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News Grandads rowto newrecord


TWOArmy veterans have broken aworld record by becoming the oldest pair to complete a row across theAtlantic.


The epic challengewas part of a


fundraising campaign for Ayles- ford’s Royal British Legion Indus- tries (RBLI). Dubbed the Grandads of theAt-


lantic, former paratroopers Neil Young and PeterKetley,who have a combined age of 123, completed the TaliskerWhiskyAtlantic Chal- lenge in 63 days and 22minutes. The pair had no rowing experi-


ence prior to their year-long train- ing regime, and set off on their 3,000-mile nautical journey from the Canary Islands to Antigua, in the Caribbean, inDecember. The friends of more than 40


years, whose tours of duty in- cluded the Falklands, have raised more than £30,000 for worthy causes. These include the RBLI, which this year celebrates 100 years of support for veterans and the disabled.


Neil Young and Peter Ketley rowed across the Atlantic in 63 days Peter said: “The challenge was


an incredibly difficult, but ulti- mately rewarding experience. Therewere challenging times bat- tling headwinds, significantwaves


and sore bodies, but knowing we were helping people in desperate need of support certainly perked us up at the lowpoints.” Neil added: “We’re incredibly


proud to be able to play a role in supporting RBLI in what is the most important year in their his- tory, and we very much look for- ward to seeing how they will improve the lives of the Armed Forces veterans with the funds raised.” Lisa Farmer, from RBLI, said:


“We’ve followed their monumen- tal journey and we’re very proud to have themamong our support- ers. “Breaking theworld record and


raising such a substantial amount is testament to their unwavering bravery and support for their fel- lowveterans. “We verymuch look forward to


welcoming themto ourAylesford village on their return to theUK.” To support the “Grandads”,


visit: http://Tinyurl.com/grandad- satlantic.


Football call Cricket training for youngsters


LEYBOURNE Football Club is on the hunt forplayers andvolunteers to coach and support them. The club, formed in 1987, pro-


vides training sessions for all ages and abilities, with teams compet- ing in several local leagues. The club is organised and man-


aged by local people on a volun- tary basis. Coaches attend the Football Association safeguarding childrenworkshops, have FAqual- ifications, are trained in first aid and have criminal records checks. For details contactNeilHarrison at neil.harrison60@hotmail.com.


Juice harvest


PARISHIONERS in Birling are en- joying the fruits of their labour after joining forces with Lamber- hurst juicemakers,Owlet. Villagerswith fruit trees in their


gardens were urged to contribute their harvest to a “Birling Blend” juice. The first batch is now avail- able to parishioners for tasting.


Warden role


WATERINGBURY Parish Council is looking to hire a villagewarden. The role is for 12 hours a week


and duties include patrols of areas owned by the parish. For details contact the clerk at clerk@water- ingburypc.org.uk or call 01622 817068 byApril 1.


YOUNG sportsmen and women with an interest in cricket have a chance to join exclusive training sessions. The Tonbridge and Malling


YoungLeaders inCricket course, is supported by the England Cricket Board. It will run as a series of three-hour workshops, usually on mid-week evenings, held at local cricket clubs.The sessionswill take place betweenApril and July. Organisers at the borough coun-


cil say the coursewill offer a com- plete


training programme


including a coaching award, an in- troduction to umpiring and scor-


ing, a workshop in groundsman- ship, training in basic first aid, and insight into the organisation and running of sports activities andim- proving leadership skills. It costs £40. To whet young players’ ap-


petites, TMBC is offering a free in- formation session onWednesday, March 20 to provide more details on the Young Leaders in Cricket Course. This will take place at Hadlow


College between 6.30pmand 8pm and is open to any potential young cricket leaders aged 14 to 16 years, their parents, cricket coaches and


cricket club representatives. The borough council’s cabinet


member for community services, Cllr Maria Heslop, said: “Young people signing up for the course will come away with all the skills they needto enable themto volun- teer for their local cricket club and helpgrassroots cricket to growand develop. “The free information session is


the perfect opportunity to find out more.” For more details, contact the


council’s Streetscene and Leisure Services on 01732 876166 or email leisure.services@tmbc.gov.uk.


Church friends looking for helpers


A CHARITY which supports the up- keep of the ancient church of All Saints’, Snodland, is looking for new recruits. The Friends of All Saints’ Perpet-


ual Fabric Fund,whichwas set up in 1995, is managed by five trustees anddevotedtomaintainingthe fab- ric of the building. Since its inception, the friends


have raised thousands of pounds but, they say, costs are “constant, prohibitive and increasing”. Friends pay a membership fee,


but there is no fixed amount – each donateswhatever they can afford. They receive periodic newsletters


on the latest repair and develop- ment projects, and get information on forthcoming events or activities. The friends also sell a range of


More volunteers are needed to help preserve the fabric of All Saints’ Church in Snodland


memorabilia, including mugs, tea towels, calendars and guide books. For more information, email janet.yates1@btinternet.com.


Malling March 2019 19


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