downsmail.co.uk


Mela ‘to celebrate our shared British values’


APOPULARmulti-cultural festival is forging ahead with plans for a spectacular summer-time event in the town centre next month. The revamped Maidstone Com- munity Mela will take place in Whatman Park between 12.30pm and 6pm on Sunday, July 16. The Mela, which celebrates music,


dance and performance arts from across the world, has been staged in the borough since 2003 and is being organised by Cohesion Plus, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, local partners and volunteers. Cohesion Plus said 2017 is the first


year that Maidstone Borough Coun- cil will not be involved with the Mela, but “months of hard work and fundraising have paid off to enable the event to take place”. This year’s programme of per- formances includes The Emeralds Steel Band, Reel Eire Irish Dancing, Kitka Bulgarian Folk, Maidstone Nepalese Community, Four by Four Bhangra (pictured),Ed Sheeran trib- ute act Jack Shepherd and global Bhangra superstar Jassi Sidhu. Offstage there will be a range of


activities, including drumming workshops, face-painting, visual cre- ative arts workshops as well as a range of world foods. Gurvinder Sandher, artistic direc-


tor of Cohesion Plus of the Commu- nity Mela, said: “I am very proud of whatwe have been able to achieve to get the Mela to this stage. “I’ve been humbled by the sup-


port being provided by local com- munity groups and businesses for


which we are very grateful. Now I hope that residents will come out and support this important commu- nity event. In the aftermath of the terror attacks, it is vital that we do not allow extremists to cause divi- sion and tension in our community. “The whole ethos of the Mela is to


bring together the diverse commu- nities of the borough to celebrate our shared British values. It is important thatwe stand together as one.”


News Fatal accident


cyclist named A CYCLIST who died after being hit by a car near Ashford has been named as John Durey, from Maid- stone. Mr Durey suffered serious in-


juries in the crash on the A2070 at Kingsnorth on May 31. He was rushed to hospital in London, where he died on June 5. A white Mercedes A180, travel-


ling towards Hamstreet, was al- legedly overtaking a lorry when the accident happened. Mr Durey, who lived in Maid-


stone, was a member of the Velo Club in Deal. The club’s Facebook page re- ported: “It is with great regret the club announces the sad death of club member John Durey. “He died…from his injuries sus-


tained in the serious traffic collision on May 31. Our thoughts and con- dolences are with all his family.” Mr Durey was a former student


of Maidstone Technical High School. Police are appealing for wit-


nesses to the accident, in particular the driver of the lorry. Anyone with information is


asked to call the Serious Collision Incident Unit 01622 798538 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk, quot- ingAW/MS/117/17.


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