Stonebridge Road has played host to the beginning of the Northfleet leg of the Silk River project with club captain Dave Winfield involved in waving participants off from the football ground.
Silk River, in association with Gravesham Borough Council, is an ambitious year-long community programme marking the 70th anniversary of Indian independence and the cultural relationship with the UK. Through artistic exchanges between communities along the Thames Estuary and India’s Hooghly River, Silk River explores the unique relationship between London and Kolkata.
Gravesham – and the Fleet – are involved as one of 10 points along the Thames to create a 100-mile walk along the river that will be matched along India’s Hooghly River.
The River Thames walk started in Kew Gardens and finished in Southend. Each community taking part along the Thames created a six-metre hand-painted silk scroll that is a visual narrative of their walk. The Fleet club badge made it onto the Gravesham Banner and skipper Winfield was on hand to wave the walkers off from Stonebridge Road, where they met in the Social Club for tea and coffee beforehand.
Kirsty Gaunt of Gravesham Borough Council said, “There are so many individual thank yous, but specifically Ebbsfleet United Football Club offered great hospitality and photo opportunities at the start of our walk. Community events such as Silk River are only ever the success they are because of the commitment and involvement of volunteer residents, community groups and organisations and you should all be proud.”
Fleet director Stuart Butler-Gallie told FleetOnline, “The club was delighted to roll out a welcome for Silk River and we’re very pleased to continue to work alongside Gravesham Borough Council in our local community. This and many more initiatives are planned throughout the year and we hope that when our new main stand is fully open for business we can realise our full intentions to be at the heart of this community.”
