Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
#21
Another important step forward, in the short life of the Kent Miners Festival was achieved at this year's 2012 free community event. Held for the second time at Aylesham, with the sun shining on us yet again, a wonderful day was had by the thousands of visitors that flocked into the heart of our mining communities. Giving local groups and individuals the opportunity to give something back to the people from within our communities is the aim of this festival and to see so many people coming along and enjoying themselves makes all the hard work worthwhile.
A year, lots of volunteers and plenty of hard work goes on behind the scenes, to make this festival so successful.
Community cohesion throughout the year and more participation on the day its self is the key to its success.
Organising this free event, brings its own unique problems and I have to thank many people for their help and determination to keep it going and making it better and better each year.
Funding is always an issue and it's getting harder. Until we get a main sponsor to come on board we have to rely on local funding.
My sincere thanks go to the following groups and individuals:-
Brinley Hill's, bridging the Gap and this year's Level 1, CRT funding panel, they have supported us since the start with funding, with this year's being somewhat of a rescue mission. However, that source will not be available to us next year.
Aylesham & District Community Workshop Trust have sponsored and supported us over the years and hopefully this will continue. Derek and his team are the heart of our community life, pumping much needed help and support to where it is needed, with regeneration, training, employment and investment into village life.
Aylesham Co-operative, have not just been sponsors but major supporters as well, with Alex and his team taking part in our last two festivals and continuing with their tradition of helping our communities with their great charity work.
Alyesham Heritage Centre, have been with us from day one and much of what we have achieved so far has been thanks to them, their hard work and their support is and will always be appreciated.
Aylesham Boxing club, Aylesham4Aylesham, Burgess Road Events Committee, Snowdown court, St Peters and St Finbarrs Churches, Aylesham Welfare Leisure Centre, Aylesham Neighbourhood Project and all the other Aylesham groups and individuals that helped and supported us.
Beech Grove Community. Meeting and linking up with everyone from Beech Grove has been such an uplifting and helpful experience for me personally. Lawrence and his team of younger members, helped throughout the day. Starting early in the morning, from setting up the tents and much more, was a great help and working with them throughout the day, was not only crucial to the success of the festival but was also a pleasure to have them on board with us. They made a mini-bus available to us, in case of any local people needing transport for health or other reasons and Matt with his wonderful Horse & Cart, gave free rides to the children visiting our festival. I know we can continue to strengthen this relationship with the community of Beech Grove and I am looking forward to our future together.
Similarly are Ken Buxey and The Deal & Walmer Lion's. Again, they have been supporting the KMF right from the start and I am sure will continue our journey together for the future.
Ken plays a big important role throughout the year and at the festival on the day, with his team meeting and greeting our visitors, providing security bracelets and side shows and much more. We have already started working together, on how we can bring in more youth participation for next year's event.
Mark 1 Music, Dover Community radio, East Kent Railway, CCS Embroidery, Dover College, Walkers, Oatmor Harris and all the others, too many to mention all, my apologies.
Anita & Andrew, LiveHeritage for organising the successful Dog Show at the last minute and for their production, graphics & design of our new web site, programmes and posters etc.
Sheppey's Event Marshalling Unit, for making the day run smooth, a very professional group of volunteers, who I would recommend to anyone, organising such an event as ours.
Many thanks, to all our advertisers and those who donated many great raffle prises. You will all be named on our web site very soon.
My committee pulled out all the stops this year, to produce another successful Kent Miners Festival. This year was the Centenary of Coaling, at Snowdown Colliery and with mainly Aylesham people being on my team this year; they were determined to make it one to remember. I am proud to say "well done" that's exactly what you achieved.
The last people to thank are the most important to me and the reason for continuing to organise next year's festival. Without the people from our communities coming along on the day and hopefully enjoying themselves, I simply would not bother. To see all the happy faces, of all ages and seeing old friends, even family, getting together, sometimes after many years apart, makes it all worthwhile.
So my final thanks go to You, the Visitors, from our Communities and beyond.
Gary Cox Chairman of Kent Miners Festival.
The flame is still burning
Never let it die.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"