Thanet community news: Anniversary celebration, citizen service awards, fashion show, Macmillan fundraiser and more

Headway 30th birthday party

Headway East Kent

Headway East Kent has celebrated its 30th anniversary. It is an independent charity working to provide social rehabilitation to adults with acquired brain injury as well as offering support to their families and carers. The charity has five day centres, termed Headway Houses, in East Kent; Ramsgate,  Canterbury, Ashford, Dover and Folkestone.

The day centres have timetables which are structured across the week to include various activities to promote learning new skills, improving self esteem and social interaction, goal planning and development of interests and aims leading to personal fulfilment living in the community. Headway East Kent is affiliated to Headway UK.

In Ramsgate the celebration was marked with a party at the centre.

Makiko Downton, from the charity, said: “We had a great celebration party for Headway 30th anniversary. We decorated the day centre with some art and craft work that our clients made.

“We displayed  tapestry works which tell their stories. It was a  great warm atmosphere and the Margate mayor also visited to celebrate with us and some other guests.”

Thanet Over Fifties Forum

Thanet Over Fifties Forum hosted its latest meeting on Wednesday, September 25 at Margate Baptist Church. The topic was “A Crisis in Social Care” and Dot Gibson, Deputy General Secretary for the National Pensioners Convention, was keynote speaker.

Dot gave a fascinating insight into the history of post-war social care and how the system has deteriorated over the years. This year, the King’s Fund, an independent charity working to improve health and care in England, said that “the . . . system is not fit for purpose and is failing the people who rely on it”.  Over the past 20 years, there have been over 30 commissions who have all reported the same findings, but their recommendations have so far been ignored by government.

NPC believe that, the same as health care, social care should be free at the point of delivery and the costs shared by society through taxation. Currently 40,000 people are losing their family homes every year to pay for social care and there is no cap on how much they pay towards the cost out of the proceeds from their homes.

NPC are calling for the people of East Kent to join them so that they can strengthen their campaigns to improve the lives of pensioners, e.g. through social care or accessible transport. For more information visit the NPC website at www.npcuk.org/join-us-and-get-involved,  email [email protected] or call   020 7837 6622

The next TOFFs public meeting is on Friday, November 15 from 10.30am to 12.30pm at Queens Road Baptist Church, Broadstairs, CT10 1NU. It will be a question & answer session with Sir Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet and Craig Mackinlay, MP for South Thanet.

You can find out more about TOFFs and how you can join for free by calling 01843 609337, emailing [email protected] or visiting the TOFFs on Facebook: @ThanetOverFifties.

Isle of Thanet Photographic Society

Photo by Laura Drury called “Last House Standing”

The club’s first Quarterly Print Competition of the season was held on 30 September when  Premier Judge Helen Taylor had the enjoyable but challenging role of commenting on 24 Intermediate and 21 Advanced group entries.  Helen provided an entertaining and clear critique of each print which was much appreciated by members.  Ron Hawkins won the Intermediate level whilst club chairman Laura Drury triumphed in the Advanced group.

As part of our drive to help members improve their skills, on 7 October we will be viewing images illustrating best use of “Depth of Field” and looking forward to a talk on 14 October by Glyn Bareham on the theme of “Every picture tells a story plus blossom and bloom”.

Club members are also preparing for our annual print exhibition at York Street Gallery, Ramsgate which will run from 16-23 October 2019.  We enjoy showing our photos to a wider audience and welcome all visitors to this free exhibition.

With climate change in the news, I attach a dramatic photograph entitled “Last House Standing” by chairman Laura Drury, which was an entry in our print competition.

The club meets on Mondays at 19.30 hours, Ramsgate Football Club, Kent CT11 0AN. Full details about membership and the programme are on our re-designed website at www.isleofthanetphotographicsociety.co.uk and you can also find us on Facebook.

Broadstairs and St Peter’s Twinning Association

On Wednesday, October 16 at 3p there will be a special screening of La Vie En Rose, the biopic of the incredible life of Edith Piaf, starring Marion Cotillard‎; Tickets are $5, doors open at 2,30pm at the Palace Cinema in Broadstairs.

On Saturday, October 26, 7.15pm start sharp, a French flavoured confection event will be held at Crampton Hall, Broadstairs,doors open at 6.45pm.

