district life 38 final.qxp - Canterbury City Council

Issue 38 

Spring 2010 

This is a trial front cover 

Things are looking up for young people!

Cover story 

Canterbury’s new youth night, 

Dive, has been launched. See 

page 21. Photo by Tim Stubbings. 

Back issues 

Can be viewed online at 

www.districtlife.co.uk 

Contacts 

Editor 

Rob Davies 

Phone 01227 862 050 

Email robert.davies@ 

canterbury.gov.uk 

Additional editorial 

Steve James and 

Natasha Fehnle 

Phone 01227 862 060 

Email steve.james@ 


Advertising 

Sarah Cooper 

Phone 01227 862 423 

Email sarah.cooper@ 


Design 

Sue Robinson 

Phone 

01227 862 282 

Email susan.robinson@ 


Printed on environmentally 

friendly paper. Please 

recycle once you have finished 

with this publication. 

District Life is the quarterly news magazine for residents and businesses in the Canterbury district. 

Published by Canterbury City Council with the support of paid advertising. Print by Polestar Colchester. 

District Life and Canterbury City Council accept no responsibility for loss or damage, however caused, to 

any material submitted for publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without 

prior permission of the publishers. 

Published in March 2010 

Canterbury City 

Council supports 

Fairtrade and 

local produce 

P23 

P16 and 17 P10 

Welcome 

from the Editor 

You often hear young people say they're bored and there's nothing for 

them to do, but that certainly shouldn't be the case from now on. 

The new Dive initiative at Kingsmead Leisure Centre offers a wide 

variety of sport and leisure activities aimed specifically at young 

people aged 12 to 17. And at just £3 for three hours of fun, it's great 

value too. 

Dive runs on the third Saturday evening of each month, and for 

more details, turn to page 21. 

CCTV cameras are never far from the news, as the debate about 

their effectiveness rumbles on. District Life has had a peek behind the 

scenes at the new CCTV room at the council offices in Canterbury to 

find out what happens locally – see pages 16 and 17. 

Volunteering is also featured in this edition, as a new campaign to 

encourage people to get involved in community life is launched across 

Kent. Find out more, and meet a local volunteer, on page 19. 

Featured articles 

You can also get this publication on CD, in Braille or in large print. Please phone 

Rob Davies on 01227 862 050 or email robert.davies@canterbury.gov.uk. 

Page 

Get active this spring 

7 

Log on for disability 

information 

11 

Create a wildlife haven 13 

Youth column 

21 

Conservation in Canterbury 24 

Regular features 

News round-up starts 

Competition 

4 

23 

3

4 

Leader’s column 

Council Leader Cllr John 

Gilbey gives the latest news 

on the council’s budget and 

urges people to get involved 

in the Local Development 

Framework process. 

In recent editions of District Life, I have 

explained some of the proposals my 

administration has put forward to help the 

council save £3 million over two years. 

Faced with an unprecedented financial 

situation, this has undoubtedly been the hardest 

budget this council has ever had to set. 

By the time you read this, the full council will 

have met to finalise the budget and set the level 

of council tax you will pay over the next year, 

and I expect you will have seen a lot of coverage 

in the local press of what happened at that 

meeting. 

We had an incredible response to the public 

consultation on the proposals, with more than 

1,200 people filling in the questionnaire or 

submitting individual comments, a number of 

petitions and even Facebook campaigns. 

As I write, ahead of the budget meeting, most 

of my administration’s proposals will be 

recommended to the full council meeting. Our 

priority is to remain financially strong in the 

current climate, and the medium term financial 

position is so difficult that we have been left 

with very little room for manoeuvre. 

Our aim is to keep council tax rises to a 

minimum and protect frontline services where 

possible, and this is why we looked for the 

savings to come mainly from discretionary 

services that we can choose to provide. 

We are also continuing to look at longer term 

approaches to delivering services more 

efficiently, including working jointly with 

neighbouring councils to achieve savings. 

You may also have seen stories in the local 

papers over the last few weeks about the 

council’s Local Development Framework 

(LDF) – the planning blueprint for how 

Canterbury district will develop up to 2026. 

The LDF guides the planning and 

development of our towns, villages and 

countryside, and ensures that we have 

affordable housing and access to other facilities 

and employment opportunities. 

The process also takes into account other 

plans covering health, education and the 

environment that all have a role to play in 

shaping where we live. 

An important part of the LDF is making sure 

that everyone has an opportunity to get 

involved and have their say. 

Public consultation continues until Friday 12 

March and I would urge everyone to visit the 

website at www.canterbury.gov.uk/ldf and see 

what we are proposing for the district over the 

next 16 years. 

Global fame for Roman pots 

Mysterious Roman pots dredged from 

the seabed off Whitstable and Herne 

Bay by local fishermen, and on display 

in Whitstable Museum, have been 

chosen for a prestigious national 

project that tells the story of the world 

through museum objects. 

The ‘History of the 

The pottery (Samian ware) was imported 

from Roman Gaul. 

The shiny red pottery dishes, many 

complete and in an excellent state of 

preservation, were recovered from the 

seabed by local fishermen and became 

prized items in their homes. In Whitstable, 

they were used to 

World’ project – an make a special kind 

exciting collaboration of pudding – so the 

between the BBC, the 

pots and the place 

British Museum and where they were 

more than 350 found offshore 

museums across the 

were given the 

country – will run name Pudding Pan. 

throughout 2010. To see the pots 

It is receiving high 

on display, pop 

profile coverage on into Whitstable 

national and regional Museum in Oxford 

BBC television and 

Street – open 

radio. 

between 10am and 

Canterbury City Council’s museums 4pm, Monday to Saturday. Admission is 

service is leading the project in Kent and free. 

has been co-ordinating the county’s 

In addition to the exhibition at 

contribution in partnership with BBC Whitstable Museum, there will also be a 

South East. 

small display of Samian ware and 

The pots are from at least two Roman information on the project at Herne Bay 

cargo ships that were either wrecked or Museum, the Roman Museum and the 

the cargoes jettisoned at sea in a storm. Museum of Canterbury. 

