Winter 2012

Winter 2012

Marches Housing 2

Kington Town Council 3

Kington U3A 4

Country Market 4

New Directions 5

KLAP 6

Community Energy 7

Lets Walk Together 7

KLEEN 8

Lady Hawkins’ School

9

Hope Support 9

Bedroom Tax 10

In this issue

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and

for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

― Edith Sitwell

Kington Saturday Market

In December until Christmas, from

9 am to 4 pm every Saturday, on

behalf of Kington Chamber of Trade

and working in conjunction with

Kington Town Council, Bernard Ray

has organised a market in The

Market Hall, Kington. There will be a

variety of goods for sale.

In December there will be many

events including:

On the 1st December there will be a

Festive Food and Drink Festival

where many businesses in Kington

and surrounding areas will be

selling goods such as local brewed

drinks and homemade Christmas

treats.

On the 8th, 15th and the 22nd of

December there will be a Christmas

Craft and Gift market where you will

be able to buy materials to create

and decorate Christmas crafts and

decorations.

Why not get into the Christmas

spirit and see what you can find,

have a look for Christmas presents

and Christmas ideas, learn more

about local cuisine and how to make

the best crafts?

By Tamara Adams

The Kington Chronicle Winter 2012

Marches Housing Association in Kington

Welcome to the latest in our regular bulletins,

keeping you up to date with what Marches is

doing in Kington.

Welfare Reform

There has been a lot in the news recently

about the plans to change the benefits

system. We’ve already sent out information to

all our residents about how these changes

may affect them and telling them how they

can get help if they need it. We also have

i n f o r m a t i o n o n o u r w e b s i t e :

www.marchesha.co.uk/benefitchanges.

We will continue to publish articles in our

quarterly Residents’ Newsletter to keep

everyone up to date with the changes. We’ve

invited everyone who thinks they may be

affected to get in touch with our Income

Management team on 01568 619615. The

team can answer people’s questions and give

them advice.

Neighbourhood Walkabouts

The cold weather is starting to bite and there

is a real winter chill in the air! Nevertheless,

your Housing Officers, Hannah Bragg and

Lysette Phillips, will be inspecting Kington

estates regularly as part of our

Neighbourhood Walkabouts scheme. This aims

to improve the appearance of our estates

making them more pleasant places to live.

Whether you are a current Marches Housing

Association resident or an interested

community member, you are welcome to

come and join us on the following dates:

If you’re not able to join Hannah and Lysette

on a walkabout, you can still get in touch with

them by telephoning either of them on 01568

619607, or e-mailing them at

[email protected] and

[email protected] .

One of the most recent improvements we

have made as part of our neighbourhood

walkabouts is a new bin store at Llewellin

Road flats.

Residents at Llewellin Road have described

this new store as a great practical solution to

the problem of storing their bin bags and the

issue of animals regularly breaking into bags.

Anti-social behaviour

At the time of writing, we have just one case

of anti-social behaviour, which is low-level,

relating to noise. We are monitoring this but

as yet have taken no formal action.

Greenfields Maisonettes Improvement

Programme

Following feedback from tenants and Marches

staff members, we will be replacing the old

fencing to the front of the flats with brand

new metal bow-top fencing. Also included

within this programme of works is the

replacement of the footpaths within the green

space area.

We aim to complete these works by Spring

2013.

Finally, Marches Housing Association would

like to wish ‘Seasons Greetings’ to everyone in

Kington.

This page has been paid for by Marches Housing

Association

Arrow View (11.00am)

Tues 11th Dec

Greenfield (2.00pm)

Thurs 29th Nov

Llewellin Road (2pm)

Thurs 6th Dec

Lower Cross (1.30pm)

Thurs 6th Dec


In October, Kington Town Council (KTC) was

awarded Quality Council status, one of only

11 local councils in Herefordshire to achieve

this. This is a charter mark showing that KTC

is well run and working effectively on behalf

of the town.

Quality Council status gives us extra powers

to take on additional services and areas of

responsibility from Herefordshire Council.

KTC’s public meeting in September sought

views on several issues affecting the town:

The threatened closure of the youth

centre

The loss of the recycling skips at the Co-

op car park

The reduction in the Registrars service;

The future of the Wesleyan Chapel

At the meeting, a group of local people joined

together to look at the feasibility of securing

the Wesleyan Chapel for community use

including the attached land as a public open

space.

