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Natasha's winning design for the Rainham town sign competition.
A colourful sign designed by a resident will soon be installed in Rainham.
Natasha Springett, from Gillingham, has been crowned the winner of Medway Council’s Rainham town sign competition.
Residents were invited to celebrate their town by submitting designs for the new sign in this Platinum Jubilee year.
Natasha is a mechanical engineer and is also a leader with the 2nd Parkwood Brownies. Young members of the group also submitted designs for the sign as part of their jubilee activities.
The new sign is due to be installed outside NatWest, opposite the shopping centre, later this year and residents are able to see all the entries at an exhibition at Rainham Library in Birling Avenue from Monday, 12th September until Saturday, 29th October.
Cllr Phil Filmer, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Frontline Services, said:
“I would like to say congratulations to Natasha for her great design. We received some fantastic entries and the new sign is a great way to mark the Platinum Jubilee in Rainham and welcome residents to the town for years to come. I look forward to seeing the sign once it has been installed.”
Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Education and Schools, and Child-Friendly Medway Champion, Cllr Martin Potter, said:
“I am delighted that many young people entered our Rainham town sign competition and I would encourage residents to go and look at the fantastic designs in Rainham library. As a member of the judging panel, we had a hard task choosing between entries, but Natasha’s design was a worthy winner and all the entries highlight the creative talent amongst our community.”
Natasha said:
“As a Brownie leader, I created my sign with the Brownies because I thought they’d enjoy it too. Then my fiancé jokingly said you’ll probably win, but I didn’t believe him as I’ve only ever won design competitions at school, never as an adult. I am super proud of myself and glad I entered. Maybe one day my future great grandchildren will see the sign and know their great nan designed it. How awesome is that?”
The judging panel included local community members and council representatives including the Mayor of Medway Cllr Jan Aldous, local businessman and former High Sheriff of Kent, John Weir JP and founder of the Rainham Bereavement Group and winner of The Queen’s Award for voluntary service, Julie Sharp.
Medway Council
It will be necessary to close part of Wetham Green, Upchurch from Monday 12th September 2022, with estimated completion by 16th September 2022.
Wetham Green, Upchurch will be closed in the general vicinity of Wetham Green Cottages, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.
The alternative route is Poot Lane, Wetham Green and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while utility repair and maintenance works are undertaken by Southern Water.
For information regarding this closure, please contact Southern Water on: 0330 303 0368, who will be able to assist with the scope of these works.
KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181
For details of roadworks see: https://one.network
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf CourseTelephone: 01634 360626
St Mary the Virgin, Upchurch.
The Friends of St Mary the Virgin, Upchurch [in short FOSM] is a secular registered charity that seeks to support the funding of maintenance and repairs to this historic Grade 1 listed building. Also, the charity seeks to publish and promulgate the history of the church.
Firstly we invite you to join us in the church on Thursday 13th October at 7:00pm to a talk being given by Revd Chris Shipley about the large “Te Deum” stained glass window in the eastern end of the church behind the altar.
For a few short minutes before the talk commences, FOSM will hold its AGM.
During the evening refreshments will be available and the event will finish at 9:30pm.
Secondly, if you want to become a member of FOSM then our Treasurer, Roger Pocock, would be pleased to hear from you at rpocock@talk21.com or 01634 233521. Annual membership for Upchurch residents is £10 single or £15 joint.
At the present time, the church is progressing with much-needed repairs to the Bell Tower and Chancel. FOSM will be contributing to these works - if you wish to make a donation then contact the church directly or make a donation via FOSM by contacting the Treasurer.
Hon. Alderman Gerry Lewin - Chairman of the Trustees
Sponsored by: Upchurch River Valley Golf Club
Upchurch Horticultural Society will be holding their
September Show on
Saturday 3rd September 2022 in the barn at the rear of
97 Chaffes Lane, Upchurch
Open to the public from 2:00pm
Sale of produce at 3:40pm
Refreshments - Plant Sale - Auction of Exhibits
Toilets - Ample Parking
Following their two successful concerts in the church in September 2021 and April 2022, Sonare Choir will be returning to St Mary's, Upchurch on Saturday the 1st of October at 7:00pm as part of their new 'Maestra' concert tour - 900 years of choral music by women composers.