Housing grant leads 

to new council homes 

The city council has successfully bid 

for £779,000 from the Homes and 

Communities Agency for a Social 

Housing Grant to build 13 new council 

homes. 

Last month’s announcement means, 

subject to planning permission, 

Canterbury district will get new council 

properties for the first time in around 10 

years. The remainder of the construction 

cost – £1,458,349 – will be met by 

borrowing, which will be repaid over 

time from rental income. 

The grant has been awarded for two 

sites: five large family houses in St 

Andrew’s Close, Whitstable, and eight 

two-bedroom flats for older people in 

Warwick Road, Canterbury. 

These properties will make a 

significant contribution to meeting 

identified housing need in the district 

and achieving the council’s strategic 

objectives. 

Strategic Policy Manager Gary Peskett 

said: “This is a great opportunity to 

provide some desperately needed 

affordable housing for local people. We 

put together a strong bid and are 

delighted we have been chosen as one 

of the councils to receive this grant. 

Without it, the schemes would not be 

able to go ahead.” 

This is the first time local authorities 

have been given the opportunity to 

bid for a Social Housing Grant from the 

Homes and Communities Agency. 

In what is a high profile national 

initiative, the bidding process attracted 

stiff competition, and there were 

successful bids from 72 other local 

authorities, including three more 

in Kent.

Fancy a nice day at 

the beach hut? 

Sun, sea and guaranteed relaxation 

are on offer to anyone who rents a 

beach hut at Whitstable Harbour. 

There is currently a front row and a 

rear row hut available to rent with a 

minimum rental period of a year. 

The rate for a front row hut is £1,766 

and a rear row hut £1,237. 

The ‘staycation’ has become more 

and more popular in the current 

financial climate, and a beach hut is an 

ideal way of getting good all-yearround 

value for money. 

Anyone interested in renting a beach 

hut at Whitstable Harbour should call 

Margaret Simpson on 01227 862 087 

or email property.services@ 

canterbury.gov.uk. 

Important changes to 

free bus pass eligibility 

From 6 April 2010, the age that residents 

can receive a free bus pass is to change. 

The age of eligibility for the 

concessionary bus pass for both men and 

women will gradually increase from 60 to 

65 between 2010 and 2020. This change is 

in line with the new state pension age that 

is being introduced over the next few 

years. 

Currently, both men and women become 

eligible for a free bus pass on their 60th 

birthday. The new plans mean that by April 

2020 the age of eligibility will have 

increased to 65. 

The age of eligibility will rise by two 

months every one month. This means the 

earliest date you can get your free bus pass 

will depend on which month and which 

year you were born. Anyone born on or 

after 6 April 1955 will have to wait until 

they are 65 to claim their free bus pass. 

Please see the table for an example. 

Period within which date of birth falls Day eligible for concessionary bus pass 

Before and including 5 April 1950 Date of 60th birthday 

6 April 1950 to 5 May 1950 6 May 2010 

6 May 1950 to 5 June 1950 6 July 2010 

6 June 1950 to 5 July 1950 6 September 2010 

6 July 1950 to 5 August 1950 6 November 2010 

6 August 1950 to 5 September 1950 6 January 2011 ……and so on 

The changes to the age of eligibility will not affect anyone who has turned 60 on 

or before 5 April 2010. For more information and to view the full table, please visit 

www.canterbury.gov.uk/buspasses or call the council’s contact centre on 01227 862 343. 

Policy sets out 

environmental 

commitment 

Canterbury City Council has now approved 

and published its Environment Policy and 

copies are available. 

The extensive policy covers a wide range of 

topics, including recycling, waste reduction, 

tackling pollution, sustainable transport, 

reducing travel, saving energy, reducing 

carbon emissions and adapting to the 

changing climate. 

Other aims include improving public open 

space, safeguarding the quality of the natural 

and built environment, improving biodiversity 

and using local suppliers wherever possible. 

Director of Environment David Reed said: 

“The council is already doing a lot to address 

environmental issues, and we also have to 

meet a number of targets set by the 

government. The approved policy draws these 

together and sets out our commitment to put 

the environment at the centre of everything 

we do.” 

Copies can be requested by emailing 

david.reed@canterbury.gov.uk or calling 

01227 862 468. 

Alternatively, read it online at 

www.canterbury.gov.uk/environmentpolicy. 

Dinner tickets now on sale 

This year’s Lord Mayor’s Dinner in aid of the Lady 

Mayoress’ Charity takes place on Saturday 17 

April, and tickets are available now. 

The event, which starts with a reception at 

6.45pm followed by dinner at 7.30pm, is at 

Canterbury Christ Church University’s Augustine 

House. Tickets cost £45 to include half a bottle of 

wine. Tables accommodate up to 12 guests. 

For more details or to request a booking form, 

contact the Lord Mayor’s office on 01227 862 080. 

5

Put a spring in 

your step! 

Canterbury City Council and its partners 

are determined to help local people get 

more active in 2010 through a number 

of sporting opportunities across the 

district. 

There is plenty going on, including: 

The Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile 

Sport Relief brings the entire nation 

together to get active, raise cash and 

change lives, so everyone can do good 

and feel good. The money you raise 

through Sport Relief makes a massive 

difference to people’s lives, both in the UK 

and across some of the world’s poorest 

countries. 

In 2008, Canterbury’s first event was one 

of the largest across the country, with 

more than 800 people taking part! This 

year’s event is based at the University of 

Kent on Sunday 21 March. You can 

complete either a one, three or six-mile 

course. The day will include live music and 

lots of activities. To sign up, visit 

www.sportrelief.com/the-mile. 

… Or really challenge yourself! 

If a mile or two isn’t enough of a 

challenge, consider the Pilgrims Hospices 

Canterbury Half Marathon on Sunday 23 

May, starting at 9.30am from Canterbury 

Rugby Club. 

The race raises money for the Pilgrims 

Hospice, a charity providing care for 

terminally ill people in east Kent and 

support for their families. Last year, 

hundreds of entrants took part along the 

picturesque rural course. 

