PENSIONERS FACING A £1K STEALTH TAX THANKS TO THE CONSERVATIVES...

Dover Express, Letters Page

DON'T MISS OUR PIZZA & POLITICS WITH KENT REFUGEE ACTION NETWORK

FRIDAY APRIL 12, 2024, AT 7.30PM

GUSTON VILLAGE HALL
The Street, Guston, Dover CT15 5EU

Razia Shariff, CEO of Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN), will be joining us to talk about the work of KRAN.

Razia has been with KRAN since July 2016 and has more than 25 years’ experience of working in senior management in the third sector in London and Kent. She has served on boards and forums for national and local government and is currently on the Refugee Action Insights Hub Advisory Group.

Razia holds a PhD in International Relations on Critical Social Moments and has held several trustee roles for women's charities. She is currently a Non-Executive Director of a Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust and was previously a volunteer grants panel member for Children in Need.

ABOUT KRAN
KRAN was established in 2003 to support refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) in Kent. Over the past years, it has grown to develop several projects in response to the needs of young RAS. One of its first projects, which continues today, is the Mentoring partnership project matching local volunteers in the community with young people.

Teaching and independent living skills have been delivered for the past ten years through our Learning for Life project in Folkestone and Canterbury to support young people transitioning to college and other vocational pathways.

It has established an advocacy and support project to ensure that young people receive the best support and services as they transition to life in the UK.


 

Razia Shariff

CLLR RICK BLACKWELL, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MEMBER OF WALMER TOWN COUNCIL REPORTS ON HIS TAKE ON THE CONTROVERSIAL DECISION TO BUY 62 THE STRAND AS COUNCIL OFFICES

A few years ago Walmer Town Council made the controversial decision to buy 62 The Strand to use as offices. There were also concerns over the lease of 8 The Strand, the premises they had previously used. It would appear that this is all flaring up again, with several of the new councillors seeking to ‘re-fight’ the battle, with some wanting to sell no.62 and rent again. 

I am against this as I believe that the office is an asset for Walmer.

Furthermore, the Public Works loan used to buy it is charged at less than 2% interest for the life of the debt. It is true that it is not fully fit for purpose insofar as we cannot hold large meetings there, but this was also true of the previous office.

As we still hold the lease for no.8 we are now holding meetings there, which is possible because there is no office furniture and equipment present.

My view is that we should keep no.62, which gives us good office and storage space, continue with our efforts to reassign the lease for no.8 and rent halls for meetings as before. Ultimately we could remodel no.62 so meetings can take place there. This is a source of great frustration to me as this subject seems to be taking up a lot of time and energy that could be spent elsewhere.

Cllr Rick Blackwell

 

 

Cllr Rick Blackwell with Penelope James, LibDem parliamentary candidate for Dover & Deal
Cllr. Rick Blackwell (L), Liberal Democrat Councillor, Walmer Town Council & Penelope James (R) Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Dover & Deal, in Walmer.

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