Sonare Choir is a London - based choral quartet bringing sophisticated and accessible choir concerts to the city and beyond.
Their newest tour brings you an uplifting celebration of women in music, with a programme comprised entirely of female composers.
Although women have been composing alongside men for centuries, their works have often been neglected or even ignored in favour of their male counterparts.
Sonare’s new tour turns the spotlight onto a wealth of exciting, moving and even boundary breaking music. Spanning 900 years, and taking in everything from German mystics, to famous siblings and even cross-pollinators of Indian and western music.
Whether you're a lover of classical music or you're trying it out for the first time, don’t miss out.
Book now to secure your tickets, with a discount for advance bookings and under 35s.
Advance adult tickets are £10 + £0.25 service fee.
Advance tickets for under 35s are £9 + £0.23 service fee.
Or £12 on the door.
This will be an unmissable and thrilling programme!
Upchurch Matters
It will be necessary to close School Lane, Newington from Thursday 1st September 2022 for up to 1 day.
The road will be closed outside Newington Primary School.
The alternative route is via Church Lane, A2 London Road, Oak Lane, Forge Lane, Breach Lane, School Lane and vice versa.
It is planned that the road will be closed between 07:00 hrs and 18:00 hrs.
This is to enable resurfacing and lining works to be carried out by SB Groundworks.
KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181
For details of roadworks see: https://one.network
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
There is a vacancy for a cleaner at Upchurch Village Hall.
The work required will be up to 70 hours per month and is generally early mornings prior to the hall opening at 9:00am. Weekend working will also be required based on the hiring schedule.
For more details about the job responsibilities and terms and conditions, please contact David Steward on: 07526 661685 or Email: Upchurchvillagehall@yahoo.com. You can also message via the village hall Facebook page.
David Steward - Chairman
Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee
Click image to enlarge.
Young people in Swale with a project idea that improves the environment, or encourages others to help the environment, are being offered £500 as part of Swale’s Great Big Green Week activities, funded by the Climate Coalition.
The youth climate competition gives young people aged 11-16 years old the opportunity to get together in small groups to develop a project that benefits the environment and the local community.
Cllr Julian Saunders, chair of the environment committee at the council, said:
“We want to hear from young people about what they think we can do to improve our local environment, so we’re offering them the opportunity to turn their idea into a reality.
“In groups of four to six people, anyone aged 11-16 years old can take part in the competition, with the winning team being awarded £500 to carry out their plan.”
Cllr Tim Valentine, vice chair of the environment committee at the council, said:
“We’ll be looking for how the project improves the environment, what benefits there’ll be for the local community, and how they plan to deliver the project, including where the materials and resources come from and how they’ll market it.
“We encourage applicants to be as creative as possible, using presentation slides, word documents, videos and photos to outline their ideas.
“You have until Thursday, 15th September to enter your idea, with the top entrants going on to present their project to a panel of judges two weeks later on Thursday, 29th September.”
Applicants must submit their ideas by Thursday, 15th September, and be available to present their project on Thursday, 29th September at Swale House in Sittingbourne.
It will be necessary to close part of Lower Hartlip Road, Hartlip from Thursday 15th September 2022 at 09:30, with estimated completion by 15th September 2022 at 15:30.
Lower Hartlip Road, Hartlip will be closed between the junctions with Hollow Lane and Munns Lane, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.
The alternative route is Hollow Lane, The Street, Munns Lane and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while overhead network works are undertaken by Openreach.
For information regarding this closure, please contact Openreach on: 0800 023 2023, who will be able to assist with the scope of these works.
KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181
For details of roadworks see: https://one.network
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
Medway Council has confirmed its plans to re-evaluate sites as part of its Local Plan.
Local authorities are required by the government to set a Local Plan to identify how an area could evolve and provide enough homes, jobs and infrastructure for a growing population.
In April 2022, central government increased Medway's housing target from 26,962 to developing 28,475 new homes by 2040. The new Local Plan must detail how the government target will be reached.