KTC will be meeting with others including

students at Lady Hawkins to see if we can

save the youth centre by coming up with our

own scheme to fund the service from next

year.

The consultation on the Registrar service is

now closed and we await the final decision

from Herefordshire Council.

As for recycling, can we do it ourselves?

There are a number of recycling schemes run

by local communities, e.g. Presteigne, that

make a profit for their community.

Let us know if you want to help on any of

these issues.

KTC has responded strongly to Herefordshire

Council’s proposed cuts to Council Tax

Benefit, which could seriously affect many

people in Kington.

Responsibility for this benefit passes from the

Government to Herefordshire Council next

year but with 10% less funding.

KTC has said that the Council’s proposed

scheme ‘will have unacceptably severe effects

on a section of the population that is already

suffering from recent government measures.

We are particularly concerned that lone

parents will be unfairly penalised by the

proposed changes.

During 2012, the Kington Local Action Plan

(KLAP) group through its Planning for Real

events has been gathering people’s views on

issues of concern to them and what they

would like to see happen in Kington. The

initial results have been discussed with KTC

and in the coming months we will be

considering what actions we can take in

response.

Some of the concerns raised such as speeding

traffic, issues around the new Surgery and

potholes and pavement repairs are already on

our agenda. Others such as support for local

business, job creation and crime will be

pursued this winter.

To build on the work of KLAP, KTC has started

the process of developing a Neighbourhood

Plan. This will enable us to get more involved

in planning for Kington – specifically around

guiding new development and in some cases

granting planning permission for certain types

of development.

Finally the Christmas lights will be going up in

time for the Christmas Food Fair on 1

December. From KTC, a Merry Christmas and

a Happy New Year

to everyone.

By Mayor Bob

Widdowson

Kington Town Council


“Now we are six.” Yes, Kington U3A has been

running for over six years and is still

flourishing. And what we may lack in quantity

we make up for in quality and variety. With

20 interest groups to choose from, there is

something to interest everyone.

We meet socially at the football club on the

second Thursday of every month at 2pm,

where we listen to a talk on topics as diverse

as Elgar and chocolate making. You are very

welcome.

It will soon be time to put the garden to bed,

put away the mower, order some logs and

think about having more time to do indoor

things. Are you looking for something to do or

maybe try a new interest or make new

friends, why not come along to one of our

monthly meetings or telephone either Barb

Johnston, 231401, or Lesley Gudge, 231536.

Perhaps learn to play bridge or make a

patchwork quilt; learn a new language;

maybe art or music appreciation, perhaps

enter the moral maze or start Tai Chi.

If you want to get out and about try Pub

Lunches or Church visits with afternoon tea

afterwards? Of course, there is always

afternoon tea and cake at our monthly

meeting, plus a talk and a chance for a social

chat, and all for one pound.

Look forward to meeting you!

By Lesley Gudge Chair Kington U3A

Kington U3A

Members of Kington Country Market were

shocked to discover that EU legislation bans

the re-use of glass jars.

All those who prepare foods for the Country

Market hold a currant food hygiene certificate

and all re used jars are washed and sterilised

before being re-filled as every good jam

maker knows.

Re using glass jars for jam and preserves

helps keep the price down as well as saving

energy and resources, so the jam makers at

Country Market do not plan to stop the

practice any time soon. Upon investigation

the new law seems intended to stop the re-

use of glass jars not specifically designed and

sold for re-use, to avoid the risk of chemicals

leaching from containers not originally

intended for food use.

It would be unfortunate if legislation were to

be interpreted unwisely thereby putting

members of Country Markets out of business.

By Celia Kibblewhite

Country Market Alarm

at EU Legislation

Kington Country Market is

open every Friday from

9.30am at the Baptist Church,

Bridge Street. The Christmas

Market will be held on 21st

December, and the Market will

re-open for the New Year on

January 11th 2013.


Being out of work can sometimes be difficult

and very often people don’t know which way

to turn. The New Direction Project has

encouraged and improved self-esteem for

many of our clients.

Our aim has been to help individuals build

confidence and gain opportunities for learning

new skills to improve their employability.

Here at Marches Access Point we have helped

over 30 people during the past 12 months, all

with individual needs and skills.

We have had a number of people who have

been referred to us from organisations such

as; Hereford Job Centre and Shaw Trust.