If you don’t fancy pounding the streets 

then consider the Tri Hospice Cycle 

Challenge on Sunday 9 May. Choose from 

a 70-mile route between Canterbury, 

Margate and Ashford or three shorter, 

family-friendly local circular routes. For 

more information about both events, visit 

www.pilgrimshospice.org. 

Bounce your way to an active lifestyle 

Aire trampoline club has recently 

opened in Wincheap, with sessions to cater 

for all capabilities. With six Olympic-sized 

trampolines, you can try trampolining in a 

safe and friendly environment. Sessions 

run from Monday to Saturday for people 

aged four to 64. Look out for future 

sessions for mothers and toddlers, golden 

oldies, schools and disability groups. For 

more information visit www.aire.tc or call 

08455 190 390. 

Clubs and groups for sports galore 

Get back into netball with sessions at St 

Anselm’s Catholic School on Wednesday 

evenings; a great social environment for 

new, returning and existing players! Or 

learn to umpire, coach or start playing in 

the Canterbury and District Netball 

League. 

If you don’t fancy sport why not try 

‘Move to Music’; fun, friendly low impact 

aerobic exercise to music for adults aged 50 

and over, every Wednesday morning in St 

Dunstan’s Church Hall, Canterbury. 

All sports clubs and physical activity 

opportunities across the district are listed at 

www.activecanterbury.org. 

For more information, go online or contact 

Rebecca Ward, Community Sports Officer, on 

01227 862 155 or e-mail 

rebecca.ward@canterbury.gov.uk. 

7

Girl Guides, wacky 

science experiments 

and chocolate 

‘It’s time for a 

fun day out. ’ 

Visit your local museums in 

Canterbury, Herne Bay and 

Whitstable for some great 

exhibitions and events for all 

the family. 

Discover the history of the 

Girl Guides, find out about 

chocolate, take part in wacky 

Earth-related science experiments 

and see Herne Bay in a new light! 

Girl Guides – the first 100 years! 

A centenary exhibition 

6 February to 20 March 

Whitstable Museum, 

Oxford Street 

Celebrate 100 years of the Girl 

Guides with local memories, 

photos, displays and hands-on 

activities. Find out what it means 

to be a Rainbow, Brownie or 

Guide today. 

In partnership with 

Girlguiding Whitstable. 

Herne Bay Through a Lens 

Community exhibition 

13 February to 17 April 

Herne Bay Museum, 

William Street 

See the town in a new light 

through the eyes of a new 

community photography project 

including both young and older 

people from Herne Bay. Vote for 

your favourite photograph! 

In partnership with Canterbury 

City Council’s Children and 

Youth Team, and funded by 

Canterbury Coastal Local 

Children’s Services Partnership. 

Unless a special event admission price 

is shown, entry to all Canterbury City 

Council museums is free to Canterbury 

district Residents Card holders and their 

families. For non-card holders usual 

admission prices apply. 

Go For It! 

Drop-in family event 

Saturday 6 March, 

10am to 12.30pm 


Oxford Street 

Take a different look at chocolate 

and other important ingredients. 

Part of Girlguiding UK’s activities 

for living in today’s world. Drop-in 

event suitable for ages five to 15. 

Led by local Rainbow, Brownie 

and Guide groups. 

Little Ruperts – Rupert 

and the Imps of Spring 

Pre-school storytelling and craft 

Thursday 11 March, 

10am to 11am 

Museum of Canterbury, 

Stour Street 

For the under fives. Listen to a fun 

Rupert story and make reindeer 

antlers. Admission £2 per child, 

adults free. 

Materials and refreshments 

provided. Advance booking 

01227 475 201. 

Young Artist 

Art craft activity 


10am to 12.30pm 


Oxford Street 

Learn about colours, texture, 

printing and other art skills. 

Create a collage, special 

bookmark greetings card, 

illustrated poem or invitation to 

take home. Drop-in event for 

children age five plus. 

www.canterbury-museums.co.uk 

Little Herons – Rupert 

and the Imps of Spring 


Tuesday 16 March, 

1.30pm to 2.30pm 

Herne Bay Museum, 

William Street 




adults free. 



01227 367 368. 

Sustaining the Earth 

National Science Week event 

Thursday 18 to 


11am to 4pm 

Museum of Canterbury, 

Stour Street 

Take part in fun, hands-on 

experiments and activities 

inspired by museum collections 

and discover how we can help 

save the planet. 

Age two to adult. Special entry, 

£1 for all visitors. 

In partnership with the 

University of Kent Biosciences 

Department. 

Please note if you are a Brownie, 

attendance at this day can help 

you gain your Artist badge 

Canterbury Roman Museum 

01227 785 575 

Herne Bay Museum 

01227 367 368 

Museum of Canterbury 

01227 475 202 

West Gate Towers 

01227 789 576 

Whitstable Museum 

01227 276 998 

Exciting Insects 

Wildlife activity/ 

meet the expert 


2pm to 4pm 


Oxford Street 

Discover why insects are so 

important and make an insect 

home for your garden. A launch 

event for the Wild About Gardens 

scheme. Part of National Science 

Week. Led by Kent Wildlife Trust 

in partnership with 

Conservation and Countryside, 

Canterbury City Council. 

Little Oysters – Rupert and the 

Imps of Spring 


Wednesday 31 March, 

1.30pm to 2.30pm 


Oxford Street 




adults free. 



01227 276 998. 

9

Webcam images 

reveal Marlowe 

progress 

The striking picture above shows the 

excellent progress being made on 

Canterbury’s new Marlowe Theatre. 

The image – taken in early February from 

the webcam on the nearby Canterbury Tales 

pub – reveals the erection of the steel frame. 

Work, which began just before Christmas, is 

progressing very well and should be 

completed by the end of March. 

This is one of the most exciting phases of 

10 

the project and gives an indication of the 

fabric of the building and the size and shape 

of the new theatre. 

Work will continue until the end of the 

summer when the building will become 

watertight. The contractor will then move 

inside to begin the fit out of the 

auditoriums, foyers, bars, toilets, riverside 

café and all back of house areas. 

