The Annual Council Meeting held at the Maidstone Town Hall on Friday 17th October was a resounding success. Guests attending were provided with a splendid buffet lunch and other refreshments before taking their places for the presentation. Several local authority and sports club representatives made up the audience.

We were delighted to have Mr Jamie Clifford CEO ( pictured above standing right) of the Kent County Cricket Club as our principal guest speaker. He is also Chairman of Kent Cricket Board. Jamie has been integral to the Club’s redevelopment project, having led it from the outset and has recently managed a project for the multi-million pound redevelopment of the Club’s ground at Beckenham. He is also a member of the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Audit and Risk Management Committee. Jamie’s open and candid approach to questions was refreshing and interesting as he outlined his vision for Kent Cricket over the coming years and the steps in place to encourage future success.

Our other guest speaker Mr Terry Housden of Fields In Trust explained the new Centenary Fields project which aims to secure recreational spaces in perpetuity to honour the memory of the millions of people who lost their lives in World War I. Through this new programme landowners across the UK will be encouraged to dedicate at least one recreational space as a Centenary Field. This will commemorate this significant milestone in our history and create a tangible local legacy that will be valued by communities for generations to come. These spaces can include war memorial parks and playing fields given in memory of those who lost their lives, or other significant green spaces.

Mayor of Maidstone, Councillor Richard Thick kindly attended and made a lively and entertaining welcome speech recounting his experiences whilst visiting family in Australia.

Our Patron Mr Bill Cockcroft concluded the meeting