Thanet community news: Minster rally, Margate RNLI, Civic Society, Foundation Stones, Scouts, Mayor-making, KCF, NEM and Ukraine song

Farmland rally in Minster

Farmland for Food not Houses rally Minster

Minster Action Group held a protest rally today (May 1) over a planning application to build 115 homes on village arable land.

The application has been made by Gladman Developments.

The outline application includes 30% affordable housing, structural planting and landscaping, formal and informal public open space and children’s play area, sustainable urban drainage, with main vehicular access point from Foxborough Lane, according to planning documents.

The site covers an area of approximately 5 hectares and is on an arable field on the eastern edge of Minster.

When the proposals were first revealed last year a Minster action group was set up by residents opposed to the scheme. Some 200 objections to the plans have been lodged with Thanet council.

Organiser Caroline Fleming, who is a business development manager,  says roads, schools and GPs are under enough pressure, particularly as other development has already been approved.

The Farmland for Food not Houses rally, which was supported by Westgate and Garlinge Action Group, included speeches from Caroline, Cllr Reece Pugh and Cllr Abi Smith. The gathering then set off around the village, banners waving, and making noise. Lots of whistles and a loud hailer were used to attract attention. Neighbours came out to wave in support.

Margate RNLI

Margate Lifeboat Mayday Open Day takes place on May 7 from 10am to 4pm.

The RNLI Face 2 Face Team and the SOS Radio Team and, operational duties permitting, the RNLI Ramsgate Lifeboats will be joining the RNLI Margate Lifeboats for a display at around 3.30pm.
Please pop in to see this wonderful Lifeboat Station, we are looking forward to seeing you all on the 7th May, 10am-4pm.

Thanet & District Reform Synagogue

Thanet & District Reform Synagogue in Ramsgate in partnership with Chartfield School in Westgate and Simon Langton in Canterbury and members of the wider community participated in the Foundation Stones project from Big Ideas.

Foundation Stones is a project that asks you to paint a commemorative stone to become part of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

School children and members of the community each painted a stone in remembrance of the six million Jewish men, women, and children murdered in the Holocaust and all other victims of Nazi persecution, as well as those murdered in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.

The Foundation Stones project is inspired by the Jewish custom of laying stones on headstones and graves. Each Foundation Stone is a promise to remember the past and to build a better future free from all forms of hatred.

1st St Lawrence Scout Group

We’re looking for new volunteers to join our team at 1st St Lawrence Scout Group in Ramsgate.

We welcome all adults, and no previous experience is required. Volunteering is not just about giving back – it goes both ways. It improves your wellbeing, gives you skills for the future, and helps you make new friends (and memories).

Anyone interested in lending a hand should contact us via email: [email protected]

Margate Civic Society

This year’s Town Pride Awards will be held on Thursday, 12 May at the prestigious Walpole Bay Hotel, Fifth Avenue, Cliftonville, commencing 1930 hrs. Attendees are requested to take their seats by 1915 hrs.

Following the awards presentations, there will be Members’ Notices and Community Updates, which will be followed by a fund-raising raffle and refreshments.

This year there were 12 diverse nominations, 2 of which were deferred to 2023, as were not yet completed.

Those remaining are:-

106 Norfolk Road, Cliftonville (new development)

20 Palm Bay Avenue, Cliftonville (new development)

Westcliffe House’, Sea Road, Westgate-on-Sea (renovation)

Springfield, Hengist Road, Westgate-on-Sea (renovation)

115A Canterbury Road, Margate (new development)

7 Union Crescent, Margate (restoration)

64A Edgar Road, Cliftonville (new development)

Gallery in New Street, Margate (street art)

Quality Court Footpath Margate (renovation of unsound footpath)

‘Wilderness to Wonderland’, Westbrook (open space volunteer-led project)

The results of the Town Pride Awards will be announced by the Society’s Chair, Pamela Pople and the presentations will be made by the Vice Chairman, Harry Scobie in the presence of the Society’s President, Mr Ralph Handscomb.

Non-members most welcome – £4.50 admission

For further information see: www.margatecivicsociety.org.uk

Kent Community Foundation

Kent Community Foundation will host a Needs in Kent Conference on 15 June to explore the emerging issues facing the county after the pandemic.

