A group of London residents affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy have been treated to a day out in Margatre.
On August 31, several tourist attractions and businesses in Kent opened their doors to 49 adults and children affected by the tragic fire at the London housing block.
In a day trip organised by charity The ClementJames Centre and destination management organisation Visit Kent, the group travelled to Margate by a coach arranged by Sittingbourne-based company Chalkwell and enjoyed a day out at Dreamland.
The group were welcomed by Dreamland mascots, Teddy and Betty, and given wristbands to access all the rides, including the historic Scenic Railway and Big Wheel. In the afternoon, they explored the shops, restaurants and galleries of Margate’s Old Town and braved the blustery weather to check out Margate’s beach and community beach hut.
Visit Kent Chief Executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh MBE said: “We were honoured to be able to work with The ClementJames Centre to arrange a day out to Margate for those affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
“It was a pleasure to host this lovely group for a day out by the seaside, and we very much hope our guests enjoyed their day in Margate and look forward to seeing them again soon.
“I would particularly like to thank our partners at Chalkwell and Dreamland Margate for their support and generosity in helping us to arrange the day, to the The ClementJames Centre for their hard work – and for choosing Kent as the destination for this special day.”
A spokesperson from The ClementJames Centre added: “Thank you to everyone from Visit Kent for organising the trip and for hosting us in Margate. It was lovely for members of the community to be able to have a break and visit somewhere outside of London for the day.
“I don’t think any of us wanted to leave and a lot of the children have been asking to go back to the beach!”