Celebrating 40 years as a registered charity
Our history
This is an exciting year for COT as we celebrate our Ruby Jubilee with multiple events and fundraisers!
Canterbury Oast Trust
Visit COT’s Rare Breeds Centre part of our Life Skills programmes.
Looking 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 ground-breaking 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 (pictured) 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.
History timeline
Year |
Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Canterbury Oast Trust was registered with the Charity Commission |
| 1989 | Highlands Farm in Woodchurch was purchased with the intention of opening the Rare Breeds Centre |
| 1990 | Work starts on the Highlands farm bungalows and conference centre |
| 1992 | On 21st April the South of England Rare Breeds Centre was opened |
| 1997 | The Falcon Conference Centre officially opened on 8th June |
| 1998 | COT made the decision to increase the emphasis on RBC tourism |
| 2002 | Work started on the development of day services and life skills training |
| 2006 | Warren Mews, our first supported living accommodation service, was purchased in the summer |
| 2002 | The Children's Barn was opened in March |
| 2006 | Warren Mews was added to Rare Breeds Centre |
| 2006 | The butterfly tunnel on the farm was opened |
| 2006 | The Discovery Garden was established as a life skills service that also provides education to farm visitors |
| 2007 | The aviary was added and a turnaround path for tractor trailer rides on the farm |
| 2008 | Birds of Prey and Creepy Crawly world were added to the farm |
| 2009 | Poulton Wood's mess hut and education building were completed |
| 2009 | Beaver Lodge was reopened in November following refurbuishment and deregistration |
| 2011 | The maze tunnels and trail were opened on the farm in March |
| 2012 | There were 75,000 visitors to the Rare Breeds Centre reported for the year ending in March |
| 2014 | COT was awarded Care Employer of the Year at the Great British Care Awards |
| 2015 | COT becomes the largest provider of formal day programmes in Kent outside KCC's own provision |
| 2015 | Farm View was officially deregistered |
| 2017 | The Granary training kitchen was installed and completed in March |
| 2017 | "A Million Thanks" celebration of Hitrade's charity shop raising £1million for COT |
| 2018 | The Foley Centre (AKA the Academy) opened |
| 2019 | Lockhart Place apartments are built |
| 2023 | The Granary Restaurant was refurbished in May |
| 2023 | Our new logo designed by a supported person was adopted in September |
| 2023 | Our new mission, vision & values informed by supported people, staff, trustees, and volunteers was adopted in December |
| 2024 | Old Port Place opened and The Mariners closed |
| 2025 | Our new unified website bringing together the Rare Breeds Centre and COT launched in July |
Our present and future
COT’s work and culture today
Today we support over 80 adults with learning disabilities and autism across Kent, in both supported living and residential care settings. Some of the incredible people we support have been with us from the very start, and it’s been a privilege to be part of their journey.
We continue to offer enriching life skills programmes set in the heart of nature to both accommodation service users and day students. Our farm at the Rare Breeds Centre and the tranquil, ancient woodlands of Poulton Wood provide the perfect backdrop for learning, growth, and fun.
Our team of around 260 dedicated staff and 80 volunteers enjoys an inspiring place to work, driven by a meaningful mission and a clear vision for the future. For the people we support, it’s all about embracing life to the fullest with the right support, a sense of belonging, and plenty of opportunities for joy and achievement in a vibrant, welcoming community.
2025 is our Ruby Jubilee!
We’re celebrating 40 years as a registered charity with a 3 day Ruby Jubilee music festival in September! The first day (Friday) will be a private celebration for our supported people, staff, volunteers and family members.
For the following weekend we will have a family music festival on the farm with videos about COT between sets.