Last year Kent Community Foundation commissioned a detailed report about specific needs across each district within Kent and Medway and the conference will give attendees the  opportunity to discuss what and where the areas of priority are and how different parties might come together to effect change.

Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive, Kent Community Foundation, said: “Our county has some significant social challenges and after the disruption of the last two years, we felt as a community-based funder it was important to find out exactly what’s happening to the local communities we serve.

“Having commissioned a significant piece of research last year to identify the priority areas of need across Kent we decided that a conference would be the best way to share this detailed information  with key stakeholders, grassroots charities, community groups and anyone else in the county who is interested in how we might collectively start to tackle some of these issues together.”

The conference will explore issues including food poverty, mental health, benefits, substance misuse and domestic abuse and will be chaired by ex BBC News Presenter Rob Smith, with a keynote speech delivered by  Janice McGuinness from People United who work with local communities to encourage kindness.

The Kent Community Foundation Needs in Kent Conference will unveil this significant piece of research and provide an opportunity to discuss the collective ambition for Kent, its future needs and how we can meet these needs.

The event will include speakers, breakout discussion sessions and will be a chance to network with both statutory and independent funders and meet groups working on the ground in the voluntary sector.

The conference will be held at The Village Hotel in Maidstone on 15 June 2022  between 10am and 4pm and is free to attend.

To book a free place at the conference visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kcf-needs-in-kent-conference-tickets-317492738327

The Needs in Kent Conference will be held at The Village Hotel in Maidstone on 15 June between 10am and 4pm and is free to attend.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the day

Margate mayor making

Margate Charter Trustees annual general meeting and mayor-making ceremony will be held at the Cecil Square Bapptist Church on Monday, May 16 from 7pm.

Trustees cordially invite the townspeople of Margate and honoured guests to attend. Seats should be taken by 6.45p.m.

Ramsgate Neighbourhood Engagement meeting

The meeting will take place on Thursday, May 5 from 7pm at The Corner, Whitehall Road, Ramsgate.

Song for Ukraine

Musicians David Jarman from Broadstairs and Chrissy Grimsdale from Canterbury have written a heart-felt song in support of Ukraine and its people, with a view to helping charity fundraising for humanitarian aid.

‘Stay Strong Ukraine’ emotionally expresses their support for the country and its struggle to survive as a free nation following its invasion by Russia.

It was written and recorded at Your Music School in Canterbury and at Chrissy’s home studio, and she played all the live and virtual instruments, and sang all the lead vocal and harmony parts.

The song progressed from the initial idea to full production with an accompanying video in only three weeks, Chrissy and David being keen to show their support for humanitarian causes as quickly as possible. The video, with nearly 2000 views to date on the You Tube streaming platform online, was filmed in the countryside between Canterbury and Dover. It is also released through CD Baby on all streaming platforms.

The song’s emotive and positive message is also a tribute to the strength of the Ukranian people in the face of the severe onslaught. It is mirrored in this part of the chorus: “Determined, fierce and proud, You never will be bowed, Stay strong Ukraine, You are not alone.”

Chrissy and David said: “We both feel passionately that the people of Ukraine deserve our support in every way we can, and we hope that our song will help them appreciate the backing they have around the world.

“’We also hope that our song and video will provide meaningful support for charities providing aid to Ukraine. We are posting links to four charities –Disaster Emergency Committee, British Red Cross, UNHCR and Voices of Children–on our You Tube video.

“We will donate any royalties our song earns to these charities. Every view/stream helps.”

The songwriters are keen to acknowledge with thanks the assistance provided by Magdalena Pietrowska of Hear Candy Mastering in Poland, who kindly mastered the track at no charge.

The video for Stay Strong Ukraine can be seen on You Tube   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxMOgZOT2bo.

Here are the links to the charities they are supporting with their song. Chrissy and David say: “Please consider donating to the following organisations.”

https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal

https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine

https://voices.org.ua/en/

3 Comments

  1. Whereabouts in Westbrook is the ‘Wilderness to Wonderland’ open space?

    Westcliffe House in Westgate is a very nicely done renovation/conversion of an old (50s?) building.

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