A Mayoral Christmas Message

On Sunday 14th December I went to a Church Service that reflected on those we have lost, and on the friends and family we continue to love and miss. For some, this is a good time to pause and reflect. For others, it can be an awful time, a time when grief, sorrow and old pain sit very close to the surface. Services like this can help. They create a space to remember, to acknowledge loss, and to know we are not alone.

 

I know this personally.

 

December carries many difficult memories for me. I lost my mother, who was born on the 12^th December. I lost my sister – probably my dearest friend, along with my best friend, her husband, on the 15^th December.

 

There are other dates too. On the 1^st of December 1989, I was involved in a road traffic collision and was in a coma until the 21^st of December. These experiences mean that this time of year can be deeply challenging for me, as I know it is for many others.

 

And yet, I must, and I do, wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

 

Because Christmas is not only about happiness, it is about hope. It is about kindness shown quietly. It is about people looking out for one another, especially when times are hard.

 

Across our community, many people and many organisations continue to do truly great work – caring, supporting, volunteering, listening, and helping where help is needed most. At this time of year, and indeed throughout the year, we must remember that community really does mean community. No one should feel forgotten or excluded. No one should feel they do not belong.

 

To those who are celebrating with joy, and to those who are carrying sadness alongside the festivities, please know that you are seen, you are valued, and you matter.

 

I wish you all peace, kindness, and a Merry Christmas.

 

 

A Festive and Community-Filled Few Weeks

The last few weeks have been wonderfully busy and truly festive! I was delighted to open this year’s Christmas Donation Hub at The Mall, a joint initiative between Maidstone Borough Council and The Mall, giving Maidstone Charities a welcoming space to collect donations. I was also honoured to switch on Maidstone’s Town Centre Christmas Lights, together with the cast of the Hazlitt Christmas pantomime.

The following week brought the Christmas lights switch-on at Cavell Park Care Home and The Music Man’s project Christmas concert – an inspiring event supporting people with learning difficulties, beautifully accompanied by the Maidstone Salvation Army. 

Saturday saw the Dick Whittington Panto VIP Opening Night at the Hazlitt Theatre, always a highlight of the season. On Sunday, I attended the Heart of Kent Hospice “Light up a Life” service, a moving time for reflection and remembrance for loved ones who are no longer with us but whose light still shines in our hearts.

Recent engagements have also included –

• Hi Kent AGM
• South Park Community coffee morning
• Switch Youth Services visit
• Mayor of Ashford’s charity lunch at the London Beach Hotel, featuring King of Queen tribute acts. 
• Walk in my Shoes event by Kent Arts and Wellbeing, an insightful activity raising awareness of living with dementia.

Looking ahead

This week promises to be another busy one, I will be attending:

• The induction mass and reception for Fr Oliver Antao, the new priest of the Roman Catholic Parish of Bearsted and Harrietsham.
• The Maidstone Singers Annual Christmas Concert.
• The Mayor of Swanley’s Charity Event at Eagle Heights, supporting ADSS (Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Services).
• Kent County Agricultural Society quarterly meeting.
• Lydd Town Council Christmas Concert, performed by the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
• A memorial Christmas concert at All Saints Church, organised by local Funeral Directors.

As we enjoy the joy and brightness of Christmas, let us also hold in our hearts those for whom this season brings sadness or struggle. My thoughts are with all who are finding things difficult at this time of year, and that includes myself.