Rochester Bridge Trust supports community projects
Plus Austen's turns 10, Rochester author launches new book, Space visit Platform 3, our weekly events guide, and more.
The Rochester Bridge Trust is a medieval charity tasked with looking after crossings of the River Medway. In recent years, they have been turning their eye to more community projects they can support, so we’ve been talking to them about what they do. Further down, we have news on Austen’s turning ten, a Rochester author launching a new book, Britpop band Space visiting Rainham, our weekly events guide, and more.
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Rochester Bridge Trust supports community projects
In the first of a short series about the Rochester Bridge Trust, we spoke with Nicola Parks, the Director of Charitable Projects, about the grant funding part of the trust, and the work they have done in Medway.
The Rochester Bridge Trust is an independent not-for-profit organisation whose primary purpose is maintaining the three bridges in Rochester. The charity is medieval, established in 1399, to provide free safe crossing over the River Medway. “The charity has been able to maintain and sustain the work that they're doing through the income that they generate, which is completely free of charge to the public.”
The charity does not rely on any grant funding or contracts. “We have property and land that was originally endowed as part of that original establishment of the organisation.” The trust is in the fortunate position that any money that “we have left over after we've looked after those bridges, we're able to do our charitable projects.”
Nicola joined the trust a year ago in the newly formed role, Director of Charitable Projects, with the purpose of the role to look at how the trust can “be more strategic about the charitable projects that we're trying to do and ensure that we're creating as much impact for the local community as possible with that work.” Nicola considers herself fortunate to look after the grants programme and the trust’s educational work, archive and exhibitions.
The Short floatplane exhibition at Rochester Cathedral, which we will be covering in a future edition of this organ, is “very much in my area. It started life as a grant from the trust in 2014, and it's now evolved into an opportunity to share and express around engineering education.” This includes free hands-on family activities of what it might be like to become an engineer in the future.
The trust has been giving out grants for years. It paid for the establishment of Maidstone Girls' Grammar, but “it was two years ago that the trustees decided to have a dedicated pot.” This enabled the trust, using their grants policy, to go out and “drive as many projects as we can.” A challenge that the trust has had is awareness. “Not many people have heard of us or the work that we do,” admits Nicola. That has had an impact on people finding out about the grants and having a conversation with the trust about what's available.
This led to the establishment of Nicola’s role. “My background is in grants, to try and help drive and engage with local organisations around the work that we do.” Rochester Bridge Trust have been working with Kent Community Foundation “to try and help encourage local smaller organisations to be aware of our work.” This has included bringing the grant management up to date. “We've got quite a lot of investment behind the scenes. It feels like a really quality experience when you're working with the trust.” This has included clarity about the types of projects that they can fund, as well as being able to be much more meaningful about recording that impact and sharing the benefit of their work.
Grants that are live at the moment include large PhD projects, which aren’t cheap. “If you're paying for someone's time, over a prolonged period of time, they're much more expensive”. Their small education grants pot fund up to £500. “Typically, that's for schools to apply for bits of kit, Kinects or Lego,” something that will add value to STEM teaching. They also provide £500 towards transport “if a school wants to visit a museum or a site.”
A grant that has recently been provided was towards a new rowing boat. The trust had been in conversations with Medway Towns Rowing Club around “the art of the possible, what we may be able to do,” but nothing had really come from it. The club approached the trust about their need for a new sculling boat. “These are really expensive bits of kit.” The club is trying to increase membership post-covid, as well as to encourage younger rowers to get out into the water and to experience it.
The trust liked the fact that they were “trying to break down barriers in terms of people being able to access the water, it not feeling an elitist sport.” A new boat was going to enable some capacity to “really drive younger people to be able to participate in the sport. We told them we're up for collaborating on this.” The club found a boat that was used at the Paris Olympics, and the trust were able to agree a grant. “We're really excited to hear how the boat performs this summer.”
A large grant that the Trust have provided is to St John’s church in Chatham. The church has had a large Heritage Lottery grant, but “they were falling short in terms of the restoration of the stained-glass windows.” The trust has a connection with the church, and were “also mindful that we hadn't done anything really in Chatham in that community.” The Trust were taken by the project, “wanting to make that a community space, be able to have more people come in and participate in different activities.”
Rochester Bridge Trust have left it intentionally vague about how much they can support, aiming for between 25% and 75% of the project's total cost. “There's also some caveats in terms of things that we cannot fund, but that's all made available on our grants policy.” But if you have a project that you think the Rochester Bridge Trust could possibly support, Nicola would be eager to have a conversation.
Austen’s turns 10
Austen’s of Rochester is celebrating their tenth anniversary. We spoke to the Father and Daughter team of Andy and Jess Austen to find out more about the celebrations…
Austen’s is an award-winning farm shop on Rochester High Street with an emphasis on high-quality food, a large percentage of which is locally produced. As the ten years have passed, the business has changed through growth, but Andy says they have always been “very pro-customer service. We're very friendly, very attentive, and nothing's too much trouble.”
As well as running their social media, Jess has been focused on their ten year anniversary campaign. It is called “10 days for 10 years,” says Jess, and they are running various events as part of that. One of the main things they have been doing is “daily giveaways in the shop”. This is ending on their 10th anniversary, which is today (Wed 23 Jul).
The prizes have been gifted “by our lovely suppliers, who we have really great working relationships with.” On Saturday, the prize on offer was a taproom gift card from Western Brewery and two cans of beer. Sunday, there was a gift from Biddenden Vineyard.
