A family event is being held on Saturday (14 February) to celebrate the first anniversary of Thanet’s Gateway Plus.

Free activities on offer between 10am and 1pm at Thanet’s Gateway Plus, based at Margate library in Cecil Street, include face painting, card making, balloon modeling and storytelling. They can also take part in a colouring competition to win George the Gateway bear.

Thanet’s Gateway Plus brings together Kent County Council and Thanet District Council services, along with information from voluntary and community groups, such as the Kent Adult Social Services and Department of Work and Pensions who can offer advice to the over 60’s, Citizens Advice Bureau for debt advice, the Isle of Thanet Credit Union - Wansum Savers and smoking cessation classes on offer from the NHS. Improved library facilities offer a refreshed and extended reading stock, public gallery, improved IT facilities and an updated Research and Historical area.

In its first year of opening, Thanet’s Gateway Plus has been shortlisted in the prestigious Local Government Chronicle Awards, which recognises the best in local government. Waiting times for customers have been dramatically reduced, compared to 2007, with Kent Libraries seeing an increase in the number of new borrowers and the number of items issued from the library.

Customer satisfaction surveys have shown that the vast majority of those questioned were satisfied with the level of service and could easily find what they were looking for.

Thanet’s Gateway Plus is open from 9am until 6pm on weekdays, with late night opening until 8pm on Thursday evenings. It is also open on Saturdays between 9am and 5pm.