News

Dear Editor,

How crazy is this?

The Kent Youth Football Association (KYFA) have indicated a possibility of a grant for Hawkinge in the region of £300,000 for a new football pavilion but the parish council have decided to pull out from the bid.

In a letter from the parish council to the KYFA they have said they will not now be participating in the current grant application nor any grant application.

It further states that the council is to lease the ground to the Hawkinge Youth Football Club whilst continuing to hold £100,000 towards future projects at the ground.

In a story published in last weeks Folkestone Herald, claims that club bosses have agreed to this are incorrect, and they have not agreed to anything.

The parish council has arranged recently for ground preparation works to be carried out without consultation with the football club and as I understand, this is not part of the ground preparation programme originally agreed with the KYFA's recommended contractor, and could jeopardise the funding application.

Its crazy when youth is the number one item on most district and county council strategic objectives that the parish council have behaved in this way.

The Hawkinge Partnership objective number one for the village is as follows:

As the development of Hawkinge continues, the lack of services and facilities for children and young people to access has become more apparent. Hawkinge is currently home to 1,500 children and young people and it is anticipated that this number will rise over the next five years. There is limited provision for young people, there are no opportunities for out of school study support and restricted opportunities to access local facilities.

Findings of consultation with local young people were presented to the Hawkinge Partnership and as a result a full time and two part time youth workers were appointed. Their role is to coordinate youth provision in Hawkinge and to establish a sustainable youth organisation.

Keven Avery