Dementia Friendly Folk Concert
Broadstairs Folk Week is one of the town’s best-loved traditions, filling the streets every August with music, dancing and visitors from across the country.
It is a festival built on community and welcome, and this year, that spirit reached further still. Chartwell House Care Home partnered with Folk Week 2026 to bring a dementia-friendly ceilidh to the official programme for the fourth year, giving people living with dementia the chance to experience the joy, connection and atmosphere of the festival in a setting designed to be warm, welcoming and accessible.
On Wednesday 12 August, that partnership came to life at the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs. Live folk act Krista and the Wood Urchins took to the stage, and the room filled with residents, families and friends, all there to share in the music, dancing and community spirit that make Folk Week such a highlight of the local calendar. There was singing, tapping feet and plenty of conversation, the theatre alive with exactly the kind of shared, sociable atmosphere that Folk Week has built its reputation on.
This is not a one-off idea for Chartwell House. The home’s Folk Week celebration previously won Dementia Friendly Community Project of the Year 2025, recognition of a deliberate, ongoing commitment to making sure residents can keep taking part in the events and traditions that matter to their local community, not just watch them from a distance.
Among those enjoying the afternoon was Roger Fielder, a Chartwell House resident and keen Morris dancer, who came along with his son.
Jaye Hurst, Admissions Manager at Chartwell House, watched the pair settle in together as the music played: “I am absolutely thrilled with how successful the afternoon was, but for me, the most special part was seeing one of our residents there with his son, completely immersed in the music and having such a wonderful time. He is a keen Morris dancer, so being able to enjoy Folk Week in this way was incredibly meaningful to him.”
Then came a moment nobody in the room expected. Krista, the band’s lead singer, recognised Roger. He had taught Biology at a college for almost 30 years, and years earlier, she had been his pupil.
Jaye said: “We discovered something that none of us had expected: Krista, the lead singer, had actually been taught by him. Years ago he was her teacher, and now she was standing on stage performing for him. It was incredibly touching and there were certainly a few tears around the room. Seeing him enjoy that experience alongside his son was particularly special.”
For Jaye, the moment captured exactly why this work matters: “It was so much more than an afternoon of entertainment; it was about giving him the opportunity to enjoy something he loves, to be part of his community and, completely unexpectedly, to reconnect with someone from his past. That is exactly why events like this matter.
“Dementia should never mean that someone has to stop enjoying the things they love or being part of their community. Music, culture and shared experiences can create enormous joy and can bring memories and relationships to the surface in the most unexpected ways.”
For Chartwell House, afternoons like this are simply what good care looks like: residents dancing, singing and reconnecting with the community and culture they have always loved.
Ramsgate Town Council grants
Ramsgate Town Council has approved £25,229.00 in grant funding for nine local projects and activities, following decisions made at its Full Council meeting on 26 August 2026.
The awards provide practical support for youth filmmaking, local heritage, arts development, public events, creative journalism and a musical wellbeing programme for vulnerable mothers and babies.
Ramsgate Fund – £4,829.00 awarded
Kent Film Foundation – £1,929.00 for a weekly filmmakers’ youth club.
The Ramsgate Society – £500.00 towards six blue plaques.
High Street Social Club for Arts in Ramsgate CIC – £2,400.00 to support its work to become self-sustaining.
Events Fund – £16,400.00 awarded
Remixd CIC – £2,000.00 for the Festival of Optimism, taking place from 1 to 3 October 2026, with the Ramsgate programme on 2 October.
Sporefaring Festival – £4,000.00 for the Sporefaring Mushroom Festival, taking place from 16 to 18 October 2026.
Ramsgate Historic Quarter Scheme – £500.00 for the ‘In Search of the Sacred Isle’ book launch on 17 October 2026.
Liminal Events CIC – £9,900.00 for Ramsgate Winter Festival, running from 29 November 2026 to 1 February 2027, with key funded activities from 10 to 13 December and on 31 December 2026.
Community Services Fund – £4,000.00 awarded
Creative Futures – £2,000.00 for Together We Sing, a musical wellbeing project for vulnerable mothers and their babies.
