Active locally in the community and internationally.

Local communities

Covid: foodbanks; domestic abuse; hospice care; facemasks and other protective clothing; homelessness; laptops for children.

In the course of the Covid pandemic, we supported local foodbanks and have continued to do so.We have made donations to Oasis, dealing with domestic abuse, and to the local Pilgrims Hospice.

We committed funds to support a local group of sewers Thanet Facemasks who, by mid July in the first year, had provided 12,000 masks for essential workers across Thanet. We also gave funds to the Kent Coast Volunteers Hub for protective clothing for volunteer workers providing a community transport service to get people to their NHS appointments. Funds have also been directed to Porchlight, for their work with the homeless, and to Age UK.

In 2021, we gave 5 Chromebooks for the children at  Millmead Children's Centre. Also, we  supported Margate Rotary Club in collecting no longer wanted computer laptops to be redirected to local schools. These were generously given by friends, family members and the people of Thanet. They are electronically cleaned and set up with an up to date educational programme. We have collected over 50 and are still open for business, if anyone wants to get in touch.

All else: boxing nights; pantomime and concert; scouts and sea cadets; young families; hospice care; homelessness; sponsored walk; fireworks and litter picks; anniversary of Viking ship landing;  other good causes.

For 14 years, in partnership with Ramsgate Boxing Club, we organised charity boxing nights at the Margate Winter Gardens raising around £440,000 which has been used for the benefit of many good causes  at home and abroad.

We have continued to raise money and provide pleasure and enjoyment for the children from Millmead Children's Centre and children from other local schools with a Christmas pantomime at the Sarah Thorne theatre in Broadstairs.Sadly the future of the Millmead centre looks to be in doubt as Kent County Council reviews expenditure. At the other end of the age range, there have been concerts at the Pavilion in Broadstairs by the Broadstairs and St Peters Concert Band to help keep all our spirits up, especially those who are at risk of feeling isolated from the community. In last couple of years the Sandwich Concert Band have performed at these concerts which have now moved to the Baptist Auditorium in Broadstairs.

We had some Covid  concerns - sadly realised - about our planned sponsorship  of the pantomime Puss in Boots on 11 December 2020 and the Pavilion concert earlier in the year. The pantomime was cancelled and the concert postponed for the foreseeable future. But, thankfully they are now resumed, Aladdin 13 December  2024 being the latest.

Most Decembers, we were  to be found at  the Broadstairs Tesco store waving our collecting buckets while the boys and girls of the local Scouts and Sea Cadets offered to pack customers' shopping for a small donation. Again, Covid determined that it did not happen during  Covid lockdown and the immediate aftermath. Given changed shopping patterns and other demands on our members, these collections have ceased.  We remain in contact with Tesco in case different opportunities arise. In 2024 we raised almost £900 from Tesco's Community Bookcase scheme and are aimimg for the same in January and February 2025.   

Our club make regular donations to Millmead Children's Centre, to Porchlight helping to deal with homelessness and to the Pilgrims Hospice. We were particularly proud in 2020 to organise our first charity walk along the Thanet coast in support of these causes and for our own charity funds.We raised some  £7500. We have have organised 4 walks over the years raising almost £19,000 Porchlight, Pilgrims Hospice and Millmead have continued to be the beneficiaries. Sadly we have not been able to organise these walks over the last couple of years,

And we have made the occasional donation to the Sarah Thorne theatre, recognising its importance in bringing drama and entertainment to the community, as well as providing a venue where many groups can organise their own money raising events. The theatre had to close during Covid, but thankfully it is back in business.

We are members of the Broadstairs and St Peters Chamber of Commerce and have been  happy to help raise money at the fireworks displays which are so enjoyed in Broadstairs.

We have supported many more good causes and have taken the opportunity to work alongside the Broadstairs Town Team in a beach clean at Viking and Stone bays.Most recently we and other Thanet Rotary clubs assisted Cliffsend Parish Council in celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Viking ship arrival at Pegwell  Throughout the year we aim to respond sympathetically to requests for support from various bodies.

We look forward to working with the many other wonderful community organisations who are so important in Thanet.

International

Polio and Covid; refugees; disasters in the Caribbean; hospitals in Uganda and in Nepal; eye treatments in Cambodia; help in Venezuela; close working with Rotary clubs in Belgium and France; having fun.

Alongside other Rotary clubs, we support  ' End Polio Now ' . The continent of Africa has recently been declared free from polio, so that this dreadful illness is now endemic in just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is likely that the field workers currently administering the polio vaccines will be deployed to help with any Covid vaccinations which might emerge. And indeed, it may be the case that helping the international response to Covid will become a priority for our club.

Please see our separate page  describing our support for  'End Polio Now'. and the importance of trusting vaccines.

In recent years our club has responded to the needs of refugees in Kent and to those caught up in the  hurricane disasters in the Caribbean. We have donated a substantial sum towards hospital services in Uganda (please see separate page Working in Uganda) and funded a portable anaesthesia machine in Nepal.

We are longstanding supporters of ShelterBox which helps provide shelter for people caught up in disasters overseas. We took possession of a ShelterBox last year which we hope to put on show when Covid allows. Look out for this and see what a difference it can make to the lives of families in crisis.

In addition, last year we were able to raise funds and send a donation to Healing Venezuela, a charity providing assistance with health services in that country.

We have close relations with 2 clubs in Belgium and France (Comines and Bourbourg. You will find links to their facebook pages if you check in the Links page on our website.) Alongside Comines and other clubs in France and Belgium, we and Rotary District were able to make a financial commitment  last year to a marvellous project in Cambodia providing eye treatments by boat for the people living along the Mekong river.(Please see separate page Les Yeux du Monde.) The project has been  supported by Rotary Foundation, which means that it will benefit from even more funds.

It was our turn last year to invite Comines and Bourbourg to join us for a weekend in Greenwich. We were set fair for a fantastic time in May when Covid brought things to a halt. We exploed again whether we might pusue this event foe 2022, but the Covid uncertainties have beaten us.   

Covid aside, we don't wait for specially organised weekends to socialise.We have developed many long friendships and there are many visits to each others' clubs.

Fun and Fellowship

Our Vocational and Sports and Entertainment colleagues had plans for us with possible visits to Margate caves and an interesting evening learning something about the Windfarm off the Thanet coast.

We like to stretch our legs and look forward to our country walks, rounded off with a deserved pint. Perhaps also a bit of clay pigeon shooting? Covid put paid to all these plans, but thanks to the marvellous vacinnation programme there may be a way through. with Crazy golf and a meal at Quex in 21 June 2021. Who would have thought this could cause such excitement? And we have picked up since then with a visit to the theatre, a bowling evening and more.