Chartwell House /Thanet Disabled Riding Centre
Chartwell House by Boutique Care Homes, has raised £570 through their Grand Launch Beach Party, all of which will be dedicated to supporting the Thanet Disabled Riding Centre’s mission.
The Thanet Disabled Riding Centre plays a crucial role in the lives of disabled individuals, offering them a unique opportunity to experience the joy and therapeutic benefits of horse riding. The funds raised from Chartwell House’s Grand Launch Beach Party of July 1st 2023, will help support the centre in expanding its reach to positively impact even more lives.
Speaking after the cheque presentation, the Thanet Disabled Riding Centre posted on their Facebook page saying – “A big thank you to Chartwell House The home donated a huge £570 from their charity fundraising day on Saturday! How incredible!”
Diane Collins, Homes Manager at Chartwell House, shared her heartfelt sentiments, saying: “We are thrilled to support the Thanet Disabled Riding Centre through our Grand Launch Beach Party. The dedication and passion shown by the centre in empowering disabled individuals align perfectly with our own values of creating enriching experiences for those in need. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of the people we care for.”
For more information about the Thanet Disabled Riding Centre visit: https://www.disabledridingcentre.com/
For more information about Chartwell House Care Home visit: https://www.boutiquecarehomes.co.uk/care-homes-kent/chartwell-house
Rotary Club of Westgate & Birchington
The Minnis Community Hub is a Kent County Council in-house community service for individuals with learning disabilities. It has been working in Birchington since 2021, delivering a wide range of meaningful activities.
They have a lovely garden area for people to use but unfortunately there was no shelter for individuals to sit under which means they couldn’t access this lovely space very often, particularly with the weather this summer. What they really needed was a gazebo to use during the summer months to enable their individuals to access this lovely garden space and benefit from being outdoors. Step forward the Rotary Club of Westgate & Birchington who paid for a gazebo.
As you can see from the photo this was used at the first available opportunity for the BBQ on Friday 28th July to which President Bob and fellow Rotarians Dave Alker and Allen Cox were invited.
North Foreland Golf Club
TaylorMade Golf in collaboration with North Foreland Golf Club, recently custom fit amateur golfer Kenny Powell for a new set of clubs designed for him to use in conjunction with his ParaGolfer Buggy. Kenny had suffered multiple spinal strokes.
TaylorMade Golf Company believe that custom fitting is an essential process for all golfers at every level to improve not only their performance but their enjoyment of the game, highlighted by Kenny’s recent experience.
Known as Ken amongst his friends and family, Ken is a keen amateur golfer and previous Club Champion at his home club, North Foreland. His world turned upside down in February 2021 when he suffered the first of two spinal strokes, leading to Kenny being hospitalised for 10 months and now paralysed from the waist down.
The thought of never playing golf again was a reality for him until he discovered the ParaGolfer Buggy, designed specifically for those with severe paralysis to enable them to partake in golf again.
With a lot of effort and the generosity of many, money was raised and a ParaGolfer Buggy was purchased for Kenny. Something that is not lost on Ken, who is forever grateful to all who made this happen, including the Golf Trust Charity, North Foreland Golf Club, and TaylorMade Golf for supplying him with a complete custom-fit set of clubs, which has taken Kenny from the depths of despair back into the golf environment of friends and camaraderie that is so precious to us all.
He said: “Being told I would never walk again and play my beloved golf, was the worst day of my life. Through the generosity of friends, North Foreland members, and fantastic people whom I do not know, I was able to see a route to getting out on the Links again with the ParaGolfer. This jigsaw was now 80 percent complete, I just needed some clubs which would help me progress around the course to the best of my ability, as my current ones were not fit for purpose. Step up to the plate, Darren Parris, North Foreland Head Professional, Darren contacted TaylorMade and they said it would be a pleasure to help.”
Darren has known Kenny for over 30 years and watched him win many tournaments including their Club Championship, and it was a major shock to him and everyone at the club to hear the news that he had suffered two spinal strokes and that he wouldn’t be able to walk again. Golf was a huge part of Kenny’s life and many didn’t think he would ever play golf again.
He said: “The members here at North Foreland and Ken’s golfing friends pulled together their fundraising skills, a GoFundMe page was created in August 2022 and by Christmas Day they had raised £30k to purchase a ParaGolfer for Ken to use. To see the club support Kenny after such a life-changing event is fantastic and just shows what a great big family the golf community is, the North Foreland members should be extremely proud of themselves.
“The ParaGolfer is stored at the club so any other paralyzed golfers are able to come to North Foreland and experience this incredible machine. We recently had a member from Princes Golf Club use the ParaGolfer for the first time with help from the Golf Trust, the joy on her face was a great sight to see.