Paddle Media – £2,000.00 for creative journalism workshops and the Strange Tourist Training Newsroom.
Following these awards, the remaining balances for 2026-27 are £3,093.80 in the Ramsgate Fund, £13,154.00 in the Events Fund and £459.50 in the Community Services Fund. Ramsgate Town Council welcomes applications from eligible local organisations and community groups for the next funding round; completed applications must be submitted by 4 November 2026. Full details can be found on the Council’s website at www.ramsgatetown.org/town-council/funding.
Ramsgate Town Council’s grant programmes support projects that benefit local residents, strengthen community activity and help make Ramsgate a thriving place to live, visit and do business.
6th Ramsgate Royal Harbour Sea Scouts – Squirrels section
After months of planning, recruiting volunteers and getting everything ready, our brand-new Squirrel Drey officially opens its doors this Monday, 7th September!
Squirrels is the youngest section of Scouts, for children aged 4–6, and will meet at the Ice House at Ramsgate Harbour every Monday from 4:30pm–5:30pm.
We’ve had a brilliant response from local families so far, but we still have a few spaces available for children who would like to be there from the very beginning.
Families can join the waiting list here: https://www.onlinescoutmanager.co.uk/waiting-list/6th-ramsgate-sea-scout-group-squirrels-waiting-list/e1cf70b3-b194-41ca-bbde-21e8e87a9cee/apply
Opening Squirrels is another exciting step in the continued growth of 6th Ramsgate Royal Harbour Sea Scouts, allowing children to start their Scouting adventure from just four years old before progressing through Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.
Margate Sea Cadets
This week we not only held our monthly divisions, but were also honoured to host a special service celebrating Merchant Navy Day, organised by our unit Padre, Father Denis, and Unit President/ RBL Vice Chairman, Lt Cdr Kevin Martin RNR (Rtd).
The evening began with a moving service led by Father Denis, with readings and prayers delivered effortlessly by AJC Goddard-Masters and Cdt Stemple. This was followed by some delicious refreshments, kindly served by members of our UMT and parents, thank you to everyone who helped make the evening so special.
The second part of the evening showcased a fantastic performance by the one and only TS Jamaica Band, followed by presentations celebrating ordinary people who did extraordinary things at sea, including Grace Darling and Austin Appelbee.
A huge well done to AC Masood, AC Green, AC Turner, MC Stokes, OC Couzens and Cpl Green for their presentations.
We then finished the evening by recognising the achievements of our cadets throughout the month.
Congratulations to the following cadets:
Jr Star Badge & Red Module
Jr Cdt Gosden
Jr Cdt Booth
Jr Cdt Bascouche
Green Modules:
AJC Goddard-Masters, who now turns his focus towards completing his Commodores Pennant.
OC Couzens – who recently attended Summer Camp and successfully completed not only her Beginners PT qualification, but also her Intermediate PT qualification. fantastic results.
AC Masood – who also attended summer camp and completed his Power Level 2 Boating Qualification.
Finally, a special well done to our standard bearers, AC Goddard-Masters and LC Hards-Morris, who carried the Unit standard and also the Towns Standard.
Another brilliant night celebrating our heritage, our cadets and the achievements of young people.
We would also like to thank all our guests and parents who joined us for the celebration, Deputy Lieutenant Clive Stevens, the Mayor of Margate Cllr Leo Britcher. Vice Presidents Mac Wilkinson and Micheal Bon.
Chalk and Change Award
Entries are now open for The Chalk & Change Award, an annual initiative from Financial Escape that invites young people across Thanet to pitch ideas for community enterprises, local initiatives, or positive impact businesses.
The winner will receive £500 to help turn their idea into reality — and every single applicant will receive personal written feedback from a finance professional.
The award is open to Thanet residents aged 25 and under who have an idea, however early-stage, for a business, project, or initiative that would benefit their local community.