I ask them what their favourite item in store is, and they both answer without hesitation that it is “absolutely cherries.” This time of year, Andy tells me, “We do nearly a ton in weight of cherries.” In addition to the daily giveaways and excellent cherries, there will be a celebration in the shop tonight, which is sponsored by Charthams Vineyards and “open for anybody to attend.”
Rochester author launches new book this evening
Thomas McMullan is launching his new novel, Groundwater, at Store 104 this evening, so once you have finished celebrating with Austen’s, head there to keep the party going. We spoke to Thomas to find out more…
Groundwater is the second novel by Rochester resident Thomas. Inevitably, we start with the question authors dread: What is it about? “The idea of a future, a fear of a future, a fear of a future not happening.”
“The book,” Thomas gamely tells me, “Centres on a married couple, John and Liz. They've recently moved out of London, into the countryside, and they're teetering on questions about the future. They're at a crossroads in their life. The book is set over an August bank holiday period. They're joined by Monica, Liz's sister, and then Monica's family. That's the core drama, a family on holiday and a couple in crisis.”
Thomas’ first book, The Last Good Man, released in 2020, was a dystopian story about “Dartmoor and a community which lives next to this big slab of a wall.” I ask if anybody who has read his first book will find a similar tone here. “I think there's some continuances, but this is much more grounded in the present.”
At Store 104, Thomas will be in conversation with Tom Morton, a local writer who primarily reviews and writes about art. Afterwards, “there'll be signings, and it should be a really lovely event.”
Space visit Platform 3
The latest in a series of named acts being brought to the Medway Towns, 25 July sees 90’s Liverpudlian indie rock band Space come to the Platform 3 Club at the Oast Community Centre in Rainham. We spoke to organiser Joe Liste-Romero to find out more…
Platform 3 is a bi-monthly music event organised by Joe, so called because “we are right next to Rainham station.” The intent is to create a unique night that brings acts of a certain profile to the Medway Towns.
On the 25th of July, they will be welcoming Tommy Scott and Phil Hartley from Space, appearing as a duo. Space were a Liverpudlian Britpop band, most famous for Female of the Species and The Ballad of Tom Jones with Cerys Matthews. “I remember that being quite popular, your mum would know it,” Joe tells me.
Joe has been on the lookout for bands of that era. “We've already had the Wedding Present, we already had My Life Story. Perfect for what Platform 3 seems to be turning into.” For Joe, the era represents “my coming of age. We were 18 at the time and we were loving that scene.” Another highlight for Joe is that, as with all the gigs, his band The Pastel Waves will be the support act for the event. “We get to promote our band. In a way, it's very self-indulgent. We're booking these bands because we want to play with them and support them.”
Tickets cost £17.50 and are available here.
Review: Soul Food Solo Stories
by Moira Mehaffey
Soul Food Solo Stories by Lyrici Arts was performed at the Glassbox Theatre on 9 July. Moira Mehaffey went along to experience the show…
The Glassbox Theatre is a gem of a venue – fully accessible and welcoming. Great care has been taken by the event organisers to ensure inclusivity: A board provides details in advance of the duration of the show and what lighting and sound effects we can expect, and the solo performances are simultaneously translated into sign language.
On arrival, we are invited to consider the meaning of soul food and add suggestions of what brings us joy to two canvases – we chipped in hamsters and knitting. Our first performer is Monique Day. Elegant and poised, her monologue considers what it means to be born in the UK to parents of Jamaican descent. Her story reveals the tension between the awareness of heritage and tradition and the urge to break free and define your identity on your own terms, setting this in the relatable circumstances of a family reunion at Granny’s house. It is literally food which resolves this tension and provides a comforting sense that tradition and change can be reconciled.
Chika Jones attires himself in traditional Igbo dress on stage, conveying the dignity and masculinity of a warrior or chieftain. He varies the pitch of his speaking, with songlike phrases recurring as a chorus to punctuate a monologue which juxtaposes this proud figure against the potential vulnerabilities of men of colour in some westernised societies.
Lizzy Partridge’s monologue is the most folkloric, with many recognisable tropes from fairy tale traditions. She tells of two young heroines embarking on a quest, during which they encounter Ghanaian folk creatures. The trickster spider Anansi is outwitted by an offer of food, and a beautiful shimmering fabric represents the river in which our heroines encounter Mama Wata the mermaid. Lizzy’s performance is beguiling and gripping, and we are all rooting for the Brown Princesses of Council House No. 11.
Aduke Aladekomo gives the most musical of the four performances, announcing her arrival on stage with singing and drumming. Never quite sure where her performance will go next, she weaves a tale desirous to celebrate Yoruba culture yet bearing the weight of presumptions based on gender. Ending on a positive note of cultural and feminine empowerment, her songs resonate and are recognised by some members of the audience who join right in. An excellent showcase for the work of Lyrici Arts in bringing under-represented voices to the fore in Medway.
Soul Food Solo Stories will tour Medway Libraries from October 2025 to February 2026.
Events this week
🎸 Fri 25 Jul - Tommy Scott (Space) + support // Frontman of 90s alternative band comes to Medway via the Platform 3 Club. Oast Community Centre, Rainham. Tickets £17.50.
🎙️ Sat 26 Jul - Songs in the Key of… live podcast recording // Special event to mark the 10th anniversary of host Stephen Morris’ seminal book about the Medway music scene. Medway Little Theatre, Rochester. Tickets £15.
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