Runbelievable donation to Thanet Disabled Riding Centre
Runbelievable Challenges has delivered a cheque to Thanet Disabled Riding Centre for £2500. The funds come from donations made at the organisation’s Manston Runway events this year.
Thanet Disabled Riding Centre in Broadstairs has been providing therapeutic horse riding for people with disabilities for over 50 years. As an independent, volunteer-run charity, the centre supports around 60 riders and therapy clients each week, offering a safe, welcoming space where confidence, balance, and independence can grow. Home to five much-loved ponies – four active and one happily retired – the centre relies entirely on donations and community support to meet its daily running costs of around £275.
The Runway Challenge and Runway 100 mile endurance events took place on the runway at Manston, where participants ran to support local causes – with the riding centre chosen as the beneficiary.
The centre says: “Every pound helps us care for our ponies and continue providing life-changing riding sessions for our disabled riders. It costs around £275 a day to keep our centre running, so this generous donation makes a real difference.”
The next Runway Challenge will be held on 14th March 2026 where again, a donation from each entry will be donated to the centre!
Halloween display for Pilgrims Hospices
A fabulous £337.70 has been raised for Pilgrims Hospice through a Halloween display in Newington.
Yolanda Jures and Gareth Evans created a fantastic display with treats for children at their Newington Road home to raise the money in memory of their friend David Scklyemore (pictured below).
David was a veteran and dear friend of the couple. He sadly passed from pancreatic cancer a few weeks ago. David received end of life care at Pilgrims Hospice Margate and the couple raised the money to thank them for their care and support and give something back.
Daughter Demi said: “My parents do Halloween and Christmas every year. This is the first time they have raised money for charity and I know they are very proud of how much they have raised.
“We had a selection of Halloween characters and lots of homemade decorations. My mum Yolanda dressed as a witch and was in character whilst handing out Halloween treats.
“As a family we are very proud of them and their commitment to their community. They both strive to make the children of our area smile and hearing people come from across Thanet and even sandwich to see the display made them proud.”
Bracelets for Pilgrims Hospices
Nine-year-old Alexa Bolger from Westgate-on-Sea has melted hearts across Thanet with her amazing fundraising for Pilgrims Hospices.
Inspired by loved ones and family friends who have received the charity’s care, Alexa decided she wanted to help others too. What began with £10 pocket money from her grandma, Betty (“Gan Gan”), soon turned into a wonderful fundraising journey.
Alexa used the money to buy clay beads and make colourful bracelets, which she sold from a stall outside her home — raising an incredible £218 in just five days! She then took her bracelets to the Thanet 5k Colour Run at Palm Bay, where she raised another £150.
With her family’s support, Alexa has now reached an amazing total of £1,001 for Pilgrims Hospices, smashing her £1,000 target.
Alexa said: “I want to help people who are poorly and need Pilgrims’ care, so they can be a little bit happier in the time they have left.”
Karen Kenward, Community Fundraising Manager at Pilgrims Hospices, said: “Alexa truly is a little superstar. To be just nine years old and so passionate about helping others is wonderful to see. Everyone at Pilgrims is so proud of her incredible achievement.”
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices care for thousands of people across east Kent, providing specialist care and support for patients and families when it matters most.
Birchington Heritage Trust
The Trust is ringing in the festive season with two spectacular events you won’t want to miss!
A Night of Music & Memories
On Thursday, 27th November, the beloved Thanet Clarinet Quartet returns to Birchington!
Join us for an enchanting evening filled with timeless tunes, festive stories, and songs that will spark joyful memories. The celebration kicks off at 7:30pm at The Centre, Alpha Road, Birchington. Enjoy a festive raffle, a lively atmosphere, and a fully stocked bar to keep spirits bright.
Tickets are just £10 each—available now at the Museum (Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 9:30am–12:30pm). Secure your spot before they’re gone!
November Sale Extravaganza
Looking for a different Christmas gift? On Saturday, 29th November, from 9:45am to 1pm, the Museum transforms into a treasure trove of bargains! Discover a wide selection of books, publications, and prints at unbeatable prices. Whether you’re shopping for loved ones or treating yourself, every purchase helps support the Trust’s vital work.
Every ticket and every sale helps preserve Birchington’s rich heritage for generations to come.
For more information, visit www.birchingtonheritage.org.uk or find us on Facebook.
Let’s make this festive season unforgettable—see you there!
6th Ramsgate Sea Scouts
6th Ramsgate Sea Scouts is excited to be hosting our first-ever Christmas Grotto Fundraiser, opening on Friday, 22nd November at 4pm at our Scout Hall in Ramsgate.