To apply, entrants submit a short written proposal of no more than two pages, covering their idea and the problem it solves, who would benefit and how, what they’d need to get started, and how they’d know if it was working. Financial Escape has been clear that polished isn’t the point.
“Don’t worry about getting it perfect — we’re looking for genuine ideas and clear thinking, not polished business plans,”. “The process of putting it together is valuable in itself, and our feedback will help you develop it further whatever the outcome.”
The Chalk & Change Award is administered by Financial Escape, ethical investment advisers based in Margate.
Applications open: first day of term, first week of September
Closing date: Halloween (31 October)
Winner announced: 1 December
How to enter
Entries can be submitted by email to [email protected], or by post to: Financial Escape, 382 Northdown Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 3PG
Thanet Camera Club
After a busy summer of photographic opportunities, we’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new season, packed with exciting events, workshops, and opportunities for photography enthusiasts of all levels. This season, which runs for 37 weeks from 10th September, promises to be the most engaging and inspiring yet, with a variety of activities designed to enhance skills, foster creativity, and build a vibrant community of photographers.
Highlights of the New Season:
Guest Speakers: Members will gain insights and inspiration from renowned photographers and industry professionals who will share their experiences, tips, and tricks. Seasoned photographers will speak on thought-provoking topics, including how to be a better photographer, how to stay inspired, and everything from wildlife to astrophotography. We are proud to host speakers such as Josh Dury, William Cheung, and Mike Goldwater. We also enjoy and encourage talks on a wide range of topics delivered by local photographers and our own members.
Skills Events: We also have Kent photographer David Jenner returning for his much-enjoyed talk, where he will be presenting a fun evening with Photoshop.
Competitions: We will run four open digital, three print plus three set subject competitions, all independently judged. We are also bringing back the East Kent Club Competition! This competition will include other clubs within Kent.
Sharing: Members will have plenty of opportunities to share their work and learn from each other during the season. Any awards achieved will be presented at the end of the season.
As a successful club, we are excited to welcome both new and returning members. Our goal is to create a supportive and dynamic environment where photographers can learn, grow, and connect with others who share their passion.
Membership for the new season is now open. So, whether you are a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced photographer seeking to refine your skills, the Isle of Thanet Photographic Society has something for everyone.
Join us and be part of a community that celebrates the art of photography.
For more information and to become a member, please visit our new and enhanced website at www.isleofthanetphotographicsociety.com, where you can see our upcoming programme and view members’ galleries.
Isle of Thanet Photographic Society (known as Thanet’s Camera Club): The club is a community of photography enthusiasts dedicated to promoting the art and science of photography, including alternative photography and film/analogue.
Through a variety of events, workshops, and competitions, the club provides a platform for members to enhance their skills, share their work, and connect with like-minded individuals. The annual subscription is only £35 per person for the season, plus a weekly attendance fee of £4 per person.
Meetings are held at 7.30 pm on Thursdays at the Portland Centre, Hopeville Avenue, St Peters, Broadstairs CT10 2TR, starting on 10th September.
Broadstairs businesswoman in National Entrepreneur Awards
A Broadstairs businesswoman who continued supporting clients through two years of bereavement, caring responsibilities and personal uncertainty has been named a finalist in the 2026 National Entrepreneur Awards.
Jane CoomberSewell, founder of CoomberSewell Enterprises LLP, has been shortlisted in the Most Inspiring Entrepreneur category, with the winner set to be revealed at the ICC Birmingham on 7 September.
Jane, who has a PhD and is a member of Mensa, helps people get important work finished, polished and out into the world.
Working virtually with clients across the UK from her base in Broadstairs, that can mean proofreading or editing a thesis, dissertation, book or other document, helping an author shape their work, supporting someone towards submission or viva, or simply providing a calm pair of eyes when they have been staring at the same words for too long.
But her recognition comes after a period in which running a business has had to compete with significant challenges away from work.
Over the past two years, Jane and her wife Joyce have experienced bereavement, taken on additional caring responsibilities and dealt with what she describes as a relentless mixture of uncertainty and exhaustion.