Archaeologists have now completed their 

excavations of the Roman archaeology. The 

discovery of a Roman villa caused some delay 

to work on one part of the site, but the city 

council is working closely with the contractor 

to reduce the impact on the overall 

programme, and the project remains on 

target for a reopening in September 2011. 

To keep up-to-date with progress and see 

how the site changes via the webcam, visit 

www.newmarlowetheatre.org.uk. 

City says goodbye to Marlowe arena (for now) 

The big blue tent that was part of the 

Canterbury skyline for three months over 

Christmas and New Year has come down. 

The Marlowe Theatre Arena was put up at 

the former Kingsmead coach park site in 

November and was home to a series of onenight 

performances, the pantomime Peter 

Pan, a film season and the ice show, Snow 

White. 

The Marlowe team was determined that 

shows should go on in Canterbury during 

the theatre’s closure for redevelopment and 

Director Mark Everett was pleased with the 

mini ‘season’ at the arena. 

More than 74,600 people passed through 

the arena’s doors, with 65,000 seeing Peter 

Pan. This added up to £1.1 million in ticket 

sales for the panto alone. 

No performances were cancelled due to 

the bad weather, and the only time the 

show didn’t go on was after the diesel 

spillage in December. 

Mark Everett said: “This was a marvellous 

example of performers and support staff of 

all levels pulling together to make an 

entirely new venture a great success for 

theatregoers. 

“We are all looking forward to the theatre 

arena season at the end of this year, 

featuring Robin Hood.”

Head online for 

access information 

Canterbury district’s disabled residents are being urged 

to log on to a website aimed at helping them to get out 

and do what they want. 

The DisabledGo website – disability needs. The information is also 

www.disabledgo.com – is an online useful for older people and those with 

resource providing access details of many pushchairs. 

goods and service providers in the area, The website has been given a fresh look 

such as restaurants, shops, pubs and public for 2010, so District Life decided to ask 

buildings. local resident, Amal Garnham, to review 

It means disabled residents and visitors the website and see how it can help 

can quickly and easily find out which people enjoy what Canterbury district 

venues offer a service to meet their has to offer. 

Profile: 

Amal says 

I have a mobility scooter, but I also have 

a car and prefer to drive and walk, so 

knowing if there is parking nearby is very 

important for me. DisabledGo allows me 

to judge in advance if I can use my scooter 

to get to, and within, a particular venue. I 

can manage a small number of stairs, but 

prefer to use lifts where they are available. 

I don’t need any visual or audio aids, but 

knowing these are available is vital for 

others. 

Travel – Canterbury West Station 

The information on DisabledGo was a 

little ambiguous for this venue. I recently 

travelled to London. Going from 

Canterbury to London is fine, but coming 

back I struggled to get to the opposite 

platform. The site says there is a 

permanent ramp, but it does not mention 

that this can only be used when the 

station is staffed, which is between 

5.45am and 9.45pm. Consequently, I had 

to use the stairs; the site states there are 

15+ stairs, but it would be helpful to 

indicate the exact number, as there are 

closer to 40! 

Amal Garnham, 32 

Canterbury resident 

Suffers from cerebral palsy, 

epilepsy and arthritis 

Retail – Waterstones, 

St Margaret’s Street 

The information for this venue was very 

good and helpful. It informs me that 

wheelchair users will only have access to 

most of the ground floor, and lets you 

know what books are available on that 

floor, as well as other floors. This lets me 

decide if I want to use my scooter. It also 

tells me how many stairs are involved on 

the ground floor and to other floors, so I 

can decide in advance if the books I want 

will be accessible. 

Entertainment – Odeon Cinema 

There is useful information about this 

venue, particularly for me about where to 

park. It also says there is not level access 

to the service and wheelchair users would 

not have access to all the screens. 

However, it does say that if you want to 

see a certain film on an inaccessible 

screen, they may be able to accommodate 

you within reason. This means that I can 

phone ahead to see how they can help 

me, which would save a wasted trip. 

The verdict Overall, DisabledGo offers a very valuable and useful 

service, providing information to allow disabled people to judge for 

themselves if a venue is suitable for them. As long as the 

information is accurate and up to date, it can really make a 

difference to how you plan your days out. 

Amal Garnham 

Survey seeks 

views of people 

with disabilities 

Are you a disabled person between the 

ages of 18 and 60? Do you lead an 

independent life where you feel you are 

able to make choices and have control 

over what you do? 

If so, the city council would like you to 

take part in its disability needs assessment 

questionnaire, which will be available 

online shortly at www.canterbury.gov.uk. 

The questionnaire results aim to help the 

council and the organisations it works with 

plan and provide services in a way that best 

meets your needs. 

Some people may also receive a hard 

copy in the post, as some questionnaires 

are being sent to local residents. 

Previous surveys have targeted specific 

groups, such as younger or older people or 

those that receive a lot of support from 

Social Services. 

There will be a prize draw held where 

one person who completes the survey and 

gives their contact details will win £50. The 

winner will be drawn at random after the 

closing date in April 2010. 

For more details on the survey, or to 

request it in a different format, contact 

Community Development Officer Helen 

Carter on 01227 862 518 or email 

helen.carter@canterbury.gov.uk. 

11

Turn your garden 

into a wildlife haven 

Herne Bay projects 

under the spotlight 

Herne Bay residents can find out the latest news about a number of 

the town’s regeneration projects at a special exhibition in March. 

The event takes place at the Kings Hall between 3pm and 7pm on 

Wednesday 24 March and is open to all. 

It is an opportunity to see the progress that has been made over the 

last 12 months on major projects such as the Central Development Area, 

the relocation of the Pier Sports Centre to Herne Bay High School, the 

extension of the Herons Leisure Centre, the future of the pier and the 

Memorial Park. 

Each topic will have its own stand and city councillors and council 

officers will be there to provide more information and answer questions. 

Many more community projects are planned or underway, so the 

exhibition offers a chance to see how these will affect you and to 

explore opportunities to get involved if you wish. Some of the town’s 

most prominent businesses will also be exhibiting. 

Herne Bay Regeneration Manager Patrick Rynne said: “There are a 

number of exicting projects taking shape in Herne Bay at the moment 

and we want to make sure people know what's going on. Local residents 

are really interested in how their town is developing. 

