The Ramsgate Pride in Place Programme

Based on what you told us, the vision for the next ten years is:

“Beauty and peace, prosperity and pride. Safe harbour, open arms. Not striving but thriving. All together, Ramsgate is rising.”

This is the story of Ramsgate’s future, written in the community’s own voice.

• Read the Ramsgate Vision Pack (Technical Submission)

The five Strategic Priorities

To bring this vision to life, the Board will focus on five big goals that the Ramsgate community asked for.

1. Open It Up: Bringing back our town centre and jobs. You told us clearly: “The harbour is the Jewel in the Crown”, but we need to “connect the dots” to a thriving High Street.
2. Clean It Up: Cleaner, greener streets and restoring civic pride. One resident said: “If the town looked cared for, people would care more”.
3. Light It Up: Safer streets, safer lives: policing and access. Because “a safe Ramsgate is well-lit, well-loved, and beautiful”.
4. Raise It Up: Investing in our young people and their future. Our goal is simple: “To be the place that young people don’t want to leave”.
5. Join It Up: Health and support for everyone. Connecting health and support services so no one is left behind. We will build a town with “more accessible places to share experiences and ‘do life’ with likeminded people”.

Not Just the High Street This plan is for the whole town, not just the centre. The goal is to make every resident feel safe and supported. Action will be taken on the specific issues that matter right on the doorstep.

These five values are more than just words. They are the “moral compass” for the entire programme. Every project, policy, and investment decision will be tested against them to ensure we stay true to the community’s vision.

• Belonging (Connection. Welcome. Together.) Ramsgate is an open-armed community. Everyone has a place here to be seen, heard, and respected—not despite our differences, but because of them.
• Pride (Confidence. Identity. Passion.) We know our worth. We celebrate our rich history and fighting spirit. We refuse to settle for second best and demand high standards for our streets and public spaces.
• Care (Kindness. Support. Respect.) We look out for each other. Strong communities are built on compassion. We echo the motto found on Ramsgate’s coat of arms: “Safety for the shipwrecked, health for the sick”. This originates from our history as a harbour of refuge and a popular health resort.
• Action (Collaborative. Concrete. Visible.) Talk is cheap, and we’ve heard it all before. We roll up our sleeves and make things happen. We prioritise tangible results—clean streets, fixed lights, open shops.
• Thrive (Bustle. Bloom. Joy.) We are done just surviving to get by. Ramsgate is rising. We support enterprise and creativity to flourish, creating good jobs that pay a living wage.

Current Status: Phase 3 – Shaping Projects Together (December 2025 – March 2026)

From ideas to action: We are moving from gathering big ideas to designing real projects. We know the direction we want to go; now we need to work out the details together.

Making it yours: We want to make sure this vision belongs to everyone in Ramsgate. We will work with you to bring the vision to life in your neighbourhood so that it tells your story

What you’ve told us so far

Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak up. We heard you loud and clear.

• Safety is the Priority: Dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime was the number one factor for making Ramsgate a good place to live.
• The Town Needs Love: You told us that basic maintenance is the most immediate way to restore civic pride. As one participant noted: “Start with care and visibility… even closed shops can be part of this story”.
• Passion and Potential: Despite the challenges, you told us Ramsgate is a place of “hidden gems,” full of talent and potential waiting to be unlocked.

How we are designing the projects (Phase 3)

Over the coming months, the Neighbourhood Board will be working with the community to build the delivery plan. This includes:

• Focused Workshops: We will hold detailed workshops with key local partners and organisations responsible for project delivery and operational sustainability. These sessions are vital for co-creating projects that meet community needs and align with central government guidelines.
• Share your proposals: We will launch a platform for people to share their ideas about how to tackle the priority themes and challenges and meet the opportunities identified through our community engagement.
• People’s Panel: We will be setting up a People’s Panel, a group of Ramsgate residents who will help ‘reality check’ project proposals before they are finalised, to make sure they meet the needs of the community.
• Public Engagement: There will be events with key community stakeholders and the public to review and comment on the programme as it develops.

Bringing the Vision to Life: Action Now

As part of the engagement activity, new creative projects are launching to help Ramsgate feel proud and share its story.

• Community Creative Grants: In January 2026, we will be launching a small grant programme for community organisations to run service-user led creative projects. Whether through film, photography, music, arts, crafts, or innovative ideas, we want to enable the community to tell its own story and bring the new Ramsgate vision to life. To receive more information when it is available sign up to the Pride in Place mailing list.
• Winter Festival showcase: To kick this off, we are joining forces with the 2025/26 Ramsgate Winter Festival. The engagement will include lantern-making workshops, parades, and a special community closing ceremony. This ceremony will celebrate the Festival’s success and launch the Pride in Place Programme. Everyone is invited to take part and highlight the skill and passion found in the town. We are also using the festival to test ideas and gather feedback on how events can help Ramsgate ‘Revive and Thrive’ in the future. For more information, visit the Winter Festival website and read this news article.

Stay up to date

• Sign up to our Pride in Place Programme mailing list to receive updates directly from the council.
• Follow the programme on Your Voice Thanet.

We didn’t just guess what Ramsgate needed. This plan is built on the honest and passionate feedback from our community.

Earlier this year 1,500 residents, and 97 businesses contributed their views by survey. There were also 583 attendances across 28 community listening events and online discussions. You gave us thousands of pieces of feedback that have directly shaped the 10-Year Vision.

The Key Findings:

• Safety is the Priority: Dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime was the number one factor for making Ramsgate a good place to live.
• The Town Needs Love: You told us the town feels “unloved”. While you want big changes, you also want the basics fixed—to restore civic pride immediately.
• Economy and Opportunity: Reviving the High Street and filling empty shops will bring the town back to life and attract more shoppers.
• Passion and Potential: Alongside the frustrations, we heard huge belief in our town. One resident summed it up perfectly: “To me this place sings. I can hear music as I walk about”.

The Board didn’t just rely on opinions. The plan is built on the real situation in Ramsgate. It matches community feedback with hard facts about jobs, health, and daily life. This ensures every decision is strong and based on proof.

If you want to see the evidence from the programme engagement, you can read the full breakdown via this document.

The Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board leads the programme. This group includes community leaders, residents, and businesses, working alongside Thanet District Council.

Their job is to make sure decisions are community-led, open, fair, and stick to the plan. The Board has members from youth groups, local shops and charities. It also includes local councillors and the MP for Ramsgate.