UpARA - March 2016 Newsletter & Latest Schedule of Events

David Powell - Chairman

Email: davidrpowell5@hotmail.co.uk
Telephone: 01795 843550

space

Clean for The Queen - Saturday 5th March

Upchurch Matters
space

Annual Parish Meeting 21st April 2016

Following investigation, it was found that the Annual Parish Meeting should be a general Parish meeting rather than a Council meeting. The Parish Council are therefore looking to ensure that this meeting becomes a village meeting.

It was agreed that the Parish Council would continue to organise and finance the meeting, but with the aim of engaging with the residents to discuss future projects that they feel are of importance to the village. The idea is that this would incorporate village projects that can be undertaken by residents or other village organisations.

We are therefore hopeful that local groups and organisations like yourselves, would be happy to attend the Annual Parish Meeting on 21st April 2016 at 7:30pm in the Village Hall and use this as a forum to speak to the residents about any projects you are currently involved with or looking to go ahead with in future months.

The evening will be fairly informal with drinks and nibbles.

Please contact the Clerk if your group will be attending the meeting, or if you require any further information.

Many Thanks

Julia Cura

Clerk to the Parish Council
Tel: 01634 363906

Email: clerk@upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk
Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

space

Road Closure - Holywell Lane

Holywell Lane, Upchurch will be closed to through traffic on Monday the 7th of March, 2016 for 1 day between the hours of 6:00am and 6:00pm.

The road will be closed for its entire length.

A Local diversion will be in place. The alternative route is via Sheerness Road, The Street and Breach Lane.

The closure is necessary to enable carriageway repairs.

Click Map to Enlarge.

Kent County Council

Space

Barn Dance at Upchurch Village Hall

The Barn Dance is a fundraising event to help support Lucy Brown and Katie Reynolds trip to Southern India in association with their School and Outlook Expeditions.

The girls will be working side by side with The Animators for Rural Multipurpose Development Society (ARMDS). The ARMDS Project is a non-profit, voluntary, social development organisation working for the empowerment of marginalised groups and communities including women, children, Dalits (a ‘low ranking’ caste) and people with disabilities. Project work includes improving facilities, local outreach programmes, visiting local schools and learning about life in local communities.

Find out more about Outlook Expeditions at their Website: www.outlookexpeditions.com

Lucy Brown

space

Upchurch Cricket Club - 2016 Season

Upchurch Cricket Club 2016 Season will be starting in April.

Indoor nets are at Rainham Mark Grammar School, Pump Lane. Next session Monday 29th February and the following 4 Mondays from 6:45pm - 8:45pm @ £5 per session.

Also, for this Season UCC have reduced the Annual Subscription for senior players from £120 to £70 and are offering a discount to new players at £30.

Colts registration will be on Tuesday 5th April from 6:00pm and senior registration and training is on Wednesday 6th April from 6:00pm.

The Club would also like to say a big thank you to

Kent Trade Frames Ltd for their continued sponsorship and support.

www.kent-tradeframes.co.uk

Mick Hales - Upchurch Cricket Club

Space

Dog Waste in The Paddock

Unfortunately over the past few weeks there have been several incidents where a dog owner has not picked up their dog waste. The dog waste is situated in the area where the children’s play equipment is sited. This is not only an offense but is also extremely unhygienic. Please pick up your own dog waste.

Upchurch Parish Council are very grateful to the responsible dog owners that make the effort to pick up their dog waste in the Paddock. Unfortunately some of this is being placed in the two rubbish bins that are situated near the play equipment. These bins are emptied by our caretaker who is currently having to remove the dog waste and place it in the dog waste bin next to the new Paddock gate. As this is not a pleasant job for him to have to undertake we would be very grateful if you could dispose of your dog waste in the dog waste bin provided by the gate on Oak Lane.

Thank you for your help with this.

Julia Cura
Clerk to the Parish Council
Tel: 01634 363906

Email: clerk@upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk
Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

space

Attempted Burglary - London Road

Hartlip Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: XY/007028/16

At 8:00pm on Tuesday the 23rd of February there was an attempted burglary by 2 unknown males at Orchard Barn, London Road, Upchurch.

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 Police Neighbourhood Watch
space

Stop The Scammers

Kent County Council Trading Standards
space

Lionel Richie Tribute at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Upchurch River Valley Golf Course
Space

Van Stolen from Halstow Lane & Burglars Disturbed in The Street

Hartlip Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: XY/006408/16

Between the 18th and 19th of February a white sign written works van was stolen from Jack Russell Place, Halstow Lane, Upchurch.

Crime Number: XY/006365/16

At 2:15am on Friday the 19th of February, 2 burglars were disturbed by a resident in The Street, Upchurch.

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 Police Neighbourhood Watch
space

Spring Craft Fair at St. Margaret's Church Lower Halstow

Liz Mouland
Space

Poolside Bar Music Nights at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course

Upchurch River Valley Golf Course
space

Birding the Southern Medway - A New Blog by Tideway Birder Kevin Thornton

Kevin Thornton is a tideway birder covering the Medway Estuary part of the North Kent Marshes, limited to the southern shore. He routinely watches between the head of the Estuary at St. Mary's Island, Chatham, to the Estuary mouth just above Queenborough Spit-some eighteen or so miles as the seawall rat scuttles.

In 2013 Kevin set himself the task to understand the Estuary better, particularly the more common birdlife.

Those of you that already follow Kevin on his excellent Twitter account '@dunnokev' will have enjoyed his interesting pictures of the Estuary and interacting with his regular Tweets.