“This is an opportunity to ask questions and see what's in store in 

future - and also find out how you can play your part in community life. ” 

Canterbury City Council, Kent Wildlife Trust and the 

Royal Horticultural Society have again joined forces for 

the Wild About Gardens initiative. 

Gardening for wildlife has gained in popularity and does 

not mean an unkempt garden; it can be as simple as using 

a water butt, putting up nesting boxes and bird feeders or 

planting extra flowering plants for butterflies and bees. 

The 2010 scheme is open to all types of gardens from 

balconies and courtyards, to school, business and 

community gardens. Entry is free and requires completing a 

simple form, followed by a visit from a Kent Wildlife Trust 

assessor. Gardens can receive a gold, silver or bronze award, 

with gold winners getting a plaque for their garden and 

maybe qualifying for one of these prestigious awards: 

O Best community garden 

O Best school garden 

O Best family garden 

This year, Wild About Gardens will introduce a new award 

for the ‘best dragon garden’ to the garden with an 

outstanding body of permanent water. Ponds are under 

serious threat in the countryside and a wildlife pond in your 

garden will attract insects, birds and amphibians – a handy 

way to deal with many garden pests! 

If you would like to help the Canterbury district become a 

place where nature thrives, contact Julia Manning on 01227 

862 191 or email countryside@canterbury.gov.uk for an 

application form. 

The scheme opens on 20 March with a launch event at 

Whitstable museum between 2pm and 4pm. Everyone 

who completes a form will receive a free packet of seeds 

(subject to availability). The closing date for applications 

is 30 June. 

For more information, visit 

www.canterbury.gov.uk/hernebayprojects or 

contact Patrick Rynne on 01227 862 329 or email 

patrick.rynne@canterbury.gov.uk. 

13

New crime team 

puts safety first 

By Natasha Fehnle 

Efforts to tackle crime and anti-social 

behaviour in the district have been 

stepped up with the creation of a new 

team working out of the council’s 

Military Road offices. 

The new Community Safety Unit (CSU) 

brings together the work of the police and 

council staff, alongside new state-of-the-art 

CCTV monitoring equipment, to provide a 

joined-up approach to safety in the district. 

Based in one office, the team is able to share 

important information and resources to 

16 

prevent and reduce crime and improve 

quality of life for residents. 

Community Safety Manager, Doug Rattray, 

says: “This is a great development. By having 

police and council staff together along with 

the CCTV equipment, we have all our 

resources in the same place. This means we 

can easily exchange information about 

community safety projects and problems on 

a daily basis, assess and discuss incidents 

affecting people in the area and take joint 

action to sort them out.” 

The unit deals with a wide range of issues, 

including, noise, criminal damage, graffiti, litter, 

disorderly conduct and drug misuse. It also 

leads the work of the Safer Canterbury District 

Partnership, which involves joint working 

initiatives from Canterbury City Council, Kent 

Police, the fire service, primary care trust and 

probation services, tackling crime and disorder 

in the area. 

The CCTV equipment is in the Central 

Monitoring Unit (CMU) and operates 

throughout the district 24 hours a day, seven 

days a week. The new monitoring area offers 

access to more than 300 cameras covering 

places such as shopping areas, sheltered 

housing schemes and car parks, as well as 

mobile cameras. 

Allowing operators to deal with incidents 

with increased speed and accuracy means the 

system can help lead to successful convictions 

of people who commit crime. 

In one recent incident, a shop window was 

smashed in a fight involving a large group of 

males. CCTV operators were able to monitor

the fight and relay accurate information to the 

police, which led to the arrest and subsequent 

prosecution of the offenders. 

The close working relationship with the 

police makes maximum use of such footage as 

evidence in criminal investigations. During 

2009, the police used 277 pieces of CCTV 

footage as evidence, and CCTV observation 

has been instrumental in hundreds of arrests. 

The CMU is also an integral partner in the 

Canterbury and Coastal Shopwatch scheme, 

and provides vital support and monitoring to 

reduce retail crime. 

Aside from tackling crime, the CMU is also 

the first point of call in emergency out-ofhours 

situations, and for the 3,000 elderly and 

vulnerable people across east Kent who use 

the 24 hour Lifeline personal alarm service. This 

scheme is essential in letting Lifeline users 

maintain their independence, and the upgrade 

of equipment means this valuable service can 

continue. 

CMU Manager, Rey Aziz, says: “We work in 

partnership with all agencies to make 

Canterbury a safer district. And to our Lifeline 

and out of hours callers, we are the first form of 

assistance.” 

The level of community support offered by 

the CMU is an extension of the work of the 

Community Safety Team. The new unit will 

allow the team to respond to increasing public 

demand concerning anti-social behaviour and 

Team approach: David Harte, Rey Aziz, Sgt Dave Brenchley and Doug Rattray 

help improve the level of effectiveness in 

tackling community safety issues. 

Comprising council community safety 

officers and police staff, the team has 

expertise in a wide range of community safety 

matters. These include licensing law, hate 

incidents, engaging with families to reduce 

anti-social and offending behaviour, 

gathering evidence and exercising powers to 

deal with persistent anti-social behaviour 

problems. 

“We work in partnership 

with all agencies to 

make Canterbury a 

safer district.” 

It can also draw on assistance from staff 

from within Kent Police, such as the local 

neighbourhood policing teams. From within 

the council, departments such as street scene, 

environmental noise, housing management 

and parking services are closely involved in 

its work. 

Community Safety Team member, Sgt Dave 

Brenchley, says: “A considerable effort has 

gone into ensuring that this co-location has 

happened and I believe it shows that Kent 

Police and Canterbury City Council are 

committed to improving public safety still 

further.” 

While emergencies should still be dealt 

with by the 999 response teams, there are 

imminent plans to allow residents to report 

anti-social behaviour directly to the team. 

Doug Rattray adds: “The new Community 

Safety Unit is here to help everyone. It deals 

with the matters that people in local streets 

are concerned about. The district is already 

one of the safest places in the country, but I’m 

confident the community will benefit further 

from this co-working and see long term 

results.” 

