issue two oct 2015
As part of our commitment to keeping the local community up to date with what’s been happening on the
Salomons Estate, and the wider work of the Markerstudy Leisure’s team, here is the latest news.
All aboard the Santa Express
Two important local
charities look to
be big winners this
Christmas, after
discussions between
Markerstudy Leisure
and Tunbridge Wells
Borough Council
resulted in the Santa
Express being able to
run during the festive
season.
Markerstudy Leisure will fund the
yuletide land train, and work with the
Council to ensure it can be securely
parked at night, and has all the
necessary permits for it to operate
between the Pantiles and Royal Victoria
Place, via the High Street.
For the first time, passengers will be
asked to make a donation to travel on
board, with the money being shared
between Pickering Cancer Dropin Centre, and Bridge Trust, which
supports single homeless people in
West Kent.
Nick Moore Commercial Director
at Markerstudy Leisure said: “We are
delighted to announce that once again
we are in the position of being able to
offer the town a Santa Express this
Christmas.
“Earlier reports that there would
be no train were premature and ill
informed. We have been working with
the borough council and other parties
to make the train happen. Indeed we
offered the train to the council free of
charge if they were in a position to
operate it.
“Earlier this month (October 16) the
council came back to us and advised
they were not in a financial position this
Christmas to take up our offer. Since
then we have been looking at various
options, always with a view to getting
the Santa Express up and running.
“This week we concluded an
arrangement with another independent
company that specialises in running
land trains such as the Santa Express.
They will provide the train and the staff
to operate it in Tunbridge Wells for
13 key trading days in the run up to
Christmas, and Markerstudy will bear
the full cost.
“We hope that, as in previous years,
it will add an extra sparkle to the festive
season in our town.”
The other big winners will be the
town’s retailers on the route, as well as
the Ice Rink at Calverley Gardens.
Brave Malachi brings his
Spidey senses to Salomons
A Tunbridge Wells
youngster with an
incurable brain
tumour that has
left him blind has
ticked off another
challenge on his
personal bucket list
after abseiling down
the 100 feet tall water
tower at Salomons
Estate.
Seven-year-old Malachi Tyler from
High Brooms suffers from the genetic
condition neurofibromatosis, which
causes tumours to grow on his nerves
and which has rendered him blind since
the age of two.
On Monday (October 26), Malachi
achieved his ambition to scamper
across the walls of a building like his
hero Spiderman when he abseiled
down the water tower at Salomons.
Dressed in full Spiderman outfit,
Malachi was accompanied on his
descent by experienced abseiler Brian
Bissell who organised the adventure.
It followed other successful
challenges including being a train
driver, which saw him take the controls
of a South West Trains simulator, and
becoming a policeman for the day
when he joined a Metropolitan Police
passing out parade and ‘arrested’ a
Chief Inspector.
Andrew Daniells, Operations
Manager at Salomons, said: “It was
humbling to watch someone who has
already had to overcome so many
obstacles in his short life take on a
challenge that would have been too
much for many other people,” said
Andrew.
“We are so pleased to have been
able to help make one of Malachi’s
dreams come true.”
Gold gymnastics duo meet
the Mayor
After returning
with gold medals
from the European
Championships
in Acrobatic
Gymnastics, two
Tunbridge Wells
schoolboys were
guests of honour at a
Mayor’s Reception.
The boys, Sam Large, 14, who
attends Tunbridge Wells Grammar
School for Boys, and Hector Kinghorn,
11, of Skinners Kent Academy, are both
members of the town’s Next Dimension
Gymnastic Academy (NDGA).
Following the boys’ European
sporting achievement, Mayor Cllr David
Elliott and the Lady Mayoress invited
them and their families to attend the
reception. The duo, representing Great
Britain, took the top spot in the Men’s
Pairs in the 11-16 years age group
at the championships held in Riesa,
Germany.
Cllr Elliott, said: “They are a huge
credit to Tunbridge Wells and their
families, and it is important that we
recognise and celebrate their sporting
success and hard work.”
Louise Clark, Chief Operating Officer
at Markerstudy Leisure, which owns
and operates NDGA, and who also
attended the reception, said: “Sam
and Hector epitomise the spirit and
enthusiasm of the 1,000 young people
who are members of NDGA, and the
coaches and staff.
“Since NDGA opened its doors
nearly four years ago it has helped
to boost the confidence and health
of thousands of local young people,
and is now, thanks to Sam, Hector
and others, putting the town on the
sporting map.”
Driving force behind
children’s road safety
A children’s road safety project has taught more than 10,000
local primary school pupils how to steer clear of trouble in a
little over a year.
Drive to Ensure is operated and
funded by Markerstudy Group, thanks
to its portfolio of insurance companies,
and is based at the Salomons Estate.
By the end of the current term, it will
have taught a further 3,500 youngsters
through its Ensure Kids programme for
primary schools.
Originally launched into
secondary schools across
Kent, Sussex and Surrey in the
summer of 2012, the project
was expanded to take in
primary school pupils last year.
“We can see up to 120
pupils a day, three days a
week and sessions are tailored
in length and content to the
age of the children,” said Sarah
Whelan, Programme Manager.
Activities include games teaching
safe road crossing and pedestrian
safety, quizzes and discussions,
depending on the age group.
Sessions for senior school students,
which can also be delivered to youth
centres, can be more hard-hitting, with
videos featuring parents who have lost
children in road accidents. But this is
accompanied by fun, practical activities,
which include games using ‘drunk
goggles’ and other practical exercises,
such as highlighting the impact that
texting and phoning can have on a
driver’s concentration.
News in brief
Local chess players thwart
Grandmaster
An International Grandmaster met
his match in four local youngsters at
a Tunbridge Wells Chess Club event,
sponsored by Savills and hosted by
Markerstudy Leisure at Salomons
Estate earlier this month.
John Emms from Hildenborough,
an International Grandmaster and
former captain of the English Olympiad
team, played a simultaneous match
against 34 young chess players from
10 different schools in and around
Tunbridge Wells – four of whom held
him to draws.
The quartet, who all received cups in
recognition of their efforts, were Freddie
Hand and David Liu, both of The Judd
School, Tonbridge; Oleg Lyakh of The
Skinners’ School, Tunbridge Wells; and
Grace Lamb from Groombridge.
Next Dimension moves to next level
The official opening of the new
extension to the Next Dimension Gym
Academy (NDGA) on Longfield Road in
Tunbridge Wells is to be opened by an
Olympic and World champion whose
identity is a ‘strictly’ guarded secret.
If you are interested in visiting the
new facilities on Thursday November
26 at 6.30pm please let Catriona
McDonald know.
It was recently a weekend to
remember for gymnasts from the NDGA
as they returned home from the Swifts
invitational competition in Sittingbourne
with a fist full of medals.
About us
Markerstudy Group employs more than 4,500 staff nationwide,
with more than 1,000 based in Tunbridge Wells. The Group, which
celebrates 15 years of trading on 4th May 2016, was ranked 11th
in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2015 and
2014.
In addition to its portfolio of insurance companies, which
includes many market leaders and the recently acquired Chaucer
Insurance Services Limited, Markerstudy Group also includes Auto
Windscreens.
Contact us
If after reading this newsletter you have
any questions or would like to visit any of
Markerstudy Leisure’s operations please
contact Catriona McDonald (CMcDonald@
markerstudy.com) and we’d be delighted to
arrange it.