THE LIEUTENANCY OF KENT –
THE 2009 CIVIC SERVICE AT ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL

In the current difficult and destabilising scenario, people will turn more than ever to things they can rely on – their roots, religion, heritage, culture, communities and counties, Kent’s civic leaders and community workers heard on Thursday, 26 March.

Speaking at the Lieutenancy’s fifth annual Civic Service at Rochester Cathedral, the Lord Lieutenant, Allan Willett CMG, said this was why this year’s Lieutenancy theme is celebrating the mosaic of communities that make up the County.

More than 700 civic leaders, parish councillors, community volunteers, representatives of the magistracy, the emergency and health services, the business, media and education sectors from across Kent attended the service.

Among them were members of the Women’s Land Army and Timber Corps – most now in their 80s and 90s – whose wartime service, often under enemy fire, has recently been recognised by the award of special badges. The Lord Lieutenant told them: “Sixty-four years on, we are still proud of our Land girls and Lumber Jills.”

The Lord Lieutenant told the multi-faith congregation that regardless of religion or political beliefs, they shared – in common – dedicated service to the community, pride in the Frontline County’s unparalleled history, and a belief in Kent and its future.

He said: “I think all would agree that it has been an extraordinary year
nationally and globally. We live in a rapidly changing world, a world of upheaval. Change is so enormous, so rapid, so bewildering that people feel insecure, like helpless bystanders.”

But as The Queen herself had said: “When life seems hard the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”

The Lord Lieutenant said: “Right here in the Medway community we have a prime example of a people refusing to accept defeat.”

When Chatham Dockyard was closed 25 years ago, instead of accepting defeat the people in this part of Kent were all the more determined to struggle for a better future.

“Today, the area once covered by the world’s greatest dockyard,
has been transformed into the heart of the new Thames Gateway.
The historic part is a living memorial to over 450 years of maritime history; a new university is prospering; successful businesses have moved in and a housing estate is growing. I salute and thank Medway Council and all those who have contributed to this magnificent achievement.

“Now, like no other, is the moment for us all to step forward and foster County identity, unity and pride, give a sense of stability and be proud
of each communities’ successes.”

New communication links would serve to join Kent to the rest of Britain better than before, new horizons were opening up and now the new opportunities must be seized.

“We are the proud heirs of 1500 years of magnificent history, but I urge you all to play your part in ensuring that our people are not now swamped by those who wish to talk everything down.

“I have asked my Deputy Lieutenants across the County and I am also asking all of you to co-operate with your local authorities and celebrate the achievements of your local community.”

And he urged all present to encourage the people of Kent in their quest for an ever better future, adding: “We have had setbacks before but we overcame them and we will overcome our current problems.

He told the congregation: “as Her Majesty The Queen’s representative in our County, I know that she would wish me to pass her thanks on to all of you for the dedicated self-less service you give to your communities, and to our great County of Kent.”

Deputy Lieutenant Peter Blackwell, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Tunbridge Wells,
Cllr and Mrs Mike Rusbridge, leading part of the Civic Service procession into Rochester Cathedral.

	The High Sheriff, Richard Oldfield, left, Mrs Anne Willett, and the Lord Lieutenant Allan Willett, with candles lit by representatives of Kent's voluntary, education, business, healthcare and uniformed services, all local authorities, and wartime Land Girls and 'Timber Jills'.		Wartime Land Girl Mrs Freda Murray (92), of Birchington, with the Lord Lieutenant Allan Willett at the reception following the Civic Service.

The Lord Lieutenant, Allan Willett, with wartime Timber Corps 'Lumber Jill' Mrs Margaret Cornish (85), from Maidstone, and the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Mrs Denise Joy.

Members of the Maidstone Nepalese Community led by their Chairman Mr Ratna Limbu,
fifth from left, were welcomed at the Civic reception by the Lord Lieutenant, Allan Willett.

The full version of the Lord Lieutenant’s address follows:

ADDRESS BY THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF KENT, ALLAN WILLETT CMG,
AT THE CIVIC SERVICE, ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL, 26 MARCH, 2009

This ancient and beautiful Cathedral, a holy place of worship for more than 1400 years, provides the magnificent setting for this, the Lieutenancy’s fifth Civic Service, an occasion once again of celebration and thanksgiving for your service to our communities – and for invoking the wonderful Spirit of Kent.