Medway Council’s Cabinet is anticipated to meet on Tuesday, 18th October to discuss preparing consultation papers for a key stage of the Local Plan process which provides for more options - Reg 18. If agreed, Medway Council will be able to look at new sites which could be suitable for housing. The council would conduct a ‘call for sites’ giving landowners opportunities to come forward with sites which may be sustainable for future housing.
The Reg 18 process would give residents and stakeholders, as well as councillors, the opportunity to review and feedback on proposed development sites once again.
The Local Plan process involves a number of different stages which are set out in legislation, including consultations at various stages of the process to provide residents and stakeholders the opportunity to have their say before a draft Local Plan is put together.
If councillors approve the plans to go to the Reg 18 stage, a public consultation could be held in summer 2023. The responses would then be taken into account to draft a new Local Plan. A further consultation would then be held on the draft Local Plan - known as Reg 19 - before it is submitted to the Planning Inspector for independent examination.
The Local Plan is not just about providing new housing, it also considers ensuring sustainable growth, employment opportunities, maintaining parks and historic sites, and providing community services and facilities for people to enjoy. Councils need to achieve all of this while also protecting and enhancing the natural, built and historic environment.
When adopted, Local Plans are legally required to cover how areas are due to be developed over a 15-year period, extending the timeline for Medway’s local plan from 2037 to 2040.
Medway Council
Free Entry - Non-Members Welcome
Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course
St Mary's Church will be open again on Wednesday the 24th of August for 'A Cuppa and a Chat'.
We will have the kettle on in the Lady Chapel from 10:00am until 12:00pm.
Followed by a time of prayer for the village until 12:30pm.
If people have something they would like prayers for, there is now a book in the church where people can write their concerns, and they will be prayed for.
A warm welcome awaits you - just call in, and we will be pleased to see you!
Are you interested in the history of Upchurch?
Then please come along to my illustrated talk at St Mary's Church, Upchurch on Saturday the 24th of September at 7:00pm
There will be lots of pictures and stories of Upchurch through the ages with help from our village historian David Wood who will also be there.
Tickets are £5 at the door (children free) and all proceeds go to the Bell Tower Restoration Fund.
Online donations welcomed
A JustGiving fundraising page has also been published to help towards the restoration of St Mary's Church Bell Tower.
Thank you
Charity Registration No: 606311
From 8:30pm
Free Entry - Non-Members Welcome
Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf Course
Telephone: 01634 360626
Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward
Crime Number: 46/158298/22
Between 10:00am on Tuesday the 9th of August and 11:00am on Sunday the 14th of August, somebody stole both number plates from a vehicle parked in High Street, Newington.
If you have any information that could help investigators please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.
For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk
Kent Community Messaging
It will be necessary to close School Lane, Iwade from Monday 22nd August 2022 for up to 5 days.
The road will be closed at School Lane.
The alternative route is via School Lane, Ferry Road, Sheppey Way and Stickfast Lane.
This is to enable drainage repairs to be carried out by Kent County Council.
KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.
Additional parking can be found at the bottom of Lapwing Drive in the Brickfields car park, kindly made available by Lower Halstow Parish Council.
The Three TunsThe Street, Lower Halstow, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7DY
Telephone: 01795 842840
Book your tickets via Email: upchurchcricketclub@outlook.com
They’re going a Grease Lightning ⚡️
Please show your support and come down for a great movie 🎬 🍿
Graham Young - Upchurch Cricket Club
Empowering retailers and communities to tackle unnecessary food waste, by making it easier than ever to redistribute fresh, nutritious, surplus food from supermarkets, cafés, and retailers out into the community.
The Co-op and Microsoft have teamed up to help reduce food wastage, launching a new technology platform Caboodle, which, is set to save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of edible food from being thrown away.
The new platform will allow supermarkets, cafés and restaurants to connect with community groups and volunteers to redistribute surplus food.
Caboodle is open to charities and community groups of all kinds, from foodbanks and family support networks to youth groups, schools and more.
Volunteering opportunities are highlighted through its online noticeboard and those who want to volunteer to help redistribute food can enter their postcode to find a local group they’d like to work with.
