The Thanet Extra is proud to announce that the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum is its charity of the year for 2016.

The museum at The Airfield, Manston Road, Ramsgate, will now benefit from a blitz of publicity in the pages of the Thanet Extra, online at kentonline.co.uk/thanet and on the paper’s social media feeds.

Museum manager Matt Demedts said: “Daphne Sharp, one of our eagle-eyed volunteers, spotted a story inviting organisations to apply to become charity of the year.

“She promptly entered us into the competition and the museum was informed in November that we had been selected.

“This means that our small museum will be able to enjoy a year’s worth of support from our local paper and that will allow us to get our message and stories out to our supporters.”

The KM Charity Team will help the trustees of the museum with fundraising advice and its supporters will get the chance to take place in a whole host of events with the aim of raising money. They include charity walks, abseils and testing their stamina on an assault course.

The museum hopes to use the money raised to buy new interactive displays to allow visitors to engage more closely with the objects on display and the stories behind them.

Matt said: “As a small charity this sort of support allows us to promote our museum to a much larger audience then we would otherwise.

“Over the next 12 months, we will be sharing stories of the people and volunteers who ensure our museum can stay open to the public, historical events and commemorations as well as updates on developments such as the new Home Front display due to start in April. Watch this space!

“Well done Daphne and many thanks to the KM Group and the Thanet Extra for championing our cause.”

Thanet Extra editor Leo Whitlock said choosing between so many good causes was an impossible task.

He said: “Reading through the applications to become charity of the year, it is astonishing how many charities there are in Thanet doing some amazing work and all because of the passion and dedication of those who volunteer and work for them.

“Just because we have chosen to focus on our charity of the year, it doesn’t mean we will not promote as many good causes as we possibly can.”

The team selected the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum because of the passion of its manager and hardy band of volunteers and trustees.

Leo said: “The museum tells the story of an important part of Thanet’s heritage – something we should never lose sight of no matter how acrimonious the debate over Manston Airport’s future becomes.

“They are determined to bring that history alive in new and innovative ways and I hope, with our help, 2016 will be their most successful year yet.”

The museum is home to an ever-increasing collection of memorabilia, both military and civil, mainly from the Second World War period.

The building contains two halls housing the Spitfire MK XVI (LF) and Hurricane IIC, complemented by a vast array of other artefacts.

The Spitfire Memorial Museum Building was officially opened on June 13, 1981, to house Spitfire TB752 and was the very first building to be erected on any RAF station to house a gate-guardian aircraft.

It cost £30,000 with funding from voluntary efforts and by donation from the people of Thanet.

The Hurricane Memorial Museum Building was officially opened by Dame Vera Lynn on October 7, 1988, to house Hurricane LF751.

That cost in excess of £100,000, being appreciably larger than the companion building.

It is free to get in and has a large selection of aviation-related items available for purchase.
During 1993, the Merlin Cafeteria was opened with a great views across the airfield.