Throughout it, she has continued to run her business, look after existing clients and maintain the standards she expects of herself.
The news that she had reached the final arrived in suitably unexpected circumstances.
Jane said: “I found out while standing in the middle of a vintage shop in Brighton, which was not quite where I expected to receive that particular piece of news!
“I honestly do not know why the judges chose me from what I am sure was a very strong field of nominees. I am genuinely delighted, slightly astonished and very grateful that the work I do has been recognised in this way.
“The last two years have involved a fairly relentless mixture of bereavement, caring responsibilities, uncertainty and exhaustion, but I have continued to run my business, look after my existing clients and maintain the standards I expect of myself.
“I have not done that with perfect grace or endless positivity, and I would never pretend otherwise.
“Perhaps what appealed to the judges was that my story is not really about being superhuman. It is about adapting when life becomes difficult, continuing to help other people move forward, and trying to turn some very painful experiences into greater empathy and something useful.”
Making the final has not changed Jane’s approach to the work.
She added: “I am still me, still slightly obsessive about words, still interested in the person behind the document, and still determined that clients should come away feeling more confident and capable than when they arrived.”
Jane is currently focusing on growing the proofreading and editing side of CoomberSewell Enterprises, while also looking for university partners to beta test her Accountabuddy app.
She will also be delivering workshops at a writing retreat in Broadstairs in October.
Run by Entrepreneurs Circle, the National Entrepreneur Awards are now in their 14th year, celebrating the entrepreneurs who build, inspire and transform the UK economy.
Nigel Botterill, founder of Entrepreneurs Circle, said:“There is a tendency to talk about inspiring entrepreneurs as though they’re people who simply power through everything life throws at them without ever struggling. Real life isn’t like that.
“What makes Jane’s story inspiring is that she doesn’t pretend it is. She’s faced an incredibly difficult couple of years personally while continuing to serve her clients, run her business and find ways to use those experiences to help other people.
“Entrepreneurship takes resilience, but resilience doesn’t mean being superhuman. Sometimes it simply means adapting, carrying on and doing the best you can when circumstances are far from ideal.
“Jane’s story captures that brilliantly and she thoroughly deserves her place in the final.”
The winners of the National Entrepreneur Awards will be announced on Monday 7 September at the ICC Birmingham across 10 categories, including the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year.
Margate Mayor Greek lunch fundraiser
Due to the success of last year’s Greek Lunch, we are delighted to be returning to Walmer Castle Greek Taverna for another afternoon of great food, friendship and fundraising.
Date: Sunday 25 October
Time: 12:30pm for 1pm
Location: Walmer Castle Greek Taverna, 39 Canterbury Rd, Westgate-on-Sea CT8 8JT
Cost: £30 per person
Join the Mayor of Margate for a relaxed Sunday lunch at Margate’s much-loved Greek Taverna. Enjoy a traditional Greek meze feast — as much as you can manage — full of fresh flavours, generous portions and warm hospitality. We can’t promise you views of the Aegean Sea, but we can promise great food and great company!
It’s the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, while helping to raise money for the Mayor’s Fund.
Booking essential:
[email protected]
07483 301634
Please make payment via BACS or cheque to:
Margate Charter Trustees
Sort Code: 40-32-02
Account: 71192787
Or book online at: www.ticketsource.com/margate-charter-trustees (booking fees apply)
East Kent Freemasons
Lodges and Chapters from Group 6 of the Masonic Province of East Kent have joined forces to support the lifesaving work of Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS).
Their fundraising was match-funded by the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons’ Charity, bringing the total donation to an impressive £9,430.
KSS has been saving lives for more than 35 years. The service began in 1989 as South East Thames Air Ambulance and treated its first patient that December. It was renamed Kent Air Ambulance Trust in 1990 before expanding to cover Surrey and Sussex.
Over the ensuing decades, the charity has been at the forefront of pre-hospital emergency medicine. Doctors were introduced to its crews in 2005–06, and in 2013 it became the first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in the country to operate around the clock. That same year, its medical teams developed the ability to provide blood transfusions at the scene of an emergency, followed by the introduction of freeze-dried plasma in 2014.
