40th anniversary evening

On Thursday 19th October we celebrated our 40th anniversary with invited guests including the Gravesham Mayor Cllr Harold Craske and Mayoress Veronica Craske, the RSPB Chief Executive Mike Clarke, who was our special guest speaker, as well as guests from the RSPB South East Regional office, Northward Hill RSPB reserve and Bexley, Sevenoaks and Medway RSPB Local Groups.  Our special guests included past group leaders and partners: Malcolm and Sally Jennings and Jeff and Wendy Kirk and committee members who were associated with the founding of the group David and Angela Johnson and Penny Leeves.

Mike Clarke gave a passionate and inspiring talk of his own personal journey with nature, having grown up in Gravesend, volunteered at local Kent reserves as a teenage and described how the work of the RSPB has protected the important wildlife areas in North Kent and further afield.

We were pleased to present Mike with the total donations raised by the group over the last 10 years; £15,332 and Neville our treasurer thanked all our supporters for helping us raise this figure.

Mike presented long service awards to Julie and Chris Peeling and Sue Healey (10 years), Wendy Kirk (15 years) and two special 40 year awards to David Johnson and Penny Leeves.

After drinks, a special anniversary cake, nibbles and the raffle, Mike took questions from the audience.  I am pleased to say the evening was a great success and thank all who attended for making it so enjoyable.

Click here to see the photographs (as a video collage) of our 40th Anniversary .

Or alternative link if you do not have a Flickr account.

All photographs were taken by Mark Batcheldor. If you would like a copy of any of these photographs please contact  Paul for further details.

Here’s to the next 10 years!!

Paul