And as I look, around this iconic building, I am struck by the thought that, regardless of religion or political beliefs, this distinguished multi-faith capacity congregation of some 700 people gathered together today share three things in common: dedication and service to our communities, a pride in our Frontline County’s unparalleled history, and a belief in Kent and its future.

It’s not possible in such a large gathering to mention every group, but allow me to dwell for a moment on some of the groupings represented here today. But firstly I want to voice my gratitude to the Dean and Chapter of Rochester Cathedral and their dedicated band of friends and volunteers for their help in staging this service – and for the wonderful work they are doing in caring for this beautiful medieval building, and developing it to serve the community as a valuable living institution working for the good of 21st Century mankind.

It is indeed a powerful symbol of Kent’s history and heritage, a place of celebration and commemoration, and a magnificent focus of County identity.

I warmly welcome the Civic leaders here today and it is my happy task to thank the Mayors and Chairmen on behalf of Her Majesty for the self-less work they do during their term of office, and the Parish Councillors for all the often ignored and undervalued work they do in their communities. Without you and your organisations our great County simply would not function.

One of my roles as Lord Lieutenant is to chair the County’s Advisory Committee on the Magistracy and I am pleased to see that Kent’s 800-plus JPs are well represented here today.

The Magistracy is the single most important component in the English criminal justice system. Our magistrates in Kent consistently show a high degree of commitment to this important voluntary work. They represent local, visible justice and I thank them for dedicating themselves to this vital task.

The Emergency Services and Health Care Services, both public and voluntary, are also well represented and I thank all of them for the often under-valued work they do in protecting and looking after the welfare of those in our communities.

As Lord Lieutenant, I and my Vice Lord Lieutenant, Viscount De L’Isle and my Deputies hold the Patronages and Presidencies or are members of just about every voluntary body in Kent – and I am delighted to see so many members of these marvellous organisations here today, including groups that I have had the pleasure to present Queen’s Awards for Voluntary service to during my Lieutenancy. How much poorer our communities would be without their unstinting and unselfish service. And I thank them.

This year, for the first time, we welcome members of the business community including a number of winners of Queen’s Awards. As a former businessman myself I am very well aware of the challenges they face and thank them for all they do in these most difficult times to provide jobs and create wealth for the people of our County.

I would especially like to thank those here today from Kent’s Media groups who are facing extraordinarily difficult operating conditions in the face of a combination of internet-based changes and falling advertising revenues resulting from the current difficult economic situations.

I welcome, too, those of you from the world of education. We all need to understand that the future of our communities will depend on our ability to create a healthy and expanding knowledge-based economy to replace the traditional industries and changes in agricultural practices.

Education has a crucial role to play in this because: no knowledge equals no knowledge-based economy. I’m afraid it is as simple as that.

In these words of thanks I have saved some remarkable ladies till last! I am delighted that this year’s service of celebration includes members of the Women’s Land Army and Timber Corps, who contributed so much to our victory in World War II. There were more than 4,000 of these splendid ladies in Kent (more than in any other county). They ploughed the land, they sowed and threshed the corn, they drove the tractors, they milked the cows, they felled the trees, and all of this often under enemy fire, and now finally their massive contribution to our finest hour has been recognised.

At the stand-down of Kent Women’s Land Army in Canterbury in 1945 the then Duchess of Kent said: ‘You have done really splendid work during the war, entailing long and arduous hours with little rest, and you have contributed very largely to our great victory.’ She closed by saying: ‘We are proud of you’. And, 64 years on, we are still proud of our Land girls and Lumber Jills.

Turning now to the world we find ourselves in today, I think all of us would agree that it has been an extraordinary year nationally and globally. We live in a rapidly changing world, a world of upheaval. Change is so enormous, so rapid, so bewildering that people feel insecure, like helpless bystanders. And none of us are immune.

