The Chairman extended her thanks to all who took part in the Dragon Boat Race including members of Silas’s family.  A short video of the race was shown.  She advised that the dragon boat race had raised £540.  The Chairman stated that she had been very fortunate to have received donations towards her charity and with the event held at Brands Hatch, the recent curry lunch, and other events, the amount raised now stood at just over £10,800.  An Indoor Bowls Evening would be held on Thursday 24th January 2019, and details would be circulated soon.

With the help of local communities and parish councils the Chairman had been able to raise awareness of the work of West Kent MIND and support Mental Health Day in October by holding events during the week 8 – 12 October.  Events had been held in West Kingsdown and Hartley, supported by West Kent MIND and District Council colleagues.  She had also joined the luncheon club in Westerham, a ‘Tea and Chat’ in Farningham and the weekly running group in Crockenhill.  She thanked Members who came along and supported the events.

As Community Wellbeing was the focus of her year, it was great that the Every Step Counts Project continued to grow and she was pleased to announce that the fifth walk had been launched in Riverhead in September, with the first anniversary of the Otford walk celebrated this month. She acknowledged the support of the volunteer walk leaders to the scheme and that they were all local to the walks and came with local knowledge.  The next planned walk was in the Sevenoaks North area.

The Chairman further advised that she had attended the retirement dinner of Mary Boyle, Head of Knole Academy who had asked that her thanks be shared with all past Chairman, Mayors and the Sevenoaks Community for the support she had received as Head of the school.

The Chairman was proud to be Chairman during the 100th Anniversary year of the ending of WW1 and for having had the opportunity to represent the Council at the many events held throughout the District.  With the Vice Chairman she had covered as many events as possible and her thanks went out to Councillors who had also represented the Council on their behalf.

The Chairman announced the sad passing of Cllr London’s father, former County Councillor and Sevenoaks Town Councillor and Freeman of the Town of Sevenoaks, John F London, who passed away peacefully on Tuesday 30 October 2018.  John had been a committed public servant, and was first elected as a Councillor in 1959 to the Sevenoaks Urban District Council.  He was a Sevenoaks Town Councillor from 1973 until the 2011 election. He had served 3 separate terms as Town Mayor, in 1974, 1988, and 2000.  He was a County Councillor for Sevenoaks Central Electoral Division between 1997 and 2013 and Chairman of the County Council in 2005/06, and as a local County Councillor he had sat on the Sevenoaks District Joint Transportation Board.  Members joined her in a moments silence as a mark of respect.

The Chairman also advised that the partner of County Cllr Mike Angell, Chairman of Kent County Council, had passed away on 25 October 2018, following a brief illness.