CSU overview: 

Some of the routine functions of the 

Community Safety Unit include: 

O information exchange and data 

sharing 

O daily partnership tactical tasking and 

coordination 

O collating, analysing and drawing 

inference from figures on crime, 

incidents and offender behaviour. This 

includes looking at trends and 

information on arson 

O environmental nuisance and breach of 

trading standards law 

O presenting analysed data as valuable 

intelligence 

O developing and implementing longer 

term pieces of work in neighbourhoods 

to prevent and reduce crime where 

problems are identified 

O monitoring and evaluating the 

effectiveness of crime reduction 

projects 

O supporting sub-groups of the unit 

O strategic and administrative support to 

the Safer Canterbury District 

Partnership Executive Group, for 

example writing policies and plans, 

expenditure monitoring, financial 

planning, bidding for funding 

O tracking examples of good practice 

elsewhere and assessing their 

suitability for local implementation, for 

instance of neighbourhood policing 

teams, community safety officers and 

licensing staff 

Taken from ‘The Safer Canterbury District 

Partnership plan 2009 to 2012’. To view the 

full plan please visit www.canterbury. 

gov.uk/communitysafety. 

17

Volunteering brings 

benefits for Kirsty 

By Steve James 

Lend a hand 

and learn new skills 

A new push to encourage more people to 

get involved in volunteering has been 

launched. 

Canterbury City Council and other Kent 

local authorities and organisations are 

working together as part of the Kent 

Agreement, which commits them to helping 

people participate in local life. 

There are many positive advantages if 

people become involved in their community 

through volunteering or engaging in civic 

life. For example, it gives them a positive say 

in shaping their locality and reducing social 

exclusion. These benefits help both the 

individual and the community in which they 

live. 

Kirsty King lives in Canterbury and is just 

one of many local people who’s discovered 

that volunteering makes a difference. 

Married to husband David, Kirsty is 

mother to their three-and-a-half-year-old 

boy, Harrison. Based at Riverside Children’s 

Centre in Canterbury, she is also the district’s 

breastfeeding volunteer co-ordinator. 

As you would expect, motherhood has 

brought enormous joy for Kirsty (34), but she 

never anticipated that being a parent would 

introduce her to the world of volunteering. 

Prior to Harrison’s arrival, Kirsty worked in 

London, in the world of fashion 

management. 

“I started volunteering in August 2007 

through Riverside’s parental engagement 

programme and I became a paid and funded 

breastfeeding volunteer co-ordinator in July 

2009, ” said Kirsty. “But it was the initial 

voluntary work that got everything going. 

However, when it was first suggested that I 

could volunteer, I thought, ‘I can’t imagine 

doing that!’” 

Kirsty explained that there are many 

mothers in Canterbury district who seek 

advice and support through breastfeeding 

groups. 

She said: “Some women need information 

and reassurance on matters such as weaning 

and breastfeeding in public. They may also 

have worries about the best position for 

breastfeeding or physical comfort and 

associated medical conditions. On other 

occasions they just need the support that 

being a member of a group brings. ” 

Kirsty said that in 2009 there were 854 

contacts with breastfeeding mothers in 

Canterbury district. And in her role, she coordinates 

38 breastfeeding volunteers. 

“I volunteer a minimum of four hours a 

week as a peer supporter and work more 

than seven hours a week as a breastfeeding 

co-ordinator,” said Kirsty, whose position is 

funded by the Eastern and Coastal Kent 

NHS Primary Care Trust. “However,” she 

added, “I often dedicate more time than 

that.” 

Kirsty is in no doubt that her enthusiasm 

for her current role emanates from 

the early days following the 

birth of Harrison. 

She said: “I remember 

that I didn’t feel like 

stepping out of the door, 

let alone volunteering! 

But the subsequent 

support that I received 

made me think that I 

wanted to help out.” 

Kirsty is full of encouragement for anyone 

else who may be interested in voluntary 

work. 

She said: “Volunteering gives you loads of 

self-confidence and boosts your self-esteem. 

Joining the breastfeeding group as a 

volunteer and then becoming a co-ordinator 

means that I’ve made many new friends. 

“I’d say that anyone should give it a try. 

You never know where it may lead. It makes 

a difference to your life and other people’s 

lives.” 

If you want to find out more about 

volunteering, visit the Canterbury 

District Community Portal at 

www.e-canterbury.co.uk. 

19

into new youth night 

The first exclusive monthly youth night 

for young people aged between 12 and 

17 was launched at Kingsmead Leisure 

Centre in January. 

At the Dive event, young people had 

the chance to take part in dance classes, 

swimming, gym sessions, sports hall 

activities such as football and kwik cricket, 

a DJ workshop, a games console room 

and much more, all for just £3. 

Feedback from young people showed 

they wanted something completely 

different and new, not an extension of 

existing activities. 

It is the first time an event like this has 

ever been run on a Saturday evening in 

the Canterbury district, and because it is 

The timetable for each event is as follows: 

Area Class Time 

at a time when the leisure centre would 

otherwise be closed, organisers can 

concentrate on providing the best 

possible event. 

One young person attending the first 

night said: “Can it not be every Saturday?” 

Dive has been put together by 

Canterbury City Council, Kent County 

Council and Active Canterbury, with the 

aim of providing more things for young 

people to do at the weekend. Youth 

workers are present at each event. 

Future Dive sessions will take place on 

Saturday 20 March and Saturday 17 April 

and each one runs from 6pm to 9pm. For 

the £3 entrance price, young people can 

do as many activities as they can fit in. 

