Thanet community news: Litter pick, moon landings, lifeguard training, fundraising and more

Charlotte Court clean up

Charlotte Court clean up

Volunteers and workers from Thanet council and Ramsgate Town Council, plus Ramsgate mayor Trevor Shonk, have taken part in a spruce up of Charlotte Court.

The group litter picked, weeded and swept up.

Volunteer Maxine Morgan said: “We have had a fantastic morning with five guys from Thanet District Counci,l three guys from Ramsgate Town Council, Ramsgate mayor Trevor Shonk, myself and a number of local volunteers all working together as one big happy team.


“Charlotte Court looks glorious and everyone seemed very happy. There was great communication between the volunteers and the councils. All we need now are our benches back, so we have somewhere to sit back and admire all the hard work.

“Our youngest volunteer was little Elliot who is 16 months old and thoroughly enjoyed putting the bottles in the bin.
“TDC have promised that they will weed spray Albert Court next week. This has to be left for four weeks before they come back and remove all the dead weeds.”

Hilderstone Radio Club

The club has been helping the pupils at St Joseph’s primary school celebrate the anniversary on 20 July of the first landing on the Moon. They have taken part in the International event Moon Hack (https://www.moonhack.com/) where pupils write a coding program to simulate a rocket landing on the Moon.

Eight- year-old Caitlin in the photo felt it should have been a female astronaut!

The Rotary Club of the Isle of Thanet Sunrise

President of The Rotary Club of The Isle of Thanet Sunrise, Kevin Winzer, has been ‘out and about’ during the last few days, visiting local charities on behalf of members of the club and the supporters of various recent fund raising events.

A Friday coffee morning at Joe’s community café in Birchington shows President Kevin Winzer with members past and present handing over a cheque to Alexander Roarke, the project manager for ‘Thanet Winter Shelter’. This charity combines the efforts of various local organisations and statutory bodies to provide vital shelter and support throughout the cold winter months.

League of Friends Chairman, Jeremy Voizey; ward sister Julie Neaves; Rotary President Kevin Winzer and ward manager Emma Desmont.

Kevin met with members of staff in the Rainbow Ward playroom at the QEQM Hospital to hand over a cheque to purchase a chair which converts into a bed, so that parents can stay overnight if their child is admitted.

Victoria Adley; Rotary President Kevin Winzer and specialist dementia nurse Karen Scrivener.

Whilst in the hospital, a visit was also made to staff of the dementia care team in the day room of St Augustine’s ward, where a cheque was handed over towards the dementia appeal. The aim of this appeal is to make the hospital environment more friendly for dementia patients.

Future events include Mini Golf with Fish and Chips on Friday, August 3; a summer quiz ‘Hot! Hot! Hot! on Friday, August 17; Afternoon tea for EKIDS and Parkinsons on Monday, October 22; The Extra Ordinarily Ordinary Quiz on Friday, November 2; Valentine’s Theme Race Night on Friday, February 15, 2019; Rotary Sunrise Big Knit – Special 10th Anniversary Occasion on Saturday, March 16, 2019.

The club is collecting used postage stamps to raise funds for ‘Stamp Out MND’ (Motor Neurone Disease), collection points are currently at Joe’s café, Minnis Bay and Simtech Computer Systems, Northdown Road, Cliftonville. Also, we welcome any items suitable for raffle prizes, please consider donating them to our raffle bank.

If you are interested in further details of future events or think that you would like to know more about Rotary, please contact secretary Caroline Winzer on 01843 842882, visit www.rotarythanetsunrise.co.uk or Facebook (for lots more news and pictures), also The Rotary Club of The Isle of Thanet Sunrise.

Pilgrims Hospices

Staff at specialist outdoor retailer, Mountain Warehouse at Westwood Cross Shopping Centre, have chosen Pilgrims Hospices as their charity to benefit from their new charity bag campaign.

The campaign was launched in July by the national retailer and will see all 220 stores across the UK partner with over 200 charities, all supporting a charity close to the stores heart.  Customers will be able to purchase a charity bag whilst shopping in stores and will have the choice of 5 canvas tote bags costing £1.99 each.

One hundred per cent of the profits from each bag sold will go to the local charities chosen raising valuable funds and in this case to Pilgrims Hospice in Thanet.

Aaron Gibson, Mountain Warehouse Store Manager said: “It’s important to us to support our local Pilgrims Hospice; many stores support national charities; however, we know the local community supports Pilgrims Hospices and we wanted to be part of that too.

“The bags are selling well already and our store hopes to sell many more in support of Pilgrims care and services.

