I hope you've had an excellent Christmas and the chance to enjoy one
of the many local events on Boxing Day. From sporting occasions like
the Hythe Town versus Folkestone Invicta football match, the Saltwood
Boxing Day run and the East Kent hunt meeting in Elham; to events that
raise money for good causes like the Folkestone Lions Club’s Boxing
Day dip in the sea, there is always a lot going on. I would like thank
all of the volunteers and supporters who give up their time over the
Christmas period of make these events possible.
Just before Christmas I also had the chance to thank our postmen and
women for all of their hard work during this their busiest time of the
year, when I visited the Royal Mail sorting offices in Folkestone,
Hythe and New Romney. They have done an excellent job keeping on top
of the deliveries to make sure everyone gets the cards and presents
that have been sent for them. You can also see what a big part is
played by the Royal Mail in delivering parcels of goods ordered on the
internet. Online shopping has been up again this Christmas, which
whilst good news for the Royal Mail, also continues to create
challenges for our high street businesses. It was for this reason that
I invited Google and Facebook to Folkestone earlier in the year, so
that they could share the latest techniques with local firms to make
the most out of selling directly to their customers through the
internet; which many increasingly do.
The Folkestone Churches Winter Shelter is into its fourth year now
providing shelter from December through to February for the homeless.
It is overseen by the Folkestone Rainbow Centre which has over 25
years of experience catering for the lonely, the isolated, the
socially excluded and the homeless. The shelter is also supported by
the Salvation Army and local churches who take it turns to house the
shelter on different nights of the week. The shelter has been funded
by donations from local people and organisations, as well as support
from the councils. You can find out more about the shelter, online at
http://wintershelter.org.uk/ or you can telephone for information on
01303 210559. Again, I would like to thank everyone involved with this
very important and worthwhile project.
It is also important that we remember over Christmas time the brave
men and women who are serving in our armed forces around the world,
and particularly those involved in the peace keeping work in
Afghanistan. The Prime Minister visited Camp Bastion last Friday and
was able to announce the good news that because of the success of
their work that more of our troops will be coming home for good,
earlier than expected, cutting the number of our forces there from
9,000 to 5,200 next year. This is because of the excellent work of our
armed forces in training the Afghan security services to be ready to
take over from us by 2014, when we will end combat operations in their
country.