The Hotfoot Play schemes started on Monday 4 August this year. All the staff are now in place and due to attended a Training Day on Thursday 24 July at YMCA. This year, the scheme is providing a number of additional facilities including 'Sports Road shows', ie experienced, qualified local coaches are being invited to attend the schemes to give the children the opportunity to try new sports. (Included in the programme are tennis, T Ball and athletics).

Hotfoot Integrated Scheme - The Hotfoot Plus Trust, which was formed by the SPO and Social Services, raised over £8,000. This has meant that MBC and Social Services have been able to work together to provide 35 places for special needs children on both the urban and parish sites. MBC are grateful to the parishes for their support of this project as it enables the children to attend their local scheme.

SENSORY GARDEN AND DISABLED ACCESS

The new sensory garden has been laid at the front of the Museum, improvements to the garden will be ongoing.  Carl Vizzi, the sculptor has been commissioned to design and install a fountain in the garden.  This also marks the completion of the disabled access to the Brenchley Gallery.

06/11/96

At last Tuesday's Planning and Transportation meeting of Maidstone Borough Council the Labour Group expressed outrage at a recent advertisement which appeared for a major residential development opportunity at Mote House which includes 9 acres in the heart of parkland. The Policy and Operations Group of the Committee had, despite objections, proposed to allow development within the outbuildings of Mote House and in the walled garden.

John Morgan, the Labour Group Spokesperson said:

Legalistic arguments used to take parts of Mote Park away from the people of Maidstone will not impress them and frankly they do not impress me.

Wendy Marlow, Deputy Group Leader, said:

Mote Park should be for the use of the people of Maidstone in perpetuity and for leisure and cultural activities - not for private housing development.

The Planning and Transportation Committee agreed to refer the matter back for reconsideration.

Following the instigation of the Park Watch Scheme, which is aimed at enhancing security by reducing vandalism and anti-social behaviour for the benefit of all visitors, and the circulation of new information leaflets for Sports and Recreation, there has been an increase in the number of phone calls being generated to the Park Services hotline, allowing a more pro-active approach in dealing with parks issues in Maidstone.

In parallel with Park Watch, the Grounds Maintenance Contract monitoring has been rescheduled in Mote Park to enable officers to concentrate on dealing with unauthorised and dangerous riding of motorbikes in the Park.  The police are supporting the initiative and evidence is being collated which could be used in legal action by either the Council of the CPS.

Currently under review is the possibility of running a Maidstone Youth Games.

The event took place on Monday 16 June at the Mote Cricket Ground and was a great success, with over 120 children from 12 teams taking part. The Mayor attended together with several Borough officers and Labour Councillors. 

Since coming into post the SPO has spent time pulling together the local tennis providers and subsequently formed a Joint Development Committee (JDC). The group, which includes Maidstone Tennis and Fitness Centre then set up a Schools Initiative (Community Tennis Partnership Schools Programme) which provides expert tennis coaching and enables the schools to set up after school clubs with support from the JDC.

As a result of the commitment shown by the SPO and Joint Development Committee, the Council was approached by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to bid against 3 other Boroughs for 'Tier 3 Status' in the ILTA Community Tennis Partnership, (detailed in the LTA Strategy). If we are successful, then up to £75,000 will made available for capital tennis projects in Maidstone that benefit the whole community. In addition, up to £15,000 revenue monies will be made available. (Success is not dependent on there being a financial commitment from MBC). The monies can be spent in Year One or spread over three years. The feedback received from the Lawn Tennis Association to date is that we are very likely to be granted the status.

Maidstone has been granted a further 2 goals to be located at The Westborough Sports Centre (total is now 10 goals). In addition, Maidstone hosted two workshops for Site Coordinators and Local Authority Co-ordinators in order to enable them to set up development programmes at the sites.

Each year throughout London and The South East of England Dutch coaches descend on local schools to deliver a coaching programme on Korfball. This year two coaches from Freisland joined Kent Korfball Association attending 8 Maidstone schools. It is hoped to build on the success of the venture next year by organising a Festival at the end of the week in addition to the present National Youth Day which has been the focus of the programme thus far.

The SPO worked in partnership with KCC Road Safety officer, Steve Horton in coordinating a series of visits (22) to local primary schools. The visits were arranged in conjunction with the cycling proficiency courses to enable the children to learn about road safety issues and the different types of cycling events available for them to try. Andy Naylor (International Cyclist), who is member of the Sans Fairy Ann Cycling Club presented the workshops telling the children about the equipment he uses, training schedules, the importance of diet, safety issues and his aspiration to win a medal at the next Olympic Games. The workshops proved very popular and a real inspiration for the children from Maidstone schools to become involved in cycling.

The final round of Cultural Budget were awarded for 1996/97. The recipients included: virus; Nik Schnell, Kent Potters; Querk Theatre; Orchestral Society; Choral Union and Shri Jansari Mandal.

Town of Flowers

Components of the Town of Flowers project were commissioned and organised. The TOTEM sculpture has been subject of an Arts Council assessment and award.

The fourth issue of ZONE was produced and distributed across Maidstone. Zone has now become an important feature for young people in Maidstone and continue to chart the ideas and opinions of a growing generation.

WORX is a major music initiative that has resulted in a CD being produced. The project will enable bands from Maidstone, Gillingham, Lille and Brussels to play together at live events in the four towns/cities.

A CD has been produced featuring the four bands and an outdoor music event will take place at Brenchley Gardens.

One of the Groups main projects is to create a long distance footpath along the Len Valley from Maidstone to Lenham via Mote Park and Leeds Castle.  This project is now gathering pace and the final route of the footpath has been established.  Having surveyed the physical condition of the route, the Group will be concentrating its activities on repairing and replacing stiles, and clearing overgrown stretches of footpath.

The Group is also proposing to make an application to the Countryside Commission for Millennium Greens funding.  The proposal is to extend the existing Mallards Way open space at Downswood along both sides of the River Len to enhance public access into the countryside and to create wetland habitats for wildlife.  Although this project is only at an early stage it does appear that the proposal meets all of the criteria for Millennium Greens funding.