Swimming pool Swimming 

6pm – 8.30pm 

Main studio 

Body jam 6.30pm – 7.15pm 

Main studio 

Body jam 7.30pm – 8.15pm 

Mind & Body studio Yoga 

6.30pm – 7.15pm 

Mind & Body studio Yoga 

7.30pm – 8.15pm 

Cycle studio 

Spinning 6.15pm – 7pm 

Gym Introduction 

6pm – 6.15pm 

Gym Gym session 6.15pm – 7pm 


7pm – 7.15pm 



8pm – 8.15pm 


Sports hall Football 

6.15pm – 7.15pm 

Sports hall 

Basketball & fight club 7.15pm – 8pm 

Sports hall Kwik cricket 

8pm – 9pm 

Games room Wii Fit, Guitar Hero and more 6pm – 9pm 

Workshop room DJ and MC workshop 

6pm – 9pm 

Café 

Drinks and snacks 6pm – 9pm 

All of the above classes are on a first come first served basis and can be booked before the day. If 

you do not turn up in the first five minutes of the class, your place will be passed to the first person 

on the waiting list. To pre-book any of the sessions, call the leisure centre on 01227 769 818. For 

more information about Dive, contact Canterbury City Council’s Children and Youth Manager Alison 

Small on 01227 862 520 or alison.small@canterbury.gov.uk, or visit the council’s children and 

youth website, www.notbored.net. 

Youth Column 

Toys and 

games bring 

generations 

together 

Young and old came together for some 

special sessions of the council’s children 

and youth team 511 initiative to celebrate 

UK Older People’s Day. 

The children invited an older friend or 

relative to come to 511 with them. Each 

session started with everyone introducing 

themselves and talking about their favourite 

childhood toys and games. 

The young people told their guests about 

the games they like playing now, both at 

school and at home, and the adults told the 

children about the games they played when 

they were younger. 

The children were amazed at the different 

games the older generation played, and 

couldn’t imagine not having TVs, or Wiis and 

Xboxes to entertain them. 

But they did find games that both 

generations have played, including marbles, 

snakes and ladders and paper aeroplanes. 

Young and old alike had fun trying out 

some games they knew, learning some new 

ones, and finding out how much they had in 

common. 

Karl Judd, age 10, from Canterbury, said: “I 

liked the games the older people shared with 

us because we had never played them before, 

which was exciting. Most of the games we 

played and learnt involved working together 

as a team, which made it really fun.” 

21

Martyn evokes 

Canterbury’s 

timeless charm 

By Steve James 

Following a spell of retail therapy in the 

heart of Canterbury, it’s quite common for 

many springtime shoppers to relax with a 

cappuccino in one of the city’s many cafés. 

In the year 1009, however, the good people 

of Canterbury were not familiar with concepts 

of indulgence and relaxation. And that’s 

because violent Viking raids made far more 

pressing demands on their time. 

But after reading Martyn Barr’s ‘The Young 

Person’s History Guide to Canterbury’, readers at the back of the book, there are references 

are left in no doubt that the city has many for further reading.” 

fascinating tales to tell. Martyn, who is married with three 

Martyn’s passion for his subject comes daughters and lives in Blean, originally came 

through on every page of the debut book that to the Canterbury area in 1988 and runs his 

he wrote with a 10 to 13 year old audience in own public relations and design consultancy. 

mind. But people of all ages will learn One of his professional clients is Whitefriars 

something about Canterbury’s past after shopping centre, who sponsored his book. 

absorbing the exciting text and colourful The support of Whitefriars has enabled 

drawings and pictures. Martyn to distribute copies of ‘The Young 

“I guess I’ve always had the feeling that Person’s History Guide to Canterbury’ to 194 

there was a book in me,” enthused Martyn. “I’m east Kent primary and secondary schools. 

interested in local history and love Canterbury, And for every £5.99 copy that is sold, £1 

so it’s been a great opportunity for me.” will go towards Demelza House children’s 

He added: “Canterbury is a great place in hospice charity. 

which to live and work and there’s a story Martyn has also produced a teachers’ 

crying out to be told. There are other books resource guide to accompany the book, and 

out there covering the city’s history, but 

they’re not always accessible for young 

people. 

“Every adult who has read the book has said 

that they’ve discovered something they didn’t 

know.” 

‘The Young Person’s History Guide to 

Canterbury’ covers every time period that has 

shaped the city. Readers are taken on a 

magical journey from Iron Age settlements 

through to Roman splendour and on to the 

modern era of Canterbury during the Second 

World War and beyond. 

“There’s so much you can say about 

Canterbury’s history,” said Martyn, “but what I 

wanted to do was to give a pretty good 

overview of how the city has come to be. And 

Competition! 

District Life has 20 copies of Martyn Barr’s book 

to give away. To enter the competition, simply answer 

the following question: 

Which charity will receive £1 from the sale of 

every copy of Martyn Barr’s book? 

Send your answer with your name, address and 

telephone number to District Life competition, 

Canterbury City Council, Military Road, Canterbury, 

CT1 1YW. Deadline for entries is Thursday 1 April. 

The winner of the competition for panto tickets in 

the winter edition of District Life was Stella Masters 

of Mcdonald Parade, Seasalter. 

“But even though my book 

is aimed at younger readers, 

I didn’t want to exclude 

anyone. I’m sure that parents 

and grandparents will find it 

appealing as well. “ 

this can be downloaded free at 

www.ootbshop.co.uk. 

It’s not surprising that Martyn’s work has 

given him an immense feeling of satisfaction, 

but he remains modest about his achievement. 

“If you’re passionate about something, you 

want other people to share how you feel. My 

job involves writing and design, and so I put 

all my skills together to create a book. It felt 

like a hobby – it was fun. And working on the 

research enabled me to learn a lot.” 

‘The Young Person’s History Guide to 

Canterbury’ is available at local bookshops, 

museums and visitor attractions. Copies can 

also be purchased online at 

www.ootbshop.co.uk with free postage 

and packaging. 

23

Chance to comment on 

Canterbury conservation 

Local people are being given the opportunity 

to comment on draft appraisals of the 

conservation areas in Canterbury. 

The city council has finalised its appraisals of 

the 13 conservation areas within Canterbury 

city shown on the map and now wants to hear 

the views of residents. 

Once the appraisals are adopted, it will 

complete the coverage for Canterbury city. 

The appraisals give an overview of the history 

and development of the city and its suburbs 

and define what makes them special places. 

They also identify special features that create 

the character and appearance of the area, such 

as important buildings, views, natural elements 

and open spaces. 

As part of the appraisal, the boundary of 

each conservation area is reviewed. No major 

changes are being proposed to any of the 

boundaries. 

