Novyi Bilous and Higham
Higham, Kent is proudly twinned with Novyi Bilous, Chernihiv
IN A SHOW OF SOLIDARITY AND FRIENDSHIP THE VILLAGE OF HIGHAM IN KENT HAS TWINNED WITH NOVYI BILOUS IN UKRAINE
HIGHAM, KENT, Friday 21st March 2025 - Following Cllr Jordan Meade's humanitarian missions deep into and across Ukraine, Jordan approached Higham Parish Councillors to see if they would be interested in Twinning Higham with a Ukrainian village in the Chernihiv Region of Ukraine, to which Kent formally entered into regional partnership with back in July 2024. After discussions at several meetings, Parish Councillors in Higham unanimously voted to twin Higham with Novyi Bilous in northern Ukraine.
Councillor John Gray, Chairman of Higham Parish Council said:
'I was honoured this morning to sign a twinning agreement on behalf of Higham with Novyi Bilous . Since the start of the illegal full-scale invasion, the people of Higham have stood behind Ukraine and now we will continue this support through our new friendship. Higham Parish Council will be working alongside our churches, schools and community groups to ensure that this truly special friendship endures.' - Read more
Councillor, Jordan Meade, said:
‘This morning it was an honour to support Higham Parish Council 2024 in their twinning with the Novyi Bilous Community in Chernihiv Ukraine. I’m thrilled that Higham and Novyi Bilous have today decided to enter into a formal twinning agreement. When I visited the villages of Novyi Bilous earlier this year, I was struck by the similarities between our villages and the pride that they have for their education and heritage. We stand with the people of Ukraine, in a united friendship and I look forward to supporting both communities develop this new friendship as part of our ongoing commitment to the wider Chernihiv region'
It is hoped that this special twinning agreement will pave the way for cultural exchanges, educational initiatives, and community-led projects aimed at supporting Novyi Bilous' recovery and resilience efforts.
Twinning in action:
The lovely ladies at Higham's Knit and Natter Group have been busy making hats, blankets and scarves
for the Chernihiv Region.
Novyi Bilous is a rural village and the administrative heart of the Novyi Bilous rural hromada in Chernihiv Raion, Chernihiv Oblast, in northern Ukraine. Set within the gently rolling lowlands of the Dnieper basin, the community lies approximately 9 km from the city of Chernihiv, entwined with the landscapes of mixed forests and the tributaries of the Desna River.
At the heart of the village stands the Trinity Church, an architectural monument of national significance dating to the early 18th century, reflecting the long cultural and spiritual heritage of the area.
Novyi Bilous and its surrounding settlements endured the significant challenges of the 2022 Russian invasion, with civilians experiencing shelling and occupation in the early months of the full-scale war. Today the villages are targeted by drone attacks.
Photographs of Novyi Bilous
Higham is a historic village in the borough of Gravesham, Kent, situated on the southern bank of the Thames Estuary between Gravesend and Rochester. Surrounded by open marshland and farmland, the village is famed for its landscape that has shaped by centuries of agriculture, river trade, and maritime activity.
At the heart of Higham stands St. John's Church which as was dedicated on 29th January 1862. In Lower Higham, stands the Grade I listed Church of St Mary the Virgin, parts of which date back to the 11th century, reflecting the village’s deep Anglo-Saxon and medieval roots.
Higham is perhaps most famously associated with author Charles Dickens, who lived at nearby Gad's Hill Place from 1856 until his death in 1870. The landscapes of Higham and the Hoo Peninsula influenced several of his works, embedding the village within England’s literary geography.
Photographs of Higham
