ELHAM PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
FOR ELHAM PARISH ELECTORS
HELD ON MONDAY 30 MARCH 2015 AT 7.30PM
IN THE PEGGY PIKE ROOM AT ELHAM VILLAGE HALL
Present:
Cllr. Miss Briony Williamson (Chairman); Mrs. Jenny Martin, Clerk.
County Cllr. Miss Susan Carey; Cllr. Geoff Clements; Mr. Derek Boughton (Elham
Historical Society and Elham and Acryse Samaritan Fund); District Cllr. David Godfrey;
Mr. Frank Hobbs (Elham Valley Cricket Club); Mr. Chris Jelly (Elham Environment Group
and Elham Walkers are Welcome Group); Cllr. Colin Johnson; Miss Sarah Martin; Mr.
Jeff Martin; Cllr. George Palmer; District Cllr. Stuart Peall; Cllr. Ken Percival; Mr.
Henry Shackleton, President, and Mrs. Susan Foster, Elham Valley Branch of the Royal
British Legion; Cllr. Martin Turner; Mrs. Cathy Westbrook (Marketing and Fundraising
Officer, Age UK Hythe and Lyminge); and Mr. John Worrall.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
1. Apologies for Absence
Apologies were received from Cllr. Mrs. Kate Baker: Mr. Peter Bell (Friends of St. Mary’s
Church); Mr. Hugh Buckhurst (Elham Gardening Society); District Cllr. Miss Pam Carr; Mr. Jon
Daw (Chairman, Elham Valley Model Railway Club); Mr. Gary Harrison, Kent CC Community
Warden; Cllr. Mrs. Sharon Jacob; Ms Helen Lester (Elham Pre-School); Dr. Geoff Macdonald
(Elham Valley Twinning Association); Mrs. Mary Morgan, Churchwarden, St. Mary the Virgin
Church, Elham; Mrs. Judith Ridley (Elham Circle); Mr. Tony Rossi (Elham Village Hall
Association); Rev. Kevin Taylor, Elham Methodist Church.
2. Minutes
On a proposal by Cllr. Clememts, seconded by Cllr. Johnson, it was unanimously AGREED that
the minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting for Electors held on 12 May 2014 be ADOPTED.
They were duly signed as a correct record.
3. Matters Arising from the Minutes
None.
4. Chairman’s Report from Cllr. Miss Briony Williamson
“Elham has once again had a busy year, with much going on and plenty to celebrate. I’m sure all
here would agree that it is a beautiful village, in a wonderful natural setting, with a warm and
welcoming community.
The Parish Council plays an important part in helping this community run smoothly and I would
like to thank all of our Councillors and external volunteers who have put in a lot of time into
various projects around the village.
Thank you, as always, to Chris Jelly and John Buss for ensuring that Elham and our surrounding
countryside and footpaths are kept tidy, well-marked and accessible. It is with much regret
that I learnt that John Buss was to move away from Elham, he has been a wonderful asset to
us for many years and will be sadly missed. Our loss is surely Etchinghill’s gain!
It is super to see the allotments thriving, I understand they have a constant waiting list of
keen gardeners which is fantastic. Perhaps a future project might be to try and secure an
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-1-
30 March 2015
additional plot somewhere in the village to ensure more of us are able to eat locally grown
produce and reduce our food miles? Elham Farmers’ Market, even though only running twice a
year, continues to draw locals and visitors from afar and is now a wonderful bi-annual event
that many look forward to.
The issue of reducing the speed of traffic through the village has become more prominent, last
year a survey was undertaken which showed that the vast majority of the community were
concerned about the speed of traffic in Elham, and they would support any measures we can
find to reduce this. Sadly, volunteers for Speedwatch are in very short supply, especially with
John and Jane Buss leaving the village. Peter Beales is still kindly helping us despite moving to
Lyminge, but we now only have Mike and Gerry volunteering in Elham. This makes the scheme
almost impossible to run, and whilst it has always proved beneficial in helping to raise
awareness of the issue of speeding traffic through the village, it is never going to create any
major impact as we only appear a handful of times every few weeks in high-vis jackets. A large
majority of residents and those using our facilities such as the school and shop, feel that a
permanent visible solution, such as a flashing Speed Indicator Device, would be of benefit. To
this end, a small group are working with Kent Highways to determine viability, costs and a
possible location for such a device.
A major project that the Council funded this year was the restoration of the War Memorial.
The work was carried out to an excellent standard and was completed in time for the special
Remembrance Sunday service, which in 2014, marked 100 years since the start of World War
One. Thank you to the Royal British Legion for helping us remember the people from our
community that were lost in wartime.
It is lovely to see new businesses opening in Elham, there seem to be many changes happening
at the moment and I would like to wish success to them all. I was pleased that David Ratcliff
has been championing efforts to get improved Broadband to the area, it is so vital for local
businesses, and those working from home, that we get better broadband speed into the village.
It seems as though Lyminge and Barham manage to have gas, mobile phone signals and
superfast broadband, but Elham are left without. Damian Collins is speaking to BT to see what
would need to be done to extend facilities from Lyminge, and David has been investigating an
option with VFast. Hopefully a viable solution can be found soon.
Elham Primary School is very lucky to have new Head Teacher Dan File taking them forwards,
he joined the school in September and has already made a very positive impact on the children
and parents. Hopefully the community will support the School Fete on Saturday 27 th June, this
is such a vital fund-raising event in the school calendar.
Play for Elham work hard to raise funds to keep the park insured and in good condition. Whilst
only a small group of three busy working mums, we still try to run activities for the children
such as the Halloween Parade, Mum’s Nights Out and Craft Workshops. We will be asking for
help at our gardening Tidy-Up events in the play area, in Spring and Autumn, and need ideas and
volunteers for fund-raising events to ensure we can meet the ever-increasing £2,000+ cost of
the insurance for the play equipment.
