News


News


Mosque scheme delays overmajorgroundwork


X Factor date


X FACTOR star Louisa Johnson has been lined-up to headline the Big Day Out to be held in Maid- stone in July. The singer, best known for the hit


THE completion date for amajor new mosque has been pushed back as builderswrestlewith the extensive groundworks. Soil testing andpiling have taken


Best Behaviour, will take the stage at Mote Park on July 1. She announced the gig on Twit-


longer than anticipated, Imam Dr Muhammad Usmani told Downs Mail. With the old mosque in Mote


Road, Maidstone, now levelled, the congregation is hiring a hall in ParkWood for Friday Prayers. “It is aworry that the 2,000Mus-


ter, saying: “Big news! I’ll be head- lining the @BigDayOutUK Festival in Maidstone this July! Can’t wait to see you all there.” Also on the bill are Diversity,


who won Britain’s Got Talent, and girl band Atomic Kitten, who have Kerry Katona in their line-up. Louisa (19) won the X Factor in


2015, after singing with mentor Rita Ora in the final.


lims in Maidstone borough don’t have a permanent mosque at the moment,” said Dr Usmani. “I’ve not done anything like this before and the builders, who have, seem confident. It is such an important project that I’d rather they take their time and get it right.” When completed, the mosque


(or Masjid) will be able to accom- modate 800people inprayer at any one time. It will have three class- rooms or meeting rooms, three prayer halls, amulti-purpose hall,


Assault case A MAIDSTONE woman has been charged with wounding after an al- leged stabbing in Shepway. Nicola Goslitski (40), of Sutton


Road,was arrested after policewere called to a report of an assault in Westmorland Road on Sunday, April 30. Officerswere told that two women had made theirway to hos- pital with arm injuries. They are be- lieved to have known the suspect. Goslitski has been charged with


two counts of wounding with in- tent and one of possessing a knife in a public place.


THE PRINCESS Royal received a warm welcome from charity vol- unteers when she visited the Save The Children shop in Maidstone. Acrowd of onlookerswaited out-


side the store in Union Street to see Princess Anne. She was greeted by dignitaries including the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Derek Butler, the charity’s retail manager Cheryl Adams and voluntary shop leader, Karen Elphick, before going inside to meet shop workers. The Princess, who has been presi-


dent of the charity since the 1970s, spoke of her appreciation of the con- tribution the shop makes to the work of the charity at home and abroad. She also presented certificates to Dennis Foad, Brenda Harris and Sylvia Thomas in honour of their long service to the charity. Seven-year-old Daisy, the daugh-


library and two shops that will help theMasjid fund itselfwithout relying totally on donations. The scale of the groundworks


ter of shop volunteer LoraMaxwell, presented the Princess Anne with a posy and a card she had made. The card had a picture of a horse be- cause Daisy had researched on the internet and found that the Princess


has been prompted by the scheme’s architects,who are creat- ing new basement facilities rather than building upwards, which they believewouldmake the com- plex too imposing on the neigh- bourhood. The centre’s frontage in Mote


Road, they say, has also been de- signedto be sympathetic in style to


Dr Usmani and left, an artist’s impression of the newmosque


The Princess Royal is greeted by Cheryl Adams, the mayor and Karen Elphick


existing buildings in the area. DrUsmani sayshe isdetermined


loved animals. Among the dozens of onlookers


the facilities will serve as a com- munity aswell as an Islamic centre. “Itwill be amulti-purpose build-


who watched the Princess depart was 88-year-old BettyWarren who hadwaited for nearly an hour to see her andwas given a chair and a cup of tea outside the shop. The charity shop opened in Union


Street in 1980 when the building was bought for £12,000. Thirty- seven years later, its success contin- ues, with the volunteers having


ing to serve the whole commu- nity,” he said. “We will have a library, public meeting space and will make provision to feed the homeless.” Work was due to be finished by


April, but Dr Usmani now antici- pates completion of theMasjidwill be towards the end of next year.


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Princess Royal meets charity shop workers


downsmail.co.uk CQC’s praise


for care home A CARE home in Maidstone has been rated ‘good’ following an unannouncedinspectionbytheCare QualityCommission.. The PilgrimsWayCareHome of-


fers residentialcareandnursingsup- port for up to 76 elderly people in BowerMountRoad. At thetimeof inspectiononeof the


operation’s twobuildingswasunder refurbishment andonlyonewas oc- cupied,with 43people. The report noted residents re-


raised £40,000 for the charity last year.


ceived care promoting safety,while recognising their rights and choices. Peoplewere protected fromthe risk of infection; staffwere hiredwith all the necessary checks; medicines were administered as prescribed by their doctor and the environment and equipment were well main- tained. People’s care and nursing needs


More donations and customers


are alwayswelcome at the tiny shop which is packed with goods ranging from clothing, children’s items, kitchen ware and a collector’s cor- ner. There is also a “wanted board” for people who are looking for something in particular and the vol- unteers will keep an eye out for them.


were assessedprior tothemmoving inandcarewasprovidedbytrained nurses and care staff who worked with health professionals to main- tain consistent service. The inspector also had praise for


kitchen staff for ensuring residents had a variety of food choices.


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