Maidstone community action
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Maidstone.
Over 25,000 oppose quarry extension into ancient wood, woodlandtrust.org.uk (Aug 02, 2023) — "Over 25,000 of you joined us in responding to the consultation on the shocking proposal."- Oaken Wood: The largest destruction of ancient woodland this century, stuartjeffery.net (Jul 17, 2023)
Networks and sustainability initiatives
- Bearsted CAN, Climate Action Network, bringing together like-minded people from Bearsted and the surrounding area who want to work together to face the Climate and Ecological Emergency, a community group for everyone. added 09:39, 8 November 2022 (UTC)
- Maidstone and district Eco community on facebook.com
- Marden Community Eco Hub private group on facebook
Social inclusion
- Kenward Trust, link checked 09:56, 28 January 2022 (UTC)
- Maidstone Day Centre, Homeless Care, link checked 09:56, 28 January 2022 (UTC)
Community resources
Kent Life, formerly the Museum of Kent Life, is an open-air rural life museum at Sandling, near Allington Locks, on the east bank of the River Medway. The museum includes a collection of historic buildings including a chapel, village hall and old houses. It also includes displays on agriculture, including a farm yard and farm animals.
Health and wellbeing
Blackthorn Trust is a UK charity in Maidstone, Kent which offers specialist therapies and rehabilitation through work placements in the Blackthorn Garden. They offer help to people with mental health difficulties, chronic pain and type 2 diabetes. The charity's work is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner (an Austrian philosopher, social reformer), and the charity aims to assist individuals to progress towards their full potential.
- Blackthorn Trust, link checked 09:45, 28 January 2022 (UTC)
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
- Maidstone Freerecycle, Public Group with 25568 members
- Recycle for Maidstone (App)
Cycling activism
Maidstone Cycle Campaign Forum, charity representing the cycling community in Maidstone, aiming to improve the cycling conditions in Maidstone and encourage people to take up cycling as part of a healthy lifestyle, and also as a practical and environmentally friendly alternative to cars for short journeys to shops, schools, etc. link checked 09:42, 28 January 2022 (UTC)
Trees, woodland and forest
Oaken Wood is a 18.7-hectare (46-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Maidstone in Kent. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Known locally as "Barming Wood" due to the village of Barming being the closest settlement to Oaken Woods, it is an ancient woodland with orchids, dormice, tawny owls, nightingales and many species of bat (alongside various other species).
This site provides the best example of a very unusual topography, with cracking and tilting of underlying weaker strata during the Pleistocene by periglacial processes producing crests and troughs in the surface rocks.
A public footpath crosses the site.
In 2013, plans to uproot parts or all of Oaken Wood for a ragstone quarry were met with controversy due to its environmental importance (with various different species residing there) and its possibility in setting a legal precedent for up to 300 other ancient woodlands in the UK.
see also: Maidstone news
About Maidstone
Campaigns
- Kent quarry extension is one of the biggest threats of the 21st century. Hermitage Quarry expansion plans: If approved, the loss could even surpass ancient woodland losses from the Lower Thames Crossing and HS2 schemes combined, woodlandtrust.org.uk, added 14:04, 9 August 2023 (UTC)
- Enough is enough - Maidstone's Housing & Infrastructure, petition against housebuilding levels in Maidstone via cprekent.org.uk, added 17:17, 18 February 2020 (UTC)
see also: Trees, woodland and forest, Maidstone news
Past events
Aug 3 - Sep 8, 2023 (Thu-Fri) — Maidstone's Eco Hub, climatechange.maidstone.gov.uk
Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it with Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river carried much of the town's trade as the centre of the agricultural county of Kent, which is known as the Garden of England. There is evidence of settlement in the area dating back before the Stone Age. The town, part of the borough of Maidstone, had an approximate population of 100,000 in 2019. Since World War II, the town's economy has shifted from heavy industry towards light industry and services.
Near you
Ashford - Malling - Medway - Swale - Tonbridge - Tunbridge Wells
See also
- Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England
- London and South East England
- Saving water in South East England