The weather, again, has played a key part in our village this year. Continuous rains brought the
worry of difficult and stressful conditions to many of our local residents, in particular to those
living along the banks of the Nailbourne. Thankfully, the rain was not quite as persistent as in
the previous year, and major flooding was avoided (so far), despite groundwater levels being
very high. I would like to thank Southern Water who undertook some major works to improve
the flow through our sewerage system and try to ensure that less groundwater impregnates
the narrow pipes we have. I would like to thank again, Jon Worrall, for his persistence to
ensure that improvements were made. The community meeting with Southern Water was
particularly useful in outlining issues and informing the community of steps being taken. Thank
you to Ken Percival who helped get all of the right people to that key meeting, and thank you to
the Nailbourne and Little Stour River Management Group, who continue to ensure that our
waterways are kept in the best possible condition.
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-2-
30 March 2015
At our March meeting, Councillors agreed to support a project to get a defibrillator sited in
the village. This is a life-saving device that can be used if someone is suffering critical heart
irregularities. We have applied to the British Heart Foundation for a grant to go towards the
cost of the defibrillator, the Parish Council will part fund it, and we are also looking to raise
funds towards the cost of a special cabinet that will mean it can safely be stored on the
outside of a building, ensuring it is accessible at all times. If any local organisations or
individuals are able to help us with the costs please speak to our Clerk. We also hope to have a
collection box in Lyminge Pharmacy.
I would like, of course, to thank all of our Councillors for their hard work over the year. Thank
you in particular to John Buss for being Vice Chairman and stepping in when I’ve been unable to
attend meetings. The Grounds Maintenance Committee have again worked extremely hard to
ensure that our areas of land, shrubs, hedges and trees around the village are kept tidy.
Sadly, we have several members of the Council that will be stepping down this year, I would like
to thank them all for their commitment to the Council, in particular, Colin Johnson and George
Palmer will be very sadly missed after many, many years on the Council. With the elections in
May, we are still looking for more candidates to apply to the Council and need them to contact
our Clerk as soon as possible for the application papers as the deadline is the 9 th April. In
particular, we feel it would be useful to have someone who could represent the farming
community.
Huge thanks go to our Clerk, Shirley Marshall, who worked for 12 years for Elham Parish
Council, she worked tirelessly and was always to hand whenever we needed her. It was with
regret that I accepted her resignation last year. We are extremely lucky to have ‘acquired’
Jenny Martin, she has recently moved to the village and is an experienced Clerk. She has
already brought many super ideas to the table as to how we can improve the way we do things
as a Council. Her energy and hard work will, I’m sure, mean that Elham Parish Council will
continue to make a very positive impact on the village and its community.”
5. Financial Report from Mrs. Jenny Martin, Clerk
The 2014/2015 accounts will be closed shortly after the end of the financial year tomorrow.
The current position is:
Balance brought forward as at 1 April 2014
Overall income to date 2014/2015, including £16,119 Precept and £890 Grant
Expenditure to date 2014/2015
Estimated Year-End balance 2014/2015
£ 39,268.21
£ 21,443.70
£ 23,255.37
£ 36,640.00
The estimated Year-End General Fund balance of £36,640.00 includes a VAT refund of
£957.66 on expenditure incurred in 2013/14. The Cemetery has generated £2,103.00 income
this year.
During the 2014/15 Council Year, the Parish Council restored Elham War Memorial to
commemorate the Centenary of the start of World War I, at a cost of £6,424, funded partly
from Reserves.
The Budget has been held at £17,000.00 for several years, which is now paid partly from
Precept and partly from Government grants passed on through Shepway DC.
6. Report from County Councillor Miss Susan Carey
“Your County Council provides over 300 services with around half the revenue budget devoted
to social care this includes protection of children, work with vulnerable families to get their
lives back on track, lifetime care for those with a learning disability and care for vulnerable
adults. Demand for these services has been growing and we are working with partners
(particularly the NHS) to help people maintain their independence and reduce or avoid the need
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-3-
30 March 2015
for more expensive care options. Our social care obligations are our top priority but are hardly
ever in the spotlight unless something goes wrong.
KCC also plays an important role in building new schools, providing support services to schools,
nurseries and childminders. Our other services include trading services, gypsy sites, public
health, libraries, waste disposal, regeneration projects and emergency response. You may not
directly make use of any of these but they need to be provided and your council tax pays
towards this.
KCC also receives grants from the Government and to help reduce the national deficit these
have sharply reduced. KCC has made savings of £350m since 2010 to cope with reduced
grants, increased demand and rising prices (around + 18% RPI or +14% CPI). During this time
the KCC share of your council tax has risen just under 2%. We have worked hard to make sure
the savings do not affect frontline services by making use of new technology, streamlining our
procedures and reducing staffing. Looking ahead we expect we need to save another £209m
over the next three years and this will be much harder to do as the ‘easier’ savings have
already been made.
Despite the financial challenges KCC committed £10m to a £40m project with the Government
and BT to ensure that broadband reached 91% of households in Kent. This project began in
December 2013 and is due to complete by December 2015. KCC has recently agreed a further
£5.6m to match-fund a grant from the Government to reach a further 4% of
properties. Recent correspondence with local people has suggested that some of the low
connection speeds are due to the service providers and a better service may be available from
another company. However, there is no doubt that some properties will remain a challenge to
reach.
Another vexed issue is traffic through the village. Various ideas have been suggested but none
meet our traffic regulations. Kent Highways have promised that communities that run
Speedwatch will be backed by visits from the speed camera van. I have recently been asked
whether a pedestrian crossing could be provided for the village and I have asked Kent
Highways to look into this.
