fundraising for our community

Folkestone is full of charities of all sizes that are raising funds to make our lives better. From events we love attending, to vital community support, there are people working hard to make Folkestone the wonderful town we live in. Folkelife has put together a small selection of the work that’s going on here.

the sports trust

In 2025, The Sports Trust took control of the Folkestone Sports Centre. Along with its other ventures – Three Hills Sports Park, F51 and the Sea Sports Centre – the charity aims to make as many sports accessible to as many people in our district as possible.

They have just received a sum of over £5,700 from a fundraising lunch at Rocksalt to help them continue their work.  Rocksalt runs lunches across the winter months with famous sports personalities to raise funds for local charities.

CEO Dan Hulme says: “We are so grateful for all the donations we have received this last year.  It’s so important for community organisations to have the support to help continue the work they do.  Without this support it would not be possible.”

Donate to The Sports Trust to help them fund many activities including school holiday sports sessions and summer camps.

the rainbow centre

The Rainbow Centre at 69 Sandgate Road is a charity that serves hundreds of people who are facing crisis, debt or hardship.  It has been working in Folkestone for over 40 years. They are the team behind the Shepway Food Bank, Mobile and Hythe Pantries, the Homeless Support Service, Foodstop, Money First Aid, Family Contact Centre and the Folkestone Churches Winter Shelter.

You can donate in many ways to the Rainbow Centre.  If you’re having a wardrobe clear out, think of dropping off good-quality items to the Rainbow Centre Shop in Cheriton Road.  Items can be sold in the shop, or given to individuals and families the charity is directly working with.

Food donations can be made to the Foodbank, but check their list of needed items so that you can tailor your gift accordingly.  There’s also an app called BankTheFood, and if you follow Shepway Foodbank you can always find out what they need.

You can always make a financial donation here.

folkestone library and the cf

The news that Creative Folkestone and other community groups are putting forward a proposal to KCC to save our library was very welcome.  The collective want to be able to open the space as a library and a community centre.  There will also be the opportunity to hold events there, again bringing the community together.  The building needs a lot of work done, so grants are required to be able to make this a sustainable project.

There’s an initiative now run by Creative Folkestone called Folkestone Is A Library for everyone to get involved in.  Working together with community groups, schools and anyone interested in books, the project aims to keep people interested in the library whilst we don’t have one.  There will be workshops, creative collaborations, and a massive book swap in March which is going to be really exciting!

sunflower house

One of the partners with Creative Folkestone for Folkestone Is A Library is Sunflower House.  The team have been instrumental in keeping up momentum on finding a practical solution to opening the library since it closed in 2023.  As well as this, they have a lot of plates spinning in serving the community in other ways. Sunflower House took on responsibility for the Cheriton Community Network in November 2025.  This centre has been at the heart of the community in Cheriton providing a café, drop-in centre and a series of well-being, support and music projects which will continue.  They are also involved in the Community Building Network which aims to bring Folkestone together more as a community that works and serves each other.

To get involved with the team, fill in their contact form.

folkestone living advent calendar

The Folkestone Living Advent Calendar (FLAC) has become a much-loved part of the run up to Christmas in Folkestone.  The anticipation of what’s behind 24 doors across the town is a massive feat to organise, rehearse and deliver.  Each year the team need funds, and for the past 3 years they’ve had Big Lottery Funding to be able to put on these wonderful events.  That’s now come to an end, and help is needed from us, the audience, and participants!  The team are looking for ‘Advent Angels’.  Local businesses can have the opportunity to be more involved by sponsoring an Advent Door. There will be more news on that in 2026.

But for now, there’s a crowd-funder appeal to help raise funds.

the leas lift

Heading into 2026, work is continuing on the Leas Lift, with the aim of opening in the spring.  It’s a tough job, and the amount of fundraising the team have done over the years has made these renovations possible.  But, as with everything, the project needs to be sustainable, so the fundraising continues.  There are regular quizzes to get involved with – the next being on January 22nd 2026.  But you can always make a donation to their general fund via their crowdfunder.

I (The Editor) can remember using the lift as a child, and can’t wait to go on it once again when it opens.

Here’s to an exciting, community-filled 2026!

Photo credit: Photos of Sunflower House by Pete Maclaine