����
NORTH DOWNS WAY 153-MILE SCULPTURE TRAIL LAUNCHES WITH THREE NEW INSTALLATIONS IN KENT
VIKING NEPTUNE ARRIVES IN DOVER FOR THE FIRST TIME AS THE PORT ANNOUNCES ITS LARGEST 60 PORT OF CALL VISITS
Following the inaugural sailing of Viking Neptune into Dover , a new three-year schedule has been announced with 60 port of call visits announced up to 2025 ; the largest set of sailings that Dover has ever welcomed from Viking .
Commenting on the announcement , Sonia Limbrick , head of cruise at the Port of Dover said :
“ We were delighted to welcome the wonderful Viking Neptune to Dover for the first time , only four months since it became Viking ’ s newest ship . We have a fantastic relationship with Viking and I ’ m excited to take it to the next level in the coming years .
“ At the doorstep of The Garden of England and with exciting plans for future expansion of the cruise terminals , Dover provides world class travel to hundreds of thousands of cruise passengers every year . We are thrilled that Viking ’ s customers will get to experience this , and Kent ’ s inspiring culture , history and charm now and beyond .”
The 60 port of call visits scheduled up to 2025 will see several Viking ocean ships including the Viking Venus , the Viking Neptune , the Viking Jupiter , the Viking Mars , the Viking Saturn and the Viking Sky all sail into Dover , with three inaugural calls .
The final installation of the North Downs Way Art Trail is now in place , completing a staggering collection of nine giant sculptures along a 153-mile national trail .
A joint venture led by Kent Downs AONB ( Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ) in partnership with Surrey Hills Arts , the art trail is a glorious open-air gallery along one of the most popular walking trails in the country and gives people even more reason to head out into the countryside on foot , on two wheels , or on horseback .
Free and open to all , the nine sculptures have been installed in stages in Surrey and Kent since 2020 by artists including Charles Holland and INSTAR , with each installation reflecting the unique natural characteristics of its location and incorporating sustainable local material in the design such as apple crates and coppiced wood , as well as local stories , poems and designs from the surrounding communities .
They have a dual function as both sculptural seats where people can rest and soak up the scenery and monuments celebrating the surrounding communities and heritage .
To find out more about the North Downs Way Art Trail , and the supporting Great ARTDoors campaign , visit kentdowns . org . uk / art-trail .
FRIENDS TOGETHER TO EXPAND INTO TONBRIDGE
A £ 3,750 grant from Kent Community Foundation will enable the charity Friends Together to open a new bereavement group in Tonbridge .
Friends Together , the grass roots bereavement charity supporting the communities of West Kent , successfully applied for financial support to meet the increasing demand for their services .
Natalie Smith , director of grants and impact , Kent Community Foundation said : “ One of the five areas of priority for our funding is projects that support the elderly . Friends Together supports the elderly through bereavement groups across Tunbridge Wells and neighbouring villages and we were delighted to award them a grant of £ 3,750 to expand their services . We wish them every success with the new group in Tonbridge and thank them for the help they offer to people in the west of the county .”
The established Friends Together bereavement groups meet in Hadlow , Paddock Wood , Tunbridge Wells and Pembury and the new Tonbridge group will meet monthly in Tonbridge Methodist Church , Higham Lane on the third Friday of every month . More information about Friends Together can be found on www . friendstogetherbs . org .
WIN !
WIN WITH THE KENT BIG WEEKEND !
Visit Kent ’ s biggest annual competition , which gives Kent residents the chance to win hundreds of free tickets to a host of attractions and activities , is officially underway !
Launched in May and running until Monday 12 June , simply head to www . kentbigweekend . co . uk to enter the online ballot for your chance to win tickets to a host of iconic Kent attractions including Balfour Winery , Dreamland , Hever Castle & Gardens , Kent Cricket , Leeds Castle , Maidstone Distillery , Penshurst Place & Gardens , Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve , and The Historic Dockyard Chatham , all of which will be redeemable over The Kent Big Weekend , taking place 24 - 25 June 2023 .
194