Entry £5pp and table for 4-8 people. Please bring your own food and drink and dress in French style if you choose.

Details and bookings for both events through Maureen on 01843 865640 or Peter on 01843 862002.

Thanet Male Voice Choir

On Saturday, October 19 Thanet Male Voice Choir is delighted to host Vauxhall Male Voice Choir from Luton in a joint concert at St Philip’s Church, Palm Bay, Cliftonville. The choirs will each sing a selection from their own repertoires and combine for a rousing finale in what promises to be a memorable occasion.

The event starts at 2pm and tickets are £8 in advance and £10 at the door. Tickets can be obtained by contacting TMVC Secretary Andy Brown: 01843 844625, mob 07866 395150, email [email protected]

Macmillan Coffee Morning

The smell of cakes and coffee filled the air on Friday as the Macmillan Cancer Support’s Coffee Morning took place across the country. However, one business took things to a new level raising over £500 by holding a cake eating competition. Morgan Jones Recruitment Consultants in Broadstairs decided holding a coffee morning was not enough, and needed something extra special.

The recruitment company decided that holding a cake eating competition and getting people to sponsor their favourite competitors would help raise extra funds, and it paid off. With £528.25 raised this has massively helped contribute towards helping those affected with cancer and their families.

Whilst the silly idea may have been just that, those who took part in the competition took the challenge very seriously as evidenced by the social media videos of them training alongside player stats cards and even betting odds.

The event was filmed and posted on Morgan Jones Facebook Page with the winner, Anna “The Devourer” Wiget eating all her slices in a hugely impressive 2 minutes 54 seconds.

They had help though, with donations of cakes from their own staff member Madie Squire-Lonton along with a cake from local computer company Broadbiz and a variety of sweet treats from Crusties bakery there was plenty to be had.

“We’re extremely proud of the hard work our team put into this event,” said company co-founder and MD, Jonathan Clarke. “Everyone took their ‘training’ seriously and the beautiful cakes created by our own Madie Squire-Lonton looked almost too good to eat.”

“There was a great laugh had by all and I suspect an annual tradition has been born.”

QEQM Hospital League of Friends

Tickets are now available for one of our most popular fundraising events of the year – our Fashion Show & Supper, which is on Thursday 31st October at 7.00 for 7.30 p.m. at the Winter Gardens, Margate. This year there will be a Halloween theme and, like last year, amongst the volunteer models will be some of the Hospital’s specialist nurses. Fashions from Laura Ashley, Roman, La De Da, Sainsbury’s, The Saltworks & Just Jane will be on show.

Tickets are priced £25, which includes a set meal – cold poached salmon with citrus mayonnaise, minted new potatoes & salads followed by orange & lavender crème brulee with shortbread biscuits. There will be a raffle & tombola.

To book tickets please ring our 24-hour answerphone on (01843) 234507, advising of any dietary requirements.

For more information about the QEQM Hospital League of Friends charity please check out their page on Facebook or their website www.leagueoffriendsqeqm.nhs.uk

Probus Club of Ramsgate and District

The speaker at our October meeting was Jan Buckley on behalf of the charity, Cheerful Sparrows, whose work involves help and support within the local community.  The charity was formed in 1925 and the Thanet branch is the sole remaining one in the country. It consists of a committee of eight volunteers who meet to consider and prioritise cases of need which have been referred to them from professional organisations, such as social workers or health visitors. Jan, whose background was as Head of a primary school, outlined some of the ways that her organisation can make a difference for those in need.   With the support and generosity of local people, the Margate hospital has a ward named after the Cheerful Sparrows.  Since the charity doesn’t qualify for lottery funding it depends on donations from the local community.

The Walpole Bay Hotel was the venue for our Ladies Autumn Dinner recently, attended by members and their partners, who enjoyed a splendid evening. It was rounded off with entertainment from a ukulele band.  On a sad note, we learned that Stan Embleton, a long standing member passed away recently.

Any history buff would have been delighted to hear the talk given by member John Tibbs at our coffee morning.   Talking specifically about London, in barely an hour, John presented to us many of the historical events over the past 2,000 years that have made our capital the great city it is today.    From the Old Roman Fort, to modern infrastructure and everything in between, John regaled us with facts on many of its well known buildings, bridges and palaces. He had helpfully provided a hand drawn map to guide us through all the points of interest in his very informative talk.

