RSP is committed to playing an active part in the Thanet community. Having supported numerous projects informally for many years, in 2019, RSP began to invest more formally in community projects with regenerative potential in East Kent – with funding now approaching a quarter of a million pounds in the last three years.
Projects in which we are involved, or have supported, include:
2023: Continued support for the Ramsgate FC holiday camps for youngsters eligible for the Government’s Free School Meals programme, including visits to the airfield and helicopter flights, donated by Helix AV
2022: A £750 donation to support the return of the RNLI fishing competition
2021: Contributing £10,000 to help the Monkton Nature Reserve Trust repair a broken water pipe and support its long-term development
2021: Supporting Ramsgate FC’s half term camp for youngsters eligible for the Government’s Free School Meals programme with a £16,000 donation and practical involvement – supported by community volunteers
2021: Supporting Ramsgate FC’s magical winter wonderland, with a £10,000 donation as part of our ongoing support of the club’s work to provide help for children in Thanet who need it most
2020: Making a £100,000 donation to AGE UK in Thanet, to help them to set up and staff a community hub, to ensure isolated, elderly and other Thanet residents were given vital support during the pandemic
2019: Supporting the Isle of Thanet Trees and Woods Initiative (ITTWI) initiative to plant more than 1,200 trees in Thanet with a £100,000 donation
In addition, RSP is active in a number of projects to invest in the future skills and employment potential of the region.
In 2019, RSP created the Manston Skills and Employment Board (MSE-B) – which includes representation from local education and training organisations, business, local authorities and other key stakeholders, to ensure people from East Kent have the right skills to take the wide range of jobs that will be created by the reopening of Manston.
The MSE-Board considers the future employment and skills needs of the airport following DCO approval, from planning and construction through to operation. The aim of the MSE-B is to ensure that Manston and associated businesses will have access to well-trained and experienced potential employees across a diverse range of skillsets. The MSE-B will do this by ensuring a comprehensive range of services are available to young people, job seekers and employers in the area around the airport. In 2020, just prior to the pandemic, the Manston Skills and Employment Board (MSE-B) attended the annual ‘Big Bang’ STEM event at Discovery Park, briefing students on RSP’s plans for Manston – and the wide range of potential careers that they could consider in the aviation sector.