We have also encouraged some of our clients

to just pop in for a chat and tell us what they

want after seeing our posters that have been

around the Kington area.

The New Direction Project staff and volunteers

have helped many clients with job searching,

CV writing, basic keyboard skills and internet

skills.

We have dedicated members of staff and

volunteers who have worked together to make

the New Direction Project successful and

enjoyable.

Our clients have gained confidence with their

computer skills, made new friends, enrolled on

a number of different courses and taken

volunteer placements whilst looking for

employment.

Quote from Lucy Heap:

“I found the new directions team to be really

friendly and talked to me like a real person

and not just a number. I really enjoyed

coming to MAP each week”.

By Mel Adamsn

Community Champion

New Directions

Melanie Adams (Left) Lucy Heap (Right)

The Old Police Station where the ESF project takes place


What’s happened so far?

Autumn 2010 - KLAP Steering Group

formed.

Summer 2011 – initial short questionnaire

circulated Chronicle.

In March 2012 -we held nine Planning For

Real events throughout the town and in

both the primary and secondary schools.

The results were published in the spring

2012 edition of the Kington Chronicle.

The information from these events was

analysed and a Community Questionnaire

co-ordinator was appointed.

What’s next?

The next stage is to use all of the information

we have gathered so far to develop a

questionnaire that will go out to every

household in the town. There will also be a

questionnaire for young people.

We really want to get a big response from this

so that our Town Plan will truly reflect the

needs of the people of Kington. Volunteers will

distribute the paper copies of the

questionnaire which will also be available

online. There will be collection points in

prominent places around the town, as well as

door-to-door collection.

Changing times

The difficult economic climate and the

resulting cuts to social care and community

services make the timing of our Town Plan

quite challenging.

Changes in the law, such as The Localism Act

April 2012, which gives Councils the General

Power of Competence, also need to be

considered. This means that Kington Town

Council could work towards filling some of the

gaps in services for the people of Kington; this

is why we need to know your views about

what is needed in the questionnaire.

Kington Town Council is already working on

some of the issues you told us about during

Planning For Real.

We also need to think about sustainable

development throughout our community and

how we can support future energy,

environmental, employment and transport

security.

Now we need to decide upon the questions

that will go into the questionnaire, so that it

reflects both the current and the future needs

of people and businesses in Kington over the

next 5 years.

What will we do with the results of the

questionnaire?

We will work with an independent consultant

to collate and review all the answers to the

questionnaire. Using all of this information, we

will then write and distribute the Town Plan.

By KLAP

KLAP


As I write this, the big 6 energy suppliers in

the UK are yet again about to announce their

increases for costs to our electricity.

But what can we do about it ?

There are examples of villages and towns

around Europe that have started community

energy projects to generate large quantities

of energy locally and they buffer themselves

against future energy cost increases.

Very local to Kington the community (PV)

system on Leominster Leisure Centre roof was

completed in December 2011 and paid for

totally by shares (from £250 to £5000) all

purchased by people from the local

community and it was 40% oversubscribed.

Further information is available on the

website : http://www.sharenergy.coop/

leominstersolar/

A community energy project also works for

those people who may not want or be able to

generate electricity for themselves but would

like to be more involved, and can provide

lower than retail cost electricity from

renewable resources for 20 years at for no

initial investment for the building owner.

We now have arranged a complete package of

the legal and practical components necessary

to make this work around Kington. We have

created a FSA registered IPS company and

partnered with MCS registered installation

companies.

Now, we are actively looking for suitable large

roof areas on buildings for at least a 50kWp

solar PV system where the building owner

could make use of a good proportion of the

generated electricity each day. This is likely to

be farms , businesses and community groups

with energy bills of at least £2000 per year

and a roof area of 400m2 (can be made up of

several different roof on the same property).

Please contact me directly if you have

suggestions or questions.

For more information please e-mail:

[email protected] or telephone me at

01544 232722

Call for a chat – no call centres ringing you

back, and I’m not British Gas !

By Gordon Coppock

Community Energy—Low Cost Electricity for

Local Farms and Businesses

We meet at The Meads, Victoria Road (the old

surgery) every Thursday at 2pm and take a

gentle stroll between 1, 2 hours long with

Luke and Derek (01544 231321) – our walk

leaders - discovering beautiful views and

unknown paths on the outskirts of town.