Community groups
Are you a community group looking to access surplus food from your local retailers? Register today to start your Caboodle journey.
How it works
To start collecting food from Caboodle retailers is relatively simple:
1. Sign upRegister your community group to share food through Caboodle.
2. Schedule
Book regular or ad hoc collection dates with local retailers.
3. Collect
Pick up food from your local retailer.
It only takes 8 - 10 minutes.
Become a volunteer
Are you looking to volunteer with a community group to help collect and redistribute food? Connect with local community groups near you through Caboodle.
Let's Caboodle to make good food go further!
Sally Butcher - Member Pioneer for Upchurch and Bobbing
Dear Upchurch,
This photograph doesn't show the whole picture of how amazing our August Upchurch collection for Swale Foodbank was.
Richard Divers' 7-seater car was absolutely packed. Both the passenger area and the boot. He again said that he was amazed by your generosity!
While donations from other areas are beginning to slow down because people are fearful, Upchurch is being more generous - Bless you, all ❤️
There is a real sense that you are saying to those who are struggling, don't worry - we are here - we have got this. We also had some cash donated to us to pass on so the Foodbank can buy items they are short of.
Father God, we pray that the food donated today carries your blessing. May it nourish those who are struggling, and may it alleviate a small part of the anxiety they have about how they are going to cope.
Amen.
We will be collecting your foodbank donations again at the bus stop opposite the church on Wednesday the 14th of September between 10:30am and 11:30am.
Thank you all so much 😀
The village name Upchurch is Anglo Saxon and means ‘Church on the hill’ because of the high geographical location of the church which dates back to about 1100. It’s also the only village in the UK with the name, but the origin of the surname is less straightforward.
The only evidence of the name Upchurch having origins outside the village is in Upshire near Waltham Abbey in Essex, from which the Upchurch family name is believed to have derived. There is also a family crest originating from the same area, which indicates that the family became high standing. Yet, in present day Essex, less than 2% of people have the surname Upchurch while in Kent, the figure is less than 1%.
In the village of Upchurch, evidence of the surname in the parish register of births, marriages and burials dating back to the 16th century does not exist, according to my own research. However, in Huntingdonshire, there are 105 families bearing the surname Upchurch. In Hertfordshire, there are 86 families, and in Cambridgeshire, there are 62. There are also many families in foreign English speaking countries with the name, especially in the United States. How did people living in these locations get the surname Upchurch?
The first logical reason is the movement of people bearing the Upchurch name from one county to another in the UK, and secondly, emigration to other countries. During the 17th and 18th centuries, people travelling to America from England may have wanted to keep a connection with their village or town so they changed their original surname to their place of origin name, some may have been orphans and didn’t know their real surname or may have been on the run from the authorities, so there were valid reasons why people may have wanted a name change. Others who originated from the Essex family with the name Upchurch at birth, probably maintained the surname in America.
Some early settlers travelling to America, particularly to North Carolina before the American War of Independence, went as indentured servants, and some present day families named Upchurch living there can be traced back to these. The servants were often teenagers from poor families who didn’t have money for the journey from England, so they borrowed it from the shipping company and got free passage. In return, they obtained jobs as indentured servants, mainly for farmers, planters and shopkeepers and worked to pay back the shipping company, which could take several years. They were also provided with free accommodation, food and clothing by their employers.
Before the War of Independence, North Carolina became the fastest growing English colony in America with opportunities for newcomers. Many indentured servants, including those with the name Upchurch, didn’t return to England because they were able to set up their own farms or businesses after paying off their travel debt and stayed in America.
Ryan Upchurch.
In North Carolina today, there are 194 families bearing the Upchurch name, and there is even a community in the Upchurch district of Cary in Wake County where numerous residents with the surname Upchurch can be found. There are also businesses there, which have the name like real estate company ‘Upchurch Farms.’ In Texas, there are 106 recorded Upchurch family surnames, and the name can be found in other American states.
There are also African Americans with the surname Upchurch and the most likely reason for this is because their forbears were named after a tobacco or rice plantation owner for whom they worked although marriage to someone with an Upchurch surname could be the reason in some cases.
