An evening of music from local talent at Elsewhere in Margate will celebrate the halfway point of a fundraiser for The Pavilion Youth and Community Café in Broadstairs
The club works primarily with vulnerable young people aged 7-16. They run after school open access sessions Tuesday to Friday, and very popular holiday club.
The Pavilion has hundreds of children registered to its services, with core groups who attend regularly during term time. On the busiest day in the summer holiday club 2021 more than 70 young people attended. As part of the “Fit and Fed” initiative, the club also provided a free hot lunch and snacks every day, with around 30 young people using this service.
Victoria Suchak, who runs The Pavilion, said: “I moved our youth provision to The Pavilion Youth & Community Cafe in 2017, because as a youth worker of 20 years I knew we needed our own dedicated space for our local young people. Now we have the facilities to provide a wide range of after-school activities where they can develop and grow, and have fun! We have expanded into a valuable community space for all ages now, and treasure our little cafe with a big heart.”
The celebration event -The Kids Are Alright – is being held on Wednesday (December 8) from 7pm.
The event is hosted by Pavilion youth worker ELZ with performances from colleague and music artist Kenwa and local talents Mazz, Bea Onyett, Hayley Stern and special headline guest Saucy Sez,
Elz said: “Our event is a family affair, everyone is welcome. Your ticket is a direct donation to the Pavilion and in return we promise to give you the most entertaining Wednesday evening you’ve had in a long time!”
Headliner Sez added: “I believe in the importance of the Pavilion to Thanet, as the work being done here is an example of what we have been seeing up and down the country over the last few years. People coming together to help one another in times of crisis and need. Without spaces like the Pavilion many could end up isolated, alone and struggling to gain the help they need. To me it shows the importance and power of what coming together can do.”
The Pavilion crowdfunder runs until January 10. The aim is to raise £5000 to help the service continue.
The pandemic has hit young people hard, and as a result the Pvilion expanded, employing four new specialist youth workers, who are working practitioners within their own sectors of sport and art.
All the services are free, and as a small charity The Pavilion rely on grants from bigger organisations. These funds are increasingly hard to come by. The crowdfunder is to help retain the new staff and maintain services for young people in Thanet.
Tickets for The Kids are Alright, being held at Elsewhere in The Centre, cost £11 and can be bought via https://dice.fm/event/xxg9e-the-kids-are-alright-8th-dec-elsewhere-margate-margate-tickets