I am pleased to report that there will be a Spring blitz on pothole repairs and later this year
more extensive resurfacing work at Cullens Hill from its junction with White Horse Lane to its
junction with Old Road/The Row including Mount Bottom and Magpie Lane, Keepers Lane from
its junction with Oak Hill to its junction with Acrise Park Road, Straight Hill from its junction
with Canterbury Road to its junction with Fir Tree Hill and the whole length of Hog Green.
In the last year, I have been very pleased to provide a KCC Member Grant of £287 to Elham
Village Hall to create a garden for the Pre-School, £350 to Elham Cricket club towards a new
mower and £800 to Elham Parish Council for new village signs. The AONB unit is meeting the
other half of the cost of these signs through a grant I provided the previous year.
Volunteer effort to clear the Nailbourne last Autumn attracted more help from the
Environment Agency, proving that communities willing to help themselves stood the best chance
of getting extra assistance from outside bodies.”
7. Report from District Councillor Miss Pam Carr
Cllr. Miss Pam Carr was unable to attend the meeting, but in response to questions from the
Parish Council over lorry parking in the Shepway area and Operation Stack, sent copies of
questions from District Cllr. Lynne Beaumont to the Leader of the Council, with responses,
which were read out.
Following recent concern over excavations at the Palm Tree site at Wingmore, Cllr. Miss Carr
intended to speak to the Shepway Planning Department tomorrow morning.
She also provided a contact for the Chairman in case of further problems with the litter bin at
the Playing Field.
The Parish Council looked forward to welcoming Cllr. Miss Carr to its next meeting on 13 April,
being her last before she retires from Shepway District Council.
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-4-
30 March 2015
8. Report from Mr. Gary Harrison, Kent CC Community Warden
Mr. Harrison sent the following report:
“It’s been another good year in Elham regarding Anti-Social Behaviour, with absolutely no
reports to myself. I strongly believe this is due to the continuing engagement of young people
by all the groups in the community, including the cricket club, football club and the village hall
by allowing them to play football or games in the court when it has not been booked or in use. I
would also like to thank the Parish Council for supporting these groups and the parents who
give up their free time to help out.
Dog Fouling has been reported on a few occasions but in general it is very low. If it is noticed
I urge you to report it, please.
A small number of break-ins have been brought to my attention, although not recently, so I
urge you all to be on the look-out for any suspicious vehicles or people, as this may be the part
of the jig-saw missing after a crime has been committed.
Heating Oil theft is still ongoing, although not so much this year due to the price of the oil
falling.
Scams are on the increase and again, it is the elderly that get caught out via phone or coldcalling at their doors. If you know any elderly residents that may be vulnerable, please let me
know and I can visit and give advice on how to stay safe.
Speeding is always going to come and go but in general I have had very few reports, which I put
down to the wonderful work of the Speedwatch team that give up their spare time to carry out
this work. If anybody knows of any new volunteers please let the Parish Council know.
All in all Elham is a wonderful community to serve and I thank the Parish Council and all the
residents for their continued support which enables me to carry out my role as your KCC
Community Warden.”
9. Reports from Elham Village Organisations
ELHAM VALLEY BRANCH OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
Mr. Henry Shackleton reported:
“2014 was a very important year nationally and it proved to be very busy for us locally too. We
are very pleased with the public support which has been generated by much greater media
coverage and of course by the fantastic display of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London
which really caught the imagination of everyone.
In August we held a commemorative Church service in Elham which was very well attended and
which raised £250 for the Poppy Appeal. We participated in the national “Lights Out” initiative
in both Elham and Lyminge with candlelit evening vigils which proved to be very moving.
Members took part in the Step Short parade when Prince Harry opened the memorial arch in
Folkestone and it was our very own Chairman who acted as parade marshall for all the Legion
members. Our standard was also present at a variety of commemorative services throughout
the county.
We continue to support our affiliated cadet units which are the Aylesham Army Cadets and the
Folkestone and Hythe Invicta Sea Cadets. 7 army cadets have chosen to join the Legion as
individual members, thus swelling our ranks to make a total of 90 members within the branch.
We have invited guest speakers at several of our meetings and have listened to subjects
varying from the D-Day landings, to the history of the British Army weaponry from the Brown
Bess to the modern day and also a special visit from the Riders branch of the RBL who arrived
in style on their Harley Davidsons.
Our poppy appeal collections have continued to grow in strength and quantity and we raised a
total of £9030.97 in 2013/14. In October our poppy appeal organiser was very pleased to be
also asked to cover the Barham area and the Densole and Wootton area. Takings were down
from previous years, mainly because she only had one evening’s notice but also because Arter
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-5-
30 March 2015
Bros were raided one evening and the poppy pot was stolen, as another was from Barham
Church. If any Elham resident would like to take part in house-to-house collections this year,
please contact Susan Foster on 01303 862779 and she will be very willing to take you on.
Finally, the branch will be hosting a concert by the City of Canterbury Brass Band on Tuesday
23rd June 2015 at 7.00pm in Lyminge Parish Church, in aid of the Poppy Appeal. Tickets are
priced at £5.00 – please keep an eye on the village newsletter for booking details.
We thank Elham Parish Council for continuing to invite us to the Annual General Meeting and we
especially thank you for your hard work and outstanding efforts to spruce up the war memorial.
The Elham Remembrance Parade is the highlight of our year and we are very grateful for the
excellent support from the Elham parishioners.
We appreciate that our meetings, which are held on the first Thursday of the month at 7.30pm
at Age UK Lyminge are perhaps not so easy to attend for Elham residents, but we welcome
anyone who would like to come along.”
