Cleveland House
Disney characters, cakes and an ice bucket challenge are some of the fundraising activities for Comic Relief at Cleveland House in Broadstairs.
Cleveland House is home to around 20 adults living with learning disabilities. Residents and staff decided to have some fun and bring in cash for good causes. They have raised more than £242.
Margate Rotary Club
Margate Rotary Club invites you to a fun quiz night in aid of End Polio.
In 1985, there were 350 000 polio cases worldwide. This year, there have been just 2 cases. A fantastic achievement for Rotary’s End Polio Now vaccination programme. With your continued support, we can ensure Rotary’s end goal of Polio eradication worldwide.
The quiz night, featuring Polio Ambassador Chris Tarrant, takes place on Friday, April 9 from 7.30pm.
Free to enter, no team too small, donation requested to justgiving.com/margate-rotary
To register for our free quiz, please email [email protected] with your name and email address.
GRASS
A crowdfunding campaign to help restore Clifonville’s Oval Bandstand has raised thousands.
Community group GRASS is acquiring the site from Thanet council through an asset transfer and says the money will assist with legal fees and urgent remedial works.
Simon Bell, GRASS chair, said: “We have our fingers (and toes) crossed that through the combined efforts of TDC, GRASS, and a whole host of legal eagles, we will complete the asset transfer by the end of March 2021.
“Our initial plans for the raised funds are to complete urgent infrastructure works to make the amphitheatre clean and safe, upgrade the electrics, install festoon lighting, CCTV, and repaint the bandstand to prevent any further damage by the elements.”
The initiative generated £32,472 with incentive gifts generously donated by businesses and the community. They included open air cinema tickets and also a day’s music recording at Libertine’s hotel, The Albion Rooms.
There are a list of events scheduled for the summer which include a music day, cinema and a produce market. vIsit grasscliftonville.org for further information.
Cliftonville in Bloom
The great outdoors has provided respite for many during lockdown with coastal walks and gardening proving popular activities.
Now the organisers of long-running gardening competition Cliftonville in Bloom are encouraging residents to spruce up their gardens and containers.
While the judging takes place in July the time is now to sew your seeds and learn how to plant. The event is run by Cliftonville community group, GRASS and
Committee member Judi McCartney judged last year under covid-restricted conditions and says while it has been a tough year it’s an important way to encourage people to get outside.
She said: “What better way to brighten up 2021 than with a great gardening competition? Cliftonville in Bloom causes a buzz every year and aims to increase civic pride in the Cliftonville West community.
“We really want to encourage everyone to take part and show you don’t need masses of space or a big budget to enjoy nature on your doorstep or on your window sill.”
The group will be providing updates and handy tips throughout spring.
The free competition is open to all ages, all gardening abilities, businesses as well as residents.
How to Enter
Complete the online registration below by Tuesday, July 6. grasscliftonville.org
Or collect a flyer from the Little Library at the Gordon Road Community Garden, fill-in your details, and follow the postal instructions.
Competition Categories
Best Front Garden – The goal for this category is to find the display with the most impact – size is not a factor. The entry is for households only, the garden must be clearly visible from the roadside and the majority of plants must be planted in the ground.
Best Container Display – The best use of planters, hanging baskets or window boxes. This is the most appropriate category for those who have limited space.
Best Creative Display – Are you creative? Perhaps you want to build a sculpture and fill it with flowers. Have you got a dilapidated chest of drawers, a wheelbarrow, or even an old kitchen sink?
Best Commercial Display – Pubs, hotels or any business is creating a great first impression with a beautiful display outside their premises.
Best Community Garden – This category is for a community garden that is looked after by residents, it can be a large area ,or simply some flower beds.
Best Street – The winner of this category will be judged on ALL entries from the above categories.
Dates:
Judging: Thursday, July 8
Prize-Giving: Sunday, July 11
Thanet Community Kindness
A community campaign has been launched to help the Easter bunny deliver eggs to deprived children across the isle.
Thanet Community Kindness has been appealing for egg donations after receiving referrals from organisations working with cash-strapped families.
Organiser Sonia Knight says they now need to collect as many eggs as possible to brighten a child’s Easter.
She said: “If you are in a position to purchase an egg or two to support the appeal then please get in touch.
“Every egg purchased means one less child going without and all are distributed in conjunction with professional organisations to ensure they reach those in need of the most support.”
Keen to help is vintage shop owner, Deborah Ellis who has offered her Old Town shop as a drop off point. She has firsthand experience of struggling with a tight budget and knows how small gestures can make a big difference.
She said: “I was a single mum on benefits years ago and really know how hard it is at times when you have £5 and don’t know whether to spend it on nappies or electricity.”
Eggs can be dropped off at Madam Popoff Vintage, King Street, Margate, CT9 1DA. Contact Deborah beforehand to check opening times at facebook.com/madampopoffvintagemargate
To find out more about the campaign email [email protected]
The Margate School
A print donated to The Margate School by artist Tracey Emin raised £12,750 at auction.
The artist has been an ardent supporter of the art organisation after joining the launch with patron Arnold Schwartzman of the T.S. Eliot mural at Margate’s train station waiting room in 2019.
After the event she attended a get-together at the Margate School and offered to donate some of her books to the developing art library. A few weeks later she popped in with her books donation.
Last year, The Margate School says many of its students struggled financially and the school needed to find additional support to cover their fees. They approached Tracey to see if she could help and she donated one of her prints, which, with the support of Bonhams International Auction House, was successfully auctioned last December for £12,750.
Arnold Schwartzman OBE RDI, who facilitated the donation with Tracey, said: “Our most grateful thanks for Tracey’s ongoing support of the local art community”.