The walks are part of Herefordshire Councils

“Lets’ walk Herefordshire” - a scheme set up

as part of a national scheme “Walking for

Health”, both are designed to help you get –

and stay- active.

All our volunteer Walk Leaders are trained and

insured. Your walk will have been assessed

before you go, and as you have a leader, you

have time to take in the views, chat without

worrying about getting lost! Walking is the

most perfect form of exercise, assisting with

concerns such as osteoporosis, managing

diabetes, prevent CHD , alleviating feelings of

depression and many others.

Most of all walking is FREE, a fun way to meet

people and discover more about where you

live – all you need to do is wear sensible

shoes , turn up and join in!

If you are interested in becoming a walk

leader, contact Anna for details of our FREE

training:

[email protected] / 01432 261 864

By Free Led Walks

Lets Walk Together


Apple juice making was a crushing success at

both Kington Primary School and the LHS

Community event in October. Thanks to Wild

Play, Greenwood Crafts & the Outdoor

Kitchen.

Work to develop the Orchard and its wildlife at

the regular afternoon maintenance sessions

on the first Sunday of each month will receive

a boost as we are being joined by

CSVolunteers.

More trees and fruit bushes are being planted

this winter; clearing the last debris is almost

complete and TWO apples grew on the

Bardsey Island Pippin tree. I continue to learn

a lot; we intend to coppice back the old hazel

stool which will grow back

even more useful straight

rods for hurdle making

etc. and cut back a number of elder trees

which will then produce better, more

accessible berries on the new growth.

RUBBISH STORY COMPETITION UPDATE

Children from Kington Primary School have

entered some brilliant stories but there have

been very few from teenagers and grown-ups.

To allow time for a few more entries we have

extended the deadline to the beginning of

December with the winners to be published

and announced in the New Year. Thanks for

your patience. Please send your stories by

email to [email protected]

For more rubbish info. contact - Tina Davison:

01544 262762 or Richie Cotterill - 01544

231236.

By Richie Cotterill

Enjoying the Fruits of our Labour at

Park View Community Wildlife Orchard

6th December - The Illuminated “TREE

SHOW”

Slide shows by Rob MacCurrach & Richie

Cotterill, Rob presents “Forest Products”, the

uses of woods and fantastic slides of trees in

New Zealand etc. & Richie launches his “I-Spy

Trees of Kington” multiple-choice, slide-show

led, tree-bingo challenge!

24th January - “Garbage Warrior”

Film about the fantastic “EarthShip” homes

made from recycled materials such as old

tyres, bottles and cans by Michael Reynolds.

Truly inspiring!!

7th February - Eco-Villages, the

Mandorla Experience

Hereford based co-housing project to create

an energy efficient and a brave new

community model which we could use here in

Kington.

14th February - KLEEN A.G.M.

We will be celebrating 5 years of helping to

KLEEN-Up Kington – details tbc

28th February – Future Farming &

Community Supported Agriculture

“Farm For A Future” 10min short film

following on from last years successful Food &

Farming Question Time event. We will discuss

the way forward with examples of CSA from

friends in Stroud.

Events take place on Thursdays from 8pm in

The Oxford Arms in Kington.

All KLEEN events are Free, but donations are

welcome.

Visit: www.kleen.moonfruit.com & email:

[email protected] Or telephone Fred &

Sadie Hawkins at the Oxford Arms:

01544 230322

KLEEN Events Winter 2012-2013


Kington, Herefordshire and beyond…

Lady Hawkins’ School (LHS) is very much a

community school, but we are also part of a

larger global community, with links to schools

as far away as Africa.

A group of four sixth formers are planning to

visit our link school in Nakigo, Uganda, in

summer 2013. It will be a trip filled with

challenges and opportunities, certainly not a

holiday. The trip requires a lot of preparation

and fundraising and the students involved are

very grateful for any help. They have

organised a quiz night and there will be future

fundraising events.

It’s been a busy first half term in school and

out. Our new Year 7 students have settled

into school life well and have visited Dinedor

Outdoor Centre on a team building day.

Year 10’s visited Snowdonia on a Geography

trip, camping out in barns for two nights and

exploring Snowdon and surrounding areas.

Sixth formers spent a weekend camping and

studying wildlife in Pembrokeshire where the

highlight of their trip was watching seals pups

on the beaches.

