Thanet community news: Rainbows, Crispe Charity, Chatham and Clarendon visor update and more

Thank you to Thanet's binmen

Thanet council refuse teams have spotted lots of thank you cards, notes and drawings on their rounds recently.

They continue to provide a valuable service in difficult and challenging circumstances and these gestures make a real difference.

Cllr Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Operational Services, said: “The bright and cheerful pictures our teams of refuse collectors are seeing across Thanet are so wonderful! The positivity they bring to our crews goes such a long way. It shows them how much you appreciate them and understand that as frontline workers, they are doing such an important job. Thank you for showing your support.

“We are working as hard as we possibly can to keep any disruption to our bin collections to an absolute minimum, but due to the circumstances it’s inevitable that there will be some impact.

“In such difficult times, to be seeing this encouragement and positivity really shows the best of human nature, and we need people to work with us now more than ever.”

Thanet council asks people to continue to wash your hands and bin handles before and after collecting your bin, and  not to pile bags at the side of the bins.

The Yarrow Hotel

The Yarrow hotel in Broadstairs has produced and donated hundreds of meals to help those in need in the Thanet area.

The pre-portioned nutritious meals were created by the four-star Hotel’s team of chefs using produce from the Hotel’s kitchen and EKC Group’s Broadstairs College’s training kitchens which would have otherwise gone to waste.

The initiative was devised by The Yarrow’s Hotel Manager, Lee Osborn, and Head Chef, Ben Williams, who commented: “It was really important to us at The Yarrow to do something proactive during this difficult time to help the local community. We created individual portions of homemade soups and bread and donated the meals to Changing Minds Kent’s Lifeboat Project and the Salvation Army for distribution to those in need.”

Ben added: “We’re proud to have been able to produce these meals whilst minimising food waste. It’s great to support the community and we hope that the meals will help the people and families who need them most.”

The Yarrow is part of the EKC Group and is the only hotel of its kind in the UK to offer students high-quality training experiences in a luxury establishment.

For more information about The Yarrow, visit www.yarrowhotel.co.uk

Kent Community Foundation

The Albert Burns Children’s Trust Fund, which is managed by Kent Community Foundation has made additional money available for four charities supporting children and families at this challenging time. The trustees of the Fund worked closely with Kent Community Foundation to quickly assess which charities would be able to immediately use additional funding to make a difference in the community during this unprecedented time.

The recipients of these emergency grants are small charities where modest sums can make a huge difference to their work:

Responding to an urgent appeal from Fareshare, the Albert Burns Children’s Fund awarded £2,000 to the Family Food Bank, one of Fareshare’s projects that works with families and individuals facing a financial crisis in Thanet. FareShare Kent takes good quality surplus food from the food industry and redistributes it across Kent. This year they have redistributed over 425 tonnes of good quality surplus food to over 200 charities and community groups and the Family Food Bank has distributed over 3,500 food parcels to those most in need in Thanet.

Ian Townsend-Blazier, Business Development Manager, Children and Families Ltd, said: “We are extremely grateful to the Albert Burns Children’s Trust Fund for their very generous grant of £2,000 to support our work at Family Food Bank to ensure no child goes hungry in the Thanet area. During this challenging time and with demand on the rise, we will use this funding to ensure our essential service is reaching the most vulnerable and in need.”

Another project that Fareshare work with is The Kitchen CT9 in Margate which has received a grant of £2,800. The Kitchen receives produce from Fareshare and uses it to create delicious, low cost dishes for everyone in the community to enjoy.

The Crispe Charity

Calling children’s and youth group leaders, and school students currently in year 13 in Birchington or Acol.

This local charity may be able to help you with the finances of your group with small cash grants. Completed applications need to be received by October 15.

For an application form please write or telephone Ann Story, 8 Nursery Fields, Acol, Birchington, ct7 0jf or call 01843 846651 or email [email protected]

Saga

Saga has put in place measures so that 850 of its call centre colleagues across insurance, travel and financial services are enabled to work from home. This means that call answer rates have not been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and the call centre teams have the support they need to enable them to work from home during this period.

Joining the supermarket ranks

Freya Rhodes of Broadstairs had been studying for a BA (Hons) degree in English & American Literature at the University of Kent. When it was forced to close due to the coronavirus crisis, meaning she must now take her exams online, she didn’t mope, but answered the call of supermarkets for more staff during this difficult period.

She has stepped up to the front line to help Sainsbury’s serve the needs of Birchington residents. Many customers have said how Freya’s lovely smile brightens up their day!

Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School

Industrious staff at Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School in Ramsgate set up a production line to create visors for NHS staff on  April 2.

The school’s Design Technology staff -Adam Taylor, Tom Brewin, and Ben Kelly -set up the line and manufactured 84 visors on the first day for front line staff at QEQM Hospital in Margate and an isle GP.

Fridays manufacture total was 360 visors off to QEQM bringing the grand total to 450 visors made over the last three days for front line staff at QEQM. A  team of 12 staff and students were working on an assembly line.

