Kent Coast Volunteering (KCV) free workshops - Garden Interest Group (GiG)

Friends of Ellington Park (FoEP) and Thanet District Council (TDC) received Green Flag and Heritage Awards for the third year running based on the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) improvements at regenerating the band stand, balustrades, building a cafe, toilet facilities, and also for the great community use of the park, such as Ramsgate Festival of Sound, POW and Community choirs.

AgeUK meet at the café on Tuesdays at 1pm; Knit and Knatter meet on Wednesdays at 11am; as well as GiG group and lunch club to name a few of the free drop-in groups at the café.

FoEP have set up a new group, GiG2, on the second Saturday of the month to learn more about the Cheal Garden design and help in the herb and wildlife garden. Feel free to join in, all welcome.

We have been liaising with local schools and in my role as a youth volunteer connector at KCV, I am encouraging young people (14 – 24 year olds) to get involved in all sorts of volunteering activities in Thanet. If you would like any further information, please contact me Kirsty.Peterkin@KCV.org.uk.

KCV and Sports Connect have been working together to help young people to access training and sports volunteering opportunities. Sessions were based in Ellington Park, and we have set up at Quarterdeck family hub every Monday after school for 11 – 17 year olds.

KCV and FoEP have been working with a Pie Factory group who meet on a Tuesday evenings from 5pm. They are called Action Community Thanet (ACT) who have been litter picking and helping to look after the park.

If you would like to help the environment and local area, Kent Coast Volunteering is supporting the new Clean Up hubs, launched in Ramsgate on November 20, for people and families that litter pick or are interested in getting involved in litter picking.

FoEP is a voluntary run committee, and we are linking up with KCV. We have lots of training opportunities coming up too.

For more information, please contact volunteering@kcv.org.uk and sam.pisano@cleanupuk.org.uk. Please look at the KCV website and look at our free online newsletter with lots of links to charities and community groups and free training/volunteer opportunities.

Written by:
Kirsty Peterkin
Kent Coast Volunteering

Photo: Peter, a volunteer from Winterstoke Gardens, is pictured with a youth volunteer training for the Duke of Edinburgh Award and who is based at Ellington Park with a local teacher.