Thanet community news: Silver Sundays, Stagecoach, photo enthusiasts and more

Tea dance with Silver Sunday

Silver Sunday

Dreamland will play host to this year’s Silver Sunday in Thanet with an afternoon of dancing, entertainment and activities on October 7.

Silver Sunday, a national network of events celebrating age, promoting health and wellbeing and reducing loneliness, is being jointly organised by Dreamland and Thanet Volunteer Bureau under the banner of the Big Lottery funded Thanet Community Support Partnership (TCSP).

The 2018 event promises to include a wealth of features and attractions many of which will not have been seen before at Silver Sunday.

Complete with accompaniment from the impressive eleven-piece Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, renowned dancer Ms Tequila Slammer Anna plus special Guests will provide a tea dance offering free demonstrations and classes in the Tango, Cha Cha and Waltz, all within the inspiring Hall By the Sea.  In addition, 100 lucky people will be treated to a free afternoon tea – this is on a first-come, first-served basis so book early to avoid disappointment.

A variety of light physical activities will be on offer throughout the afternoon, from chair-based exercises to Tai-Chi with a twist, and holistic therapies.  While for those with a thirst for learning, there will be a host of talks, from local heritage to community safety, and arts and crafts themed workshops.

An information market place opening up access to leisure, social and support services from across Thanet, will be situated in the beautifully restored Grade 2* listed ballroom, alongside choirs, performers and further fun-packed activities.

Thrill seekers have not been not left out either, as Dreamland itself will be open for business – including several of the newest rides unveiled in the summer and old favourites like the Scenic Railway.

Dreamland’s education and community officer Victoria Barrow-Williams said: “Silver Sunday is a really important initiative that we are proud to support. It is going to be a fantastic celebration that will be full of a variety of activities, and we are very excited to be hosting it here at Dreamland!”

TCSP project co-ordinator Chris Scutt said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Dreamland to offer a Silver Sunday to remember.  The event couldn’t be held at a more iconic venue and the exciting programme of activities is simply not to be missed.  There will be leisure and social opportunities in abundance, and we invite you to come along and share in this celebration of growing older”.

The event runs from noon – 4pm and is free except for the amusement park.  For those who need help getting to and from Dreamland on the day, buses from Thanet Community Transport Association will get you from door-to-door.

To find out more about Silver Sunday, book for the Afternoon Tea, or arrange transport call 01843 609336 or email [email protected].

Isle of Thanet Photographic Society

Keeping Close by Laura Drury

Thanet’s Camera Club will be holding its annual exhibition at the York Street Gallery in Ramsgate from October 3-10.  This showcases the talents of club members and provides an opportunity for the public to view a range of photographs, some of which will be for sale as prints.

Club members will be on hand at various times during the week-long exhibition to talk about their photos and how to join the club.  New members are always welcome at our Monday meetings at Ramsgate Football Club from 7.30pm.

The new programme for 2018/19 has commenced with an absorbing and interesting talk about “Lightroom” by Iain Blacklock. Later in September will be the first of our regular competitions when we welcome Kirsty Ralfs ARPS as our judge.

For full details and contact details please visit our website: www.isleofthanetphotographicsociety,co.uk

Ramsgate Rotary Club

Members of Ramsgate Rotary Club were amazed to learn about the numerous activities offered by Ageless Thanet.

The Thanet organisation is one of 14 regions throughout the country and has 57 volunteers working in many different ways helping elderly residents. It offers free, confidential and impartial advice for those adjusting to retirement, redundancy, careers, bereavement, confidence building and a change in financial situations. They also work closely with the Citizens Advice Bureau.

They also help give skills and advice to over 50s who may want to develop their own business.

The chance to visit a gym, swim and take part in such activities as walking, football, woodwork, photography and art classes.

Especially interesting to members was news of a Reward Card scheme offering access to a number of special offers in the area, from cafes and restaurants, shops, hairdressers and solicitors.

