Dear <<First Name>>,

Vacancies on the Ramsgate Society Committee and Trustees

Photo: © Historic England

The Ramsgate Society Committee meets monthly at 6pm and usually on the first Thursday of the month at the Custom House. There are two posts for which we hope to recruit new members. For the role of Honorary Secretary there will be an induction period working alongside our current Secretary whereas the Green Agenda Lead is a new post.

As well as acting as Trustee of the Charity and member of the Executive Committee the

SECRETARY supports the Chair in managing the day to day business of the Society, makes all necessary returns required by the Charity Commission (with the exception of the annual accounts) and other bodies as requested; ensures the Society’s constitution is kept up to date in line with best practice; records the decisions of the Executive Committee and Annual General Meeting, ensuring nominations are properly sought and seconded for the appointment of Executive Committee Members; and seeks legal advice where there is a need to clarify the powers of the Executive Committee or Society.

THE EXECUTIVE LEAD ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE GREEN AGENDA will advise the Executive Committee on the ways in which it can raise awareness of climate change, sustainability and the green agenda and help to ensure that these considerations are integrated into the Society’s workplans. This is a new post and you would also take the lead in ensuring that all aspects of our work are aimed towards supporting and protecting the environment.

If you would be interested in becoming a Trustee of the Society and joining the Executive in one or other of these roles, please contact me.

Graham Woolnough

Our Next Talk: The National Nature Reserve of Sandwich & Pegwell Bay – July 15th at the Royal Temple Yacht Club

Photo: © Vicky Aitkenhead

We are delighted to welcome Agostina Campodonico, Protected Area Warden, to talk about the wildlife of Sandwich and Pegwell Bay and the ambitious future plans for the site.

Sandwich and Pegwell Bay is a coastal reserve full of incredible wildlife. Elusive cuckoos, rare lizard orchids and harbour seals can all be found here. Though it is recognized for having the best preserved sand dune system in South East England, this reserve is probably best known as a birdwatcher’s gem. Spring and summer give passage migrants a warm welcome as they stop for the breeding season. Nightingales and Cuckoos loudly advertise their territories whilst the perfectly camouflaged eggs of Ringed Plovers go unnoticed on the shingle. Autumn and winter see the arrival of a spectacular number of birds completing epic journeys from places as far as Canada, Siberia and Southern Africa, attracted by the warmth and vast expanse of the soft, unfrozen mudflats of the bay.

To hear about the work that goes on to support this natural gem come to this Ramsgate Society Talk – all are welcome but non-members of the Ramsgate Society are asked to consider a voluntary donation of £3. Doors open at 6:30 and places must be booked in advance.

Terry Prue

What’s Happening on the Sale of the Granville Theatre?

Photo: Ruth Cutler

The future direction for the now near-derelict Granville Theatre should be determined in a matter of weeks. Will it be confirmed as a community asset based on plans by the Kent Film Foundation or sold off and potentially left to the same fate as the Motorhouse on the West Cliff?

We asked Jan Dunn of the KFF for an update on the current situation as she sees it and we trust members will be interested in her response:

“Everyone, particularly Ramsgate’s residents, believe it should never have come to this – the building being sold on the Open Market. If both the leader Cllr Ash Ashbee and the deputy leader Cllr Reece Pugh stand by what they stated at the cabinet meeting on July 29th 2021 that they want to find a community group to take the buliding on, then why did they not work with us to turnaround their negative decision regarding Kent Film Foundation’s pursuit of acquiring it through a Community Asset Transfer with all their community arts partners involved in their bid. It just doesn’t make any sense at all. Especially as Cllr Pugh stated that “the drawbridge would not go up”.

The charity has garnered immense support for its specific bid with a petition created by local artist Karen Vost securing a huge 5500+ signatures. It is absolutely disgusting that the council as owners of this community asset have just allowed it to get in to such a dreadful state of disrepair. We were in the building last week when the rain was literally pouring in.

We have been doing everything they asked of us to go through the process of acquisition since 2017 – we could have been in there by now. None of the cabinet live in Ramsgate and they appear to just not care at all, or they’d have welcomed us in taking it off their hands.

The estate agents are only opening the building for viewing once a week on Wednesdays. We are aiming for a last blast of public presence at next week’s viewing period outside the building from midday until 2pm.

All supporters should know there is absolutely no reason what so ever that TDC cannot simply turnaround their decision and give KFF the building as a Community Asset Transfer. We think that it is clear they are only after as much cash as they can get in getting rid of it as a liability instead of actually supporting our bid. Our original business plan and proposal even had caveats to return the building straight to them if we had not managed to achieve our goals by various points of the plans.”

You can also download a bulletin from the Cinema Theatre Association on the fate of the Granville. Much of the historical background in this bulletin was provided by the Ramsgate Society.

The New Society Website

If you have not looked at the new Ramsgate Society website please take a look by clicking here: https://ramsgate-society.org.uk

I am particularly interested to hear if you find any problems. Hopefully just teething difficulties but we need to know so we can check and put them right.

Terry Prue – Comments on the website please to news@ramsgate-society.org.uk

Contact the Ramsgate Society

If you have any queries about or for the Society please get in touch

Members with events, workshops or news that you would like the Society to consider featuring in its newsletter please contact: news@ramsgate-society.org.uk