New National Saturday Club sessions have launched at The Margate School with a full cohort of 20 young people aged 13 to 16 from across Thanet.

The sessions have been designed and put together by the team at TMS, led by Sam Giles and coordinated by Poppy Phibbs, both of Dream Safari. They cover many aspects of the Art & Design theme, including creating zines, designing tote bags, banner making with natural dyes, typography, printing and self-portraits which will be displayed at the end of year exhibition at Somerset House in London as part of the National Saturday Club’s annual Summer Show.

The sessions, which are running from March to July, have been funded by generous supporters of the TMS Crowdfunder campaign and through the Thanet Community Small Grants Fund as part of the Thanet Shared Prosperity Grant Fund. The Margate School Art & Design Saturday Club has received £10,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is delivered by Thanet District Council.

Cllr Ruth Duckworth, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property at Thanet District Council, said: “The Shared Prosperity Grant Fund is supporting Thanet’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to deliver a diverse range of community-focused projects. Each of these has the potential to improve the lives of residents in the five communities that have been identified as needing additional support.

“This funding can make a real difference to our residents. I am looking forward to seeing the progress on each of the projects as they develop, and to finding out more about the pilot schemes submitted as part of the Community Development Grant Programme.”

Uwe Derksen, Director of The Margate School, added: “We are delighted to be hosting and delivering the National Saturday Club, a unique opportunity in Margate and East Kent. The National Saturday Club fits our School’s ethos to support the local communities, a School in and for Margate. We look forward to developing the programme over the next years”.

Paul Allnutt, UK Network Director of National Saturday Club, said “By running an Art&Design Saturday Club, The Margate School is offering an invaluable opportunity for local young people to build their skills and confidence, discover their talents, and explore future pathways that are open to them in education and careers. We are delighted to welcome them to the National Saturday Club network.”