The Kent Messenger’s campaign to organise a belated Christmas meal by Yalding residents struck by the 2013 floods has been nominated for a prestigious national award, but we are dependent upon your vote to receive it.

Our campaign around 50 Yalding residents attend a belated Christmas meal following the devastating floods at the end of 2013.

Many of them did not get a chance to celebrate Christmas so we organised a full Christmas dinner complete with drinks, live music and transport - all for free.

It would not have been possible without the support of partner organisations.

Students at MidKent College cooked and serve the meal, with the college's Apprentice Restaurant on the Oakwood Park campus also hosting the event.

Waitrose provided a selection of the food and Nu-Venture provided a free shuttlebus to and from the event.

Yalding Parish Council also helped distribute invites and Shepherd Neame provided 80 bottles of ale.

Jasper Gerard, the defeated Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Maidstone and the Weald, said: “Before being a full time candidate I spent my career as a national newspaper columnist and I can tell you that the KM is regarded as one of the finest papers in the entire country.

“People trust it in a way they don’t always do with some of the nationals these days.
“It is especially pleasing that they are nominated for awards for campaigning journalism which I believe is what newspapers should be all about.”