Car Transporter Stolen - Newington | Digger Windows Smashed - Upchurch

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/39577/23

Between 22:30 and 23:30 on Monday the 27th of February, somebody stole a Ford Transit car transporter, EY07***, from Orchard Drive, Newington. It had a white Vauxhall Corsa, BT12***, on the back. They were in a black Nissan. The police have the registration and are continuing their investigations.

Crime Number: 46/39336/23

Between 20:30 on Sunday the 26th of February and 08:51 on Monday the 27th of February, somebody smashed 3 windows of an 8-tonne digger at a building site in Poot Lane, 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 Community Messaging

Update on Warmer Place and The Rainbow Café

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported us as we tried out our Warmer Place for the community at Upchurch Village Hall.

Also, a special thank you to the Village Hall Management Committee, Upchurch's Co-op and Swale Borough Councillor Richard Palmer, who all gave generously to enable us to open this monthly place of friendship without cost.

Sadly for various personal reasons, we will be unable to open our Warmer Place in March and April.

But we are considering reopening The Rainbow Café once again after Easter.

God bless you all ❤️

Gill Gay and the team from St Mary's and Uplift Churches

Upchurch Village Hall - AGM

Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee

Annual General Meeting

Thursday 13th April 2023 at 7:00pm in the Main Hall 

The Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee is a group of volunteers drawn from village organisations who give up their time to maintain and run the Village Hall on behalf of the community.

The AGM is a chance for village residents to find out what has been happening during the past year and hear about our plans for the future.

The meeting is open to all, so put the date in your diary and we hope to see you there!

Thank you

Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee

Website: www.upvh.co.uk

Temporary Road Closure - Yaugher Lane, Hartlip

It will be necessary to close part of Yaugher Lane, Hartlip from Monday 15th May 2023, with estimated completion by 26th May 2023.

Yaugher Lane, Hartlip will be closed between the junctions of Meresborough Lane and Matts Hill, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.

The alternative route is Place Lane, Warren Lane, Matts Hill Lane and vice versa.

The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while duct 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

Christmas Market at Upchurch Village Hall - Amount Raised and Thank You

Gerry Lewin, Elspeth Baecke, Alison Lewin and David Steward, in St Mary’s Church,

announcing the amount raised by the Christmas Market held in 2022.

Thank you to everyone involved in the Christmas Market held at the village hall on Saturday the 10th of December 2022.

The market, organised by the Village Hall Management Committee, was a fundraising event for the St Mary’s Church Bell Tower Restoration Fund with refreshments provided by Upchurch WI and included a visit from Santa in his sleigh with giant reindeer, courtesy of Upchurch Parish Council.

The final amount raised on the day is £602 👏🏼

A big thank you to:

Organiser Gerry Lewin and the Village Hall Management Committee members who helped organise and run the whole event and staffed the raffle and to Upchurch WI for running the kitchen and kindly donating their profits.

All sponsors of the raffle:

BOOM hush Theatre Productions

The Crown at Upchurch

Overbury Estates

Joe's Bows

Tinx Fluid Art

Theia Glass

All Vehicle Services

Upchurch Players

The Three Tuns Lower Halstow

Upchurch's Co-op

Also to:

Kay Suzanne Creates for the poster artwork

Upchurch Matters and The Gabriel for publicity

The wonderful stallholders

Upchurch Parish Council for inviting Santa to visit us

And anyone else I have missed!

A JustGiving fundraising page has also been published to help towards the restoration.

Please visit the link to donate >> www.justgiving.com/campaign/upchurchbelltower

Thank you

Alison Lewin

UpARA Newsletter - March 2023

Hello UpARA members,

Social Afternoon... Our next social afternoon is on the 24th of March, from 1:00pm, and costs £3.

During the afternoon we have a ‘mature drivers’ safety’ presentation from the road safety group at KCC. We all know that we are the best drivers, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of the basics every now and then, does it?

There will also be some fun interactive quiz-type activities and another chance to listen to a few of our ‘sounds of our times’. If anyone has a tune with a reminiscence to go with it, let us know.

Membership renewals... are now overdue. There will be a one-month grace period for payments. If anyone is not intending to renew for the next year, please let us know so we can offer your place to others.

Membership cards... will be available for collection from the hall from the Friday meeting onwards. Now you’ve renewed, why not purchase one of our last remaining UpARA T-shirts, only about ten remaining, in various sizes, and for just £15!

The thoughts of Chairman John

Hi everyone,

Are we all getting the hang of 2023 and the unseasonal weather? Those of us who have just returned from our first holiday (in most cases), enjoyed a 5-day break at Bournemouth including "all Inclusive evening drinks”. With Today's cost of living, a welcome holiday bonus enjoyed by all!

As usual, the Hotel had arranged the evening entertainment every night. One of our number became an overnight celebrity with all in the hotel with her enthusiasm for singing and dancing but as they say, ‘what happens on tour stays on tour’!

Considering it was the third week in February, the trips (organised by Malcolm & Brenda, together with Captain Bob and Debbi from Jewels Coaches), managed to conjure up three full days on the Jurassic Coast and The New Forest, a fantastic endeavour, Thanks to them from all of us on the trip.

Back to the more mundane and after all the excitement, we are back to our normal activities. Why not come and try your hand at Kurling, it's much easier than you imagine - give it a try on the first Monday of the month. I’ll be ‘plugging’ more activities throughout the year and trying to encourage as many as possible to take advantage of all the benefits of being a member of UpARA. 

John W

Payments

Payments at the next meeting, Brenda and Malcolm will be taking any money due for the lunch at The Crown on 22nd March.

There are still places for the Frankie Valli tribute & lunch at the Inn on the Lake on 7th June, and potential places for Llandudno in November, (subject to hotel availability). Waiting lists are in place for everything else, contact Brenda or Malcom if you are interested.

Any queries on availability above, (also open to non-members), please Email: uparaupchurch@gmail.com 

Pick-up times for Royal Albert Hall on 8th March:-

• Upchurch (opposite the church) 14:30
• Otterham Quay Lane (near Canterbury Lane) 14:35
• Rainham (The Cricketers) 14:40
• Rainham (opposite Pump Lane) 14:45

Please remember

There is now a £1 entrance fee at our Friday meetings, to help cover our costs.

Email addresses

Are you receiving our Emails? If not, please see Bryn.

Date for your diary

Watch this space as, for the first time, we have booked the hall, together with some great entertainment on NYE to see us into 2024 and our 10th anniversary year.

March Calendar

Wednesdays March 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd at 10:15am - Line Dancing

Friday, March 3rd at 10:00am - Village Walk 

Mondays March 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th at 10:00am - Short Tennis

Monday, March 6th at 2:00pm - Kurling

Tuesday, March 7th at  9:30am - Coffee Morning and Art

Tuesday, March 7th at 2:00pm - Table Tennis

Wednesday, March 8th - Let’s Face the Music at The Royal Albert Hall

Friday, March 10th at 2:00pm - Monthly Meeting

Toni Mount, ‘They dared to be Doctors’ 

Tuesday, March 14th at 10:00am - Ten Pin Bowling

Friday, March 17th at 10:00am - Village Walk 

Tuesday, March 21st at 1:00pm - Petanque

Wednesday, March 22nd at 12:30pm - Lunch Club at The Crown

Friday, 24th March at 1:00pm - Winter Warmer Social Afternoon

Including mature driver safety presentation

Tuesday, March 28th at 9:30am - Coffee Morning and Art

Tuesday, March 28th at 2:00pm - Table Tennis

Hopefully, see you all soon - your UpARA Committee.

Email: uparaupchurch@gmail.com

Website: www.upara.club