“The North Foreland fundraising continued with Kenny’s Golf Day here last Friday 28th July and the generosity from TaylorMade in supplying Kenny with a full bag of custom-fitted clubs is greatly appreciated. Ken is back enjoying the sport that he loves and we are sure it won’t be long before he’s taking money off the boys on a Saturday morning again!”
Kenny’s Golf Day, on the 28th July, which TaylorMade sponsored the prizes for, raised just over £5k which will go towards a trailer so Kenny can take the ParaGolfer and play at other courses, alongside supporting the monthly cost of his ongoing specialist Physio sessions.
Pilgrims Hospices
Pilgrims Hospices were visited by over 600 people in their gardens at Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford to find their loved one’s dedicated sunflower memory markers. Despite predictions of a slightly damp weekend ahead, the rain stayed away and there was a lovely atmosphere at each event with the opportunity for friends and family to remember and celebrate their loved ones’ lives.
Visitors were welcomed with tea, cake and strawberries with cream served by Pilgrims volunteers in the charity’s Therapy Centres. These spaces, most often used by the Wellbeing Teams for their Living Well and creative art sessions, hosted beautiful displays of sunflower-themed artworks made by patients and carers.
Members of the Wellbeing Team were present on the day, to speak to visitors about their work, and hear their memories of lost loved ones.
Jane, Wellbeing Practitioner at the Thanet Hospice, said: “Families talked about the calm and peaceful feelings they had about being back at the hospice, that it is a safe space for them to talk in, how they felt cared for and that carers too were treated with such dignity both before and after their loved one had died. Some had found it hard to return but then were able to cry, laugh and feel they had made a positive step forward by attending the event.
“It was a day that was right for both those whose feelings were still incredibly raw, and for those who were returning after 10 years of attending.”
In the lead up to the events, the team at Pilgrims reached out to the local community to help support the event.
Ellie Cane, who runs the events at the Hospice, extended her thanks: “Thank you to everyone who kindly donated which helped make the events such a success. To all the keen crafters and knitters who produced beautiful items to sell for donations on the day; Meadow Grange Nursery and our volunteer gardeners who grew over 200 sunflowers plants; and to the Tesco Community Champions and S & A Farms who provided the strawberries for us to serve to our visitors.
“I’m delighted to say this year’s Sunflower Memories Appeal has so far raised in excess of £36,000, with donations still coming in. This just would not have been possible without the collective effort of our staff, volunteers and our amazing local community.”
There is still time to donate to have a dedicated sunflower memory marker sent to you in memory of your loved one. For more information contact the Pilgrims Hospices Supporter Relations Team on 01227 782062, or at [email protected].
Slimming World
Members from Thanet joined consultants in the Race for Life on Sunday 16th July. Some walked and some ran.
Slimming World encourages exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle and exercise comes in all different forms. One thing that’s good though, exercising together, as a team, group of friends is a great way to see health benefits and raise money for a great cause
Isle of Thanet Photographic Society
Thanet’s very successful and popular camera club starts its new season on 7 September at the Portland Centre, St Peter’s, Broadstairs. Doors open at 7pm.
We welcome everyone interested in photography so join us for an exhilarating new season.
We’re thrilled to present an array of exciting opportunities for photography enthusiasts.
Immerse yourself in the world of visual storytelling with our line-up of esteemed guest speakers, including William Cheung, former Editor of Photography News, who will share their insights and expertise, igniting your passion for the art. You can experience hands-on learning during our practical evenings, experimenting with new techniques and gain practical knowledge to enhance your skills.
Engage in friendly competitions to showcase your talent and receive valuable feedback from fellow members. And don’t miss our members’ night, a celebration of our talented community, where you can showcase your best work and connect with like-minded individuals.
We look forward to welcoming you to our weekly meetings on Thursdays from 7 September 2023.
Our full programme and membership information are on our website: www.isleofthanetphotographicsociety.com and on our Facebook page.
William Cheung will be guest speaker on 21 September.
Margate Art Prize
On Friday 21st July, Brianna Parker was announced as the winner for the inaugural Margate Art Prize with her piece “Bread, Birds, Blocks”. Guests gathered at the art gallery Ramsay & Williams to hear the sole judge, Tracey Emin, announce the winner from a shortlist of 11 artists.
Following the announcement, a private reception was held on the terrace at Pearly Cow restaurant at the newly launched hotel No. 42 by GuestHouse, Margate, lead sponsors of the prize.
With a mission to support emerging artists in their careers, this is the very first Margate Art Prize, with hopes for it to continue annually. Shining a light on the booming arts scene that’s on offer in Margate, the Art Prize encourages more artists to flock to the town to show their work.
The entrants’ work was showcased at Ramsay & Williams gallery until the end of July, with a few works exhibited at No.42 by GuestHouse, Margate too.
The winning oil painting “Bread, Birds, Blocks” projects the wholesome act of a teenager feeding a bevy of swans and a Canadian goose bread from an implicitly painted Hovis bag.