AGE UK HYTHE AND LYMINGE
Mrs. Cathy Westbrook explained that the main aim of our local branch was to provide a
friendly and flexible service for older members of the community who chose to remain in their
own homes. Although the Hythe and Lyminge Branch was part of the national Age UK
(previously Age Concern) it was a local organisation which did its own fund-raising. Elham
residents were welcome to attend either centre, to which transport could be provided five
days a week, two-course hot meals seven days a week, with a wide range of activities and visits
on offer. Home delivered, ready-to-eat meals were available seven days a week, including Bank
Holidays, with other home support services, such as help with shopping and light household
tasks, handy-person and gardener, with some charges payable. Free personalised advice was
offered on a range of services and benefits.
Enquiries were welcome on 01303 269602 or at www.ageuk.org.uk/hytheandlyminge
ELHAM ENVIRONMENT GROUP
Mr. Chris Jelly reported:
Fund Raising - each EEG member contributes £10 per year to cover hall hire costs.
The Parish Council has donated £100 to assist in covering costs for the planned carbon audit.
Visits - East Kent Against Fracking presentation at Thannington.
Fracking debate at Christchurch University
Kent energy strategy workshop at KCC
KCC Allington Re-cycle Centre (31st March)
Projects -Trees for Elham Phase 2
Elham Community Carbon Audit
Student Placements - Msc Environmental Social Science student from University of Kent to
work on carbon audit.
Sewerage/flooding - exchange of correspondence with Southern Water.
Assisted in clearance of Nailbourne at Hog Green.
Elham News - produced regular monthly column on topical issues
ELHAM WALKERS ARE WELCOME GROUP
Mr. Chris Jelly reported:
Group composition:
Chair – Peter Corkill
Secretary –
Chris Jelly
Treasurer Alison Jelly, Keith Ryder, Martin Harris, John Buss.
We are seeking two additional members to cover marketing/PR and funding.
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-6-
30 March 2015
Maintenance of footpaths & Rights of Way
Since the footpaths group formed we have installed in excess of 50 kissing gates,
approximately 40 stiles, a similar number of waymark posts and 15 sets of steps.
We have been using the KCC on-line reporting system since April 2014. During this period we
have reported and cleared 21 footpath problems which include vegetation clearance.
Dog walking guide
As part of the Kent Countryside Access Forum’s work programme, we have produced an Elham
dog walking guide which is intended to be used as a model and rolled out across the whole of
Kent in conjunction with dog friendly walks to be included in the Explore Kent site. (A draft
copy is available for information).
Marketing of WaW Status
The main Elham website www.elham.co.uk now has a linked site to serve as a visitor guide to the
whole Elham Valley www.kentselhamvalley.co.uk. Access to both sites is gained from the
national WaW site.
Window stickers have been provided to the two pubs, the Abbots Fireside, the Tea Rooms and
the Village Shop. We are currently planning a small display area to house WaW information,
walking routes, tourism leaflets, and OS maps. We hope that this may come about with the
change of ownership of the Tea Rooms .
Public Transport
The Elham Valley visitor site www.kentselhamvalley.co.uk contains a public transport section
and promotes the use of the No.17 bus for travel to and from the start/finish point of walking
routes.
We are hoping to introduce documented linear walks along the Elham Valley with sponsorship
from Stagecoach East Kent.
Community Walking
On Sunday 22 March 2015 we held our first community walk which we hope will become a
regular monthly feature this year.
Walking festival
Following the low turnout for the 2014 Elham Challenge, we have written to Lyminge, Barham,
Kingston and Bridge PC’s with an invitation to join us in a 1 week walking festival in 2016. We
are currently awaiting their responses. We believe a walking festival held in conjunction with
the Elham Food Festival could make a significant impact on numbers. (The White Cliffs
Partnership reported 1000 participants in their 2014 walking festival).
Other achievements
Our Chairman has recently been active in mentoring both Wye and Dover in their endeavours to
become WaW towns in the near future.
Our Secretary and Treasurer attended the national WaW ‘Get Together’ in Chepstow in
October 2014. Elham was awarded a £50 bursary by the National Committee towards personal
expenses.
Funding
KCC provides the materials for our work but does not contribute to our travel expenses. We
have not raised any external funding this year.
We would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Parish Council for its continued support
in the form of sponsoring our WaW annual subscription.
ELHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Mr. Derek Boughton reported:
“Approaching its sixth anniversary, the Elham Historical Society can look back on another
successful year. A highlight was undoubtedly the Society’s commemoration of the centenary
of the start of the First World War. The Exhibition in the Methodist Schoolroom drew many
visitors and much praise, but it was the imaginative displaying of commemorative plaques at the
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-7-
30 March 2015
homes of those who served and gave their lives which made the event unique. Our thanks to
Bryan Badham for the idea, and to him and his team for all the work involved.
We also had three talks on WW1 themes, including that by our chairman, Derek Boughton, on
the war diary of Fred Palmer, who served in the Royal Engineers, and later the Imperial Camel
Corps, in Gallipoli, North Africa and Palestine. It was great that Fred’s ninety-four year old
son was able to come down from Leicestershire to share in that evening.
There will be more talks and events over the next three years for WW1 centenaries (and
WW2 seventy-fifth anniversaries), but other topics will be covered, so that our members do
not get war-weary.
The Society’s website continues to be much visited. The online Database, curated by Barry
Webb, now includes the results of the survey of the monumental inscriptions in St Mary’s
Churchyard. The book of this research (with photos of every gravestone) which is housed in
the church, has been of great use to visiting family historians.
A project for this year is to follow up that survey with a similar one of the Burial Ground.
That may prove quite challenging. No inscription there is more than a hundred years old, but
the poor quality of the stone used means that the condition of some is worse than many of
those in the churchyard dating back to the eighteenth century.
The “Why is Elham Here?” project, initiated by Nigel Thomas, is coming to fruition, and should
soon be online. Many people have contributed to this, but special mention should be made of
Anne Beecham. Her related talk on “Neanderthals in Elham” was a model of erudition and
clarity, and another of the highlights of the past year.