Kevin regularly posts to his NEW Blog 'Birding the southern Medway'. In his own words Kevin's Blog “is an attempt to piece together some random thoughts on the more common birds found about the Medway Estuary, part of the North Kent Marshes”.

In his latest Blog Post 'Boris Waters' Kevin has written an interesting piece about Seaplane disturbance within the Medway Estuary, which we're sure will be of interest to people living in and around the Ham Green area of the village and to others further afield too.

You can follow Kevin Thornton on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/dunnokev

and read Kevin's Blog at: www.birdingsouthernmedway.blogspot.co.uk

Upchurch Matters

space

Rainbow Café at St. Mary’s Church, Upchurch

Gill Gay
space

Upchurch Choral Society Presents Fauré's Requiem

St. Mary the Virgin, Upchurch. Picture courtesy of Kim Taylor Photography.

on Good Friday 25th March at 7:00pm

in St. Mary's Church, Upchurch.

Soprano: Sue Rossiter

Baritone: Bryan Veale

Organist: Janet Stone

Conductor: Helen Osborne

Admission FREE

Retiring collection in aid of the Wisdom Hospice.

Helen Osborne
Space

New Teams Wanted to Join Upchurch Colts FC

Upchurch Colts FC are looking for new teams to join us. Any junior teams looking to join us or start a team please get in touch.

This years under 8s are looking for players for next years under 9s when they change from 5 a side to 7 a side. If we get more players we can keep 2 teams going.

If you are interested please Email: robcroome@sky.com

or Call: 07909 688456.

Thank you.

Rob Croome

Chairman - Upchurch Colts FC

Website: www.upchurchcoltsfc.co.uk

space

UpARA's Visit to Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara Gravesend

On a lovely bright winters day at the end of January, a coach full of UpARA members ventured to the extremely impressive Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) in Gravesend - (if you have ventured to Gravesend by train in the last few years, you cannot fail to have missed it!), and enjoyed a very welcoming and informative few hours.

Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara Gravesend.

Apart from taking in the scale of the temple and the vast site that it sits on, the group were given a very warm introduction by the guides who made everyone feel so welcome during the extensive tours and provided a very nice vegetarian lunch to everyone.

It was very enlightening, and everyone seemed to appreciate a further understanding of the Sikh faith and also some Sikh trivia ,(Did you know that Singh means 'Lion', and is the last name given to every Sikh man, and that Kaur means 'Princess', and is the last name given to every Sikh woman?).

Members now look forward to the next trip to the Kew Gardens Orchid Festival at the end of February.

Website: www.gurunanakdarbar.org

Spoof Scoop

space

Upchurch Twinning Group Annual Quiz Night - Amount Raised and Thank You

Upchurch is twinned with Ferques-Elinghen in Pas de Calais, France.

One of the pleasures of being Honorary Secretary is to tell you that this years Annual Quiz Night was a great success. 104 people turned up and as they all dug deep into their pockets (or purses) we have a profit of £640.00 to show for a nights work.

Our grateful thanks, I know, go to our volunteer team. Without them and all the hard work they put in both on the day and on many, many days and nights before, over the last few months we would not have had a Quiz Night.

We also had our usual raffle. Thanks to Ray Kemsley for organising and running it and thanks to all the people who donated prizes - over 33 of them. We only paid for one prize - and we are certain that was at a lot less than cost! Thanks to Terry and Tina from the Upchurch Greengrocers Shop.

In conclusion, it just remains to say “Thank you” to everyone who turned out to support us on a wet and windy night.  

All proceeds go towards years 5 & 6 Holywell children visiting either Elinghen or Ferques schools.

Read more about Upchurch Twinning Group: here

Ann Harman

Honorary Secretary - Upchurch Twinning Group

space

Upchurch WI - Quiz Night

Wendy Pitts - Tel: 01634 362253

Email: marwen.pitts@btinternet.com 

Joyce Gilbert - Tel: 01634 232346

Upchurch WI

space

Valentine's Day Menu at The BarnYard

The BarnYard
space

Mother's Day Menu at The BarnYard

The BarnYard
space

Holywell Primary School Presents an Evening in Concert with Andrew Keeping

Resident guitarist to the British Royal Family

Friday 15th April 2016 from 7:00pm - 9:30pm In the School Hall

Tickets £10 available via the School Office

Please make cheques payable to H.S.O.A.C. and please mark your envelope ‘Concert’

Andrew Keeping Classical Guitarist

Andrew's website: www.keepingguitar.co.uk

Ray Kemsley

space

Clean for The Queen - Update

We’d love to have the support of Upchurch residents in the biggest ever clean-up of the country, which will be taking place in March 2016.

In the run up to The Queen's 90th birthday on 21st April 2016, the aim is to inspire people to take action and enjoy a few hours together litter-picking to make the village more beautiful. We want to attack the blight of litter and reclaim our beautiful countryside.

Holywell School are taking part in ‘Clean for the Queen’ on Friday 4th March 2016 and Upchurch Parish Council will be taking part on Saturday 5th March 2016. The meeting point for Saturday will be the Scout Hut in the Recreation Ground at 10:30am.

We desperately need volunteers to help on Saturday 5th March. Equipment will be provided. Please contact the Clerk if you would be willing to give up a few hours of your time to blitz the litter in Upchurch.

Thank you

Julia Cura
Clerk to the Parish Council
Tel: 01634 363906

Email: clerk@upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk
Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

space