News
Churches join to increase
congregation THE creation of a new Team Min- istry, serving a dozen churches along the PilgrimsWay, looks set to win favour. The re-organisation – merging
the parishes of Hollingbourne, Hucking, Boxley, Thurnham, Detling, Leeds, Broomfield, Grove Green, Kingswood, Langley and Otham – has won the backing of all the Parochial Church Councils (PCC) affected. The new “super benefice” or
Team Ministry would operate under a Team Rector – currently Rev John Corbyn, at Holy Cross, Bearsted – with a Team Vicar, Rev Steve Hughes, in Otham; a new Mission post reaching out to fami- lies on new estates and a second Team Vicar at Hollingbourne vic- arage. The official name of the Team Ministry, the Hollingbourne va- cancy and the Mission post will be progressed now the public consul- tation has closed. It follows discussions that began
nearly two years ago in light of va- cancies and how the church should respond to falling and aging con- gregations – a decision described by Rural Dean Rev DickVenn as an “inspiration from God”. He said: “It hasn’t been an easy decision. Every PCC has had to look quite carefully and hard about the way forward and this is what wewant to do. “It is important for the Church to
look at its mission work and to strike the balance between catering for our existing congregations and reaching out to new people, or the Church will cease to exist.” Rev Venn, who retires as vicar of
the Len Valley Benefice in Septem- ber, has urged the church to start advertising his post now, to ensure the congregation isn’t left without a vicar for any length of time and to ensure his success in increasing at- tendance can be built on.
downsmail.co.uk
Report praises AgeUK for ‘first class’ service
AGE UK Maidstone was given a glowing report on its staff and care but has been told by a healthwatchdog that it must improve its admin. The charity’s Mill Street branch,
which provides bathing and foot- care services for more than 400 older people, received an unan- nounced two-day inspection in June from Care Quality Commis- sion (CQC) inspectors. Their report praised the service
for being effective, caring and re- sponsive, but made recommenda- tions following issues on safety and leadership. Recruitment files did not contain required information and there had not been regular criminal record checks. Some staff had worked for the charity for more than 10 years without being re-assessed. The CQC also said individuals’
care needs should be reviewed more regularly and reviews sought on the service. Fire risk assessments were overdue and the new man- ager had taken up the post earlier this year, but had not yet registered
and “gold stars”. About 80 people use the bathing service and 340 are helped by the foot care service. The report said: “Staff were trained and supported to have the right skills, knowledge and qualifications necessary to give people the right support. Everyone we spoke with said the staff, whether they were using the foot care or bathing service, respected their privacy and dignity.” Paul Coles, chief executive ofAge
Paul Coles of Age UK,Maidstone
with the CQC. However, the inspectors praised
the care provided, reporting that people they interviewed said the staff were well trained and knew what they were doing. One person described the service as “first class”
UKMaidstone, said the charitywas working to update its admin pro- cedures. He said: “We have a very long-serving and stable staff. Some have been with us for 20 years.We are pleased that the CQC did such a detailed inspection of our service because it enables us to learn from that and ensure thatwe are provid- ing the best service to our clients. “If any of our clients are worried, they can ring and talk to our staff.”
Transport festival a hit with visitors
HUNDREDS turned out to enjoy the sun and the displays at Laddingford Transport Festival. It is the sixth year the event has
been staged at The Chequers pub, and landlady Tracey Leaver said it was the best yet. “We had amodel T Ford, tractors,
racing minis and some really popular exhibits.” Children were able to sail boats
around amake-shift lake, created by Capstan Model Boat Club; Laddingford local Roger Manklow brought along his engines and organiser Terry Heaslip kept the kids amused with his model trains.
Exam results pride for new head
RICHARD Owen (47) is the new head teacher at Maidstone’s Maplesden Noakes School. He was thrust into the driver’s
seat just days after taking up the post, as students received their exam results. Mr Owen was previously deputy head at the Great Buck- land school for the last 11 years. He has been married for 23 years
and his wife is a deputy head teacher in a primary school. The holder of a BEd (Hons) and
an MEd, MrOwen said hewas ex- tremely proud of his students’ A- level and GCSE results.
26 Malling September 2016 He added: “Maplesden Noakes Richard Owen
has always been about giving our students the confidence to be the best. Our exam re- sults are the best high school re- sults in the area and I want stu- dents and parents to know that they can trust us to give their chil- dren a fantastic start in life.
“I am proud of our reputation
for outstanding academic stan- dards and pastoral support.
“As head teacher of Maplesden Noakes School my message is simple – I know that every indi- vidual can aspire to be the best if they are motivated by self-belief. “Our support systems at Maplesden have an outstanding reputation because our expertise lies in building self-confidence and never giving up on our stu- dents. We believe in every indi- vidual and we believe in our community. “Every year, the success of our students, whatever their back- ground, shows that at Maplesden Noakes, everything is possible.”
Plan withdrawn
LOOSE Parish Council has with- drawn its proposal for a long- awaited community centre. The council sought approval for
the £1m scheme from Maidstone Council but after some residents ob- jected, it decided to drop it pending further discussions. Designs for the two-storey exten-
sion to the King George V Pavilion included a 200-seat hall, sports facil- ities, meeting rooms and a lounge. However, residents inWalnut Tree
Lane complained about increased noise, disturbance, traffic, parking problems, the scale of thenewbuild- ing and the loss of green space.
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