What's On

 More Hythe Town Council Craft Fairs!

Following the success of our first Christmas Fair in December 2021, we have decided to have more fairs this year in the Town Hall and Undercroft.

In line with the declaration of a Climate and Environmental Emergency in 2019, we are inviting our very creative local Makers to rise to the challenge to be as environmentally aware as possible by observing the 4 R’s.

• Re-use waste.
• Re-use materials destined for landfill.
• Recycle materials where possible.
• Re-think. (Is this material sustainable?)

Along with our fairs, each time we shall have our faithful and knowledgeable volunteer, Chris, in the Undercroft whom many of you will have met already at previous events. She will help with any eco-questions you may have.

Income generated by table fees will go towards the cost of the High Street Christmas lights.

If you are a local Maker and would like a table, please go to the section “Information for Stallholders.”

Hope to see you at one of our fairs!

Christmas Fair:                       Saturday 26 November 2022

Plastic-free decorations welcome.

Hythe families not forgotten this Christmas, thanks to present appeal
Salvation Army calls on local community to donate presents to families in need
A local church and charity is making sure that dozens of children from Hythe and Romney Marsh will wake up to presents on Christmas Day.

Hythe Salvation Army Church and Community Centre on Portland Road is encouraging people to add an extra toy to their shopping list so that families struggling to buy a gift for their children can make sure there is a surprise under their Christmas tree this year.

Church leader, Lieutenant Susan Shorland-Compton, says: “During the festive season, when many are enjoying celebrations with friends and family, others are struggling to make ends meet.

“Our team of volunteers will be out delivering your generous Christmas gifts to those who might otherwise go without.

“The Christmas Story inspires us as a church to reach out to those in need, so we’re running the Christmas Present Appeal to ensure every child gets a present.”
Once again, The Salvation Army are partnering with Age UK, St Leonards Church, Hythe, Romney Marsh Resource Centre and Hub, Hythe Town Council and Rotary in Hythe to help make this festive dream a reality. People are invited to drop off a new, unused toy for a child aged 0 to 16 years at the
Age UK – Stade Street, Hythe – Mon-Fri 9-3/Sat 10-1
Hythe Bay Financial, 141 High Street, Hythe – Mon-Fri 9-4
Hythe Town Council Offices, Stade Street, Hythe – Mon-Thurs 10-1
Romney Marsh Community Hub, Rolfe Lane, NR – Mon-Fri 9-4
Romney Resource Centre – Unit 4, Mountfield Road, NR – Mon-Thu 9-5
Saltwood General Stores – Mon-Fri 6:30am-6:00pm
The Salvation Army, Portland Road, Hythe – Wed 10-12

The Salvation Army will sort and distribute the gifts to children and families in the area through The Salvation Army’s own networks, local groups, and social services.
Gifts can include anything from soft and educational toys for the very youngest child, to games, toys and accessories for older children.

“Last year we delivered well over 100 presents to local families in need. It’s wonderful to see children’s faces light up when they open their Christmas presents. If you have children, grandchildren, or children you support, think of what they might like in their Christmas stocking and consider buying an extra present and donating it. We’re asking for brand-new toys or gifts so the families we support feel extra special.”

We are grateful for all donations we receive, but food items and used products are not appropriate for this appeal.

In addition to its Sunday Church services, The Salvation Army works throughout the year to provide compassionate support, a listening ear, and practical help to people who are vulnerable or in need in Hythe through its foodbank and community programme, including a club for older people and two Toddler Groups.

For more information about the Christmas Present Appeal, please contact Lt Sue on 01303 268 792 or email hythe@salvationarmy.org.uk

World Kindness Day: Saturday November 13th

World Kindness day is happening soon!

This year Hythe Town Council will be hosting a small event in the Undercroft on World Kindness  Day, outside the Town Hall, in order to celebrate the kindness of Hythe people and encourage it to flow into every home, nook and cranny!

Remember Lockdown?! How could we forget!  Our community responded with enthusiasm to the challenge of caring for our vulnerable residents so that our Age UK Hub had sufficient volunteers to provide hot meals, shopping, befriending, prescription collection, dog walking and more.

We know that so many of you are kind, helpful and generous with your time and money in so many different ways, whether it’s working with an organisation such as the Civic Society, Rotary, one of our churches or youth organisations or else quietly looking after neighbours and friends.

So we shall be celebrating you all and also encouraging you to make that kind feeling surge everywhere so that all are included, whether it’s through a simple kind smile, message or act of random kindness, like letting someone with a couple of items in front of you at the checkout for instance.

We shall have a small range of free tokens of kindness for you to take from our stand provided by those attending Age UK workshops as well as by students who work at the Shed.

Children will be able to have a go at making their own Kindness Day badges and everyone will have the opportunity to make a Kindness Pledge on a label.

Meanwhile, does anyone out there happen to have such a thing as a giant cup that we could borrow to use as a Kindness Cup in which to put our Kindness tokens?

Do come and see us so we can all celebrate the Kindness Of Hythe!

“We’ll also have, thanks to the energetic gleaners in the Hythe Enviromental Community Group, a huge bag of apples for people to help themselves to”.

Extra goodies for World Kindness Day… coming up this Saturday… 11.00 – 15.00 pm Town Hall Undercroft!

Thanks to the kindness and generosity of the Farthing Common Plant Centre we have daffodils to give away as part of our event to celebrate the kindness of Hythe people.

So you can take your Kindness Daffodil and plant it in a pot for your window ledge or garden and as it flowers you’ll be reminded of the kindness of our locals.

Second  update, it remains challenging: Plastic Free July, Update 2

A first update, 11 days into the challenge: Plastic Free July 1st Update

Plastic free July is here!

