Churches in Whitstable and Canterbury have been recognised as 'Community Champions' in the inaugural . The awards ceremony celebrated individuals reviving businesses, clubs and charities in the Canterbury area. Winners included unsung heroes of the workplace, volunteers, community and business leaders, as well as champions of mental health.
St Alphege, Seasalter are giving thanks for recognition for their weekly Open Door community coffee morning. Karen Esland and Vaughan Lewis picked up the award on behalf of the team of 20 at the ceremony on Sunday 29 March.
Karen said: "St Alphege Seasalter, can be proud of the way we have brought our community together since Open Door was established decades ago. We currently welcome over 60 neighbours into our coffee morning each week and now have over 100 regulars who have become friends. We rejoice in the way we welcome all ages, currently from six months to over 100 years old, and in the friendships that develop."
Karen Esland and Vaughan Lewis pick up their award
Open Door has developed relationships with Age UK and welcomes regular visits from their Community Police Officers. The volunteers make cakes and over 2,400 sausage rolls each year. All are welcome to join Open Door at Seasalter Christian Centre each Thursday from 10:00am to 11.30am. Offers of help are always appreciated so that the team has plenty of time to talk to all visitors.
Liz Rook and Linda Dalton who run the Community Larder from All Saints Church, Canterbury were recognised as 'exceptional leaders whose compassion and commitment make a lasting difference in their community'. They run the larder each Friday morning, offering a vital, stigma-free foodbank service to individuals and families facing hardship. More than practical support, they create a welcoming and reassuring space rooted in dignity and care. They also organise an annual Christmas Market, raising funds for a festive dinner that brings joy and support to over 100 families each year at a time of great need.
Jane Myhill, Children and Families Minister from St John's Swalecliffe was recognised for her work with Whitstable Community Wardrobe and Whitstable Toys. Whitstable Community Wardrobe, now in its 8th year is a community initiative to recycle school uniforms for families in the Whitstable area. Local families donate any uniform which is no longer needed which is then fully laundered before open sessions around the town allow families to come and select what is needed for the coming school year. Last year over 370 families (641 children) were helped with over 3200 items distributed. Jane was also thanked for her work running Whitstable Toys which is also a recycling scheme for children's books. toys, games and puzzles enabling many children access to a whole range of toys and books they wouldn't otherwise have, all the items are free and nurseries and schools are supported as well as families.
Jane commented "It is a huge privilege to be able to help so many families who are constantly facing difficult decisions due to the cost of living and there are often visible signs of relief as families walk away freshly equipped with school uniform and / or toys, as well as the added bonus of knowing these items have been saved from being wasted."
The Lord Mayor of Canterbury was among those who presented awards and Whitstable author Julie Wassmer gave a keynote speech as we celebrated so many ways in which our communities are experiencing revival, connecting people and bringing hope. Deborah Haylett, Revival Food and Mood Executive Director, spoke of "the quiet changemakers who make our communities kinder, stronger and more hopeful" and who "create spaces where others feel they belong". She spoke of "what is possible when a community comes together".
Congratulations to everyone whose work was recognised and the teams who work alongside them.