Save St Mary's Amateur Boxing Club

As local councillor for Luton & Wayfield am currently fighting and supporting the campaign by the St Mary's Amateur Boxing club, which has and continues to be widely recognised as a true centre of excellence, not only in Chatham, but also across Kent.

The club is currently faced with eviction after the gym was sold off at auction two weeks ago.

Local Labour Councillors are currently working with the campaign to ensure that this club remains in our community. They have a really proud record and deserve cross-party support.

Please sign the online petition here

Please join our Facebook page here.

Heritage gets Local Support

Do you want to call time on the destruction of local heritage?

Medway Labour is working with local heritage organisations in calling time on the legacy of historic vandalism overseen by Medway Conservatives, who have bulldozed and trashed historic town centres and industrial heritage in an aggressive attempt to foist regeneration schemes on residents.

Labour supports the regeneration of our historic town centres but it does not support the roughshod and digger-like approach to town management, which has steamrollered over public opinion and local heritage groups who have struggled to get their voices heard.

Labour will back local societies and heritage organisations in ensuring their voices are heard at the top of local government. We will consult and listen to residents and not just run roughshod over local accountability.

Over the last four years we have seen the systemic destruction of heritage including

• Aveling & Porter demolition
• Closure of the Dickens Centre, Rochester
• Bulldozing of the historic Paddock, Chatham
• Demolition of the Theatre Royal, Chatham

The main opposition party will encourage heritage-led regeneration; that is working in partnership with local heritage organisations to improve our communities with full respect for our environment and our communities. Although less directly profitable than market-led regeneration, the heritage approach has an advantage of creating community-led changes in social conditions and local pride.

Strood South on the trail

Strood South campaigners Robert Heathfield and Isaac Igwe were on the trail.

No, not the campaign trail, but the new Strood Community Trail which has been established by the local community to highlight the historic heritage of Strood.

The campaign organisers were joined by current Councillors and other members of the community, including Isaac and Robert.

Local heritage campaigns and groups are extremely important to the vitality of Strood.

They also need the continued support of local Councillors who will stand up for local heritage.

Strood South campaigner Mark Jones was also on the campaign trail in 2009 when he attended and opposed the demolition of the Aveling & Porter building, which has now a temporary car park at a cost of £850,000.

Mark Jones, Robert Heathfield and Isaac Igwe are campaigning for Strood and fighting for its heritage.