A celebration of Thanet people, groups and organisations who were nominated as community champions was held at The Yarrow in Broadstairs today (July 31).
Thanet District Council hosted the gathering for everyone nominated for a Thanet Community Champions Award earlier this year.
More than 70 people came together to celebrate the work of Thanet’s voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and the people that go above and beyond to support their communities.
Each nominee was presented with a Thanet Community Champion’s ‘Highly Commended’ certificate.
Councillor Ruth Duckworth and Cllr Debra Owen Hughes were both in attendance.
Cllr Duckworth said nominees, and winners who received their awards in March, all “make Thanet such a great place to live.”
Cllr Owen-Hughes finished the event with an entertaining speech about “the power of community and extraordinary individuals…who lift each other up.”
Nominations for the 2026 Thanet Community Champions will open in the Autumn.
What a special group! Thank you to each and every one.
It is important that volunteers are never used to replace the duty held by government to provide caring services. A volunteers offers their services when they want to and do as much or S little as they want and enjoy doing. Often the service they offer their community is as important to them . When I researched this topic a few years ago volunteers talked about the enjoyment they got from being team members, feeling valued and needed. Having a reason to get up in the morning, . They told me it gave them a sense of purpose and it orirntsted them in time. This meant they knew where they were in the week! I now know these feelings myself. I also appreciated having something more interesting to talk about other than the weather, my health and the loop bus schedule!