Members of the Dumpton Youth Project and its Chairman, Chris Carter, receiving a cheque for £1200 from the Mayor of Ramsgate, Steve Ward, on behalf of the Ramsgate Charter Trustees, in the presence of Ward Councillors Michelle Fenner and Alan Poole.
Dumpton Youth Project spent this extra funding on organising some first aid training for several members of the community. It also organised a fantastic day trip to London for the youngsters of the Dumpton area. It included some museum visits, an outdoors ice skating evening and the London Eye. They want to arrange a similar educational and leisure trip to include the Science Museum and some fun activities. The Dumpton Youth Project was started a few years ago. It provides activities for around 100 young people every Wednesday evening at Newlands Primary School. It has also developed its own football team and trains with a professional football coach. Chris Carter, Chairman of Dumpton Youth Project is "keen to develop the club further and to be able to open its doors to the older teenagers."…. "They, too, need somewhere to go, if only to be in a safe place and have a chat" This project needs all the support it can get from the local community, including more adults to volunteer and train as youth workers.
HOOT “Hands Off Our Tennis” 28 Febuary
“HOOT” was formed at a public meeting on the 22nd of February attended by over 100 residents angered by TDC’s plans to sell off the tennis courts and adjacent land in Montefiore Avenue for property development. The photo shows committee members at their inaugural meeting with their local councillors; Michelle Fenner and Alan Poole.
• The plans were only revealed 6 days before the council cabinet meeting at which the decision to sell was rushed through. The hastily prepared residents’ petition containing 350 names was angrily rejected at the meeting by council leader Mr Ezekial.
• These tennis courts have served the community for over 70 years after the land was donated to the people of Ramsgate in the 1930’s.
• The decision to sell is seen as the culmination of a concerted series of actions by TDC to minimise the use of this site over the last few years in particular shutting the courts for over half the year and removing nets.
• TDC have adopted a 30% lower standard of provision than is the recognised national standard to justify the claim that these courts are surplus. This is despite the fact that Tennis ranks in the top 10 of leisure activities ahead of Squash, Badminton, Rugby and Cricket in a survey conducted by the SE Sports Council.
• The closure of this sports ground conflicts directly with Government planning policy objectives on the provision of sport and recreation facilities and undermines efforts to improve the fitness of the population and encourage healthier lifestyles.
• The Montefiore Avenue tennis courts are the only tennis courts between the centres of Broadstairs and Ramsgate. They are well served by the new coastal cycle routes and existing public footpaths. Located in a safe green enclave close to the park and joining onto the “Birds Bees and Butterflies wildlife habitat” being created at Holy Trinity School, they serve a large and rapidly expanding area containing many new dwellings with an above average proportion of young families.
• The decision to proceed with this sale is a blow to local schools that use this facility and a wake up call to all sports clubs in the area. This is likely to be only the first of many attempts to sell off council sports facilities for property speculation.
MONTEFIORE CONSERVATION AREA 14 November
The Government Planning Inspector who looked at the Local plan made a comment about the Montefiore site, and the need to protect it as an important facility for the residents of Ramsgate.
As ward Councillor I asked at Full Council earlier this year for the process of making it into a conservation area to be started.
I am pleased that this process has started, which will enable the local residents to access all the information and to express their opinions.
I hope that having a designated conservation area might present a big enough, albeit not completely water tight, obstacle for any kind of ruthless housing or commercial development, so that the residents of Ramsgate can enjoy the use of this green area, which is in the spirit of Sir Moses Montefiore's gift to them.
I consider this process as the first step towards the protection of the site, but we will need to remain vigilant and not let anyone encroach on this green space. This is what I intend to do as one of the 2 Ward Councillors for this part of Ramsgate, and I know that Cllr. Alan Poole agrees with me.
Cllr. Michelle Fenner
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