Postie fundraiser
A fundraiser to say thanks to Broadstairs postman Ralph Lowden and his colleagues has culminated in the Broadstairs team enjoying drinks and food in new micropub The Royston.
The Facebook community group ‘All About Broadstairs (uncensored)’ raised £200 through a Just Giving fundraiser setup in March as a whip-round to thank the posties for their dedication in still delivering all the mail during lockdown when they were sometimes down to just 50% of staff.
The Royston landlord Andy Smith added an extra £50 to the pot and some food to make sure Ralph and his colleagues from the Broadstairs Royal Mail sorting/delivery office had a great time yesterday (October 9).
RNLI Ramsgate
Vanessa Ray, Water Safety Education Presenter, was asked to talk about winter beach/water safety and the work of the RNLI to years 2, 3 and 4 at St. Lawrence College in Ramsgate. As a result the year groups later held a ‘make a difference day’ to raise money to support Ramsgate volunteer lifeboat crew. With the money raised each student purchased ‘goodies’ (tea, coffee, chocolate drinking powder, biscuits, crisps, etc.) which they thought the lifeboat crew might like and decorated the paper bag in which they placed their purchases.
Due to Covid restrictions both at the school and in the boathouse sadly the children were unable to visit us so one of the teachers involved, Chloe Whiteley, kindly delivered the goodies to the boathouse where she was thanked by Cox’n Ian Cannon and Mechanic Phil Mace along with members of the boathouse visits team.
Coxswain Ian Cannon said: “As we live by the sea it’s vitally important that our school children are taught from a young age how to act responsibly when playing by the sea. Our role is not just to save lives at sea but to educate people about the dangers of playing around water. We are very grateful to St. Lawrence College Junior School for the goodie bags which will be enjoyed by our volunteer crew. However we are delighted that the College asked us in to speak to them as it’s never too early to get safety messages across.”
Mayor of Ramsgate
On Monday 4 October, the Mayor of Ramsgate accepted on behalf of Ramsgate Town Council, a wonderful art montage, which was a raffle prize at Ramsgate’s 200th Anniversary gala dinner.
The artwork was won by Peter Manning, a member of the Dunkirk Little Ships Association, who very kindly donated it to Ramsgate Town Council.
The montage was painted by the Ramsgate artist Peter Garrard, to the memory of the late Dominic Grant, sculptor of George IV.
A presentation of the artwork by the Little Ships Association to Ramsgate Town Council took place in the Chamber of the Custom House, and was attended by the Mayor, Peter Manning, Ramsgate Town Clerk Laura Fidler, Town Promoter Rebekah Smith and Ralph Hoult OBE, Festival Director of the 200th Anniversary celebrations.
The artwork will be displayed at the Ramsgate Maritime Museum. However, while the Museum is closed for the winter, it will be displayed at various venues in Ramsgate.
Peter was presented with a copy of the ‘The Royal Harbour of Ramsgate’ book, which is currently on sale at Thanet stockists.
Keep safe meeting
QEQM Hospital
Patients striving for the finish line in their rehabilitation can find a little extra inspiration thanks to a new mural.
An image of an Olympic running track has been installed in the physiotherapy gym at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, helping to motivate people using treadmills to improve their mobility after surgery or injury.
It is part of a package of improvements to the department, funded by East Kent Hospitals Charity, that also includes a new children’s waiting area with colourful aquarium mural, and additional equipment such as weights and exercise bikes.
Devon Amos, clinical specialist physiotherapist, said she hoped it would encourage patients to continue working on their recovery.
She said: “The murals look fantastic and they have helped add an additional fun and inspiring element to our rehabilitation groups.
“Rehabilitation work can feel repetitive and can take weeks or even months, so giving people something different to focus on can really help them to stay motivated. And what better than an Olympic track, with all it represents?”
Paediatric physiotherapist Agnieszka Pawlak is behind the make-over, which aims to improve the experience of all patients.
She said: “It’s less stressful for families when there is natural light and images that create a less clinical atmosphere.
“This is an important first step to promoting healing and offering a sense of security for children and creates a positive first impression for a place many children may be apprehensive to visit.”
Dee Neligan, senior charity officer for East Kent Hospitals Charity, said they were delighted to be able to fund the project.
She said: “It’s wonderful to see the murals are up and are getting positive feedback.
“Agnieszka has been brilliant in helping to make her idea a reality and I hope it will inspire our patients to achieve their goals – it might not be an Olympic gold medal but sometimes being able to improve your mobility enough to enjoy a walk with the family can be just as rewarding.”
For more information about East Kent Hospitals Charity and how to support their work, visit https://www.ekhcharity.org.uk/
Martha Trust
Friends and tenants of Discovery Park Sandwich undertook a Marathon4Martha last Sunday and have raised thousands of pounds to buy a portable eye gaze for the residents at Martha Trust.
The event was organised by Rob Crook who works for Pfizer in Sandwich.
Fundraising & Events Officer Kerry Banks said: “With most of our residents non-verbal, our Communications Programme has proved life changing. Over the past few years, we have worked hard to develop a step programme towards communications for all our residents whatever their level of ability.
“We have learned to communicate with them and ensure they participate in activities that they not only enjoy but are also beneficial to their health and wellbeing. We have been working to develop the use of eye gaze technology in our homes, so that residents who previously had no verbal communication can now speak to their carers and families through a computer.”
The communications work has transformed the lives of the residents at Martha and their loved ones, but there is so much more work to do. Up until recently , the charity has relied on one shared eye gaze which has to be wired through a laptop so has to remain static in their activities room. However thanks to a number of trusts and foundations and now the friends and tenants of Discovery Park, they are able to buy four portable eye gaze units – each one costing £9800.
Kerry said: “Not only will this open up our communications programme within our homes it will also mean we can use it offsite on outings and at hospital appointments which will enable our residents to chat whilst out and about and have the ability to be interact during medical appointments.
“We would like to say a huge Thank You to Rob Crook, to Discovery Park for supplying lunch for everyone who took part, to each and every one of the participants, to everyone that donated and to the Pfizer community grant for their donation of £1500!”
Rob added: “ It was fantastic to see so many friends and tenants of Discovery Park take on this challenge to raise money for such a fantastic charity. Everyone had a great day and the atmosphere and weather were brilliant. There is still time to donate to our fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dparkandfriends “
If your business would like to support one of Martha Trust’s appeals, please contact 01304 610448 or email [email protected] to learn how your support could make a difference in the lives of our very special residents.