The future of Teston (or otherwise)

[Gareth Williams]

Just saw this that Jane has posted on the Teston Bridge page on Facebook. Obviously emotions are running high at the moment. I'm sure the committee will have an opinion on this, so i shall reserve comment until we have an official KKF line.

After attending a meeting today relating to the events to take place at Teston next year, I have been told that the Kite Festival is not cost effective in its current form. Therefore the KCC need to make some cuts. The Kent Kite Flyers are going to be approached regarding the running of the Kite Making workshop. This is obviously sad for me as I have enjoyed running the workshop, but it appears this is what I am being told needs to happen. Hopefully the Kent Kite Flyers will take the workshop on. This enables the KCC to reduce staffing and therefore costs. Also I have been asked to find volunteers to help on the day with parking issues. The wardens job will be to stand at the front gate collecting parking monies and the volunteers will be asked to direct the traffic. I would also need to source more trade stands to gain more income. All this being done will show the management what income can be gained, and whether the event will be allowed to continue. At the moment I see the June festival in danger of being lost in 2013 if we cannot create the income wanted in 2012. Please could everybody interested in saving the Kite Festival make your views and ideas know to Pauline Allen at [e-mail] Thank you for your help.

[FairWeatherFlyer]

I hope mid Kent have some local elections coming up soon.

[evets]

So all the extra people who attend the kite festival and park their cars in the car park, that is pretty well unstaffed at present, are not bring any income to the Country Park?? Next thing will be that day visiting Kite flyers will be charged to enter the Park with our display Kites!

[ekim]

Its early days yet and I think we all need a little time to find out exactly what the KCC are expecting from the kite festivals at Teston. I know this will be discussed at great length by the committee and no doubt there will be discussions with the powers that be at the KCC. Lets hope that common sense prevails and that a non loss making event that is well supported by kite flyers and the public alike is seen by the KCC as a success and will continue to have their support.
It will be interesting to see the KCC numbers and where us kite flyers can step in to help reduce the costs. So lets support Jane and the Teston crew as much as we can, emails of support at the moment. But its to early to panic, like the rest of you I do not know any details other than those Jane has posted and we must be patient and be careful not over react.
Teston is a unique event and deserves to be supported by all, Kite flyers and the general public alike.

Mike

[malcolmf]

Just to keep people in the loop, I had been discussing the situation with the parks event organiser (KCC) prior tto and at the August Teston. Initially I was informed that KCC wanted a fee of £400 for the June event and £500 for the August event from Kent Kite Flyers. KCC would keep the car parking fees. The income from traders would not cover the costs of the fees required and we could not charge the public an entrance fee,

Between the events organiser and myself we came up with a solution, but it had to go a committee which I believe was either last Thursday or Friday and I would be contacted with a couple of working days. So far I have not received that call, but will be speaking to them to-morrow (Monday) to clarify the situation.

Jane was to be kept out of the loop, which we thought very unfair considering the effort she and her fellow rangers had put into making kiteflyers and the public welcome over the years.

Having my other half working within KCC we know that KCC are driven by obtaining the maximum revenue and cost cutting to the bone. It may be that we shall have to ask Kite flyers to ensure that they pay a fee for each pitch when camping rather than a contribuition/fee, especialy where there is more than more than one pitch per kiteflyer. Also there may be a need for volunteers to help out in the carparking area.

As soon as I know more I will let every-one know.

[malcolmf]

Further to my previous posting< I have had another discussion with events co-ordinator, who informs me that the KCC events committee meeting was cancelled at the last moment and has now been put back to November. She has to come up with costings and show how she can save monies.

We have agreed to go ahead with Teston in 2012, on 9/10 June and 11/12 August and these dates are posted on the kitecalendar website and will be posted on the Kite Society website.

There will be no fundamental changes to the events, more to to do with KCC staffing arrangements

We shall be taking on the kite making workshop and I have already discussed with Gerty and she in turn with Slideaway to manage the workshop. Obviously we shall have take a percentage of the monies to cover the costs of providing materials, but the rest will go to Slideaway.