The council is keen to hear the views of 

people who live and work in or visit the city. The 

final version will reflect the comments received. 

To view the reports, go to 

www.canterbury.gov.uk/ 

conservationappraisals. 

Further advice and information is available 

from the Conservation section 

on 01227 862 191 or email conservation@ 

canterbury.gov.uk. 

The documents can also be seen at 

Canterbury library and the main council offices 

at Military Road. Comments should be 

submitted by 30 April 2010. 

24

30 

Planning to deal with 

street problems 

On 20 January this year, 70 people from all the 

organisations in the Safer Canterbury District 

Partnership with a responsibility to deal with 

crime and disorder met in Canterbury. 

The object of the day was to review the work of 

the partnership to date and decide on the things we 

will work on over the next 12 months. There were 

also several members of the area’s PACT groups 

(Partnerships and Communities Together). 

When people are asked what makes a local area a 

good place to live in, low levels of crime and antisocial 

behaviour is always one of the top three 

issues. Recorded crime is going down but even so, 

many people have a real fear of crime and think 

official figures don’t show the whole picture. 

We think that while we strive to reduce crime, we 

must deal with the things that people in local streets 

are concerned about. We want to make the area 

safer by reducing crime, disorder and anti-social 

behaviour. At the same time we want to make 

people feel safer and improve the quality of life for 

everyone living, working or visiting here. 

The best way to do this is for the council, the 

police, and other agencies and services in the 

partnership to work closely together in, and with, 

the community, to listen and respond to the public, 

and to provide a joined up service rather than one 

where they have to deal with several organisations 

at the same time about the same problem. 

Our conclusions at the event were that the public 

remain concerned about issues such as anti-social 

behaviour, alcohol-related crime, substance misuse, 

violent crime, criminal damage, hate crime and issues 

related to young people. So these issues will continue 

to be at the centre of the partnership’s work. 

Domestic abuse one-stop-shop proving a success 

In June last year, we reported on the launch of 

Canterbury district’s domestic violence onestop-shop, 

which is held between 9.30am and 

12.30pm every Thursday at the Riverside 

Children’s Centre in Canterbury. 

It has proved to be a valuable service, with 

steady attendance by members of the public, 

averaging at five people making use of it 

every week. 

If you are suffering from domestic abuse issues 

or you know someone who is, you can receive free 

confidential advice and information in an informal 

setting at the one stop-shop. 

The drop in is staffed by officers from a wide 

variety of agencies including Rising Sun Domestic 

Violence Project, local solicitors, Canterbury City 

Council Housing, registered social landlords, 

health visitor, drugs services, Invicta Telecare, 

Home Start, a debt and financial consultant and 

Family Action.

Christmas 

safety 

campaign 

Snow was falling, and the young 

people flocking around the city 

centre had smiles on their faces with 

schools closing for the Christmas 

holidays. 

This was the backdrop on 18 

December at the start of a young 

person-focused Christmas safety 

campaign run by Connexions and 

supported by the Community Safety 

Unit. 

Based in the city centre, staff from 

both agencies spoke to young people 

and handed out 800 funky and 

colourful re-useable goodie bags. 

These were filled with free gifts and 

information about online and personal 

safety, covering issues such as staying 

healthy, smoking, drugs and alcohol. 

The aim was to raise awareness of 

how young people can avoid getting 

into situations where they are 

vulnerable. During the festive season 

people can do things they may not 

usually do and this may put them at 

risk, so the items and information in the 

bag were to help prevent this. 

As an extra incentive, the young 

people receiving the bags were invited 

to complete a quiz to win one of 10 

digital radios. The answers for the quiz 

could be found on the information 

within the bag so it encouraged the 

young people to thoroughly look 

through the bag’s contents. 

There was also a competition with 

young people invited to design posters, 

three of which were made up and have 

been displayed in places such as 

schools, colleges, youth and 

Connexions centres to promote the 

campaign. 

While using Christmas as a focus for 

the campaign, the information is 

relevant at any time of year. 

With the posters being displayed and 

the bags being reusable, the aim is that 

they provide a continuous reminder to 

keep safe and avoid risky situations. 

More information on the work 

carried out by Connexions can be 

found at www.connexions 

kentandmedway.co.uk. 

Fishing 

helps Connor 

keep out of trouble 

Months after police placed Connor Jones 

from Dickens Avenue, Canterbury, under 

an acceptable behaviour agreement 

( ABA), the 11-year-old is now being 

praised for his maturity and commitment, 

as a member of a new fishing club. 

Connor received a certificate of merit last 

month for his involvement with the 

Lavender Farm group, who meet during the 

school holidays. 

The award, funded by the Safer 

Canterbury District Partnership, was 

organised by PCSO Brenda Keeble of the 

Community Safety Unit and former police 

officer Pat Todd. 

PCSO Keeble, who works with families all 

over Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable, 

recalls first meeting Connor. 

She said: “He didn’t want to speak to me 

and held a cushion over his face when I first 

visited his home. 

“I began to gain his trust when we started 

to talk about things he liked doing. Fishing 

was one of them but he told me that he had 

nowhere to go and fish, the same story that I 

was getting from several of those I work with. ” 

Brenda approached friend Pat Todd with 

the idea of running a club during the 

summer holidays, giving a selected group of 

young people the chance to pursue a hobby 

and gain other skills at the same time. 

Connor was chosen and the club, together 

with the ABA, has helped him change his 

behaviour. 

Brenda added: “Connor has been fantastic 

and never missed a session. He has proved 

to be our champion, in that he embraced it, 

learned from it and has not been any 

problem to us since.” 

The boys learned other skills from the 

club, including teamwork, maths, looking 

after the countryside and respect for others. 

Connor was handed his ABA after 

admitting to smashing windows and 

swearing at people. 

An ABA is a written agreement, which all 

parties need to sign up to, that stipulates 

that a particular behaviour must be changed 

or ensure that school is attended. 

Police have the power to enforce it for a 

limited period and if it is proved to be 

working, it can be lifted. 

31

district life 38 final.qxp - Canterbury City Council

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