The 2024 Annual General Meeting of The Cheerful Sparrows Thanet Charity was held on Thursday, 9th May 2024.

CHAIR’S REPORT TO THE AGM MAY 2024

This has been another interesting and challenging year for Cheerful Sparrows Thanet Charity. I must start by thanking all of our loyal supporters and ‘Friends’ who have been instrumental in making sure our charity is still very much part of the local community. This local support has always been a fundamental part of Cheerful Sparrows success. On this occasion, I would like to mention particularly:-

The Colyer-Fergusson Trust, Broadstairs Active Retirement Association, The Dickens’ Fellowship, Local Primary Schools, Bradstow Singers, St. Andrew’s Women’s Group, BradUkes, North Foreland Golf Club, Thanet Quilters, Margate W.I., Broadstairs W.I., GH Buskers, South-East Steel, Broadstairs Sailing Club and Carolyn Jones. In addition, three Freemasons organisations continue to loyally support us: Union Lodge in Margate, Caducean Lodge and LGRA- London Grand Rank Association. We are sincerely grateful to you all.

This year, thanks to the patience and tenacity of our trustees, Gift Aid donations are now established and our ‘Friends’ membership continues to grow steadily. We have also made sure our documentation is complying with the many demands of The Charity Commission. We have a new ‘Safeguarding’ policy and now a ‘Social Media’ policy. Two trustees attended the Thanet ’Levelling Up’ Conference in November.

We held a ‘Garage sale’ over the August Bank Holiday which proved to be fun and a popular success in the community. This raised awareness as well as funds. Trustees met with local professionals earlier in the year as part of an awareness-raising and outreach programme. We were keen to make sure that we were reaching those individuals and families in Thanet who needed our help most. We continue to maintain traditional links with the Cheerful Sparrows Wards at the QEQM Hospital and along with seasonal support, will try to help the staff and patients as much as we can.

After nearly nine years as a Trustee and seven of those years as Chair, sadly this will be my last report to the AGM. As Chair, I want to sincerely thank all those who have supported our charity, including my fellow Trustees. My resignation will now allow me the time to prioritise my health and hopeful recovery from the debilitating illness which first affected me in December 2023. My sadness at stepping down will be tempered by the fact that I am confident that I leave Cheerful Sparrows Thanet Charity in a strong position to face the future. I wish the charity every success. May Cheerful Sparrows long continue to support our local hospital and the most vulnerable in our community, particularly the children. They will always be in my thoughts.

Janis Buckley