This event has been entirely created by our young people, leaders, and volunteers, and we’d love to invite you along to see it for yourselves. It’s a wonderful community effort, with support from local shops and residents.
The grotto will be open to families throughout the festive season, and funds raised will go towards supporting our Sea Scouts’ activities and equipment and our continued Ice Gouse refurbishment.
Only £5 a child and every child receives a gift The grotto has been built from nothing by our volunteers and includes winter wonderland, illuminated 6th Ramsgate express train and a cozy grotto! Some nights will also be running marshmallow toasting.
https://6thramsgateseascouts.org.uk/santas-grotto/
Saturday 20th December is our Christmas market when the grotto will be open for walk ins only no bookings with lots of stalls on offer! And of course Santa will be taking to the harbour in his illuminated boat at 6:30pm.
Anyone interested in volunteering and getting involved with 6th Ramsgate Sea Scouts contact [email protected]
Park Avenue Events
Park Avenue Residents group has had a name change to Park Avenue Events after opening up to include all in Thanet in their activities.
The decision was prompted by the popularity of previous events. The group is now planning a Bavarian-style oompah music event for next year.
Anyone wanting details can contact Kim on 07514808818.
Peace Vigil
Members of the community turned out for a peace vigil held in Ramsgate town centre on November 3.
The vigil was focused on community and unity.
Organiser Raushan Ara said: ” It was wonderful to see people of different faiths and beliefs join together in our shared desire for peace. Special thanks to Rv. Catherine Tucker, Rabbi Cliff, Carl and Heather Whitewood Ramsgate Salvation Army , the Ramsgate Town Council technicians and our Councillors Patricia Makinson Jim Driver Tony Ovenden Tricia Austin and The Mayor of Broadstairs Mike Garner for attending.”
Rugby match Guinness Record
A Ramsgate dad-of-one and Thanet Wanderers player has now received his confirmation and certificate for taking part in a successful Guinness World Record attempt to play the longest rugby game ever.
Andrew Letts was among 92 men and women to make rugby history at Mullingar RFC, Ireland where they completed the Longest Games of Rugby ever played, with the women’s team clocking an astonishing 26 hours and 33 minutes, and the men’s team pushing through to an incredible 34 hours and 48 minutes of continuous play.
What began as an ambitious challenge turned into an unforgettable display of resilience, teamwork, and sheer determination as players faced extreme conditions over the two-day event.
Several participants battled heatstroke, pushing their bodies to the limit. The local fire brigade came to the rescue, filling water baths on site to help players cool down and stay safe in the searing temperatures.
Their historic achievement was celebrated in front of a roaring crowd at the Aviva Stadium as the British & Irish Lions took on Argentina. The players were honoured at halftime with a pitch walk and greeted with thunderous applause as official world record holders.
So far, the event has raised an incredible £115,000 in support of three amazing charities: Wooden Spoon, LooseHeadz, and The Lions Trust, which will help save lives and support children through the power of rugby.
Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet
Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet is hosting 3 events this month, please share with your network, users and members, where appropriate and possible, to help us reach many who could benefit!
Our events are facilitated by Neurodivergent adults for Neurodivergent adults; they are all free to attend and can be booked online via https://ndft.org.uk/events/
Creative Events:
Creative Connection Club – Free weaving with Vicki Salmi
Thursday 13th Nov – 7-9pm – Queens Road Baptist Church https://tinyurl.com/CCCNOVPart1
This workshop offers a tactile, low-pressure space to create a textile-based abstract artwork using a simple frame and everyday materials like thread, fabric scraps, ribbon, and wool.
Social Events:
Neurodivergent Social Meetup – Mon 17th Nov, 7-9pm – Camp, Margate https://tinyurl.com/MEETUPNOV2025
Our Social MeetUp for Neurodivergent adults to meet in safe spaces with their peers. Casual, social event, with games, activities and chatting.
Neurodivergent Coffee Morning – Friday 28th Nov, 10am- 12pm – Albion House Hotel, Ramsgate https://tinyurl.com/CMNOVRamsgate
A Coffee Morning for Neurodivergent adults to meet in safe spaces. Casual, social event, for a friendly chat and a cuppa.
Broadstairs Town Shed
Christmas Sale open day on Tuesday 18th November from 10:30am – 1pm at The Shed
Please come and join us for mince pies, mulled wine, mulled apple juice, tea & coffee and to have a look around.
Christmas hamper raffle
Beautiful hand-crafted gifts for sale all hand-made at The Shed.
3 Oakwood Industrial Estate, Dane Valley Road, Broadstairs, CT10 3JL
Windmill Community Gardens Margate
We’re really excited to share that we’re now taking orders for our one off special Christmas Veg Bags (whilst we close our usual weekly veg bags during the Christmas period). Our Christmas Veg Bags will have 3 different bag sizes of Chemical Free festive vegetable favourites, with the opportunity to add a few extra items to make your Christmas dinner extra delicious!