The Elham Historical Society AGM is in the Village Hall at 8pm on Friday 1 May. All are
welcome.”
ELHAM AND ACRYSE SAMARITAN FUND
Mr. Derek Boughton reported:
“The Elham and Acryse Samaritan Fund was formed in 1951 under a Charity Commissioners’
Scheme, using the assets of the Elham and Acryse Nursing Fund, which had operated before
the establishment of the National Health Service.
Under the terms of the Scheme, the income, which is derived from Charity Official
Investment Fund Income Shares and M.& G. Charibond Shares, is to be used for the benefit of
sick poor persons living in the parishes of Elham and Acrise. Fortunately few people fall within
that category, and no-one from Acrise has been helped for about twelve years. Those who do
benefit have recently included two housebound ladies, and families with disabled children.
Sadly, two of our beneficiaries have died this year. If you know of anyone who could be
helped, please speak in confidence to one of the Trustees. Names of beneficiaries are never
published.
The current income of the Fund is just under £1,000, and half-yearly grants of £150 are
presently the norm.
Four Trustees of the Fund are appointed: by the Parish Council of Elham, the Parish Meeting of
Acrise, the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Elham, and the Trustees of
Elham Methodist Church. Up to three extra Trustees may be co-opted; currently one of these,
who acts as Clerk to the Fund, is from Acrise.
Present Trustees: Derek Boughton, Geoff Clements, George Crow, Colin Johnson, Jill Rosenz,
Sue Prebble, and Diana Wheeler.”
ELHAM VALLEY CRICKET CLUB
Mr. Frank Hobbs reported:
“Elham Valley Cricket Club continues to prosper.
Last summer our Saturday league side finished fourth in Division 1B East of the Kent Regional
League, quite an achievement as at halfway we had only won one match. Our fortunes changed
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-8-
30 March 2015
in the second half when we only lost one match. And we are still running a second team on
Saturdays playing friendly matches.
The Sunday side gained promotion from Division 3 of the Kent Village League by finishing
second. They only needed on run from the last ball of the final match to finish first, but were
not able to cross the winning line.
The running of two sides on Saturdays has still worked well, we are able to give games to far
more of our youngsters, and we have not needed to bring in any players from other clubs to
make up the numbers, and it is nice to see so many of the local boys coming up through the
ranks, some of whom are still involved in the County set-up and indeed one of them, Jan Gray,
has been admitted to the County Academy this summer.
Our Saturday morning coaching sessions continue to be well attended. This enables us to enter
sides in the Saxon Shore Junior leagues at Under-15, Under-13, and Under-11 levels. This far
more than some of the “big” clubs in the area are able to achieve.
You will no doubt have noticed construction works taking place on the ground, this is to provide
additional nets which have been funded by the Shepway Sports Trust and Kent County Council.
We are expecting to host a Qwik-Cricket festival for schools at a date to be arranged in June,
this part of our commitment to the Shepway Sports Trust.”
ST. MARY THE VIRGIN CHURCH, ELHAM
Mrs. Mary Morgan, Churchwarden, sent the following report:
“This year we are once again in Interregnum. We are pleased that we have maintained the
regular pattern of services in the church over the year, and huge thanks are due to our
Ministry Team of Canon David Ratcliff, Rev. Ted Clark, and Rev. Richard Wood who made this
possible, together with help and support from the Area Dean, Rev David Adlington who is now
based in Folkestone once again. He was asked to return because of his specialist knowledge in
sorting out some difficulties which had arisen at a parish there.
We very sadly have to report the death of Dr. Dennis Osborne, from cancer. He will be greatly
missed and was working hard until shortly before his death. Consequently the Arc Angel group
of teenagers has lost an inspiring leader, and has not been meeting recently.
The numbers in the congregation remain steady and we have to thank every member of the
regular congregation for working hard together at this time.
One of the highlights of the year was the service together with members of the Elham Valley
Branch of the Royal British Legion commemorating the beginning of World War One.
We are pleased to celebrate that we are a rural parish church, and the attendance of the
Clements’ donkeys on Palm Sunday and at Christmas for the children’s Crib Service is always a
special feature of our year.
We continue with our Pastoral work in the village, visiting and taking Holy Communion to the
elderly and the sick, and Care Circles helping those in need.
Our links with the Methodist Church are strong with many combined Services and events,
including the Sunday School which is well run, although the numbers are very small at the
moment.
The members of the church continue to take an active part in the School, providing 9
representatives on the School Governing Body and visiting to help with many activities.
The Church Hall is being well maintained and the flat above is let.
The FAQ’s group will soon be arranging some further interesting , topical and challenging Talks.
We are very pleased with the growth of our bell ringing team. Several new ringers have been
trained and are now taking a regular place. We are always delighted to welcome teams from
elsewhere to come and ring our bells, which are highly regarded.
Last November on Remembrance Sunday we welcomed members from the oldest bell ringing
society in England, the Ancient Society of College Youths, who rang a full peal on our bells,
lasting more than three hours.
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
-9-
30 March 2015
Within St. Mary’s a large amount of redecoration has taken place and the outside flint work
has been cleared of many weeds and repointed. This is helping to stop the patches of damp.
The Friends of St. Mary’s have financed these works and also the repair of the flagpole which
was damaged by some extreme weather conditions.
We thank Richard Down, the Steeple Keeper, for taking over the changing of flags.
We were pleased to welcome many stalls from the Christmas Food Market inside the church at
Christmas, and plan to do the same in 2015.
Our Benefice of Elham, Denton and Wootton is being enlarged and so we are welcoming the
parish of Acrise into our group. The advertisement for our new vicar is being placed on April
24th, so we hope to get some excellent applicants and interview in the early summer.”
