[News] Thanet community news: Extension for Ageless Thanet, Christmas hamper giveaway

[_Happy boy]

Ageless Thanet
Social Enterprise Kent is delighted to announce that the Ageless Thanet programme has been awarded an extension from the National Lottery Community Fund to continue working with local older people to alleviate loneliness and social isolation. The project is part of a national programme called Ageing Better, designed to improve the lives of people over 50, by reducing loneliness and social isolation, and improving mental and physical wellbeing. Almost 150,000 people have been involved in the programme across 14 locations, including Torbay, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, and the Isle of Wight.

The Ageless Thanet project was planned to finish at the end of March 2021, but has now been extended until December 2021 in order to alleviate the difficulties faced by so many due to COVID-19.

Rebecca Smith, Ageless Thanet Programme Manager, said: “We are thrilled to have been given the opportunity to continue our work here at Ageless Thanet. This has and continues to be an incredibly isolating time for many people, so it has never been more important that projects such as Ageless Thanet are able to support those who are lonely. In the last five years since the project began, over 10,000 people have benefitted from our work, whether that is attending wellbeing activities, the Life Planning service, or receiving a free reward card that entitles them to discounts in local businesses. We thank the National Lottery Community Fund for their continued support, and of course National Lottery players without whom projects like Ageless Thanet would not exist.”

For more information about the Ageless Thanet project, please visit www.agelessthanet.org.uk, or call 01843 210005.

M and M Personal Assistants

We here at M and M Personal Assistants are giving away two hampers worth a whopping £100 pounds each and one runner up of two free cinema tickets to the Vue cinema. Prizes will be drawn live on December 16 and given personally on December 19 by one of our clients dressed as Santa and his two little helpers. You must be okay with a few pictures taken upon receiving prizes.

We have a condition, in our line of work we look after young adults with learning disabilities, we would like the prize to go to a family with a member with learning disabilities. We believe times have been hard enough to test anyone, especially to someone that can’t comprehend what’s been going on, and we want to spread a bit of happiness during these times.

All you have to do to enter is share our post, like our page and tag someone else in the comments that meets the criteria.

Find the post here

Thanet Lions Club
This year has been difficult for us and other charities because the pandemic has hindered our fundraising events such as car boot sales, summer fete and quiz nights. We have used social media and word of mouth to generate donations from the public and friends. By this means and using some cash reserves we are again able to help needy families this coming December. Normally we pack some 260 food hampers but as this is not possible instead we are purchasing food vouchers. The vouchers will be distributed with help from organisations such as Children Centres and schools.

In Birchington the “Birchington Advent Calendar Trail” has named Thanet Lions Club as the supported charity.

For next year we do hope our fundraising can return as our main source of income to help the community. In addition we have been selected by the Coop Community Fund as one of the charities to be supported, so if as a Coop member you nominate Thanet Lions the Fund will donate a percentage to us to help us help those in need.

Foreland Fields Charity is calling on supporters to nominate the charity to win a £1,000 festive financial boost as part of Ecclesiastical Insurance’s annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

The specialist insurer will be giving 120 different charities an early Christmas gift of a £1,000 donation, with 10 winners announced each weekday from 7th to 22nd December.

It’s quick and easy to nominate Foreland Fields Charity online. Nominations are open from 9th November to 21st December and you can vote for Foreland Fields Charity at www.movementforgood.com/12days

You only need to vote once.

Winners will be drawn at random and the more times Foreland Fields Charity is nominated, the more chance it has of being selected.

Foreland Fields Charity is a small charity that relies on donations and fundraising to support its on-going work with young people aged 3 – 19, living in Thanet and surrounding areas with profound, severe, and complex needs including learning disabilities and sensory impairments.

Fundraiser for the charity, Hilary Plowman, said: “Winning £1000 would make a huge difference to the charity at the present time. This year has been hard for everyone with the pandemic affecting so much, and Foreland Fields Charity has seen a major drop in income over this year with so many fundraising activities having been cancelled.

“If we won, it would allow the charity to continue its work supporting the mental health and physical wellbeing of the young people we work with and their families. Foreland Fields Charity has previously funded 2 fully inclusive playgrounds at Foreland Fields School. The specialist equipment is now enjoyed by the students on a daily basis and it is fantastic to watch them exploring, learning, and becoming more confident.

“We are now about to fund the installation of Sensory audio and lighting to the existing hydrotherapy pool situated within Foreland Fields School. Up until the pandemic, the pool was being used on a daily basis to provide hydrotherapy to over 250 users over the school year. There are many recognised benefits associated with hydrotherapy and the addition of Sensory audio and lighting can really help to increase these.

One of the students at the school, who is confined to a wheelchair, once told me after a hydrotherapy session ‘The water makes me feel free’ The smile on her face when she said it was beaming.

The project has been funded by means of fundraising and donations received and we are particularly grateful to the Thanet Fisherman’s Association, North Foreland Golf Club Ladies Team, The Ramsgate Mayor’s Charity Fund, and Premier Coatings (Kent) Ltd. Via FB Coales (No.4) Family Trust.”

Foreland Fields Charity is encouraging everyone to use their social media channels to ask people to vote for them to give the charity the best possible chance of winning. There are links on the Ecclesiastical voting website to make it easier to share.

Hilary Plowman added: “Foreland Fields Charity are now directing a campaign to fundraise for the conversion of an unused field behind Foreland Fields School into a sports field with inclusive pavilion, horticulture, and forest school area. It is the charities vision to create a central hub for disability sport and leisure, for use by Foreland Fields School and a wide range of partners who meet the needs of the local community. We have recently received donations totalling just over £6,000 but have a long way to go to reach our total target.”

If you would like to find out more about the charity and its current projects, please contact Hilary Plowman at fundraising@foreland.kent.sch.uk

If you are able to help the charity, please consider one of the following:

To donate directly please follow this link: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/donate?cid=226171&utm_campaign=CTDonateButton&utm_content=226171&utm_source=charitytoolkit&utm_medium=charitydonatebutton&wl=1&br=22&bc=e61f68

Shop though Amazon Smile and support Foreland Fields Charity (1178764): https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1178764-0

Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “As a commercial company with a charitable purpose, giving back is at the heart of our business. Our annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign will help charities change lives for the better and we know that for many charities, £1,000 can make a real difference. We’re encouraging everyone to nominate a cause close to their hearts this Christmas to be in for a chance to win a festive financial boost.”