In 2017, KSS became the first air ambulance service to operate the state-of-the-art AW169 helicopter. A second AW169 joined the fleet in 2019. The charity moved to its purpose-built operational base and training centre at Redhill in 2018, where a specialist medical cabin simulator allows crews to practise treating patients in conditions closely resembling those aboard the aircraft.
Representing the Group 6 Lodges and Chapters, Bob Hadlow was invited to visit the Redhill base, accompanied by Mark Costelloe and Peter West on behalf of the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons’ Charity.
During the visit, the three representatives were given a fascinating insight into the work which takes place behind the scenes to keep the service ready to respond.
Their tour included the operational centre, crew standby facilities, emergency response vehicles and training simulator. They also had the opportunity to see one of the charity’s helicopters at close quarters.
It was also evident the charity isn’t standing still; they are investing in new avionic technology to enable their helicopters to operate in more difficult weather conditions.
They are exploring the use of drones to deliver defibrillators to emergency calls ahead of response teams; also a young ambassador scheme to encourage young people to become involved with emergency health care.
The visit concluded with the presentation of the £9,430 cheque to KSS paramedic Richard and fundraising liaison Fran. Both expressed their deepest thanks for the generosity and fundraising efforts of Freemasons throughout East Kent.
The donation is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when Lodges, Chapters and the Province’s charitable organisations work together. It will help KSS continue to provide highly skilled, rapid emergency care to seriously ill and injured people across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Merchant Navy Day
I was surprised at the number of Red Ensigns displayed this year in Thanet for National Merchant Navy Day (September 3rd;) and on behalf of all of us to those who supported the Merchant Navy in thought and deed I thank you all.
In particular the report submitted by the Lady Mayor of Ramsgate, Cllr; Raushan Ara and her kind words to our merchant seafarers and the Margate Mayor and Birchington Council for flying our Red Ensigns again and those who decorated their houses, it was great to see.
Phil Hughes (M.N. Rtd;)
Redrow South East
Housebuilder Redrow South East has re-launched its official Community Fund for 2026. The £10k fund, which will be split into two rounds, is launching for the third year, and will continue its support of the community work led by groups, schools, organisations and individuals across Kent and East Sussex.
The initiative aims to help local organisations and individuals at the heart of their communities access the equipment, resources, and support they need to continue their valuable work that makes a lasting difference to groups and individuals across the region.
Following increased demand, Redrow South East’s Community Fund will host two funding rounds over the next 12 months, totalling £10k, with the first £5k fund launching this month. Local organisations can apply for a share of the £10k, helping to support a variety of local community working including helping to supply new books for school children, new kit for a sports team, or even craft supplies for a youth group.
Over the past two years, Redrow South East has supported almost 20 community organisations, schools, and individuals through its Community Fund, helping to bring a wide range of local projects to life across Kent and East Sussex.
Stuart Galloway, Sales Director at Redrow South East, comments: “We are delighted to have opened applications for our Community Fund once again, as part of our ongoing commitment to creating thriving communities both within our developments and across the wider area.
“It’s been fantastic to see how our 2025 recipients have used their funding to make a real difference in their communities. From supporting local festivals and community initiatives, to providing spaces for children to flourish, sponsoring grassroots sports teams and contributing to conservation initiatives across Kent and East Sussex, we’ve seen first-hand the positive impact this funding can have.
“We know the important role that local groups, organisations and individuals play in creating happy, healthy and safe communities, and we’re looking forward to supporting even more inspiring initiatives this year. We encourage anyone with a project that could benefit from funding to apply and tell us how we can help turn their ideas into reality.”
The Community Fund is now open with applications closing at midnight on 30 September.
A new round of funding will then launch at the beginning of 2027 as Redrow South East continues its ongoing commitment to supporting local communities across Kent and East Sussex. To find out more about the Community Fund and how to apply, please visit: https://www.barrattredrow.co.uk/news/2026/redrow-southeast-re-launches-official-community-fund
