Organised by Canterbury Oast TrustWe are launching an ambitious £1 million fundraising campaign to help fund our 5-year plan including providing life-changing assistive technology and making the Rare Breeds Centre fully accessible to a wide range of disabilities.
Back in the early 1980s, a group of visionary parents of young adults with learning disabilities came together with a dream. They wanted to create a brighter, more inclusive future for their children, a future that simply didn't exist anywhere else at the time. Fast forward to 1985, and Canterbury Oast Trust (COT) was officially born, setting the stage for a groundbreaking journey that would blend care, accommodation, skills training, and community, centred around a real working farm.
The Rare Breeds Centre and Poulton Wood, our ancient woodlands offer special, unique opportunities for people with learning disabilities to form bonds with the animals in their care, dive into the world of plants and propagation, develop their social skills by interacting with the public, learn the secrets of protecting ancient woodlands, create culinary masterpieces in the Granary Restaurant's training kitchen and much, much more.
As the years rolled by, more properties were added, each one carefully adapted or built to provide accommodation for more individuals with learning disabilities, including those with complex needs. The Foley Centre with four classrooms was also built to provide academic, life and computer skills programmes for resident and day service students. Meanwhile, the COT community blossomed, and many original residents continued their journey with us, building lasting friendships and enjoying a vibrant social life within COT and beyond.
Today, COT is a thriving community full of life and heart. It's an inspiring place to live, visit, volunteer and work, where everyone is supported to live their best lives. Many founding parents and family members are still actively involved, adding to the rich tapestry of our shared story. It's the kind of place where connections deepen over time, and people choose to stay.
For over 40 years, our dedicated staff and volunteers have helped individuals live their best lives. Now, we’re ready to take our impact to the next level with our vision for the future, providing enhanced accessibility, inclusivity, and environmental conservation across all of our services.
Our £1 million fundraiser launches this year to allow us to achieve our ambitious 5-year plan for the future of COT. Your donation will directly contribute to the expansion and enhancement of our life skills programmes, support the implementation of accessibility improvements across the farm for individuals with a wide range of disabilities, help us invest in life-changing assistive technology, and provide specialist support among many other important projects for the future of COT including:
- Maximising our conservation work across Poulton Wood and the Rare Breeds Centre.
- Expanding training programmes to help people gain skills for employment.
- Launching a new, fully integrated website with accessibility tools.
Your support will help us reach new heights and create a real difference in people's lives. If you'd like to fundraise for us, please download our 2025 fundraising pack. You can also get in touch with us at fundraising@canterburyoasttrust.org.uk.
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