Jackey Bakers: New era as sports pavilion officially opens

A new temporary pavilion at Jackey Bakers in Ramsgate was officially opened on Thursday 13 November 2025.

This marks a milestone in Thanet District Council’s project to improve sports facilities in the district and the beginning of a brighter future for the popular site.

The new facility replaces the previous pavilion, which was closed in 2023 on health and safety grounds. It has been built to Football Association standards and features separate changing rooms for teams and referees, as well as new toilets which can also be used for community events. The site is secured with new fencing.

The event was attended by Cllr Rick Everitt, Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr Debra Owen-Hughes, Chair of Thanet District Council and Councillor for Northwood Ward, along with Cllr Jim Driver, Councillor for Northwood Ward and a representative from local community group, Friends of Jackey Bakers. Council officers who managed the project were also present.

Cllr Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Coastal and Cleansing Services at Thanet District Council, said: “I’m delighted that the new temporary pavilion is now open and ready to be used. This is an important part of a schedule of works to support Jackey Bakers so it can be enjoyed by the wide range of people who use it, for many years to come.

“We know how important Jackey Bakers is to the local community and for the provision of outdoor sports facilities in Thanet.”

Providing a new temporary pavilion is the latest in an extensive series of works to Jackey Bakers. Improvements have been underway since the council received a public petition, garnering over 1,900 signatures, in June 2023. In response, new goal posts have been installed to the majority of the pitches, new equipment storage is in place, signs have been installed to discourage dangerous parking and improvements have been made to goal mouths. A new conservation grassland area has also been established as part of the council’s ‘Pollinator Patches’ scheme, aiming to increase biodiversity at the site.

Thanet District Council’s Cabinet has also previously approved further investigation of the viability of other potential improvements to the site, to include a new car park, multi-sport facilities and a permanent pavilion. A report is being presented to Cabinet, at a meeting on Thursday 18 December 2025, on the outcome of these investigations.