Margate Morris Dancers
A Morris Dancing Workshop in Margate, run by 43-year-old James Child, has been selected by ticketing and event platform Eventbrite as a finalist in its Most Curious & Colourful Events competition, beating strong entries from hundreds of organisers throughout the UK.
The winning event, to be announced in November, will receive a £2,500 cash prize and £2,500 of Eventbrite fee credits to help it grow and bring even more people together
The Morris Dancing Workshop was commended for bringing inclusivity to a very traditional English form of dance. Organiser James encourages people of all ages and diverse backgrounds to join, and his group of Morris dancers recently performed at Margate Pride.
Throughout and following the pandemic, organisers have worked tirelessly to keep people connected through events and Eventbrite’s Most Curious and Colourful Events competition was created to celebrate the wide diversity of events that can be found on Eventbrite, and especially those that could be described as unusual, unique, alternative – and maybe a little bit ‘out there’.
Eventbrite hosted over a million events in the UK last year, so selecting only 12 finalists was no mean feat.
James, who works for a homeless charity in Margate, is eager to get more people to experience and enjoy Morris dancing. He uses the Eventbrite platform to spread the word about his taster workshops and to register people who are interested in giving it a go.
He said: “I think Morris dancing is enjoying a mini resurgence at the moment. Folk festivals and craft ale are pretty cool, and we sit well within the scene. Ten years ago it was harder to get people to give it a go, but now there seems to be more interest, and from a really diverse mix of people. Margate itself is a pretty young town, and we often have young folk giving Morris dancing a try. That said, my friends and family are a bit baffled by my hobby and I’ve never persuaded them to attend a taster session.
“I’ve been Morris dancing for eighteen years now and I practice weekly at Sundowners Bar. We perform regularly at festivals and events all over the UK in the summer. It’s great fun, and very sociable.”
QEQM Hospital League of Friends
Physiotherapy staff working in the Sarre Unit Gym are delighted with the wireless handheld dynamometer we funded, which enables the assessment of patients’ strength in relation to their injury or site of pain. This makes exercises more meaningful and improves outcomes for patients with a variety of upper limb, lower limb and spinal injuries or pain.
Please follow our page on Facebook or check out our webpage: – www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/lof-qeqm
Dane Valley litter pick
Residents have held a litter pick at Dane Valley green.
The litter picks will be every third Sunday of the month from noon until 2pm.
The next will be Sunday 20th November at SureStart Millmead.
Cliftonville Cultural Space
In celebration of Cliftonville Cultural Space’s second birthday it will host events this winter including an art fair.
The team behind the space took over the former Margate Synagogue in December 2020. The winter art fair will take place on Sunday, November 27 from noon to 5pm.
It will be opportunity for local artists and makers to sell their work and for residents and visitors to enjoy affordable artwork.
The event will be raising funds for Margate Independent Foodbank.
The cultural space is at the former synagogue in Albion Road, Cliftonville.
Pilgrims Hospices
Every year Pilgrims Hospices Lottery team ask the community to spread some Christmas cheer by purchasing their annual Pilgrims Hospices Christmas Prize Draw tickets. This year, the much-loved local charity is celebrating its 40th Birthday, with a guaranteed prize fund of £4,040 including a first prize of £2,040. All prizes will be sent out to the lucky winners in time for Christmas.
They are asking people to buy a ticket or two to help with continued support for Pilgrims end-of-life patients across east Kent.
Shiralee Riddell, Pilgrims Lottery Manager, said: “We recently posted tickets to our Pilgrims Lottery members and supporters, the response so far has been very encouraging.
“We care for people with illnesses that cannot be cured, our services are provided free of charge for our three sites in Canterbury, Ashford and Thanet, within our Therapy Centres and in patients’ own homes; our care is also extended to families and carers.”
£25 will pay for an hours’ specialist nursing care in one of our in-patient units
£15 goes towards mini toiletries if aa for a patient who needs them.
£12 gives a patient staying in one of our hospices a delicious meal on Christmas day.
If you are not on Pilgrims regular mailing list and would like some tickets, please call Pilgrims Lottery team on 01227 379741, email [email protected] or write to Pilgrims Hospices Lottery, 56 London Road, Canterbury, Kent CT2 8JA.
Whether you join the weekly Pilgrims Lottery for £1 per lottery number, purchase £1 Christmas Draw tickets, or purchase a Pilgrims Scratch Card, you will definitely be making a difference.
Shiralee added: “Please do take part; your generous support is greatly appreciated by our patients and their loved ones, and it makes an incredible difference at the most difficult of times. Thank you.”
In order to make sure tickets are included, counterfoils must be returned by 8th December, the Christmas Draw takes place on 15th December 2022. Over 16’S only. Find out more at www.pilgrimshospices.org
Pilgrims Hospices is dedicated to proving skilled and compassionate care, free of charge, to people living with an incurable illness in east Kent. Pilgrims vision is that people with a life-limited illness are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body, making the most of the time have. They care for thousands of patients and their families each year, at their three inpatients units in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford, their Therapy Centres or in patients’ homes.
Kent Community Health Trust
A generous football team has raised more than £200 to buy toys for a children’s therapies service, based at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital.
Canterbury Old Bags United, an all-female team for players over the age of 35, raised the funds at their annual ‘BagsFest’ presentation evening in September and donated the toys to the children’s therapies team from Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT).
Charlotte Reynolds plays for the team and decided to ask the other players to support the therapy service as her son Max, seven, has needed therapy since he was born.
Charlotte said: “Max needs physiotherapy and occupational therapy as he has cerebral palsy, caused by a stroke he had when he was born. For Max, play-based physiotherapy has always been the best option as it gets him stretching, reaching and using both hands, without him even knowing he is getting therapy. The toys are part of the physiotherapy and if we didn’t have that he would lose the use of his right hand. He’s really come on leaps and bounds thanks to the therapy team at KCHFT.”
Jo Norrington, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist with the Children’s Therapies Service, said: “Having a range of toys for children to choose from helps them in all sorts of ways; physically, mentally and emotionally. These toys will help so many of our children to reach their therapy goals and we’re really grateful to the Old Bags for donating them.”
The Children’s Therapies Service is always looking for donations of suitable toys to help its therapists provide care. Toys can be bought via an Amazon wish list through the KCHFT website at www.kentcht.nhs.uk/icare or email [email protected].
Canterbury Old Bags United is affiliated to Canterbury Eagles FC, a registered community amateur sports club (CASC). Find out more at www.canterburyeaglesfc.co.uk