Americans named Upchurch have visited the Kent village over the years, trying to find their roots, the possibility of relatives or some connection with the village. Some are shocked when they discover that there aren’t any families in the village with the surname Upchurch which means that finding family connections here is almost impossible unless they have other names to work on.
Perhaps the most famous person today with the surname Upchurch is Ryan Edward Upchurch, known professionally as just ‘Upchurch’ and formerly known as ‘Upchurch The Redneck’. Ryan is a popular American rapper, singer, musician, songwriter, and comedian from Cheatham County, on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, who was a comedian and country rapper, to begin with, but has now diversified into many genres of music.
Late postmaster Cliff Wanstall kept a guest book in the village post office for visiting tourists to sign, and many of these were named Upchurch. In more recent years, mainly American tourists with the surname have stayed at local bed and breakfasts. Although most haven’t found evidence of relatives, they have visited and seen the only village bearing their surname.
About David
David was born and raised at Ham Green and still lives there today.
He writes from personal experience about Upchurch village life and the changes that have taken place over the years.
David's book, Memories of Upchurch, is a very readable and detailed historical study of the village and is available direct from David at: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk price £12 + postage and packing.
Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch WardA brief summary of crime information for the past 2 months.
41 crimes are shown on the map in June 2022 including:
8 Anti-social Behaviour
1 Bicycle Theft
2 Criminal Damage and Arson
1 Drugs
3 Other Theft
1 Public Order
1 Shoplifting
4 Vehicle crime
20 Violence and Sexual Offences
25 crimes were shown on the map in May 2022.
Not all crime that occurs is shown on the map.
Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team.
Upchurch Matters
Dear Upchurch,
Angela Williams, who lives in Upchurch, has a 13 year old granddaughter called Eva. Sadly Eva has been diagnosed with Sclerosing Epithelioid Fibrosarcoma.
We will be opening St Mary's Church on Wednesday the 17th of August from 9:00am until 4:00pm to pray for Eva again as she undergoes another operation.
Come and join us as we pray for the ongoing success of Eva's care.
Come and pray with us that the doctors and nurses will be blessed with wisdom.
Come and pray as we ask God to surround Eva and her family with his love.
You will be able to light a candle and read a ready composed prayer. Write your own prayer. Or just sit and hold Eva in your thoughts and prayers.
From Sue, Angela's neighbour:
“I saw Angela Eva’s grandma yesterday, and she was pleased to report continued healing for Eva, plus the pain is well managed now. In addition, after a meeting with her Oncologist, it has been decided to push ahead with the operation for a growth in her lung. Then, after a period of healing, there will probably be some radiotherapy.
The operation is scheduled (at the moment) for Wednesday the 17th of August, so please lots of prayers for her continued wellbeing as she and her family prepare for another big day.”
Just come and go as you please. It's your church. He is your heavenly father.
Gill Gay
Swale Foodbank CollectionPlease note the change of collection point this month.
Dear Upchurch,
We will be collecting your foodbank donations again, this time, at the front of 14 Oak Lane, Upchurch, on Wednesday the 10th of August between 10:30am and 11:30am.
Please bring your items in carrier bags. Warehouse Coordinator Richard Divers will then deliver your donations to the Swale Foodbank Warehouse, part of the Trussell Trust.
The Foodbank is really struggling to provide the extra food needed to cover the enormous increase in people needing help. They do thankfully have plenty of Baked Beans and Pasta but have had empty shelves for everything else. Below is a list of items that are family basics.
Items that go quickly from their shelves:
■ Tinned Fruit
■ Tinned Soup
■ Tinned Meat (Chicken in Sauce, Hotdogs)
■ Tinned Fish
■ UHT Milk
■ Squash
■ Tinned Tomatoes
■ Jars Sauce (Pasta, Curry)
Of course, all donations are helpful, providing the food is long life and well within date. I hope this list helps and that you can donate some of the above.
Thank you in advance for your loving generosity ♥️
'A Cuppa and a Chat'
There is a funeral service in the church on Wednesday, so there is no 'A Cuppa and a Chat' in the Lady Chapel this time.
