Hi
Here is my latest Newsletter:
Good Afternoon.
In today's Newsletter, I have information on:
The latest Newsletter from the Dover War Memorial Project
Helping the East Kent Railway
A New Year, A New You
BlueBirds Market during the winter
£1 million for Dover
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Dover War Memorial Project have just sent me their latest Newsletter - "From the Front Winter 2012".
It is as always, a very good read and I have attached it to this email; it has been checked for viruses so is safe to download.
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Helping East Kent Railway: I thought it would be a good idea to keep you updated on the progress at the "hidden gem" in Shepherdswell. They have just seen record breaking Santa Specials, with more people visiting than ever before.
Now that Christmas and the New Year are over, they are concentrating - during the closed season, on getting the site ready for the public.
The site is still open six days a week even when trains aren't running.
Their Woodland & Education team have been busy constructing log cabins in the woods for Scout Groups and visitors, to act as camping accommodation and information points; progress is also being made on constructing a new toilet block and shop building,
This will work well alongside their Railway Jamboree event later this year.
You may have seen in the local paper that they are hoping to restore their iconic class 205 Thumper diesel train; this will be a difficult task and one that will require funding from from both grants and public donations.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer and helping them achieve their goals, please visit their website (www.eastkentrailway.co.uk) for more details.
They're a friendly bunch and need all the help they can get in order to grow and be as successful as they can be.
Here is a recent poster they have just issued.
Please help if you can.
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A New Year, A New You: Do you want to make a change to your life for 2013 ? - if the answer is yes, then Dover Gateway, Dover Discovery Centre, Deal Library and NHS Health Trainers are here to help you with two special "New Year New You" events for Dover District.
Gateway, working with its partners, is holding New Year New You events at Dover Discovery Centre on Tuesday 15 January 2013 from 10am to 1pm, and Deal Library on Wednesday 23 January from 10am-2pm. A range of health advisors will be on hand with help and advice, and there will be a variety of events going on throughout the days.
Partners attending the event at Dover Discovery Centre include Disability Drop-In Centre; Health Trainers,
K-College; Kent Supported Employment;' Maddie4Music; TGB Learning; Vista Leisure; Volunteer Centre and the South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group. A range of partners will also be attending the Deal event.
You can make an appointment to see a Health Trainer by either visiting Dover Gateway or by calling 08458 247 202 or 0800 849 4000 (option 3).
For more information on Dover Gateway, please see
www.dover.gov.uk, for more information on the Gateway service, Dover Discovery Centre and Deal Library, see
www.kent.gov.uk, or for more information on Health Trainers, see
www.kentcht.nhs.uk
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Dover's Blue-Birds Market is to continue during the winter: Stall holders at Dover's Tuesday Market are determined to continue trading despite the harsh winter weather. Every Tuesday, from 15th January to the end of March, the Old Ernest Newson shop in the Market Square, will host stall-holders keen to continue trading.
The street market returns to the Market Square and Cannon Street, on the April 2nd, however 12 of the stall holders have secured a weekly spot in the vacant shop. The Market will open weekly from 9am - 2pm, with special events planned for Valentine's and Mother's Day. Tersons letting agents approved the temporary use and Dover District Council has agreed to waiver business rates on a short term basis.
The Bluebird Market has been a huge success for both the Town Team and local entrepreneurs starting a new venture. It has helped revitalise the town centre, bringing a much needed boost to the independant shops too.
Local people have been hugely supportive of the venture and it's hoped that bringing the market indoors will mean this will continue through the winter period. Town Team member David Little says "The Bluebird Market has been a resounding success with an average of 30 stalls each week. Having spoken with the traders, January to March can be a difficult time, however we are determined to keep Tuesdays as a market day, albeit on a smaller scale".
Please support the Town, the Town-Team, local shops and of course, the market-traders.
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£1 million for Dover: In case you haven't heard, Dover has been awarded £1 million funding to improve parts of the town centre area. . Dover is one of six communities in the south east to be given the cash from the Big Local programme. Residents will be involved and asked for their views on how the money should be spent.
The areas have been chosen as having been overlooked for funding and investment in the past and are currently facing a range of different issues, from the decline of industry, to high levels of unemployment and crime.
As well as funding for improvements, each area will receive training and support from Local Trust to help residents spend the money and increase their confidence, skills and know-how, so they are better able to come together to make positive changes in their areas.
The £1 million Dover money, will be spent on the town-centre area from St James' Street to Buckland Bridge.
This is such an exciting opportunity for the residents in the areas covered, to have a real say in how their community is shaped over the next 10 years and beyond. There are also some amazing opportunities for funding over and above the £1m from partners of Big Local that could make a huge difference.
It is important to stress a few of things at this point.
1. The money is ours and we dont have to bid for it - in fact it is banked and accruing interest
2. The residents and no-one else get to say what projects/changes/improvements get made and funded
3. The councils have nothing to do with how the money is spent
Dover Big Local are pleased to announce that the first in a series of public meetings/drop in sessions to explain the objectives and steps of the programme will be held at Charlton Church Hall, on 19th January from 09:30 to 12.
Please come along and meet Carl Adams from Rural-Kent who is the local facilitator for the programme, Ross Miller from London Road Community Forum & Susan Proudfoot from the Dover Community Garden Project who will be happy to try and answer your questions. Representatives from the Priory Forum will also be present.
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As I cannot put the DWMP Newsletter on here, if anyone who doesn't receive the Newsletter would like to, please email me (lindenrog@aol.com) to let me know.
Kind Regards
Roger