Ramsgate residents are invited to the biggest St George’s Day Spring Parade yet, powered by a new community partnership.
Great British Carnival, St George’s Church, and the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board join forces for a spectacular community celebration – where everyone is welcome – and the official celebration of the town’s ambitious ‘Pride in Place’ 10-year regeneration programme .
St George’s Church and Great British Carnival are joining forces with the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board to bring a spectacular St George’s Day Spring Parade and the ‘Pride in Place’ celebration to our beautiful town. We are calling out to Ramsgate residents to come and join in. Now in its fourth year, this popular and fun parade has even more to offer. There are Easter Holiday workshops, suitable for all ages and abilities, to make helmets, swords, shields, hearts, hobby horses, dragons, crowns, running daily (not weekends) from Tuesday 7 April, 1.30-3.30pm in St George’s Church.
Final parade preparations will take place in St George’s Church on Saturday 18 April from 12 til 3pm.The Parade will form up in the Churchyard from 12 noon on Sunday 19 April after the St George’s Day Church Service at 11am. Paraders will be entertained by a short traditional mumming play, ‘St George and the Dragon’ and the Parade will move off at 12.30pm. The route is down the pedestrianised High St to the Gates at the bottom of Harbour St, where the Parade about turns and heads back to the Church.
The event will be followed by a free community lunch in St George’s Church, leading straight into the celebration of Ramsgate securing ‘Pride in Place’ funding, which is £20m over a 10-year period. The church will be transformed to showcase the results of the ‘Bring It to Life’ creative grants, bringing the town’s new vision to life through the eyes of different local Ramsgate people and organisations. There will be local community art, audio displays, film, music and performances. Residents are invited to meet the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board to hear about the new community vision and plan built following the engagement sessions hosted last year. There will be an opportunity to share ideas on how the investment can have the most impact on the five Ramsgate Pride in Place Programme priorities: Open it Up; Clean it Up; Light it Up; Raise it Up and Join it Up.
Jemima Brown, Regeneration Officer for St George’s Church said, “Now in Year 4 of Project 200, our 5-year regeneration project, the Church and Hall continue to be the focus for lots of activity which brings the community together, with the shop and the weekly meal putting St George’s at the heart of the community in the Town Centre. The primary purpose of Project 200 is to ensure that residents and visitors from all walks of life can enjoy St George’s for multiple uses. We want to throw the doors open wider to people of all faiths and none. Last year’s parade was a lovely event, bringing people together to enjoy themselves. We have a beautiful Church in the centre of the Town and so we are excited to work with GB Carnival again and the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board to celebrate St George and his special place in our Town”.
Teresa Askew of Great British Carnival said “We are delighted to work with St George’s Church again to help create another St George’s Day Spring Parade event for the town. Teaming up with the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board makes this year even more special as we help celebrate the new Pride in Place vision. .
St George’s Day is celebrated throughout the World. In England, he became a symbol of bravery. In Portugal and Malta, people looked to him for protection. In Lithuania and Ukraine, he is honoured as a strong and protective saint and in Spain, especially in Catalonia, people celebrate him with books and roses every year. In Georgia, his name and story are deeply respected. He stands for courage, kindness and standing up for others. By welcoming all ages, faiths, and backgrounds, we are celebrating St George as a shared emblem of courage, care, and collective belonging for everyone in our town.”
Bernie Morgan, Chair of the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board said: “We are thrilled to celebrate Ramsgate’s Vision and Plan alongside such a joyful, community-led event. The Pride in Place Programme funding is all about backing our local community, and by partnering with St George’s and GB Carnival, we are demonstrating what active, visible inclusivity can be for our town. We want residents to come along, enjoy the celebrations, see the amazing ‘Bring it to Life’ creative projects, and talk to us about how we can work together to shape Ramsgate’s future.”
Across the world, different people chose St George for the same reason, because courage and standing up for others matters everywhere, so we are delighted Ramsgate’s Ukrainian community are coming to parade with us. Expect Giants, horses, dragons, princesses and, of course, St George himself. Following the parade, all residents are warmly invited back to St George’s Church to enjoy the free community lunch, view the ‘Bring it to Life’ creative showcases, and help shape Ramsgate’s future with the Pride in Place programme.
St. George's Church Ramsgate 