NEWS
CHAPEL HOUSE ESTATE TO FUNDRAISE FOR PAEDIATRIC CARE CHARITY
HAMZA YASSIN OPENS NEW SWIFT BOXES AT THE MARLOWE THEATRE
Wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin has officially opened two new triple swift boxes at the Marlowe Theatre, helping to create safe nesting spaces for the endangered birds across the Canterbury area.
Swifts rely on buildings for nesting but they are now red-listed and considered endangered in the UK, partly due to older buildings being refurbished and sealed, and modern buildings now offering minimal opportunities to nest.
Chapel House Estate has announced plans to host a special afternoon tea on Saturday 27 June, donating 100 % of proceeds to The Evie Dove Foundation to fund specialist training for paediatric healthcare workers.
The Foundation was established in memory of Evie Dove, who died aged 13 from a brain tumour. Following the care she received from teams at King’ s College Hospital, The Royal Marsden and the QEQM Hospital in Margate, Evie’ s family and friends created the charity to support specialist training for professionals. So far, the Foundation has funded training for more than 270 NHS healthcare workers.
After hearing about The Evie Dove Foundation at a local quiz night, Chapel House Estate founder Darren Ellis immediately wanted
to support the cause. What began with offering the venue for the charity’ s Christmas party has since grown into an ongoing partnership, including the creation of the bespoke Evie Dove Sparkle cocktail, available across the estate’ s restaurant and function menus, with 60 % of profits donated to the Foundation.
“ Chapel House Estate hasn’ t just supported us, they’ ve fully embraced our mission and our values,” said Helen Paxton, trustee at the Foundation.“ We exist to keep compassion at the heart of paediatric care by funding training for talented healthcare workers, and to see Chapel House Estate go above and beyond in support of that mission means the world to us. We’ re looking forward to celebrating our partnership with this afternoon tea. It’ s going to be one for the memory bank.”
To help combat this, the Marlowe Theatre has partnered with Canterbury District Swifts, part of a wider network of swift conservation groups across Kent, to install nesting boxes on the top of the theatre’ s building.
Hamza previously filmed a dedicated colony of more than 40 pairs of swifts on a UK residential street as part of the BBC series Hamza’ s Hidden Wild Isles and was invited to unveil the boxes ahead of his own performance at the theatre. He was joined by the Marlowe’ s Team Green group, who are dedicated to working on green initiatives and improving sustainability within the theatre.
SUNRISE FOYER ACHIEVES EXPLORER LEVEL ACCREDITATION
Sunrise Foyer has achieved Explorer Level accreditation from the Foyer Federation, recognising its commitment to high-quality support and services for young people facing homelessness or housing insecurity.
Part of mhs homes, Sunrise Foyer provides accommodation and tailored support for people aged 16 to 25, helping them build confidence and move towards independent living. The achievement means all three of the organisation’ s Foyers- Sunrise, Endeavour and Springboard- have now reached Explorer Level status.
The assessment praised Sunrise for its strong early practice, trauma-informed approaches, and resilient team. Staff were commended for building positive relationships, supporting progress across education, employment, health and independent living, while also developing plans to strengthen digital access and participation.
“ Sunrise Foyer’ s accreditation is a fantastic achievement and a real reflection of the passion and professionalism of the team,” said mhs homes chief executive, Marie- Claire Delbrouque.“ In just a short time, they’ ve created a space where young people feel safe, supported and able to rebuild their confidence. Having all three of our Foyers now accredited at Explorer Level is something we’ re incredibly proud of as an organisation, and it shows the real impact our services are having on young people’ s lives.”
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