The news of these and other activities available through Ageless Thanet was given by local Engagement Officer, Ricky Molloy.  He was thanked by Graham Larcombe.

Anybody interested in learning more about the Rotary club should visit the website,www.Ramsgaterotaryclub.co.uk

Oasis

The Oasis Shop is holding a volunteer open day on Tuesday, October 2 from noon – 1:30pm. Come and meet our friendly volunteers to chat about opportunities in our lovely local shop that helps Oasis fund services for people affected by abuse. We look forward to chatting with you over some tea and cake! The shop address is 170 Northdown Rd, Margate CT9 2QN.

Kent Youth Football League

Thousands of young footballers across Kent kick-started their seasons playing in the Kent Youth League last Sunday afternoon.

To mark the occasion, the county’s leading youth league teamed up with sponsors Stagecoach South East to gift each of the 199 League teams with a free Nike football.

Stagecoach South East is part of the Stagecoach Group and is one of the main bus operators in Kent.

They operate local bus services across the county and their services play an important role in helping people in rural and urban areas access work, education, health, shopping and leisure.

Thanks to Stagecoach’s generous support, each League team received their football ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, including Margate FC and Folkestone Invicta Under 14s who came together before their game at Hartsdown Park.

Kent Youth League Chief Executive, Ken Brooke expressed both his delight and gratitude to Stagecoach.

He said: “I am delighted to confirm an initial one-year sponsorship deal with Stagecoach for season 2018-19. Stagecoach have kindly agreed to purchase a Nike match ball for each team in the League which is a great idea to support all clubs and teams across the county.

“Stagecoach are celebrating 25 years as a business in the county and I would like to thank Matthew and his excellent marketing team for making this possible. It is fantastic recognition for the League.”

Stagecoach Commercial Director, Matthew Arnold added; “In the wake of an historic world cup effort from England, nothing unites and inspires people like the game of football.

“The Kent Youth League is a fantastic endeavour which brings young people together, empowering them in their communities to achieve.”

“At Stagecoach we’ve been serving Kent’s communities for 25 years and we’re excited to have the opportunity to sponsor the League for the 2018-19 season, providing a match ball for each of the 199 teams across the county.”

Stagecoach

Two of Stagecoach South East’s buses have been decorated in a silver livery to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary.

Stagecoach took over the East Kent Road Car Company in 1993 and since then, has almost doubled the fleet to 459 buses, many of them new vehicles with cleaner engine technology to provide greener travel.

Matthew Arnold, Commercial Director at Stagecoach South East, said: “We are very proud of what we have achieved over the last 25 years. We carry more than 43 million passengers a year, cover 19 million miles annually and employ some 1,300 staff across Kent and East Sussex.

“We cover more routes now and the frequency of buses has also improved, meaning we are serving the local community far better than we have been able to in the past. In short, we have made huge strides since we started out in East Kent so we wanted to celebrate the achievements of everyone involved.”

The silver double-decker bus is now in service in Canterbury with the open top vehicle running in Thanet at weekends until the end of September.

A specially commissioned banner celebrating the 25th anniversary features on the side of the buses which includes many of the locations Stagecoach serves. Among the drawings passengers can spot an oast house; a windmill at Rye; Ashford Designer Outlet; beach huts which represent Whitstable and Herne Bay; Canterbury Cathedral; Dreamland Margate, the lighthouse at Folkestone and Dover’s famous white cliffs and castle.

The banner was designed by Krissie Gwynne, a former employee of Stagecoach, who now runs her own design agency. She has also designed a logo marking the 25th anniversary which drivers will be sporting on commemorative badges.

Krissie said: “It was a real pleasure to be asked to be a part of Stagecoach’s anniversary celebrations. I wanted to capture as many of East Kent’s attractions as possible in the banner and I think we’ve been able to do that. Although Stagecoach is rich in heritage, it is also a progressive company so I wanted to show both traditional and modern landmarks.”