Town Talk Blue Badge plea for cemetery
A PETITION has been organised to ask Snodland Town Council to allow Blue Badge holders unlim- ited access to the town cemetery. Town councillor Paul Hickmott
said the council banned all vehi- cles last year when it provided a car park for visitors. The action was taken because of damage caused to kerb stones and headstones by careless drivers. Mr Hickmott (right) said: “I be-
came aware that there should be exceptions when a resident with cancer and not very mobile was going to be excluded from his neighbour's funeral at the ceme- tery.
“This person was allowed to fol-
low the funeral procession after I asked for dispensation to allow him to attend.”
Celebration for
twin towns SNODLAND Twinning Association is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its relationship with Moyeuvre- Grande, in north east France. Veronica Tipp, secretary of the association, said the towns were twinned in October 1986. An an- nual visit takes place between them with each country visiting on alternate years. She said: "Joining us this year
will be six students from Holmes- dale and the head of languages at the school. They will spend a day at a school in Moyeuvre and hopefully make links with students there. "The people of Moyeuvre are
very welcoming and friendly. Any- one interested in joining the twin- ning association and meeting some of them can contact me on 01634 240598." The Snodland Partnership has
given £500 towards the cost of the pupils’ trip.
Paul said that since then he had
been asked by several residents if something could be done to allow Blue Badge holders access. He added: “The petition is circu-
lating and will be presented to the town council asking for an exemp-
tion for Blue Badge holders to gain access to the cemetery." Karen Sowten, the council's chief executive officer, said there had been growing concerns about the number of vehicles using the cemetery. Damage to graves and kerb- stones was very distressing to rel- atives of the deceased. She said: "The unwelcome in- crease in cars using the pathway around the cemetery creates a loss of dignity and serenity. "There have been occasions
when visitors have been unaware they are intruding on a funeral service when driving beside a graveside with mourners attend- ing."
The car park is open from 8am- 4pm, October 1 to March 31 and
Local news for Snodland and Halling
A Downs Mail supplement produced in conjunction with the Snodland Chamber of Commerce.
8am-9pm April 1 to September 30. Disabled parking is available in
the cemetery in an area at the back of the chapel. Vehicles should not be driven around the perimeter road. Access is by RADAR key. Trolleys have been provided for visitors who need to carry heavy items; there is a wheelchair for vis- itors with walking difficulties. Benches are available at regular points and staff are available to as- sist during office hours. Karen said: "This decision has
been a matter for discussion at a number of council meetings and has not been taken lightly. The council has also received compli- ments from visitors who are hap- pier with the new system as it makes for a safer and more peace- ful environment."
Club meets to Pupils’ book week adventure
CHILDREN at the Church of England Primary School, Snod- land celebrated BookWeek with the theme of movies and adven- ture.
The children were asked to de-
sign and build dens where they could have a quiet space to read for enjoyment. They were invited back after school to read, tell and share stories in their dens. Teacher Ashley Bentley ex- plained: "Pupils planned, wrote and acted out a part of the
S Educational Nursery
school story. Their work was made into a film which was shared with them at the end of the week." Other activities included learn-
ing and performing a poem, writ- ing poems, planning and animating stories. "The children also got to dress
up as their favourite character from an adventure story," Mrs Bentley added. “We also raised more than £800 towards new books for the children."
offer support THE first meeting of Open Door proved to be a huge success. The club meets between 10am and noon on the first Monday of the month at Christ Church Hall, Malling Road, Snodland. Alison Tompsett of Roberts Road, Snodland explained: "OpenDoor is an outreach programme to provide space for people to come for a chat over refreshments. "Where necessary we direct peo-
ple to where they might find the help they are looking for, such as a food bank, local clubs and serv- ices. We are looking to tap into local groups and resources, such as Citizens’ Advice, Pilsdon etc so that we can direct people in the best way possible. "It is a church-run project for the community." Alison said the aim is to get peo-
ple together, support those who are lonely and help sort out other is- sues.
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