FRIENDS OF ST. MARY’S CHURCH
Mr. Peter Bell sent the following report:
“Friends of St. Mary’s have been raising funds to keep St. Mary’s, a Grade 1 Listed church , in a
reasonable state of repair. Fund raising began in 2008 and a list of capital expenditure in the
region of £30,000 has been spent on a variety of projects to date. A list of capital
expenditure is attached with this report. The aim is to have one major fund raising event each
year and a smaller event in the Autumn, such as a talk/lecture ie: David Starkey on a modern
Monarchy.
Fund raising centred around the Hog Roast & Clay Pigeon shoot - Country Fayre during May
2014, kindness of Mark Nieman at Upper Park Gate Farm. The object was to try and attract
young families from the village to come to a FOSM event. In fact,it seemed to work well as
quite a number of families who never attend events put on by FOSM appeared and seemed to
enjoy themselves . The event netted £1400 for FOSM Funds.
During the period FOSM paid £2485 to rewire the entrance lights (pillars) and new spot-light
plus a new switchboard. Renewed plaster work and redecoration as appropriate - £8200. FOSM
had agreed to pay the annual maintenance for the clock - £198. Repairs to main ridge roof and
relay lead at specific location - £4400.
The flag pole as you may have noticed has broken. There was a failure in the fibre glass and
having spoken to the suppliers they are replacing free of charge. The new pole was replaced on
Thursday 19th March.
FOSM are preparing for a charity golf afternoon Friday 12 th June with already 40+ committed.
Results in next yearly report.”
Thirteen capital projects have been funded by the Friends of St. Mary’s since starting in
2008, totalling £29,461. We have a very generous list of local residents who give to funds via
Direct Debit which helps enormously with Gift Aid recouped from HM Government:
£
ELHAM METHODIST CHURCH
Rev. Kevin Taylor sent the following report:
“Sadly, as your meeting is at the beginning of Holy Week, along with many other clergy
members, I shall be engaged in services throughout the week. I shall be conducting a service at
Stelling Minnis at the same time as your meeting, so hope you will accept my apology and pass
on my regards to those present.
In the four years that I have served Elham as one of my seven Methodist churches, I have
been encouraged by the warmth and cooperation of local people with regard to ecumenical
events and services and I enjoyed a very productive and helpful working relationship with Rev
David Adlington during his time in Elham. In accordance with Methodist custom, during this
year, which is the fourth of my current five year appointment, consultation and discernment
will take place by the people of my churches and myself with regard to whether it is
appropriate for me to seek and for the people to grant, a further period of stationing in this
place. My date for completing my current period of appointment is August 2016. The outcome
of these discussions will be known by September of this year but the formal consultation
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
- 10 -
30 March 2015
process does not begin until the end of May. It has, to date, been an immense privilege and joy
to work amongst the communities in Elham and those of my other churches and I should be
grateful for the thoughts and prayers of the Parish Council as we enter this period of prayer
and discernment for the future. Every good wish and may God bless your meeting.”
ELHAM CIRCLE
Mrs. Judith Ridley sent the following report:
“Over the past year, there was once again a split between local speakers who gave their time
without a fee, and various other guests whom we paid.
May - Judi Knight entertained us hugely with her talk and clothes - Fashion on the Ration. As
a result of Judi’s popular talk, she is coming to us again in June with another rather similar
subject, Eking out on the Ration.
June - We welcomed Rowena Willard-Wright, curator from English Heritage who is an
authority on Walmer Castle and its history. She told us that a programme of refurbishment is
currently taking place and it should be completed in June. We have therefore planned to go
there in August to see benefits of the work undertaken. We look forward to that.
July – Traditionally, we have always held our summer garden party in various members’ gardens
but because of dreadful weather we opted for the Peggy Pike room. Not quite the same as a
village garden but far cosier.
August - We shared cars and visited beautiful historic Rye, followed by cream tea.
September - Sue Watson from Deal Folk Club came along. She had a beautiful voice and
played guitar. Eventually, she succeeded in getting the entire room going with Kentish folk
songs and her very funny poems.
October - We welcomed Dr. John Woodward, whose talk was entitled ‘A Stroll along the Royal
Military Canal’, a brief history of the reasons for building and its construction. Dr. Woodward
illustrated his talk with lovely slides of the bridges, pathways and wonderful wildlife to be
found along the canal.
November - Eve Muggeridge gave a great talk and demo on how to create stained glass objects.
She was great fun and it was a lively evening.
December - We had a cosy evening in the hall with pre Christmas drinks, nibbles and a few
funny games which were enjoyed by all.
January - In deepest, darkest winter we decided to experiment with the timing of the meeting
and met at 2.30 in the afternoon for a real Tea Party. It was open to members and visitors,
and the hall was very full and the atmosphere jolly. Just what we all needed in January.
February - Again we met in the afternoon with Helen Howard and ‘Molluscs and Me’. Helen and
her daughter breed snails for the table, the snails hibernate in winter and come outdoors in
summer and enjoy a diet of fruits and veg. A very different and interesting talk.
March - Back to an evening meeting and we welcomed Sarah Grazebrook, an actress who whilst
‘resting’ has written a novel based upon the Suffragette movement. Sarah was so entertaining:
another success for us.
April - Our AGM. We don’t have our meeting for another two weeks but the Community Warden
for Elham Valley, Garry Harrison, is coming along with all of his knowledge and we plan a Q and
A session after his talk.
As you can see, we have again had a very good year with varied topics to suit all tastes. Our
membership remains around the thirty mark and we are happy to welcome any newcomers who
are welcome to give us a try before joining up for the princely sum of £12 per year.”
