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Young visitors enjoying the Brick City exhibition at Maidstone Museum


Museum facing budget overspend


Continued from page one


heritage and leisure sector, the Vin- ter’s Park Crematorium also failed to achieve its income target in 2014/15. The council has been asked to find savings of £1.63m in 2016/17, of which the culture and heritage com- mittee has identified possible sav- ings of £210,000. The museum shop is also in the


red, but steps are being taken to rec- tify this, members were told, while Cobtree Golf Course, in which the council has a 2/9 interest, is also likely to make losses, given its poor summer performance. Losses of £36,856 at Mote Park


will be offset after April 2016 by the introduction of parking charges. Although figures indicate the her-


itage committee is on course to over- spend its budget of £540,120 by £100,328 in the current financial year, Mr Riley said: “Officers will


Text savings MAIDSTONE and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals’ outpatient booking teams have improved attendances through a patient text messaging reminder service, saving £50,000 a month.


Cancer delays CANCER treatment waiting times are deteriorating in West Kent with a swing from green to red ratings for the majority of in- dicators. TheWest Kent Clinical Commissioning Group has ap- pointed a commissioning man- ager to support hospitals.


Weighty cuts THE CCG is concerned about fi- nancial cuts made to healthy weight advice services for pa- tients and fears this will increase demand for bariatric surgery.


Death reviews THE CCG has reviewed 21 un- explained deaths and suicides over a year. Elevenwere suicides – seven hangings, two by over- doses and two hit by trains.


continue to control expenditure against budget to reduce the cur- rently predicted overspend.” He said actions already put in


placewere starting to show an effect and a further report would be pre- sented on proposals to resolve the pressures at the museum. Booking top touring exhibitions


such as Brick Citywas not a simple solution, said Dawn Hudd, head of commercial and economic develop- ment. She said popular exhibitions were expensive and carried a huge risk to the council. Therewere very few similar tour-


ing exhibitions which would draw similar numbers, although the offi- cers were constantly on the look- out, planning events two to three years ahead. Another problem was the size of


the museum, which could not ac- commodate many of the larger ex- hibitions, she said.


Edith concert THE heroic efforts of wartime nurse Edith Cavellwere honoured at the annual Concert of Remem- brance by Maidstone Wind Sym- phony. A plaque commemorating the nurse’s work on the frontline of Maidstone’s typhoid epidemic was on display for concert-goers as the borough marked the cente- nary of her death at the hands of German soldiers in 1915. This year’s concert, entitled “A


Little Prayer”, raised money for the Poppy Appeal. The pro- gramme featured both poignant and uplifting pieces. Maidstone Young Musician of


the Year George Harrington per- formed Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto in F Minor, while Lucy Crooks andWill Scott played A Little Prayer, Evelyn Glennie’s solo piece for marimba and electric guitar. A Little Prayer was the second concert in a season of musical sto- rytelling by MaidstoneWind Sym- phony, the reigning national wind band champions, conducted by Jonathan Crowhurst.


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Malling December 2015 5


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