“This much-loved local hospice charity provides care and support to so many within our community at a time of great need.”

Karen Kenward, Pilgrims Community Fundraising Manager,said: “The bags are lovely, I’m sure everyone who purchases will be delighted. Pilgrims would like to thank Aaron and his team for nominating our charity for their support.  The money the campaign will raise will be put to very good use on the hospice wards and within the homes of those we care for within the community.”

If you would like to support the charity bag campaign and help raise vital funds for Pilgrims Hospices, pop along to the Westwood Cross Shopping Centre store and purchase your charity bag today!

Store Manager Aaron Gibson and Senior Sales Assistant Debbie Sanders

Westgate & Birchington Inner Wheel

Outgoing Presidents Margaret and Janet with their beach bags

At the handover meeting held in St Augustine’s Outgoing Presidents, Janet Knuth and Margaret Hawkins were presented with hand-made, quilted beach bags filled with necessary items such as flip flops, a bottle of wine and a glass, and a ‘wet bag’ for swimming costumes.

The beach bag was made by two members, Jacquie Agnew and Hazel Hedges to the same design as the club’s entry for the District Craft Competition, which was held recently. The competition was in three parts; a) an item made with yarn or wool, b) an item made with paper or card, and c) an item made with material.

We decided to use the fact that we are a seaside club to give our entries a joint theme of ‘Beach Huts’. Member Wendy Edmeades knitted a delightful child’s tabard, on which was a scene of beach huts, complete with knitted flip flops, ice creams, shells and other seaside motifs hanging on the lower edge. This tabard will be raffled as part of our ‘Coastal’ themed stall at the District International Rally at which the charity supported will be ‘Care International’. Our paper or card entry was a beautiful painting of Minnis Bay and the Beach Huts by founder member, Liz Hobcraft. We were delighted that our joint entries received ‘Highly Commended’.

Thanet Lifeguard Club

Leo Burnap. Chris Willson. Alison Mayo. Jo Willson. Neil Morgan. Martin Fossey. Vicki Wilkinson. Lucy Petitt. Molly Mayo. Jack Wilkinson. Photo Neil Morgan

Trainers from Thanet Lifeguard Club who have just finished a number of lifesaving awareness workshops.

They held a three week workshop where members of Broadstairs Lifesaving and Swimming Club learnt specialist rescue skills and introduction to lifesaving competition. Palm Bay School, for the fourth year, also invited the club to deliver a lifesaving awareness morning to 60 pupils. This involved various throwing techniques, basic life support, beach flags and safety on the beach.

These sessions are provided voluntary with trainers taking time off work and after completing exams. This is part of the club’s outreach programme in conjunction with the Royal Lifesaving Society ‘Drowning Awareness Programme’

Demelza House

Demelza Hospice Care for Children is calling for increased funding for children with serious and terminal conditions– and is asking local MPs for their support.

The call has been answered by North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale who has has contacted the NHS Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group to discuss funding locally.

The charity, which supports families in Kent, South East London and East Sussex, would like part of a recent £20 billion NHS funding boost to be allocated to vital hospice services which support children with terminal and serious conditions and their families.

Demelza wants to see the Children’s Hospice Grant in England, which is shared among 38 children’s hospices, rise from £11 million to £25 million. There is a call for an increase in funding as the number of children with life-limiting conditions is increasing and the demand for children’s palliative care is growing, but funding for services has not kept pace with demand.

Ryan Campbell, Demelza’s Chief Executive (pictured above), has written to MPs in Kent, East Sussex and South East London, to ask for their help.

Mr Campbell said: “Demelza provides palliative care for over 750 life-limited and life-threatened babies, children and young people in the South East and supports their families. We know there are more who need our help and that the number of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions is increasing.

“The grant has grown incrementally from £8.8 million in 2006/07 but it has not kept pace with the growing costs of providing specialist care.

“I am keen that some of the additional NHS funding recently announced by the Prime Minister is used to recognise the growing demand for care and support that Demelza Hospice Care for Children provides.

“Investing in children’s palliative care means that children and families can access vital services which help manage pain and distressing symptoms and offer short breaks for respite desperately needed by families providing 24/7 care, 365 days a year.

“Our MPs have been very supportive since we raised this issue with them, for which we are very grateful.”

Demelza and other children’s hospices across England are working with Together for Short Lives to call for more funds. Together for Short Lives has launched an online petition urging the Government to increase the children’s hospice grant. To sign the petition and to find out more please visit: https://www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/campaign/sign-our-petition-to-fund-lifeline-care-for-seriously-ill-children/