ELHAM GARDENING SOCIETY
Mr. Hugh Buckhurst sent the following report:
“Membership continues at a good level, over 100, with several coming from Lyminge and Hythe.
We enjoyed an excellent programme of monthly meetings, along with local garden visits. Our
biennial NGS Open Gardens proved to be a great event, eight members showcased their
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
- 11 -
30 March 2015
gardens plus the new allotments down Vicarage Lane. With an array of home-made cakes and
teas in our President’s garden, it all made it the best yet and we sent just over £3,000 to this
most worthy charity.
Also in June, thirty-six members went on our annual four-day tour to Hereford and this went
particularly well. This was followed by our July show with its many highlights, with particular
reference to the children’s section makes it, according to our most knowledgeable judges, one
of the best in East Kent. Other activities: we continue to support the School Gardening Club,
both financially and with practical advice with their plots, etc.
Our charity this year was the Kent Air Ambulance, the proceeds from our Autumn bulb and
plant sale. We aim to support this charity for at least another two years.
For 2015, our four-day tour is to be based in Harrogate with the judging of our garden
competition a week earlier. Our Spring Show on Saturday 11 April allows us to provide members
with their potato for the most sought-after prize of winning the weight in spuds in a bucket,
which our lady members regularly win! We would very much like to extend an invitation to all
Council members to our July Annual Show to witness this weigh-in and see for yourselves this
superb village event.”
ELHAM VALLEY MODEL RAILWAY CLUB
Mr. Jon Daw sent the following report:
“The EVMRC is a club formed by a group of people who are interested in railways and model
railways in the Elham Valley and elsewhere. The club aims are to:
 Promote the club within the local community

Encourage an interest in prototype railway matters

To manage & construct a model railway layout(s)
The intention of the club is to enjoy a shared interest in all things railway with a bias towards
making models of ‘railways’ in miniature.
The club's members are drawn from the villages in the valley and surrounding area.
What do we do? To please ourselves we make small layouts and visit preserved railways but also
we try to offer anyone the opportunity to come along to our Public Running Days to run their
own models on our model railways.
We have talks and workshops to develop members’ skills. Our first full exhibition was held in
the village last year that was centred on members work and stock.
The spirit of the model railway club is deliberately relaxed we knew that others have far
greater modelling skills and knowledge than we have; but that doesn’t matter, as to us, it is the
atmosphere of railways that excites us.
Interested? Have a look at our website to see what we do and if you are interested come along
come and talk to us about model railways or railways at one of our monthly meetings the details
of which are published on our website. To see what's on, take a look at our activities page on
the website. If would like to join us you will find an application form on the membership page
but come and talk to us in the first place.
Elham Valley Model Railway Club's first Model event last November, attracted nearly 300
visitors who seemed to have had a good day out. The opportunity for people to bring and run
their own 'OO' gauge locos and the catering were particularly popular. Eight club, and visiting
layouts, were on show together with demonstrations on loco construction and painting. Local
societies including The Elham Valley Line Trust and the Kent and East Sussex Railway mounted
displays as did the Elham Historical Society.
If you missed the show last year, please put into your diaries 19 th November 2016 as the show
is held biennially at the Village Hall.”
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
- 12 -
30 March 2015
ELHAM PRE-SCHOOL
Ms Helen Lester sent the following report:
“Elham Pre-School is a thriving pre-school for 2, 3 and 4 year olds. Based in Elham Village Hall,
we provide a safe, fun and nurturing environment in which children have the freedom to play,
learn and socialise. We currently have 22 registered children - some of whom come for the
Government funded 15 hours, whereas others do more/fewer hours per week.
We are quite unique compared to other pre-schools, partly because of the amount of indoor
and outdoor space we offer, but also because of the extensive experience of all our staff. In
fact, we recently completed a survey among our parents and the overriding message is how
caring and attentive the staff are, in addition to what superb facilities we provide. We are
33very proud of our pre-school and are delighted to receive such positive feedback from our
parents.
We held a very successful nativity fayre in December 2014, raising much needed funds for our
charity status preschool.
2015 marks our 50th anniversary and on Sunday 5th July we are hosting a birthday party at
Elham Village Hall to celebrate this milestone. Everyone from Elham and the surrounding
villages are warmly invited. There will be some great prizes to win and a scrumptious afternoon
tea to enjoy. If anyone has previous connections with the pre-school as either a parent, child
or employee, we would very much like to hear from you as we are creating a memory book of
comments and photos. Please call Maria or Trish on 01303 840041 if you can contribute. Many
thanks and we look forward to seeing you all at our party on 5 th July.”
ELHAM VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION
Mr. Tony Rossi sent the following report:
“This the annual report from The Elham Village Hall Association which is the charity
responsible for managing and running this hall.
The Association and the hall are managed by a committee of 15 volunteers who are also
trustees of the charity. Our work involves repair and maintenance of the hall and the raising of
funds for its upkeep and running costs which for this year are in excess of £25,000.
In our report to the Parish last year we explained that the hall was facing a very difficult
financial period. Costs were increasing but without a corresponding increase in revenue. We
anticipated making a substantial loss in the financial year ending 31st August 2014. In fact, by
cutting back on all but essential maintenance costs and expanding our marketing activities we
were able to limit the loss to approximately £2,500. Not a satisfactory position, but far
better than was anticipated earlier in the year.
I am pleased to say that this financial year has started well and we are looking to making a
small profit at the year end.
Following a targeted mailshot, membership of the Association has increased this year and a
number of members have shown their support with donations in excess of the minimum
membership fee for which we are extremely grateful.
In an effort to reduce our substantial energy costs we embarked on a project to install a solar
PV system in the hall. In a very short period of time we were able to raise in excess of
£40,000 to cover the cost of the project. For this we express our grateful thanks to the
Elham Community Trust, who advanced us a significant loan on very favourable terms, and to
the De Haan Charitable Trust and the Tory Family Foundation for their grants. We also thank
members of the Management Committee who also provided loans and grants.