LHS sports teams have been very successful

already this year with some of our Rugby

teams still unbeaten. The equestrian team is

also flourishing, and emerging as a team to

beat.

Lady Hawkins’ School is working with HVOSS

and Kington Town Council to try and put into

place some youth club provision within

Kington, after Herefordshire Council’s Youth

Service had their funding cut.

Hopefully together we can build sustainable

youth provision for the future within Kington.

By Philippa Dixson

Lady Hawkins’ School Update

If you haven’t yet heard of Hope Support

Services, you soon will! With a new team of

youth volunteers in Kington, Hope will be out

and about making themselves known to you

in the coming months.

Hope offers support to young people aged 11-

25 when a close family member is diagnosed

with a life-threatening illness. Following

diagnosis, the shock waves that ripple

through the entire family are overwhelming

and younger family members can find the

uncertainty particularly hard to deal with.

That’s where Hope’s support comes in.

With monthly ‘Hope on the Road’ trips

(everything from sailing to sausage-making!)

the young people get the chance to relax

away from home, meet peers in the same

situation, share new experiences and chat to

Hope's professional team at the same time.

Plus, Hope offers online and SMS support so

young people can access the support they

need wherever they are.

What really makes Hope unique is that the

young people organise their own events and

raise their own funds to pay for their own

support service and activities.

If you or your family would like Hope’s

support please give SammyJay a call on

01989 566317 or take a look online at :

www.hopesupportservices.org.uk. They’re

always on the look-out for willing volunteers

too (young or not-so-young!) so if you think

you could help, please get in touch.

Where will Hope pop up next? Come along to

the Kington Festive Food and Drinks Festival

and grab the perfect stocking filler - a famous

Hope fairy! Keep up to date with new Hope

events on facebook o r tw i t te r

@Hope_Support.

By SammyJay Powell

Introducing… Hope Support


Bedroom tax is the part of Welfare Reform that

will cut the amount of benefit that people can

get if they are considered to have a spare

bedroom. It only affects people in receipt

Housing Benefit.

What will happen is Welfare Reforms will cut

the amount of benefit that people can get if

they are deemed to have a spare bedroom in

their council or housing association home. This

measure will apply from April 2013 to tenants

of working age.

The power to do this is contained in the

Welfare Reform Act 2012 and is commonly

referred to as the “Bedroom Tax”, size criteria

or under-occupation penalty.

The size criteria in the social rented sector will

restrict housing benefit to allow for one

bedroom for each person or couple living as

part of the household, with the following

exceptions:

• Children under 16 of same gender

expected to share

• Children under 10 expected to share

regardless of gender

• Disabled tenant or partner who needs

non-resident overnight carer will be

allowed an extra bedroom

All claimants who are deemed to have at least

one spare bedroom will be affected.

The cut will be a fixed percentage of the

Housing Benefit eligible rent. The Government

has said that this will be set at 14% for one

extra bedroom and 25% for two or more extra

bedrooms.

The Government’s impact assessment shows

that those affected will lose an average of £14

a week. Housing association tenants are

expected to lose £16 a week on average.

If you think you will be affected by this change,

you can contact your housing association and

they will give you further information.

By Tamara Adams

How Might Bedroom Tax Affect You?


Nursery Direct plants direct from the grower…

Open to all customers

Opening times : Monday to Friday from 09.00 till 16.00 Saturday from 09.00 till 13.00

Top fruit trees, soft fruit, hedging and native trees

Wmffre Dafis HRFC

Humphrey Dafis LRFC

mobile: 07764-931-177

The Kington Chronicle is a community project

run by volunteers in conjunction with The

Kington Area Regeneration Partnership

(KARP). As a community newsletter, The

Kington Chronicle needs your news, photos,

letters and announcements.

Advertising

If you would like to advertise in the Kington

Chronicle, please contact Emma (KARP

Administrator) on 01544 231771 to discuss

your requirements. Phone: 01544 231771

Email: [email protected]

Marches Access Point

The Old Police Station

Market Hall Street

Kington

Herefordshire, HR5 3DP

The Kington

Chronicle

The views expressed in the Kington Chronicle and the information contained therein are not necessarily

those of the Kington Chronicle nor do we vouch for or necessarily endorse the views or guarantee accuracy. So if you feel like suing us, please don’t bother as we’re skint.

Winter 2012

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