun incident


TWO community support officers who seized a firearm from a man in Headcornwere among 60 police of- ficers, civilian staff and members of the public to receive awards at the West Division area commander’s ceremony. Maidstone PCSOs Dave Rowley


and John Boyd wrestled the gun from the 64-year-old man, who had reported nuisance youths near his home. They are pictured with mayor Cllr Daniel Moriarty. Two officers who discovered a cannabis farm in EastPeckhamwere


40


also recognised. Sergeant Joe Breen and PC James O’Gorman seized cannabis worth £50,000 and arrested the man re- sponsible in October 2014. Offender David Hill, who later admitted the


Maidstone East November 2015


farm yielded about £100,000 a year, was jailed for three years. Also honouredwas detention offi-


cer Danielle Finlay, based at Maid- stone police station, who was recognised for her outstanding ob- servation skills after finding a quan- tity of the class A drug fentanyl hidden in a secret pocket within a newspaper, which a woman had tried to smuggle in while visiting a detainee. Victoria Hicks (38), of Sunningdale


Court, Maidstone, was jailed for 21 months after admitting possessing a


classAdrug with intent to supply. West Division commander Chief Superintendent Steve Corbishley said: “Kent Police officers are called to difficult and potentially danger- ous situations every day, and risk their own safety to protect the pub- lic.


“It is right they get the recognition


they deserve, and I amvery proud of everything they do. I would also like to congratulate those members of the public who showed tremendous courage in difficult situations, whose awards are alsowell-deserved.”


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