If you haven’t tried our veg bags before but you would like to purchase chemical free produce all whilst supporting a local community project this will be a perfect opportunity to start. We will include items grown at our site in Margate or from other organic suppliers.
More details with what options are available and to order please visit our website at https://windmillcommunitygardensmargate.com/christmas-veg-bag/ there is an opportunity to choose how you’d like to recieve your bag:
Collect from us at Windmill Community Gardens on Tuesday 23rd December 2026, or have it delivered to your door for a small fee (limited slots available – book early to avoid missing out!).
Our usual Windmill Veg Bags are available each week – packed full of fresh, seasonal, and chemical-free produce grown right here at Windmill Community Gardens Margate or sourced from other local Organic suppliers. It’s a simple and affordable way to eat local, support community growing, and enjoy veg that’s bursting with flavour.
Our Veg Bag Scheme runs from the Windmill Market Garden, a one-acre plot tucked behind Drapers Mill School in Margate. The garden’s cared for by our small team of staff, volunteers, and work experience participants, with everything we grow follows organic principles.
Each week’s bag changes with the seasons. In summer and autumn, everything comes straight from our garden. During the winter months, when things slow down a little, we top up from other local organic and chemical-free farms to keep things varied and interesting.
When you buy a veg bag from us, you’re gaining more than just getting great local food – you’re helping us keep our community garden thriving. The income we make helps to support our volunteer sessions, work experience placements, and free community activities and workshops.
We are always striving for a more sustainable community. Whilst delivering our weekly veg bags we also collect food waste and coffee grounds from our collection points, including Oast Bakery and the Grain Grocer, this is then composted at our gardens, and used to feed our soil and in turn helping us to create a circular system that keeps our produce and our planet healthy.
We’ve been growing at Windmill Community Gardens since 2004, turning what used to be derelict allotments into a green, vibrant space for everyone to enjoy. Now we have two one-acre sites, a community garden, forest garden, polytunnel, kitchen, wildlife areas and so much more.
Alongside growing food for our veg bags and local restaurants, we run volunteering sessions, workshops, and community events all year round.
Please visit our website to find out more https://windmillcommunitygardensmargate.com
Kent Community Foundation
November is Care Leavers Month, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of young people who have been in care and raises awareness of their challenges. Kent Community Foundation’s dedicated fund for care leavers continues to make a life-changing difference to young people across the county, providing practical and emotional support as they move towards independence.
Since the programme launched, £70,000 in match funding has been raised to help care leavers in Kent and Medway overcome financial hardship, access essential household items, and take vital steps toward stable, independent living. In the first year, 35 individual grants were awarded, averaging £800, alongside a grant to the Young Lives Foundation, which supported an estimated 70 young people through specialist delivery work. In year two, the fund continues to help the county’s care leavers, having awarded two grants to organisations and 27 grants to individuals since April.
One grant recipient, C, 22, shared how this support has transformed her situation. C entered care aged twelve following abuse and spent several years in foster placements before living independently at twenty-one. After recently discovering she was pregnant, she faced additional challenges when her bed broke, forcing her to sleep on her sofa and worsening her back pain. With a small grant from Kent Community Foundation, C was able to buy a bed frame and mattress, a chest of drawers, and baby essentials including a bottle steriliser and bottles.
C said: “It has been great to prepare for the baby without having to worry near my due date whether I have everything. I would have struggled to afford it on my Universal Credit, especially purchasing the bed and chest of drawers. Having all the items has reassured me and my Social Worker that I am prepared and will do everything for my baby. It has helped with my mental health as I am not stressed or worrying about how I am going to purchase items I need. I am also more rested and no longer have back pain from sleeping on the sofa. It has helped exactly how I hoped it would.”
A second grant recipient H, 21 who is originally from Afghanistan and has refugee status, has been supported by Young Lives Foundation for over two years, when he was referred to them as a care leaver.
A grant of £781 was awarded for H to enrol on a taxi driving course, and to cover a private hire licence (which lasts three years). The course included in person and virtual training and included the tests / training needed to get a licence. H had done well in passing his UK driving test and buying himself a car. The course has enabled him to work as a taxi driver and have steady work.
These individual stories reflect the wider impact of the Care Leavers Fund, which provides young people with the chance to build secure, independent lives after leaving care. By funding both essential items and skills-based opportunities, the programme supports long- term stability and self-reliance across Kent and Medway.
To find out more about the Care Leavers Fund or how to support it, visit www.kentcf.org.uk/funding/individuals
Or email [email protected]
