Meg Hillier, Junior Minister at The Home Office, visited Medway on Friday (18 January 2008) and saw for herself what can be achieved through hard work and the commitment of all within a community.

Paul Clark, MP for Gillingham and Rainham, had invited the Minister to visit the “Activity Loft” located at the heart of The Vineries estate.Meg Hillier met staff from Moat Housing Association who manages the majority of the properties on the state, including Anne Atkinson, Moat Resident Participation Officer.

Ms. Hillier also chatted with many of the local residents who actually run sessions at the Loft – three of whom have been nominated for “Pride in Medway Awards” this year; Bill Clark from the charity “Word on the Street”; Angela Josland from New Brompton College’s Community Development team, local PCSOs and young people who use the centre.“I was delighted that Meg accepted my invitation to visit the Activity Loft. I remember when 5 young people came to see me with their scrap books of expectation, with Bill Clark and Anne Atkinson. It has been those young peoples’ ideas that have guided the work of the community.“It shows what can be achieved if we all pull together. If we talk constructively across the generations. I wanted the Minister to experience the buzz that exists now in The Vineries. No one is saying we’ve cracked it, that everything is fine, but the community has pulled together and the great work will go on”, said Paul Clark.

The Minister was very interested in the collaborative working – Moat giving the premises and local residents working collaboratively to provide a range of services for the community. Meg Hillier said, “I think this is a shining example of what can be achieved to develop and strengthen communities. I recognise it is not easy, but the Activity Loft is clearly a shining example to us all of what can be achieved”.