The system has now been installed and generating electricity since the end of February. We
anticipate that the system will pay for itself within nine years and thereafter generate
positive revenue for the hall. We believe that the installation will also enable the hall to
achieve a carbon neutral energy status. The ground source heat pump which we installed about
five years ago has saved approximately 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide. To offset this amount
naturally you would have to plant 300 mature trees and grow them for 30 years!
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
- 13 -
30 March 2015
During the year we also received a grant of £2,500 from Shepway District Council towards the
cost of refurbishing the sports toilets. We believe that these works are necessary if we are to
market the Peggy Pike room as a suitable venue for business meetings or special events. We will
commence this in the next couple of months. We are also looking, as funds become available, to
enhance some of our tired facilities.
We are aiming to achieve a business model where hiring income regularly covers our operating
expenditure and funds from the other events are available for improvements to the hall and
for the replacement of equipment used by hirers. The hall is a community asset and the
support of the villagers is vital if we are to achieve our targets.
We have recently submitted an application to the KCC for the hall to be approved as a location
to hold weddings. Hopefully this will be successful and in fact we already have two couples who
are waiting for this approval.
Yesterday we held an “Open Day” to market the hall to those looking for a wedding reception
location or a place to hold business meetings and conferences. Although the day was not as well
attended as we hoped, the weather not being kind to us, we did manage to generate some
additional bookings which we believe we would not have otherwise received.
A number of the trustees have given many years of service to the Association and some are
looking to retire at the end of this year. We do therefore desperately need new members of
the management committee. In particular, our Treasurer is leaving the village and we are
looking for someone to take on this part time role. The editors of the newsletter have, after
eight years of dedicated service, decided to retire to spend more time with their families. We
are therefore looking for two people to take on this role on an alternate monthly basis.”
ELHAM VALLEY TWINNING ASSOCIATION
Dr. Geoff Macdonald sent the following report:
“The Elham Valley Twinning Association (EVTA) exists to foster friendship with our French
twins in Beaujolais, primarily through annual visits alternating between our two countries.
2014 was another eventful year for EVTA. It began with the AGM in January and a showing of
the film of Marcel Pagnol’s story “Le Château de ma Mère”. In March we had an enjoyable curry
evening in Kingston Barn to sample the excellent Indian cuisine of a local catering firm called
Haji Baji, with a view to offering the French the novelty of an Indian curry during their next
visit, which the French I know are keen to try since Indian food is almost unknown in France. In
April, Donald and Marilyn MacKay staged a very enjoyable evening of Wine and Wisdom. In May
we succeeded at the third attempt to hold another car Treasure Hunt, masterminded as usual
by Robin and Lesley Blount. The events proposed for June and July unfortunately turned out to
be non-starters: a visit to Saltwood Castle with tea proved to be too expensive at £25 per
person, and although we had advertised the day trip to Boulogne run by Crosskeys coaches in
July, in the event none of our members participated.
Our visit to Beaujolais in September was far more successful, I’m pleased to say. 17 members
took part, of which 13 travelled together by Eurostar and TGV to Lyon where we were met by
coach and taken for a welcoming reception at the Salle des Fêtes in Cogny. Andree and Ian
Sladden arrived in the nick of time with the flowering cherry tree which was planted in a
prominent spot next to the venue, where I am told it is now flourishing. We spent that evening
with our hosts where joint dinner parties had been arranged. The following day our hosts took
us on the autoroute north to the Hameau du Vin, a sort of museum-cum-theme park celebration
of Beaujolais wine where the highlights for me were the film from a helicopter as it swooped
over the glorious vineyards and the excellent lunch to the accompaniment of a traditional
French mechanical organ. In the evening we had another fine meal all together, entertained by
a small group of local musicians and a talented chanteuse.
In October we showed a fourth film featuring Marcel Pagnol stories set in Provence – this time
it was “The Well-digger’s Daughter”, a bit of a tear-jerker which was enjoyed by the select
(i.e. in single figures!) audience. Perhaps the film evenings have run out of steam?
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
- 14 -
30 March 2015
Although the Beaujolais visit was undoubtedly the highlight of the year, running a close second
was the Murder Mystery evening held in November at The Red Lion, Bridge, based remarkably
closely on the popular TV series ‘Allo ‘Allo. A total of 23 members enjoyed the entertainment
and the accompanying dinner, of which 10 were the brave players, all of whom gave of their
best in terms of dodgy accents and wacky costumes. Terry Davis was the only person who
correctly identified the murderer, who happened to be himself! The year closed with the
traditional Christmas dinner, held successfully for the second year running at The White
Horse, Bridge.
With the start of the New Year and the call for members to renew their subscriptions, we
have implemented a fresh drive to attract new members, with promotional articles being placed
in every village magazine along the Elham Valley from Bridge to Lyminge, and we optimistically
await to see the results.
At this year’s AGM in February we showed the classic French film “Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday”,
starring Jacques Tati. Later that month we were given a guided tour of the Houses of
Parliament by one of our members, Marilyn MacKay, who is a registered Blue Guide for London.
The highlight of the coming year will undoubtedly be the next visit by our French friends,
scheduled for the weekend of 11-14th September, staying for three nights so that there will be
time for a visit to London on the Saturday and a full day of events with us on the Sunday.
In conclusion, EVTA continues to thrive and we look forward to the coming year with its social
events and the next visit by our French friends with optimism.”
10. Public Session
No further items were raised.
Closure
There being no other business, the Chairman thanked everyone for attending and closed the
meeting at 8.56pm.
Signed:
Chairman of the Council
Elham Annual Parish Meeting for Electors
- 15 -
30 March 2015