Chairperson’s Foreword

This year has been busy and exciting. Plans formed over many years have been, or are being, made reality.

These advances, of course, have not simply happened and we wish to acknowledge contributions made and to express sincere thanks to all our supporters.

I wish to say a person thank you to my fellow board members for their constancy and enthusiasm. Our Steering Group made up of officers from Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council have advised, built our confidence and, yes, steered. They will cease to function as a group shortly when Castle Connections is functioning. We have their contact details however and are confident they will continue to support as individuals.

Queenborough Town Council is not only our landlord but our all time supporter. Day by day and year by year its members and staff have responded to requests for help, scrutinised our plans and attended our events. Both officers and members of our other Authorities, Swale Borough and Kent County have supported our plans and enabled their fruition.

The Tudor Trust enabled our employment of our Project Manager for two years. Staff at the Development Trust have educated and encouraged us and now are providing and signposting funding as well. Swale CVS have lent their considerable skills.

Our local community has given us the will to go on and is now joining in the anticipation of success. We thank every single person who has contributed. Our plans for making sure there is a lasting record of all who contributed are well laid and will have our full commitment.

Finally, the workers are transforming our Old School into Castle Connections. Our volunteer prisoners and our various contractors who are cooperating with us and each other to make our building even better than our money can buy. Our Clerk of Works, Rachel Wells has quickly become a valued part of our team and added new skills and experience. Chrissie Williams, our Project Manager, has shown energy and resourcefulness that have resulted not only in gaining major funding but pushing us through the refurbishment, and having the next stage, the opening of our Centre, well developed.

In the coming months Rachel and the contractors will concentrate on the renovation. Our budget is tight but we see no reason why we cannot complete the building project on time and on budget. The plans call for completion before Christmas and having the centre open in January.

Read the full report here: Annual Report 2008-09 pdf download (650kb)