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 have been contributing to local foodbanks, Thanet Foodlink, the Gap project in Broadstairs, the Salvation Army in Ramsgate and most recently the Marghate Independent Foodbank. We will continue to do so so long as funds permit. In addition, we have made donations to Oasis, dealing with domestic abuse, and to the local Pilgrims Hospice.
We have committed funds to support a local group of sewers Thanet Facemasks who, by mid July, had provided 12,000 masks for essential workers across Thanet. We have also given 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 have given 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 have been 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 so far 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; 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 continue 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. And, 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.
We had some Covid concerns - sadly now 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 as we edge towards the release of lockdown, we are starting to plan again and were able to support our regulat pantomime in December 2021.
Most Decembers we are to be found at the Broadstairs Tesco store
waving our collecting buckets while the boys and girls of the local Scouts and Sea Cadets offer to pack customers' shopping for a small donation. Again, Covid determined that it did not happen last year.
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 in2020 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 now had 3 walks over the years raising over £15,00.
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 has had to close for the time being because of Covid. This was a great shame, but they have resumed business and we have our much loved pantomime in December 2021.
We are members of the Broadstairs and St Peters Chamber of Commerce and are 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. 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.
'What We Do' Main Pages:
Eye treatments delivered by boat along the Mekon river in Cambodia in collaboration with Rotary Clubs in Phnom Penh, France and Belgium. And now Rotary club of Thanet
more£1,000 each to Porchlight, Pilgrims Hospice and Millmead Children's Centre from our latest walk! Over the last three years our club has organised a sponsored walk along the Thanet coast to raise charitable funds.
moreRotary Club of Thanet along with Broadstairs Town Team Garden Group plant purple crocus bulbs in support of World Polio Day
moreWe were pleased to support Broadstairs Town Team's beach clean in Viking and Stone Bays. And we were at it again, this time helping with the repainting of the jetty in May 2021.
moreCaring Rotary
moreRotary Club of Thanet, in partnership with Ramsgate Boxing Club, organised hugely successful boxing nights raising almost £450,000. A substantial sum which was deployed to good effect.
moreThe Rotary Club of Thanet has raised £636.50 through Graham Channon who was last year’s Master at Arms. At Grahams discretion this amount was donated to The MS Society, a charity close to his and our members hearts.
morePlease help us to support the Ukrainian Disaster fund at this critical time. https://giving.give-star.com/online/rotary-foundation-of-the-united-kingdom/disaster-response Thank you
moreFor many years our club has treated children and their families to a night out at the Pantomime
moreAs well as the many deaths and much suffering, Covid has raised many societal issues which have demanded a response.
moreThe Freda Carr Hospital in Ngora Uganda A hospital restored
moreUPDATE: 15th February 2022. The Rotary Club of Thanet can announce that after their fundraising efforts on 27 November 2021 the club can now donate a ShelterBox. Picture shows members collecting outside our demonstration ShelterBox
more