Margate Rotary Club
Hospital grounds were given an early spring clean thanks to volunteers from Margate Rotary Club.
Members gave up their time to collect litter from around the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital site.
They were supported by staff from 2gether Support Solutions, who also provided masks, gloves and litter-picking equipment as well as refreshments to thank members for their hard work.
Mandy Carliell, head of patient and public involvement at East Kent Hospitals, said: “We would normally welcome volunteers in a range of roles across our hospitals but because of the coronavirus pandemic we have had to do things differently.
“So when the Rotary clubs said they wanted to help out by collecting litter, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“It meant our sites were spring-cleaned so they look better for our staff and patients, and the Rotarians were able to volunteer in the fresh air.”
Jeremy Voizey , president of the Rotary Club of Margate, said it had been a pleasure to spend a few hours clearing litter from the hospital site, adding: “Our members were delighted to be able to do something to help our fantastic NHS who do so much for us.”
Margate Rotary Club were also very honoured to receive a visit from Holger Knaack who is head of Rotary worldwide with its 1,200,000 members in some 35,000 clubs in most countries.
He spoke about the opportunities that membership brings to the people we serve through many projects and for Rotarians to have the opportunity to give service whilst benefiting from personal development skills like public speaking and maintaining high ethical standards.
Margate Rotary was formed in 1921 and is approaching its 100th birthday. Through many fundraising events and hands on service, the club is proud to have contributed in many ways to both the local community and across the world. Rotary’s International project is to eradicate Polio from 350,000 cases worldwide to just 1 in January 2021.
The expertise of our teams of volunteers has also been vital in the battle to deal with Covid19. The club has been able to supply over 100 new laptops to help children learn at home. In conjunction with 5 Rotary Clubs in Thanet we are helping with the stewarding at the new mass vaccination centre at SAGA, Westwood.
Margate Rotary has 27 members from all walks of life with a broad age range. We have active contacts with four countries in Europe together with many friends in clubs all over the world. Many of our members have formed life long friendships. We would welcome any visitors to our Wednesday meetings when we have a full programme of diverse speakers
If you would like to know more about your local Rotary Club, contact us at [email protected] or find us on Facebook.
St Laurence-in-Thanet Junior Academy
Nature has a special way of lifting our spirits and the children of St Laurence have risen to the challenge of going out into gardens, counting birds on their daily walks or even looking through their windows and counting as many different birds as they could for the RSPB! So far, 2,570,256 birds have been counted and the St Laurence family has contributed to that. Their data will help the RSPB protect special places for nature and work to save our birds and other wildlife.
Mrs Mountjoy said: “At St Laurence, we are passionate about giving the children as many opportunities as we can to work outside and experience nature. Taking part in this year’s Birdwatch is the first step to us being awarded the Wild Challenge, a scheme that is designed to support learning and developing skills, through outdoor learning.’”
QEQM Hospital League of Friends
Patients attending appointments at the QEQM Hospital for a blood test now have the use of three new phlebotomy chairs each costing over £2,000 funded by local charity the QEQM Hospital League of Friends.
Lisa March, Phlebotomy Site Lead at the Hospital, said: “We are so thankful to the League of Friends as these new chairs have made a real difference, benefitting the comfort and safety of both patients and staff. Many of our regular patients have been very complimentary about them.”
These electrically powered chairs are height adjustable, saving the backs of the staff. They also fully recline enabling a patient should they feel faint to be laid back with their legs raised at the same time, avoiding them having to be moved onto a couch.
More information about the QEQM Hospital League of Friends can be found on their Facebook page or at www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/lof-qeqm
Thanet Disabled Riding Centre
We are going to be doing a sponsored leg wax along with a walk from Ramsgate to Stone Bay where we will be going for a swim. The money raised will go towards looking after the ponies and helping to secure the future of the centre allowing us to continue to work alongside children with a range of disabilities, giving them opportunities to ride that they otherwise may not have had.
Find the fundraising link here
Broadstairs and St Peter’s Town Council
Broadstairs and St Peter’s Town Council is currently seeking residents’ views about the future of the town via an online community survey.
As part of a project to renew its Neighbourhood Plan the council is inviting everyone to have their say and help shape the vision for the town for years to come.
Cllr Bob Bayford, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Sub- Committee said: “The Neighbourhood Plan is all about the future of our community. The Council wants to understand what matters most to our residents as we develop our vision for the future of Broadstairs and St Peter’s. We are looking to establish projects for the town, identify issues and work out the most appropriate areas to prioritise funds.”
Following the consultation, responses will be analysed and will help produce the next edition of the Neighbourhood Plan on which the Council has been working for some time.
Please see our website www.broadstairs.gov.uk. where you can complete the form online.
If you require a hard copy, please email [email protected] or call 01843 868718.
Wards
Kent estate agents Wards has continued its positive work in the community with a £100,000 donation to Kent’s Community Foundation’s Hardship Fund for 2021.
Kent Community Foundation (KCF) is part of a national network of 46 community foundations committed to improving the lives of local people and communities, particularly the most vulnerable, isolated and disadvantaged.
Established in May 2001, KCF has distributed over £40 million in grants and now provides financial support to hundreds of deserving causes throughout the county each year. This includes small, local charities, where a modest sum of money can make a significant impact.
Wards has been contributing to the Kent Community Foundation for 18 years now and in that time they’ve donated over £10.4m. As well as this, staff at Arun Estates, the parent company of Wards, have raised over half a million pounds over the last six years to various charitable causes.
Given the uncertain times in which we live due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many charities have reached crisis point, as the numbers of vulnerable people in society and donations are decreasing.
Group Managing Director, David Lench, said: “At Wards, we’ve always seen it as our duty to give generously to charities, particularly in the local area. For us, it’s important to invest in your local community. That means supporting the charities who work tirelessly to improve the lives of our friends and neighbours.”
Amongst Wards’ charity partners are Macmillan Cancer Support; Ellenor, a charity caring for children with palliative care needs and the Children’s Trust, a charity for children with brain injuries.
Wards will also be hosting its annual Children’s Awards later this year, and for the first time ever it will be a completely virtual event.
The awards are held to recognise and celebrate the incredible efforts and achievements of children living with disabilities, their families and the organisations and charities which support them. Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte Hawkins will be returning to host the awards.
Throughout the year, all Wards branches will be encouraged to organise some charity fundraising events and activities themselves, and all managers will be attending the Virtual Awards, to help grow the event to be the best event yet, despite the challenges involved with hosting it as a virtual entity.