Her Majesty the Queen said in her Christmas Message: “People are touched by events which have their roots far across the world. Whether it is the global economy or violence in a distant land, the effects can be keenly felt at home.” She went on to say: “When life seems hard the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.” I submit, words worth remembering.

And right here in the Medway community we have a prime example of a people refusing to accept defeat and instead, struggling and achieving a better future. In six days’ time we will remember that terrible day 25 years ago when Chatham Dockyard was closed. The first recorded use of the Medway as a base for Royal Naval ships was in 1550. From the Armada to the building of Nelson’s Victory, the two World Wars and beyond, Chatham’s great Dockyard was inextricably linked with our nation’s destiny. At its wartime peak it employed some thirteen thousand men and women. It pumped resource and technology into the north and northwest of our County.

And when disaster struck 25 years ago, instead of accepting defeat the people in this part of Kent, as Her Majesty said: “were all the more determined to struggle for a better future”.

Today, the area once covered by the world’s greatest dockyard has been transformed into the heart of the new Thames Gateway. The historic part is a living memorial to over 450 years of maritime history; a new university is prospering; successful businesses have moved in and a housing estate is growing. A wonderful example of what the Queen meant in her Christmas message. I salute and thank the Medway Council and all those who have contributed to this magnificent achievement.

In the current difficult and destabilising scenario, I believe people will turn more than ever to things they can understand and rely on – their roots, their religion, their heritage, their culture, their communities and their counties.

So in this coming year our theme for the Lieutenancy will be to celebrate the mosaic of communities that make up Kent. We will encourage community spirit and a feeling of belonging and pride in our great County.

Now, like no other, is the moment for us all to step forward and foster County identity, unity and pride, give a sense of stability and be proud of each communities’ successes.

For this, I submit, we have a fertile environment. I submit that there is deep in the soul of the average person in this Country a strong belief in our Counties – and this County of Kent particularly has a long and proud history. Let us never cease to remind ourselves and others that when St Augustine came here in 597AD we were already a sovereign Nation. We were not defeated by William the Norman. We played a front line part in defending this Nation from the Armada, and the Napoleonic threat, through to World War I, World War II and the Battle of Britain.

And while all this was going on, our forefathers, people like you, created a unique diverse County of incomparable beauty and character. Our people have every reason to be proud of our strong identity as the Frontline County and the Guardian of England. Our County enjoys images recognised across the world – the white cliffs of Dover, oast houses, Canterbury Cathedral, hop fields…. the garden of England.

And in calling on the people of Kent to identify with this County’s achievements I proudly point out that our uniqueness stems from the fact that we are not only part of an island race but Kent has developed historically as a partially separate people surrounded on three sides by the sea with difficult east west communications and cut off from the rest of the country by the great bulk of London.

All of this is changing – and rightly so – the new communication lines currently being built or planned bypass London. The high-speed rail link from the channel tunnel, as an example, does not stop in London but serves to join us to the rest of Britain. New horizons open up.

Our generation must both be proud of our achievements when we were a separate part of Britain, but – as we have done throughout our long history, we must seize the opportunities presented by our unique geographical position.

Every survey tells us that the people of Kent want our Kentishness to survive. Yes, we are the proud heirs of 1500 years of magnificent history, but I urge you all, every single one of you, to play your part in ensuring that our people are not now swamped by those who wish to talk everything down.

Instead of leaving the doom and gloom merchants to enjoy their field day, I have asked my Deputy Lieutenants across the County, and I am also asking all of you to co-operate with your local authorities and celebrate the achievements of your local community.

Let’s encourage the people of Kent in this difficult time to think positive, walk tall, be proud. Yes life will be hard in 2009 and 2010 and maybe beyond, but as Her Majesty urged in her Christmas message we will be courageous, we must encourage the people of our County in their quest for an ever better future.

As a County we will walk tall and be proud of all we have achieved over the centuries. Yes, we have had setbacks before but we overcame them and we will overcome our current problems.

Finally, as Her Majesty The Queen’s representative in our County, I know that she would wish me to pass Her thanks on to all of you for the dedicated self-less service you give to your communities, and to our great County of Kent. God Save The Queen.