Commemorate the centenary in your villages

This week’s edition showcases the plethora of First World War centenary events and activities that communities across the county have been throwing themselves into.

It is imperative to get behind the churches, charities, local history and social groups in Kent’s towns and villages who are giving up countless hours to do their bit to educate and commemorate the immeasurable sacrifice, which claimed the young lives of over 700,000 soldiers across the United Kingdom.

It is admirable that people are determined to make sure the stories about local heroes who played a part in the war effort are told, whether those came from the battleground or on the Home Front. You can find many of these at the Kent History and Library Centre from this week.

A spirit of creativity has been flowing through the neighbourhoods across our county too, an example of this is at St Mary’s Church in Hadlow, where a dedicated portion of the congregation have spent the last few months making over 2,000 striking, blood-red poppies. They have now been strung together to create a beautiful but haunting crimson carpet, which will be on display to visitors at the church. These tributes are best made by the grassroots of our area and keep the lifeblood of our region flowing.

Our freedom and democracy depend on the principle that if we do not know our history, we are doomed to repeat it. Make sure you find out what your village, town or civil parish is doing and find the time to go along. These events represent our communities at their very best, immersed in their history and making further bonds together to move forward.