Several of our members attended the official launch of the Lord Mayor of Canterbury’s Charity of the Year for 2024–25 – East Kent Mind – held on Monday 23 June at Canterbury’s ABode Hotel. The Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Cllr Keji Moses, is a member of our Club and our members were very pleased to support her at the event.
Keji gave a brief but moving introduction in which she spoke about her personal connection to mental health and the reasons behind her choice of charity.
Simon Dolby, Development Lead at East Kent Mind, took the floor and explained how the five local Minds in Kent operate as independent charities – a point he stressed for potential donors. He emphasised that each branch is grassroots-led, with trustees working closely within their communities. Simon also highlighted some of the ongoing community-focused projects supported by East Kent Mind, including the Revival mental health café and the Kent Community Oasis Garden (KentCOG), a therapeutic outdoor space on the University of Kent campus.
Statistics show that approximately one in four people in Kent will experience a mental health problem in any given year. East Kent Mind aims to address this through practical support, awareness campaigns, and innovative community engagement.
Simon spoke about Katie, a Wellbeing Ambassador and volunteer, and described how and why the initiative had started. Keji hopes to encourage 100 people across the district to become East Kent Mind Wellbeing Ambassadors during her Mayoral year. Twenty new Wellbeing Ambassadors were trained recently, and Simon spoke of the “sense of pride” the ambassadors felt, knowing they would be contributing to something with meaningful impact.
Several upcoming fundraising events were mentioned, including the Big Walk and Talk on Sunday 6 July and the Mental Health Elf Fun Run on the last Sunday in November. Other campaigns include Wearing Blue (#wearitblue) and Bake It Blue (#bakeitblue), with East Kent Mind encouraging local employers to match staff fundraising totals.
We wish Keji success in her Wellbeing Ambassador challenge – and encourage everyone to consider how they can take one simple step to support mental wellbeing in the community.
To find out more about East Kent Mind and some of their initiatives please visit their website here.
Picture: Rotarians Julie Reza, Roger Hickman and Irina Marta join the Lord Mayor of Canterbury for a photo along with Paul Babra (who we have worked with during our Taste of the East fundraiser). Rotarian Andrew Clague was also present. Picture credit: Rotary Club of Canterbury.
