Hello!
This month, much of the Parish Council’s work has involved reviewing our processes and systems. Admittedly, this is not particularly exciting to read about, but it is vital for the effective functioning of the council.
I am delighted to report that HPC agreed grants to the following organisations at its February meeting: Hi Kent, which supports Hawkhurst residents with hearing impairments; Hawkhurst in Bloom, who have ambitious plans to brighten up the entrances to the village; Citizens Advice Tunbridge Wells and District, who provide a wide range of support to Hawkhurst residents; and the PCC of St Laurence Church to help with the cost of removing the tree from the pond.
With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee fast approaching, we also established a Jubilee Celebrations group. Thank you so much to Cllrs Lisa Ridley and Simon Paish for volunteering to lead on this.
My position as Chairman of the Parish Council means that I also have the privilege of being Chair of Hawkhurst Community Support Group (HCSG). I imagine many of you will have assumed that HCSG disbanded earlier this year when we ended our general volunteer and shopping activities. However, HSCG continued its Food 4 Families (F4F) project, and this is now our sole function.
In September, F4F joined with Hastings Foodbank and Hawkhurst Baptist Church to launch F4F Hawkhurst Foodbank, which is part of the Trussell Trust. If you would like to learn more about what we have been up to and our plans for the future, we would love to see you at HCSG’s AGM at Hawkhurst Baptist Church at 7:30 pm on 22nd March. If you would like to attend, please email f4fhawkhurst@gmail.com for more information.
I realise that the focus of this letter should be on our parish, but I am sure your thoughts are with the people of Ukraine as much as mine are. I sincerely hope that peace is restored by the time I write next month’s letter.
Clare Escombe
Chairman, Hawkhurst Parish Council