Newington History Group

Historians are telling tales

Stories about personal items of historic interest will be told by members of Newington History Group at its monthly meeting next Thursday (Nov 14th) at 7:30pm in the Methodist Hall, Church Lane.

The annual event usually brings a varied mix of unusual and fascinating tales.

Contact the group if you've an interesting story or item that you want to share. You can attend as a guest (£3) if you're a non-member.

NHG, which seeks to unearth, preserve and promote the history of the village and neighbouring areas, meets on the second Thursday, excluding January and August. An annual subscription is £15.

For more details, contact the group through: www.newingtonhistorygroup.btck.co.uk

or call: 01795 842711. Follow on: Twitter and Facebook

Richard Thompstone - Newington History Group
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Swale Borough Council - Draft Vehicle Parking Standards Consultation

Consultation on Draft Vehicle Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

If you know only too well the problems we have in Swale with regards to parking on new developments now is the time to say, to ensure that future policy works and mistakes from the past are learnt from.

As part of the current Local Plan new parking standards for Swale are being drawn up and you can have your say on the draft document.

Please take a look at the document and forward your comments on to the planning team.

Swale Borough Council has published a Draft Vehicle Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for consultation for a period, running from 7th November to 19th December 2019 inclusive and wants to give you the opportunity to submit any representations that you may have before it is finalised for adoption.

The Council will consider your comments and will take these into account before the document is finalised for adoption by the Council in early spring 2020.

The Draft Vehicle Parking Standards Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)  is available to view from Thursday 7th November on the Council’s website at: www.swale.gov.uk/draft-car-parking-standards-consultation In addition, a paper copy is available to view at the Council’s offices in Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Faversham and all Swale Libraries.

Please note that any formal comments submitted on the Draft SPD cannot be treated as confidential and all representations must be received by the 5:00pm deadline on 19th December 2019 by Email: planningtechofficer@swale.gov.uk

Or by letter: Planning Technical Team, Development Management, Swale Borough Council, East Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3HT.

If you have any queries about the consultation process or the Draft SPD, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Planning Technical Team on: 01795 417308.

On behalf of Alan Horton

Swale Borough Councillor - Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch Ward

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Swale Borough Council Dishes out £25,000 for Christmas

More than £25,000 has been distributed to local community groups and organisations today thanks to Swale Borough Council’s festive grant scheme.

The scheme aims to bring local people together to celebrate this festive time of year by giving community groups and organisations the opportunity to apply for help to pay for their Christmas lights, decorations and events.

This year, a total of 23 organisations have received grant money, going towards fairy lights to decorate village halls, decorations for a children’s nursery, a solar powered Christmas tree, Santa sleigh rounds and lantern parades.

In Sittingbourne, Bobbing Village Hall were awarded £179.97 to buy Christmas fairy lights to decorate the village hall, Lakeview Village Hall were awarded £750 to plan a Christmas Party for local kids and pensioners, and Sittingbourne Christmas Lights Association were awarded £4,000 for their Christmas light switch-on event and Santa sleigh rounds.

In Faversham, Hartlip Village Hall were awarded £250 to decorate their village hall, Sheldwich Village Events Management Company were awarded £469.98 to put up Christmas lights and a tree at the centre of the village, and the Faversham Community Christmas Lights Committee were awarded £2,738.88 to grow their Christmas light display.

In Sheppey, the Queenborough Harbour Trust were awarded £312.82 to put up Christmas lights around the harbour, children and families in Sheerness were awarded £500 to decorate Seashells nursery, and Sheerness Town Team were awarded £4,000 for Christmas lights in the High Street.

Local list

• Upchurch Parish Council were awarded £399 to buy a Christmas tree.

• Hartlip Village Hall were awarded £250 to decorate their village hall.

• Newington Parish Council were awarded £500 to add Christmas stars to the village lamp posts.

• Sittingbourne Christmas Lights Association were awarded £4,000 for their Christmas light switch-on event and Santa sleigh rounds.

Swale Borough Council

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Cyberhood Watch

New Cyberhood Watch initiative launched between Neighbourhood Watch and Avast.

Neighbourhood Watch is about making sure that fewer people feel afraid, vulnerable or isolated in the place where they live. In recent years that also means helping members learn how to protect themselves, and their local community against cybercrime. This has become a key priority because over a third of Neighbourhood Watch members are now more concerned about falling victim to cybercrime than to actual physical crime.

The new Cyberhood Watch initiative between Neighbourhood Watch and online security provider Avast is a response to the growing challenge that cybercrime poses to local communities who rarely have a ready resource for information to keep themselves safe from all the latest scams.

Recent research has highlighted a general lack of confidence in talking about cybercrime experiences within the community, and in understanding the best methods of online protection, in particular for more vulnerable members of society.

Avast’s involvement includes a range of services to help Neighbourhood Watch members become more informed and less at risk of falling victim to cybercrime. It will include a training and accreditation scheme for local Neighbourhood Watch representatives, local informative events, downloadable guides and resources, and ongoing sharing of information about relevant emerging threats.

Follow the link >> www.avast.com/uk-cyberhood

Upchurch Matters

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White Ribbon Day 2019

November 25th 2019 is White Ribbon Day

Every year around November 25th 1000s of people in the UK come together to raise awareness and work towards ending male violence against women.

This year the theme of White Ribbon Day is “Creating a future without male violence against women” with the focus on engaging with young men and boys in particular.

White Ribbon UK was founded in 2005 and is part of the global movement to end male violence against women. They work with men and boys to challenge those male cultures that lead to harassment, abuse and violence. Their volunteer ambassadors act as role models, engaging with other men and boys to call out abusive and sexist behaviour among their peers and promote a culture of equality and respect.

The video may not be visible in your Email.

Watch it at the link here >> http://bit.ly/2NGRqVK

Wear a White Ribbon and make the promise

The most important thing you can do to support White Ribbon UK's work is to wear a White Ribbon and make the promise. Only by standing up and being counted can we hope to end male violence against women.

Men are specifically being asked to make the promise, however, anyone over the age of 14 can take it.

White Ribbon UK call all men to lead by example and stand up against male violence against women, in every way. Take the pledge and join thousands of men who are standing up to be counted. Over 35,000 people have taken the promise online. Join them.

Lets’ end male violence against women together.

Make the promise at: www.whiteribbon.org.uk/promise

#makethepromise

On behalf of Alan Horton

Swale Borough Councillor - Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch Ward

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Newington History Group

Newington Remembrance

Travelling through Newington this week you'll notice giant poppies lining the A2 and Church Lane that have been erected by Newington History Group as its annual remembrance tribute.

Dean Coles, the Newington History Group chairman,
putting up the poppies assisted by Eric Layer.

Each of the 55 poppies poppy represents a villager who died in wars during the last century – 48 from the First World War, six from the Second and one from the Korean War.

The poppies link the Memorial Garden, under the village sign, with the war memorial in the churchyard.

This year marks 100 years since the unveiling of the war memorial – on September 7th, 1919 – and the village's first annual Remembrance Service. The service on Sunday will start at 10:15am in the church.

Website: www.newingtonhistorygroup.btck.co.uk

Richard Thompstone - Newington History Group
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