The Margate School is continuing its efforts to raise funds for bursaries for their students. Please get in touch if you can help support the school in raising the funds at [email protected] .
Inner Wheel
The Maidstone District of Inner Wheel was 88 years old last year and challenged local Inner Wheel Clubs to take on the challenge of ’88’.
Broadstairs Club President Anni Bignold rose to the event, cycling 88.8 kilometres and raising the sum of £947.66. This amount will be shared between Air Ambulance, Oasis Refuge, the Salvation Army and CT10 Parochial Charities
QEQM Hospital League of Friends
Despite the pandemic curtailing many of our usual fundraising activities thanks to our kind and generous donors & fundraisers we’re very much continuing to support our local Hospital. Recent examples include funding of the provision of:
– 6 reclining chairs for the use of birthing partners visiting expectant mums especially during their labour and delivery. QEQM Maternity Matron Peyma Hajilou said: “Thanks to the League of Friends for all they do.”
– 25 wheelchairs, a third red in colour for the exclusive use of patients attending A & E with the rest for general use throughout the hospital that are blue like the one in the photograph. John Graham, Head of Facilities at the QEQM, said: “The wheelchairs are much needed for the comfort and safety of our patients when transporting them to areas of the hospital. This will also ensure that patients arrive in time for their appointments on time as hunting for wheelchairs will be a thing of the past.”
Donations can be made or fundraising facilitated online at www.justgiving.com/leagueoffriendsofqeqmhospital and more information about our charity is available on our Facebook page or our website at www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/lof-QEQM
Westgate & Birchington Inner Wheel Club
As the spring flowers began appearing in the area, members of Westgate & Birchington Inner Wheel have been giving small posies out as a ‘random act of kindness’. Inner Wheel is the largest international women’s voluntary service organisation in the world, with the 3 objects of promoting true friendship, encouraging ideals of personal service and fostering International understanding. The posies were accompanied by a gift tag giving information about us and given with love and friendship.
Some members, who are ‘shielding’ and were unable to go out left posies on their garden wall, some being taken by men for their wives and partners, others being taken by passers-by who were delighted and surprised at the gesture.
Some members went out to donate their posies to ladies in both Westgate and Birchington. In this very tough year, we are delighted that small bunches of flowers brought a smile to so many faces. At a time when we can do so little for Inner Wheel it has given us pleasure to give others pleasure in these dark times.
If you would like to know more about Inner Wheel, please contact Christine on 01843 446023. A warm welcome awaits you!
Your Move football kits
The team at Your Move estate and letting agents is offering an exciting opportunity to local football teams, including school teams, to win a brand new football kit in readiness for when football returns.
The Your Club, Your Kit competition is part of the exciting partnership that Your Move has with the English Football League (EFL) which not only sees the agency as its Official Supporter, for the second year running, but also the EFL’s Official Communities Supporter – helping Your Move teams to establish even closer links with the communities in which they operate.
Grassroots teams, of all ages and abilities, as well as school teams can enter the competition (which runs from now until the 30 April 2021) by simply submitting their details on the Your Move website at www.your-move.co.uk/kit
The local winner will then be announced soon after the closing date and presented with their kit.
Patrick McDonnell Director for Your Move added: “We’re delighted that Your Move is able to offer this great opportunity to our local community. Football, like all sports, has been affected by the pandemic and, whilst we know that grassroots football isn’t being played at the moment, we know that there’s a real appetite from local teams to get playing again and feel sure that the competition will get them excited about the prospect.
“Hosting this competition, now, means that when that happens, there’ll be one lucky team ready to sport a great new kit which should spur them on to play an even better game of football with, of course, our local Your Move team cheering them on.”
If you’d like to find out more about the competition (including the full Terms and Conditions) visit www.your-move.co.uk/kit where you’ll find an entry form to complete. Alternatively contact your local Your Move branch for information.
Martha Trust
Charity Martha Trust, which supports young people and adults with profound disabilities, has taken fundraising online since November 2020 and have been keeping us all entertained with virtual Comedy Bingo events.
Join Brendan Riley on March 27 at 7pm for the last in the series of a much-needed evening of fun and prizes in support of Martha Trust. Enjoy two games of prize bingo, an auction, and of course lots of laughter!
There is room on zoom for 40 more households but there is no limit on the number within your household who can play.
Adults and children are welcome to join in. We just ask you pay £10 per adult to participate, children are free.
You will be provided with your own Bingo card and instructions of how to join via Zoom by the organisers of Big Comedy Bingo. This will be sent to you by email a few days before the event so keep your eyes peeled in your inbox.
The monthly events have raised of £5600 for the charity in a time when face to face fundraising has been impossible due to Covid19.
The charity is looking for auction prizes to boost the fundraising so if you can offer a prize, please contact them on the number below.
You can book online for the last event at www.marthatrust.org.uk/zoombingo . or you can get in contact by calling 01304 610448.
If you have children playing, please state how many when booking.
If you have any questions please email [email protected] or call 01304 610448.
Fundraising & Events Officer Kerry Banks BEM says “We are incredibly grateful to all the amazing businesses who have donated prizes so far since we started our online bingo nights and also to the donor who wishes to remain anonymous who has match funded two of the events. Most of all, we are so grateful for the players that sign up each month to make it possible to raise vital funds for Martha. Our four events so far have raised an amazing £5600! This money goes towards enriching the lives of our very special residents with profound disabilities.
“Wherever you live in the country, you can join us and if you are lucky to win prizes, then we will box up and post out to you, courtesy of Postage Supermarket so please encourage your friends and family to sign up too!”