News Moya returns


FRIENDS rallied round to help Maidstone widow Moya Spar- rowhawkmake awelcome return to fundraising. TheCountry Fayrewas her first


event since 2016, following the sudden death of her partnerMar- tyn froma heart condition. Moya, who says she has found


her feet and her motivation to start fundraising again raised £1,200 for her new group, The Heavenly Hearts, for the British Heart Foundation.


Have a say


MAIDSTONE BoroughCouncil is inviting taxpayers to have their say about the services it provides with the question:Are they value formoney? The authority is seeking views


fromresidents ahead of formulat- ing policy and strategies for 2020.


50th birthday


AN archaeology group has cele- brated its 50th year anniversary in Maidstone. Maidstone Area Archaeology


Group, formed in 1969, marked the milestone on September 13 at the town hall, in the presence of the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Marion Ring.


Fruit pressing


HAVE you a glut of apples in your garden?Well, why not turn theminto juice at anApple Press- ing Fun Day in Lenham. The public are invited to take


along their own supplies to the Tithe Barn at Court Lodge Farm as part of a family fun day on Sunday,October 13, from10amto 3pm.


Organmusic


ANorgan recital is hosted by The Friends of Othamchurch on Sun- day, October 6. Admission to the 3pmrecital by Trevor Brearley is free.


downsmail.co.uk


Derrick’s sole control ofwholeVIATgroup


THE academy trust behind one of the country’s best grammar schools now has a sole chief ex- ecutive officer. Julie Derrick assumed the role


after the retirement of her joint CEO Vic Ashdown in the sum- mer. Mrs Derrick remains head Invicta Grammar


teacher of


School (IGS), in Huntsman Lane, Maidstone, as well as the top job in the Valley Invicta Academies’ Trust (VIAT). IGS was named one of the top


10 schools in the country and the best in Kent, according to a guide based on official government sta- tistics, published earlier this year. MrsDerrick hasworked in a va-


riety of educational settings span- ning a career of 33 years in London and other parts of Kent, before settling inMaidstone. She is a National Leader in Ed- ucation and joined IGS in 2004 by


leading the business and enter- prise specialismas assistant head teacher. She was appointed head of In-


victa Grammar School seven years ago. VIAT,which sees itself as a trust


taking in the A20 corridor as its catchment, has secondary schools IGS, The LenhamSchool and Val-


ley Park School in its portfolio. It also includes Leybourne


Chase Primary, East Borough Pri- mary, Holborough Lakes, Ayles- ford Primary and Kings Hill Primary. MrsDerrick said: “I amthrilled


to have been appointed as chief executive of VIAT. “Our vision is to create and


maintain an exceptional cluster of primary and secondary schools at the heart of our local community, and I’m looking forward to lead- ing the trust into an exciting fu- ture.” Dr Nick Ware, chairman of


VIAT, said: “The Trust Boardwas unanimous in its decision to ap- pointMrsDerrick to this role and recognise that it is very lucky to have such an exceptional talent leading the organisation.” Valley Park’s deputy head,


Margaret Hutchinson, steps up into the head teacher role.


Woman ‘terrified’while dogwalking


ADOGwalker fromThurnham haswarned others to be on their guard for the driver of a white vanwho left her “terrified” after following her intowoods on the PilgrimsWay near Boxley. Kent Police say no offence


was committed but have a full report of the suspicious inci- dent on the evening of Thurs- day, September 5. Kirsty Macleod (31) was tak-


ing a regularwalk along the Pil- grims Way when she says the man in a smallwhite van drove by her from the direction of Detling. She turned towards the van as it passed and the driver


just stared at her. A few min- utes later the van,which had an orange light bar on the roof and writing on the side, was driven passed her again, from the op- posite direction. She said: “The way he stared


at me made me really nervous, so I jumped up into the woods to take the path that follows the same route, just off the road.” However, after about 25 me-


tres she came across the driver again, leaning against a tree by the path she was taking. Kirsty said: “I called my


boyfriend and kept talkingwith him, as Iwalked straight passed


him. There was no alternative route. Then I began to run.” She then heard the driver,


who she describes as in his 40s, more than 6ft tall, slim, with greying hair and protruding teeth,making off at speed. Kirsty said: “It may be that


this man was just meeting someone but passing me twice in the road and then ensuring our paths crossed in the wood leftme very shaken. I shan’t be walking thatway again and just wanted others to be aware.” Themanwas said to bewear-


ing grey tracksuit bottoms and a purple and grey T-shirt.


Neat and tidy, but unacceptable


FOR residents worn down by the depressing sight of fly-tipped waste by the side of rural roads, this is a comfort of sorts. It appears this illegal dumper


took the time in early September to stack dozens of used tyres neatly into columns rather than scatter themacross the highway. Maidstone Borough Council has


Flytippers stacked old tyres beside the roadside 12 Maidstone East October 2019


a small team tackling waste crime but critics, such as Leeds councillor


Gill Fort, say it is not effective as few perpetrators are caught or prosecuted. Borough


councillor Denis


Spooner, who represents nearby Bearsted, said that hewould report the latest transgression in Caring Road. He said: "Tidy fly-tipping is a new


one on me. It is still thoughtless and inconsiderate because the tax- payer ends up footing the bill."


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