During this reporting period, Margate Town Action Group (MTAG) delivered Margate Vintage Weekend, held from 2–4 May 2025 as part of the VE80 celebrations. The initiative was developed in response to the Mayor’s Office’s desire to bring local businesses, residents and visitors to-gether to celebrate not only VE80 but Margate’s heritage and cultural identity, while creating a positive and engaging start to the summer season. The free, town-wide event featured live music, entertainment, activities across multiple locations, and special offers from local bars and restaurants. It aimed to encourage community participation, strengthen collaboration between local businesses and organisations, and attract visitors to the town centre, supporting the local economy. The event was well received, with several businesses reporting increased footfall, including their highest levels of the year to date. The success of the weekend demonstrated the value of collaborative, community-led initiatives in bringing people together, supporting local businesses and celebrating Margate’s unique identity. MTAG remains committed to exploring opportunities to build on this success and develop a sustainable, annual opening weekend with a vintage theme to help launch the summer season in future years. During the reporting period, MTAG a committee member (with support of the committee) led the Margate Empty Shops Directory initiative, established to address the lack of accessible information about vacant commercial properties across Margate Old Town, The High Street and Northdown Road. The project aimed to bring property ownership and availability information together in one place, helping to facilitate short- and long-term lets, pop-up shops, art trails, galleries and exhibitions. The wider objective was to support a more vibrant, attractive and active high street, encouraging residents and visitors to return for shopping, leisure and cultural activities. As a result, a directory was established, contributing to the opening of several pop-up galleries and enabling a much-needed school uniform shop to secure a more prominent town-centre location at an affordable rental cost. MTAG raised funds of £1000 for the Veterans Association by working with donations from local businesses and delivering a public raffle. The VA delivers vital work and a space for local veterans to meet and undertake activities that supports loneliness and good mental health.

MTAG’s stakeholders include businesses, residents and visitors to Margate and the surrounding areas. We engage and collaborate with these groups through a range of channels, including our mailing list and regular newsletters, which provide updates, calls to action, opportunities to vote and social media channels. On 3rd July 2025, we held our Summer Social, an open community event hosted by a local business, providing an opportunity for residents, businesses and visitors to meet committee members, ask questions, learn about MTAG’s plans and explore ways to get involved. We also held an online consultation on 18th September 2025 with local business owners over Zoom to gather feedback on the Vintage Weekend, including what worked well and how the initiative could be sustained and improved in future. MTAG also works closely with key strategic stakeholders, including the Margate Town Mayor’s Office, which regularly engages with our committee to provide updates and seek dialogue around the potential establishment of a Margate Town Council, an initiative that MTAG supports as a positive opportunity for Margate. We also maintain links with Thanet District Council’s Regeneration Team and were invited to contribute to discussions around town-centre regeneration initiatives, including potential opportunities connected to the Town of Culture Award.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration