Copperfield Court
Mary Saffery, 92, celebrated her first anniversary of living at Copperfield Court care home in Broadstairs with a day trip in a limousine.
Organised by the team at Copperfield Court, Mary and her daughter were escorted to their limo which was filled with balloons and chauffeured around all of Mary’s favourite places, including a visit to Margate.
Mary said: “Words can’t describe the pleasure it gave me visiting the places I used to go and reliving many happy memories. It was marvellous and I loved every moment of it!”
Jade Hammond, the General Manager at Copperfield Court, added: “At Copperfield Court, we like to celebrate every milestone we can with our residents.”
“Mary has been such a huge part of our care home family for the past year, so we wanted to give her and her daughter a special day to remember.”
You can find out more about celebrations at Copperfield Court during the home’s Sit and Share Sunday event, where all are welcome each Sunday for a homemade roast with the residents.
To reserve a place at Sit and Share Sunday, call 01843 498 447, email [email protected], or visit the home on Northwood Road Broadstairs.
Arts Society Thanet
The Arts Society Thanet is launching a competition, open to all who live or work in Thanet, single or in teams of up to four people. We are looking for designs and images which embody the idea of Arts in Thanet. First prize vouchers £250, second prize vouchers £100
To be eligible, all entrants must live, work or study in Thanet.
You can submit an entry as an individual or in groups of up to four people, of any age.
The winning designs will be used, in part or in whole, to promote the Society by use on posters, banners, bookmarks, tote bags etc. and on the society’s website.
Entries can be in any medium and any size which meets the judging criteria.
Judging criteria
Your entry must be your original work and contain accurate information, including the name of The Arts Society Thanet and its brand colour purple: hex code #421648.
For those of you who would like to include text, this is the Arts Society’s guidance on fonts:
Typefaces are News Plantin and Gotham when using design applications like Adobe. As a rule of thumb:
- Gotham Thin or Gotham Medium can be used for headings
- Gotham Medium or News Plantin Bold can be used for secondary titles
- News Plantin Regular and Italic are used for body copy
When Gotham and News Plantin are not available, please use Times New Roman to replace News Plantin, and Verdana to replace Gotham.
Entries will be judged by:
- the quality of the design and its effectiveness in celebrating the arts in Thanet
- its ease of use for promotional purposes
Submit your entry by 17th September 2026 to: Rosalind Morton (Secretary), The Arts Society Thanet, 20 Northdown Way, Margate CT9 3QX or [email protected]
Entries should be signed by everyone contributing to the design as your original work, with your address(es), contact details and, for under 16s, your age(s).
Winners will be invited to take part in publicity to celebrate the quality of the designs and the diversity of art activities in Thanet.
Any queries? Contact Rosalind Morton on [email protected] or 07830080207
Orbit Homes- Margate
The Margate Family Hub can make Easter even sweeter for the children and families it supports after a donation from local affordable housebuilder, Orbit Homes.
Colleagues and partners of the housebuilder based across the South donated a variety of chocolatey treats for the Margate Family Hub to share with the children and families they work with this Easter.
The Margate Family Hub is part of the network of Kent Family Hubs, which provide virtual and face-to-face advice and support services to help improve health, wellbeing and education across Kent. The family hubs support parents, carers and children and young people of all ages – from newborns to young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Brian Nearney, Chief Development Officer at Orbit, said: “We know how important the support offered by the Margate Family Hub is to local people, and our team and partners were keen to collect some treats for them this Easter. We hope that these donations will help the Margate Family Hub spread the Easter joy with the local children and families they’ll be supporting this month.”
The Margate Family Hub added: “We’ll be continuing to support local people over Easter and it’s really lovely to be able to share some special treats to the children and families we’ll be spending time with thanks to this kind donation from Orbit Homes.”
To find out more about the activities, groups and support available to children, young people and their families from the Margate Family Hub, and the wider network of Kent Family Hubs, click here.
OxyCamp
The Salvation Army in Ramsgate and the Ukrainian Community in Thanet CIC is asking for financial assistance for a local project helping Ukrainian children attend OxyCamp, a safe and culturally familiar summer programme taking place in Cefn Coch, Wales (26–31 July 2026).
We hope to support 35–40 children from Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs and surrounding areas, giving them a week of positive activities, emotional rest, and social connection. Many of these children have experienced displacement, interrupted education and significant stress due to the war. OxyCamp provides a stable, supportive environment where they can relax, make friends, and feel a sense of belonging.
Most families cannot afford the cost without help. This year, the total amount needed is £11,490, which covers coach transport and subsidised camp fees. The children are also contributing through monthly bake‑sale fundraising.
We would be very grateful for any support offered.
Contact Nadiia Hryhorieva, Ukraine Project Coordinator, on [email protected]
Ramsgate security patrol update
Ramsgate Town Council continues to receive daily patrol logs and images from our Probe Security officers. Below is a summary of what the team has been doing this week to help keep the town centre safe, clean and welcoming for everyone.
What our security officers did this week
Officers checked in regularly with homeless residents, including speaking with individuals outside Wilko’s and ensuring anyone struggling was safe. In one case, an elderly man with a head injury in Charlotte Court was supported until he was stable and able to leave safely.
Officers also spoke to a woman reporting harassment and another suffering bruising from an assault, offering support and recording concerns where appropriate.
Patrols attended repeated radio calls from Poundland, Iceland and Savers regarding suspected shoplifters. Officers viewed CCTV images, recovered stolen items where possible and shared descriptions with local businesses.
Market traders gave positive feedback about the officers’ presence, especially during busy trading hours and pack-down periods.
Officers spoke to drinkers in Charlotte Court, York Street, Albion Gardens and the seafront, reminding them of the rules and ensuring behaviour stayed calm and respectful.
Groups of teenagers causing noise or minor disturbances were dispersed, including at The Royal and the multi‑storey car park, where loud music and cannabis use were found and calmly addressed.
Officers helped prevent incidents escalating, including responding to reports of shouting drinkers and checking that nothing got out of hand.
The team recorded multiple environmental issues: dumped furniture, rubbish on green spaces, abandoned vehicles, blocked drains and fly‑tipping. These were photographed and passed on for action.
Repeated checks of public toilets were carried out daily, with reports noting where sharps bins were full or where facilities remained clear and safe.
Officers continued high‑visibility patrols across the High Street, Harbour, Albion Gardens, Boundary Park, La Belle Alliance, Cavendish car parks and surrounding roads — often covering the entire loop multiple times per day. Many of these patrol periods were quiet, with no issues to report, showing a steadying effect of consistent presence.
Officers spoke with shop owners, market traders and members of the public throughout the week, with many people expressing appreciation for their presence.
Our patrol officers provide reassurance and support across the town centre — but they do not replace Kent Police.
All crimes, assaults, thefts and emergencies must still be reported directly to Kent Police via 999 or 101.
Thanet authors
The Coasters – What About Usby Peter Checksfield
The very first group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Coasters’ songs were covered by Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Hollies, The Beach Boys, The Monkees, and many, many more, with songs like Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown, Three Cool Cats, Searchin’, Young Blood, Poison Ivy, I’m A Hog For You, Little Egypt and (Ain’t That) Just Like Me becoming Rock ‘n’ Roll and Beat Group standards.
In this book, Peter Checksfield, from Birchington, looks at every song they ever recorded, from their mid-’50s roots in The Robins, right up until the eventual retirement of group leader Carl Gardner in 2005.
Available now on AMAZON: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GTLT2JRW
Killing Corbynism by Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt
This book by former South Thanet parliamentary hopeful Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt, examines an issue largely absent from mainstream discussion of the Corbyn years – the role of the State of Israel and its lobby in the campaign to undermine supporters of Palestine and Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the opposition.
Drawing on extensive research, the book aims to demonstrate that a campaign against the left was developed in Jerusalem and exported to Britain when Corbyn was elected Labour leader.
The author says that for more than four years, Corbyn and his supporters were discredited and demeaned by a campaign which destabilised a political project that had given hope to millions. This paved the way for a lack of mainstream British political opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the Middle East more widely.
Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt says her anti-racist analysis examines the Islamophobia, anti-Arab and anti-GRT racism, and even anti-Semitism, inherent within the campaign against Corbynism.
Published by Incarnadine, Killing Corbynism will be available in hardback, paperback and eBook editions from 24 April 2026.
Find more at: https://www.incarnadineimprint.com/books/killing-corbynism/.
Barratt David Wilson Homes
Senior representatives from Kent housebuilder Barratt David Wilson Homes participated in the Great Tommy Sleep Out, raising over £20k for veterans facing homelessness.
On Thursday 26 March, Will Walsh, Managing Director and Natalie Perry, Sales & Marketing Director, joined the Kent Chairman of the Royal British Veterans Enterprise (RBVE) for the fundraising challenge. Barratt’s team also included Laura Barnett, Commercial Director, Alex Evans, Finance Director, and David Lockyear, Technical Director.
The group spent the night in a 100-metre reconstructed trench at the Centre for Experimental Military Archaeology in Detling.
The annual fundraising event, which takes place in March throughout the UK, raises vital funds for the RBVE by replicating for one night the daily reality faced by many veterans. The charity, which has been active for over a century, creates jobs, provides homes, and builds communities for over 340 veterans and their families.
Aiming to empower ex-forces to rebuild their lives, RBVE’s support reaches veterans of all ages, whether they need help with homelessness, raising a family, or challenging health conditions.
Will Walsh, Managing Director at Barratt Redrow, comments: “When the opportunity arose to support the Royal British Veterans Enterprise, we jumped at the chance.
“Our veterans risk their lives in service to our country, yet so often they leave the forces without the support they need. RBVE makes a real difference to veterans and their families, creating jobs and building homes to help our heroes rebuild their lives. With the final fundraising figure standing at over £20k, I am incredibly proud of the team and grateful for our supporters.”
The Kent Chairman of the Royal British Enterprise added: “March is the month when we begin to feel the weather change from winter, which is often RBVE’s busiest time of year. During this period, veterans experiencing homelessness battle the cold, mental health difficulties and hunger.
“The money raised by supporters of the Great Tommy Sleep Out will help fund emergency accommodation, specialist support with mental health and employment, as well as essential items like clothing and toiletries, enabling us to support those who need it most.”
