Thanet community news: Ramsgate RNLI, Thanet Photographic Society, KCF, Dickens, Demelza marathon, QEQM nurses and Autism South East

Ramsgate RNLI Jubilee medals Photo by RNLI Crewman Josh Mace.

Ramsgate RNLI

On Friday 3rd June, 23 members of the crew of Ramsgate RNLI were presented with Jubilee Medals.

These were presented to 4,500 RNLI volunteers and frontline staff as a token of thanks in recognition of the 65,886 lives that the charity has saved during Her Majesty’s 70 year reign.

The new commemorative medal has been created to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. As well as being awarded to RNLI volunteers and frontline staff, those who serve in the emergency services, prison services and Armed Forces who have completed five years consecutive service will also receive the award.

Photo by RNLI Crewman Josh Mace.

When Princess Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, she also became patron of the RNLI, continuing a lifesaving legacy left by the charity’s first patron King George IV.

The Platinum Jubilee medal follows a long history of awarding medals to mark Royal Jubilee celebrations, and this is the fourth medal under Her Majesty The Queen’s reign.

As well, as receiving their medals, eighteen of the crew received their Casualty Care Certificates which is an advanced course in First Aid and something that involved many evenings of study, all by volunteers. By successfully completing this course, with written and practical assessments, the crew will now be able to offer and apply a very high standard of medical care to rescued casualties.

Coxswain Ian Cannon said: “I’m very proud of our volunteer crew who have given us their own free time to study for this course many having to juggle their work and family commitments in order to attend this demanding period of instruction.”

Isle of Thanet Photographic Society

The Society’s annual exhibition of prints opens at the York Street Gallery in Ramsgate at 1pm on 15 June and is on until 12 noon on 21 June. It is open every day except Monday.

This is an opportunity for residents and visitors to see the range of images taken by members of the Society. Some prints will be available to purchase.

We look forward to welcoming everyone to the exhibition.

Kent Community Foundation

The Kent Community Foundation Needs in Kent Conference 2022 will take place on 15th June 2022 from 10am to 4pm at The Village Hotel in Maidstone to explore the emerging needs of the county following the pandemic.

“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.

We therefore commissioned a piece of research looking at the county’s priority needs, on a district-by-district basis. Perhaps unsurprisingly recurring themes include issues like food poverty, mental health, substance misuse and domestic abuse.

The conference will be the platform to launch this piece of research and provide an opportunity to discuss our collective ambition for Kent and its future needs and how we can focus our funding and connections to meet these needs.” Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive, Kent Community Foundation

If you would like to join the Kent Community team for this sell out conference, please do let me know

For the day’s agenda please visit  www.kentcf.org.uk/KCFConference

Dickens cream tea

The Dickens Fellowship and the Dickens Declaimers will be hosting a cream tea at the Pavilion on the Sands, Broadstairs on Saturday June 11 at 3pm. The Dickens Declaimers will be performing a reading from Nicholas Nickleby featuring the Crummles Theatre Company. Proceeds will support Thanet’s Cheerful Sparrows Charity.

Tickets, £10, are available from Willow Fabrics, 65 High Street, Broadstairs and [email protected].

Marathon for Demelza

Ken Buchanan, 74, has completed a 26.3 mile rollerblade around Betteshanger Park to raise fund for Demelza children’s hospice.

The former British Army physical training instructor completed the challenge in 3 hours 25 minutes.

Former health and safety officer Ken, who also enjoys kayaking, bushcraft and diving, has so far raised £532.

Find Ken’s fundraising page here

QEQM nurses Tough Mudder challenge

Nurses usually pride themselves on their cleanliness, but a group from the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate put their high standards aside to take part in a muddy charity challenge.

A team from the emergency department joined fitness instructors Darren and Julie Vilton-Tebbutt, from Body Architects, to take on the Tough Mudder challenge – a 15km course with 30 tough obstacles and plenty of mud.

They were raising money for East Kent Hospitals Charity, to fund improvements to their department including a mobile phone charging unit for patients to use.

Joanna Williams, head of nursing for urgent and emergency care at the QEQM, said: “We are a real team in the emergency department and it was great fun to take on this challenge to help raise money for improvements for our patients and each other.

“Everyone puts 100 per cent into their work and had the same attitude to the Tough Mudder obstacle course – and although we were tired and aching by the end we were delighted to have completed it.

“Darren and Julie were fantastic at keeping people motivated and we couldn’t have done it without their help.”

So far the team have raised more than £1,800, and Darren said they were delighted to be able to help make a difference.

He said: “As Thanet residents, Julie and I have used the QEQM hospital various times, including for the delivery of our two children, and we have always had a fantastic experience.

“We wanted to give something back but never knew how. But when we spoke to Jo she highlighted how the little things can make a huge difference – a charging unit can be a lifeline and help people reach out to family and friends when they are in a situation that could be frightening and painful.

“Once she brought the needs of the department down to a micro level it was clear we could make a difference to others.

“The day was tough, with at times more mud than you would walk through, let alone crawl through on your stomach as we had to.

“But just like NHS departments we worked every obstacle as a team and everyone was so supportive of each other. It was a fantastic day and one we won’t forget.”
The team are now planning their next challenge to raise money for East Kent Hospitals Charity. For more information about how you can fundraise to help the Trust’s hospitals, visit www.ekhcharity.org.uk

Autism South East

Amanda Cook will talk about Autism and Girls at Swalecliffe Community Primary School in Whitstable on June 9, from 7pm-9pm.

Amanda has 16 years teaching experience and four children, three of whom are autistic, and is autistic herself. She runs facebook page The Autistic Teacher.

Book tickets, £5pp, at autismsoutheast.co.uk/girls9jun2022