A team spokesman said: “We have had so much support and currently working hard to get through all the amazing responses from the public pledging donations, materials, their time, and messages of thanks and motivation!”

Margate and Mocketts Wood PCN (GP surgeries)

The Margate and Mocketts Wood Primary Care Network – consisting of GP surgeries The Limes, Bethesda, Northdown and Mocketts Wood — is requesting organisations to put any spare personal protective equipment (PPE) to good use

We are encouraging organisations across Thanet to strengthen our supplies by sharing equipment they don’t need.

  • Disposable plastic aprons
  • Disposable examination gloves (latex or nitrate)
  • Face masks (like surgical masks or FFP3 respirtory masks)
  • Face visors
  • Eye protection or goggles
  • Liquid soaps
  • Medical style disinfectant wipes
  • Paper hand towels
  • Alcohol based hand sanitisersIf you are able to share products please deliver to your local surgery

Thank You for your continued support – Clinical GP Director​

Kensei Taiko

Last week in Guildford Avenue the great Japanese Kami were invoked by one of Kensei Taiko’s big drum in support of our great NHS and all of its staff and support workers!

Most doorsteps had clapping, pan bashing along to the deep resonance of our drum!

Persimmon

Housebuilder Persimmon Homes South East has launched a £1million charity giveaway to support young people across Britain.

The Building Futures scheme aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health and sport.

Brendon O’Neill, managing director for Persimmon Homes South East, said: “As the country really starts to feel the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak, we believe that now more than ever we need to look after the health and wellbeing of the youngest and oldest members of our communities.

“Persimmon has already pledged to re-direct its Community Champions funding initiative towards groups that work with and support the over-70s for the duration of the pandemic crisis. Now, with the launch of Building Futures, we aim to help the younger members of our society.

“We will make donations from £1,000 to £100,000 to grassroots sports groups, charities dealing with physical and mental health issues, as well as community arts and education projects.”

Building Futures is delivered through the Persimmon Charitable Foundation in partnership with Team GB, the British Olympic Association, and the company enlisted the help of World Championship silver medallist and Tokyo Olympic Games and Team GB hopeful Laviai Nielsen (Track and Field) to launch the scheme.

The 24-year-old 400m sprinter said: “Persimmon Homes and Building Futures can change the lives of thousands of youngsters across Britain, so that gets a massive ‘thank you’ from me.”

A total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded across Persimmon’s 32 regional businesses to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.

Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national online public vote. The winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in October.

In each sector – education & arts, health and sport – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.

Brendon added: “Last year we supported groups such as Safer Kent, Sheppey Matters and the 1st Westgate-on-Sea Scout Group with Building Futures funding.

“We are looking for groups, charities and individuals to come forward with their amazing ideas on how to spend the big cash prizes. We will consider anything from new clubhouses and kit, to education and arts centres, medical research and support groups.”

To find out more about or to apply Building Futures visit www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/

Pilgrims Hospices

This year’s well received Thanet Police Theatre Club Panto was the “Wizard from Auss” from which they have sent in an amazing donation of £4,400 to help support palliative care.

Martin Luke Douglas (Co Director) said: “Pilgrims Hospice is a part of the community, and the funds raised will make a contribution to this vital organisation, which provides much needed services to our local community. Thank you – everyone for continuing to support hospice care at such difficult times for us all.”

Each year Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to over 2,400 people in east Kent coming to terms with an illness that sadly cannot be cured. The charity supports patients to live life as well as possible until the very end, free from pain and distress.

Karen Kenward, Community Fundraising Manager said; “Each year these Pantos are such a great laugh for the whole family. This year was made even more special as it was my favourite, and I have to give a special mention to the most talented Jeff Barker, whose character was the scarecrow, what a performance, so talented, and so in character it was surreal! I have to say the whole cast were absolutely brilliant. I can not wait to see next years Jack & the Beanstalk. This really is an incredible donation and one greatly received at such difficult times to support hospice care. We are so dependant on our local community to help support our services, without them we simply wouldn’t be here, we need them more than ever now as you can see from the news, charities’ have been hit hard too.”

Care is provided from three hospice sites in Thanet, Canterbury and Ashford as well as in patients’ own homes. To offer these services to patients and their families the charity must raise £11 million each year from the generous local community.

A date for your diary: Thanet Colour Run – 27th September 2020. www.pilgrimshospices/colourrun

1 Comment

  1. Reply to cllr albon it might be good to collect from people with wheelie bins but what about areas where there are council flats and housing association flats where euro bins are used these are usually a weekly collection the bin men wear gloves and other protective clothing all they have to do is to push them out to their lorries and the vehicle does the rest.where I live our bins are already full up where are we supposed to store our rubbish we all pay council tax as well as others who live in houses. This will soon become a health and safety matter if not collected we will have vermin getting about This is not good enough please start collections now.

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