WWII Normandy veteran Roy ‘Smudger’ Smith from Sittingbourne in Kent died in hospital on Friday 23 June, he was 97. Roy Smith is survived by his two daughters, Linda Harvey and Teresa Rising, five grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. Roy was born in November 1925 in Sittingbourne, Kent, the second youngest of seven children. From…
£400,000 from the John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust will allow Kent Community Foundation to offer multi-year funding to thirteen organisations across Kent and Medway. Thanks to the generosity and vision of the John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust, £400,000 has been made available to Kent Community Foundation to be used to support thirteen organisations. With running…
In September 1944, at the age of 19, Frank Ashleigh was the youngest airman to take part in Operation Market Garden. Frank Ashleigh from Kingsbury, who served in WWII with the Glider Pilot Regiment died on 18 June 2023 after a short stay in hospital, he was 98. Frank is survived by his wife Mavis…
Kent Community Foundation is delighted to award eight organisations a share of almost £460,000 from their Kent County Council funded Infrastructure Support Fund. The Infrastructure Support Fund opened in March with £600,000 from Kent County Council to support charities, community groups and CICs with existing, dormant or new infrastructure projects. The first awards totalling…
Between 19 and 23 June, the UK will celebrate and raise awareness of the essential work of the third sector during Small Charities Week. Over the last twenty one year’s Kent Community Foundation has awarded almost £60 million to small charities and community groups across the county. Last year, Kent Community Foundation awarded just…
100 year old WWII veteran Tommy Parkinson from Gospel Oak died on 2 June 2023. WWII Veteran Tommy Parkinson was born on 6 March 1923 and celebrated his 100th birthday this year. Tommy volunteered for Air Crew when he was 17. Having passed his health and aptitude tests but failing his maths, he joined the Rifle…
Taxi Charity volunteer cabbies took a group of veterans to Normandy for the 79th anniversary of D Day commemorations. For 75 years the London based Taxi Charity for Military Veterans has been supporting veterans. For many years they have been taking veterans to Normandy to the D Day commemorations so that they can pay their…
A flight from Warton Aerodrome enabled WWII veterans Ken Benbow, 97 and Stuart Taylor, 100 to attend the International D Day service at the British Normandy Memorial. Collaboration between BAE Systems, Central Lancashire Armed Forces Veterans Association and the London based Taxi Charity for Military Veterans enabled two WWII veterans…
The Taxi Charity was saddened to hear that WWII veteran Alexander ‘Alec’ Campbell Borrie, who served with 1st SAS had died in Darent Valley Hospital. WWII veteran Alec Borrie, 98, died in Darent Valley Hospital on 21 May. He was one of the last surviving members of the 1st SAS. Alec Borrie volunteered for the…
Last year, Kent Community Foundation awarded just over £4.5 million to over 700 community groups across Kent and Medway. Based in Ashford, experienced grant makers Kent Community Foundation has announced that in the financial year ended April 2023, it awarded just over £4.5 million in more than 880 grants, to over 700 grassroots organisations working…