News


News


hras loauanched a nd dreainage MAIDSTONE Borough Council


ure and its green spaces.


encourage and look after nature. seActivities range from nurturitnghe a large green space, creatingponds plitting the


oups, schools and businesses to spokesman said:


County


KCC is responsible for 250,000 ate wildlife corridors throughout our borough tohelpnature thrive.”


AMAIDSTONE choirmaster is of- fering parishioners the chance to get qualificationswhile they sing. Andrew Williamson, of All


Voice for Life KCC cabinet member for high-


team will now increase to 12 with or planting boxes, to lsitter picking or creating your own bug hotel. Aspokesman sa d: “We can cre- roads de drains, 250 ponds and la- goons, 25 pumping s ations and 8,500 soakaways to keep surface water off our roads to maintain safe driving conditions.


ven engineers originally; two team leaders


workload east andwest.”


Saints,wantsmembers of the con- gregation to enrol in NVQ-style training and assessment courses at theMill Street church. Choristers andwould-be choris-


ways,CllrMikeWhiting, said: “By increasing the number of drainage engineers we will be better re- sourced to respond to residents re- porting faults and to deal with emergencywork.” He saidmaintenance of roadside


ters can sign up forVoice for Life – a series of qualifications endorsed by the Royal School of Church Music. For details, email office.all- saintsmaidstone@gmail.com


drains takes place every year, while those in areas vulnerable to flooding are cleaned every six months. Report road flooding at www.Kent.gov.uk.


“There were w initiative, Go


MBCwa ts to provid informa- tfivedistrictdepots,withthe central thub inAshford.helps grA


The engineers will operate from on, contacts, advice and inspira- ion which Kent


individuals, Council


Going greehn Parish’s historic debt newly-planted trees


GreenGoWild,which is d signed tackle roadside drainage issues in


FIVEnewjobshave beencreatedto o connect the communitywith na- tKent.


CHURCH leaders have written off aMaidstoneparish’shistorical debt to the tune of £160,000. TheDiocese ofCanterbury broke


the news to the churches of All Saints, St Philip and St Stephen at the end of lastmonth. The announcementwasmade by


Bishop of Dover, the Right Rev TrevorWillmott,whowas in town on January 27 to lead services. Parishpriest, theRev IanParrish,


said: “This came totally out of the blue and is great news.” The parish went into the red


YOUNGSTERS had the oppor- tunity to get involved in a proj- ect


to plant a wood in


Maidstone, but much of the work was undone when a dirt- biker rode over the saplings. More than 60 pupils from the


Oaks Academy had joined the community effort to plant the trees at Mangravet Recreation Ground. The area’s borough councillors


years ago when it was unable to raise sufficient funds to meet the diocese’s expectations. Today, despite bucking the na-


tional trend of declining congrega- tions, and pioneering outreach work withMaidstone schools and charities, the parish has needed to work flat-out to pay the bills. Parish treasurerLionelMarchant


toldDownsMail: “Allparishespay money into the diocese to keep it


workedwithMaidstone Borough Council’s parks team to source the trees and get the project off the ground. Liberal Democrat Cllr Brian


Clark (pictured) welcomed the community support to protect the “important green wedge of land” and wildlife corridor. But he ended up having to re-


plant 50 of the saplings after a thoughtless vandal rode amotor- cycle through the patch of ground. Donations of trees came from


ticking over. This is known as the Parish Share. “Anumber of years agowewere


not able to pay the total Parish Share and we went into debt with the diocese. Since then, we’ve not only been paying our Parish Share in full, butwe’ve also been paying a bitmore to settle our debt. “The diocese looked at what we


were trying to do to get rid of this debt and decided towrite it off.” The Parish Share, which is used


theKentMen of the Trees charity, and 800 whips from an energy company. Cllr Clark and his council col-


leaguesDerekMortimer and Paul Wilby topped up the money for the planting scheme from their own budgets. Nicola Toulson, MBC’s officer


More staff for Bike vandal damages wri�en offby iocese


downsmail.co.uk downsmail.co.uk


for parks, said: “We were really happy to help SouthWard coun- cillors with their project. They worked hard to secure donations of the trees and even harder when digging the frozen ground for them to be planted. The new trees will enhance Mangravet and, hopefully, give the children who got involved an invested in- terest in their local park.” Cllr Wilby added: “We all


to pay for clergy, ministry and charitywork, is just one in a series of costs faced by the three Maid- stone and Tovil churches. Medieval All Saints, a Grade I


serve as trustees at Hayle Park Nature reserve and have a keen interest in protecting our open spaces. “It was rewarding to see how


The Right Rev Trevor Willmott, Bishop of Dover with the Reverend Ian Parrish and treasurer Lionel Marchant


listed building in Mill Street, spends £8,000 a year on heating bills alone. This level of cost has prompted parishes across the country to question the viability of relying on grants, legacies and the collection tray to guarantee the up- keep of these ancient buildings.


A personal service at a time of loss


Michael Lawrence, and his son Robert along with Kim and Angela, team


are behind


the a


family-owned funeral service that has been helping families across the Maidstone area for 40 years.


With offices in Bearsted and Barming, Family Funeral Service is a third generation business, experienced in caring for your needs with commitment and understanding.


At such a stressful time, they know it’s important to sit and talk to you about every detail and to assist you in making the often


4 Cavendish Way,


Ashford Road, Bearsted, Maidstone ME15 8 PW


01622 260200 12 Maidstone March 2019


difficult decisions about how best to remember a loved one and to meet their personal wishes. With so many years’ experience, Family Funeral Service has learned how to respond to the


specific and different needs of every


individual facing one of the toughest times in their life. This personalised approach includes the option of home visits and access to a friendly voice at the end of the phone around the clock, as well as personal support to clients through the bereavement process.


Michael Lawrence said: "The loss of a loved one is never easy to cope with, and the added stress of making arrangements for the service can often bring further emotional upset. With our experience of making funeral arrangements we have learned how to help families have and be part of a unique and meaningful service that


Find us at: Marlborough Parade,


6 Beverley Road, Barming Maidstone ME16 9JN


01622 260210


Funeral Planner Of The Year 2018 South East London Region Winner


celebrates life.


"Our approach is simple. We sit with you in our office or your home, taking you slowly and methodically through the various decisions that you will face and the options available to you. Sometimes, it’s just good to sit and talk, and to learn about the


services and venues


available from someone with experience and compassion before making a decision.”


much the children enjoyedwork- ing on this project.” The recreation ground – or part


of it – is being considered for a possible sell-off or housing rede- velopment by Liberal Democrat- led MBC, despite being a strategically important play area (SIPA), according to paperwork seen by DownsMail.


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