Maidstone Parks
Plans for play at Park Wood in full swing
Local people have had their say and now the fun can really begin as Maidstone council announces plans for improving play equipment at the Recreation Ground in Park Wood.
 
Five thousand leaflets were distributed to homes, local schools and pre-schools, and council staff attended youth meetings and community safety meetings to get feedback on the proposed improvement plans. 
 
Park Wood residents were asked to show their preferences on a range of equipment featured in the consultation leaflets and to also add a comment on other additional features and facilities they would like to see as part of the improvements. 
 
The top five features and facilities suggested by residents were swings, floodlighting, CCTV, a trampoline and a roundabout. All of which will be added in the new designs.
 
Using feedback and the suggestions from the consultations the council’s Play Partner, HAGS Play Ltd, will design and implement improvements to the current play area and hard-standing ball area.
 
The plans for the toddler play area will include a roundabout, toddler and junior swings, a large springer seesaw, rotational balance beam and a small trampoline. While the new youth area will be floodlit and have a 2.5-3m high climbing rock, and a teen shelter among other things.
 
Fixings for CCTV are to be attached to a street light next to the youth area so a mobile camera can be used when required.  This is supported by Maidstone council’s Community Safety Team and by residents’ suggestions in the consultation. 
 
For further information about the Park Wood play scheme visit www.digitalmaidstone.co.uk.
 		  
   
The Friends of Mote Park
Friends come together after a successful year in Mote Park
The Friends of Mote Park will be holding their annual meeting on Wednesday, October 29 at Maidstone Town Hall. It is open to all, starting at 7am with an exhibition of work. 
 
The meeting follows at 7.30pm and includes a presentation by Philip Masters, the consultant for the council’s Heritage Lottery Fund bid. He’ll be talking about the restoration plans for the park and there will be a chance to ask questions.
 
The Friends of Mote Park organise four work sessions each year and they have recently published a wildlife brochure to help visitors as they walk around park.  They also organise lecture walks, evening moth counts, bat watches and much more.
 
Volunteers include people who use the park for walking, sports, angling, the model railway and sailing model boat; anyone who wants to help maintain the park and support Maidstone Borough Council in its management of the facilities.
 
The friends organise practical task days in which members of the public can come along and get involved.  The next one will be on Saturday, October 25.
 
If you would like to help then be sure to bring suitable clothing for outdoor work. The team will meet at 10am at the café just off Mote Avenue, Mote Park, Maidstone. All necessary tools, equipment, teas and coffees are provided and the work is under the guidance of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.
 
Everyone is welcome at the annual meeting but only members can vote during it. The group works to protect the park for the benefit future generations.  Membership costs £5 yearly.
 
For more information email the chairman David Marchant on davidmarchant@maidstone.gov.uk		  
 

Mela Brings World to Maidstone
More than 10,000 people attended the 6th Maidstone Mela, which celebrated the diversity of the borough through music, food and dance. The Mela was organised in partnership by Maidstone Borough Council and North West Kent Racial Equality Council.

It opened with a parade by St Michael’s Primary, St Francis Primary and Archbishop Courtenay Primary schools which then took to the stage to perorm music and dance routines alongside Cultural Beats and Lucky Moyo.

A range of culturally diverse performances on the UNISON sponsored community stage followed, including the Kent Indian Dance Academy, Mandy Ellen School of Dance, Maidstone Nepalese Community Group, Four by Four Bhangra and Afrovia. The Mela closed with headline act Voulez Vous, an Abba tribute group, which performed a range of hit songs to get everyone singing or dancing.

In addition to the exciting stage programme there were more than 60 stalls ranging from local community organisations such as the Finnish Community Association, Congo Action, Voluntary Action Maidstone and Dawn Patrol Rotary Club to public sector agencies such as Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue, the Environment Agency and HM Prison Service, as well as a special Maidstone Borough Council information village. For children there was a range of fairground attractions and activities such as dhol drumming workshops, which proved to be very popular.

The food stalls were a big hit with dishes from Britain, India, China, Finland, Poland, Thailand and Greece.
Maidstone Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, Brian Moss, said this year’s event was the best yet. “The weather was good but it was the quality of the entertainment that really shone out for me. The Mela has gone from strength to strength.  It brings together different cultures to enjoy the wealth of music, dance and food in Maidstone Borough.  There is something for everyone.”

According to Gurvinder Sandher the Assistant Director of North West Kent REC; “The Maidstone Mela again proved to be a great success with the community coming out to support it.  The Mela is an excellent example of how music, food and dance can be used to bring the communities together to celebrate the culture and positive community relations in Maidstone.  I hope that we can build upon the success of this year’s event to develop something even bigger and better next year”.

Bill Singh from Cultural Beats commented; “I was very pleased to have been given the opportunity to work with St Francis and Archbishop Courtenay schools over the past week.  The children greatly enjoyed putting together special performances for the Mela and they were a great credit to both their schools and the borough.  I perform at Mela’s around the UK and I feel that Maidstone is now one of the best”
 
For further information visit www.maidstone-mela.org

 
 

Clare Park is awarded a Green Flag Award
Maidstone Borough Council is proud to announce Clare Park on Tonbridge Road has been awarded a green flag which will be flying high for a year. The Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Denise Joy, officially raised the flag to announce Clare Park’s success.
   Clare Park is the first in Maidstone to achieve the top award for parks. It is recognition for the council’s work with the community, including Friends of Clare Park, over the last two years to improve the park and the part it plays in the everyday lives of the surrounding residents and children.
   The park, which has tennis courts, a play area, a multi-use games area and a bowls club, is welcoming and well maintained with the support and involvement of the community.
   The Green Flag Award scheme began in 1996 as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country.  It is also seen as a way of encouraging others to achieve the same high environmental standards, creating a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas.
   The award is given out on an annual basis and Maidstone council must apply each year to renew the green flag status.
   Community group, Friends of Clare Park have helped make the award possible. They have been together since spring 2006 and help care for the park and organise events for the community.
   Friends of Clare Park help lend a hand with practical tasks in the park, they give the council feedback as a park users, which can involve advising how they would like to see the park improved.  The members advise on the management and maintenance and they also raise funds for various projects.