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people to be part of the solution to plastic pollution so that we can have cleaner streets, seas, and countryside.

We will be at the Undercroft in Hythe this Saturday 5th June from 11am – 2pm to celebrate World Environment Day. This is a day to think about how we can preserve  nature and restore it.

Come and chat to us. We will have…

• Free activity packs for kids (beautifully designed to engage children with nature locally).
• Information and talks about alternatives to plastic.
• Information displays and conversation about how to live more sustainably.

Thursday, 20th May 2021 is World Bee Day, a day launched by the United Nations in 2017 to celebrate bees and the crucial role they play in the world as pollinators.

The 20 May is the birth date of Anton Janša (1734–1773), a Slovenian beekeeper, who is seen as the pioneer of modern beekeeping and one of the greatest authorities on the subject of bees.

To mark this day, we will “bee” in the Undercroft from 11am to 2 pm that day.
Everyone welcome – bring flowers, honey, & all bee-related things.

https://bit.ly/3frLxtt

Mental Health Awareness Week – Nature

This year the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week is Nature, as so many people (45%) reported that last year in Lockdown, being outdoors in the natural environment was essential for their wellbeing.

It is not just being in nature but how we open ourselves up and interact with it that counts. Even small contacts with nature can help reduce feelings of isolation, research shows.

We at Hythe Town Council thought we’d put together a few ideas for you, as we are lucky enough to live in such a varied natural environment locally. You don’t have to do them in order. You might want to pick just one idea and do it every day or just try the ones that appeal. You can do them on your own or with a friend.

Monday, 10^th May: Try this calming breathing exercise: It’s great if you’re stressed and perfect for those giving up smoking and suffering cravings.

What this does is to re-balance the ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide. An in-balance can lead to panic attacks. The exercise literally gives you breathing space and gives your mind a break.

• Start by sitting quietly for a few moments with your hand on your diaphragm. Notice how it rises and falls as you breathe.
• Breathe in, counting to 4 in your mind as you do so
• Hold your breath, also counting to 4 in the same rhythm
• Breathe out, counting to 5 in the same rhythm.

If you suffer from shortness of breath try breathing to 3 in, 3 to hold and 4 out.

You may like to try this each day for the whole week.

Tuesday 11^th May:

Befriend a tree and observe it closely: the bark, the shape of it, the buds or leaves. You may even want to hug it, or sit with your back against its firm trunk and feel the support its strength offers you. Listen to the birds and perhaps practise your breathing exercise. You may want to visit your tree several times over the week.

Wednesday 12^th May: Walk along the beach. Feel the shingle beneath your feet, the wind on your face and through your hair. Watch the waves and listen to the seabirds. Sniff the air and smell that distinctive scent of the sea.

Thursday 13^th May: Walk along the canal where it is greenest. Find a bench and just sit gazing at the greenery and abundance of nature. See the variety of colours and shapes of the trees. Notice the passers-by and say “hello” to them either in your mind or in reality. Send a smile to them too and wish them a happy day… again in your mind.

Friday 14^th May: Find a smooth patch of grass and take off your shoes and socks. Walk very slowly in that area, feeling each part of your foot touch the ground as you go; heel to toe. Imagine energy from the ground coursing up through your body into every cell.

Saturday 15^th May: Gaze at the sky and notice the colours and shapes of any clouds, or simply enjoy the deliciousness of a clear blue space with birds flying freely through it.  Notice the flight paths of the birds and imagine that kind of energy in your own body. Listen to their songs and the cries of the seabirds.

Sunday 16^th May: choose your favourite activities from the list above. You may even decide to do the lot. After all…it’s Sunday!

You might also like to check out ideas at:  www.mentalhealth.org.uk

• Twittter: @mentalhealth
• Facebook: @mentalhealthfoundation
• Instagram: @mentalhealthfoundation
• LinkedIn: @mental-health-foundation

For so many people, gardens have helped keep them sane during the last year and have been a source of joy and comfort. This is a golden opportunity therefore to celebrate our gardens, however small, huge, neat or wild.

Some of our councillors and members of the community will be hosting a low-key, socially distanced event in the Undercroft from 12.00- 3.00pm that day.
There will be seeds to swap and for children to take home. They will be able to take a pot made from folded newspaper along with instructions on how to make one themselves, along with a French bean to plant. You can even find out too how to make a cardboard compost bin.

There will also be a display of photos and information by a local resident who is in the process of planting a wildflower paradise for insects and pollinators to feast upon.

If you have seeds or plants to donate we will be delighted… and so will the recipients.

If you feel like writing a piece about your favourite part of the garden, or a poem, or taking a photo to put up on our display screens, we would love you to print it out and bring it along on the day…or you can post it through the letterbox of our Oaklands office by midday on Friday, 7th May 2021.

“As the world returns to normal, we can’t go back to business-as-usual.”

On April 22nd please join us in making a pledge to restore our Earth. We will be at the Undercroft between 10am -1pm with information and to take your pledge.

The following week we will be planting a Hornbeam at Oaklands Park to celebrate these promises, and the difference we can make together as a community.

National Storytelling Week 2021

January 30- February 6

National storytelling week takes place each year during the first week of February; it is usually celebrated with readings in libraries, cafes, bookshops, care homes, and public spaces. This year Hythe Town Council would like to celebrate by inviting people to share stories with the community online.

Stories help us to connect and learn from one another, as well being entertaining. Rarely have these things been so important as they are now, so please watch out for readings of both original and pre-loved stories on our website and social media pages between 30^th January – 6^th February.

Everyone has a story, if you would like to share yours with us, please email: admin@hythe-tc.gov.uk

When sending through your stories, please could you confirm that you give Hythe Town Council your consent to share your video on the Council’s website and social media pages.