For further information about Probus contact our secretary Brent Rimmington on 01843 589192 or [email protected]

National Citizen Service

More than 1,000 young people from across the South East celebrated their National Citizen Service (NCS) success, and the resulting impact they’ve made on local communities.

The teens, all aged between 16 and 17, gathered at Dreamland and were joined by the Mayor of Margate, Councillor Mick Tomlinson. They enjoyed a performance from critically-acclaimed singer Dan Crossley, as they graduated from the NCS summer programme. NCS is the UK’s fastest growing youth movement and is available to all Year 11 students across England and Northern Ireland. It takes place during the school holidays and aims to instil valuable life skills and support community initiatives.

In total more than 3,650 teenagers took part in NCS across the South East this summer. The programme is delivered regionally by APM in conjunction with a range of local partners. Some 48,000 hours, amounting to 2,035 days, were volunteered by the teens undertaking social action projects in their communities, raising more than £18,000 for 27 different good causes.

Cllr Tomlinson said: “The impact these young people have had in their communities has been fantastic. They’ve worked hard and made such a difference. You often hear of negative stories involving young people but that’s so far from the truth. It’s been such a positive experience for them all, topped off with this richly deserved celebration.”

In addition to the attendees receiving graduation certificates and learning how they can continue to support NCS well into their later teens, specific team awards were presented to groups who excelled at marketing; creativity; teamwork; and leaving a legacy, amongst others.

Emma Brooker, NCS Delivery Manager at APM said: “All of the young people celebrating their NCS graduations should be justifiably proud of their efforts. They’ve put their summer to good use; meeting new people, trying new activities and developing skills they can take into later life. NCS is unique, and life changing, both for the teenagers involved and the communities and charities that benefit from their social action projects.”

NCS is open to all 16 and 17 year olds and costs £50 or less to take part. A condensed version of the summer programme takes place in the South East during October half term.

To find out more about NCS and to register, visit ncsyes.co.uk

Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week

From October 7-11, the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board is hosting its annual Safeguarding Awareness Week.

The Board is urging local communities to join Kent and Medway Councils, Kent Police, local NHS services, charities and voluntary agencies to raise awareness about abuse of adults who may be at risk, to report concerns and access advice.

A toolkit has been created to enable our all-important residents to support this crucial campaign.

Whether it’s a sudden change in a person’s appearance or their actions, or if there are concerns about the care that a person is receiving in a care home, or hospital, it’s vital to let Adult Social Care know.

It’s important to understand that there are many forms of abuse, such as physical; domestic; sexual; psychological ; financial; discrimination and abuse within institutions.  Modern slavery also exists, where people are frequently denied access to services and can be exploited for money, labour or sex. Honour based violence, forced marriage, hate and mate crime, also affects many people. Since April 2018, more than 19,000 safeguarding concerns were reported across Kent and Medway.

Deborah Stuart-Angus, the Independent Chair of the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board, said: “We have a shared responsibility. People may not report concerns because they may not realise signs of abuse, or may feel they intruding or simply, they may not know who to contact. The Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board, wants to enable our residents to report their worries about adults who may be at risk and offer assurances that our receiving services will signpost any next steps.

‘Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week has focused our thinking to develop a guide, to lead you through the steps to take, if you have concerns. We sincerely hope this helps the residents of Kent and Medway to establish a clear way forward, if they are worried about someone in their community.’

To report concerns to Kent Adult Social Care offices, call 03000 41 61 61.

To mark the importance of raising awareness about safeguarding adults at risk, events will take place across Kent and Medway including dementia cafés, presentations, coffee mornings and home safety talks.

For more information on events taking place and to download the toolkit, visit: kent.gov.uk/safeguardingadults

To report rogue traders or scams, please contact Citizen’s Advice helpline on 03454 040506.

Please contact the police on 101 to report a non-urgent crime. In an emergency situation, call 999.

To find out about more about the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board, please visit http://www.kent.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/information-for-professionals/adult-protection/kent-and-medway-safeguarding-adults-board

Adult abuse. See it, report it, stop it.