Happy Wildlife Conservation Day! We caught up with Mark, our Conservation and Environment Officer, to hear about the exciting wildlife conservation projects he’s working on now and what he has planned for the future.

An important part of our Woodland Management Plan we are working on now will be its provision for one of our many species of furry friend we have at Rare Breeds Centre – the Hazel Dormouse. The name is a little misleading, as the important European Protected Species doesn’t rely specifically on hazel trees too much, but it comes from the fact the structure of hazel woodland that is coppiced on a relatively short rotation often makes for their ideal habitat.

When hazel is coppiced, which means to harvest it and encourage healthy new growth, more light is allowed to reach the woodland floor, and a diverse mosaic of trees, flowering plants, grasses and brambles springs to life. Throw a few native small trees into the mix, like the blackthorn, dogwood, field maple, guelder rose and spindle that thrive in many a Kent hedgerow, and you have a scrubby hotchpotch with plenty of the nuts, seeds, berries, flowers and insects that dormice love to eat. The important things here are plenty of cover and plenty of food.

It should then come as no surprise that dormice also love hedgerows, as the structure of these is very similar to coppiced woodland in many ways. A nice wide pathway or woodland glade also make for great dormouse habitat. The key to improving our dormouse population is to ensure we have plenty of all these habitats, and most importantly they all need to be joined up; connectivity is key. The reduction in traditional long-term woodland and hedgerow management is one of the main reasons why dormouse numbers in the UK have fallen by more than half over the last 15 years. We need to put this right!

On a walk-around with our resident dormouse expert towards the end of last summer I was encouraged to hear there is great potential for us to improve our dormouse numbers here at Rare Breeds Centre. Many aspects of our Woodland Management Plan that we hope we will have in place around this time next year, such as woodland thinning and traditional practices such as hedge laying, will in themselves be beneficial for dormice. If we go out of our way to ensure these things are all linked together in a dormouse-friendly way, with additional habitat creation thrown into the mix as well, then things look very promising. On that note, I’ll be planting a few native hedgerow trees this week, all the time daydreaming about how they may one day make a suitable home for some of our precious dormouse residents.

Last week we celebrated National Safeguarding Adults Week we used this opportunity to raise awareness and strengthen our commitment to safeguarding across COT and the Rare Breeds Centre. We hosted a series of events and activities for our staff, volunteers, supported people and Rare Breeds Centre visitors. These activities were all designed to help learn, share and stay informed about best practices in safeguarding.

Monday:

We kicked off the week with a visit from Angela from the Jigsaw Project within the Choice Support team. She led a great session on hate crimes with the people we support. Talking about what hate crimes are, reasons why someone may be targeted, where incidents could occur and who to turn to for support and advice. She then finished the session with a fun quiz to get everyone thinking about what they had just learnt.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday we had a busy day filled with insightful talks. The day started with welcoming a local police officer speaking with the people we support about personal safety and where to find help if needed. He shared practical tips on staying safe in different situations and knowing when and how to seek support.

Later in the day our Director of Quality and Change Katie, delivered a great session on Prevention in Practice to our staff and volunteers. Ensuring our team stays up to date with best safeguarding practices.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday we invited Edify Training to speak with our staff and volunteers about Creating Empowering Environments. Which involved teaching our team about promoting independence for our supported people with a strong emphasis on a person centered approach, discussing potential barriers and the importance of enabling choice, dignity and control in daily living. A really insightful session that our team found very helpful!

Thursday:

On this day, staff came together to help inform Rare Breeds Centre visitors about Safeguarding and National Safeguarding Adults Week. They spoke with the visitors and raised awareness of safeguarding for both adults and children highlighting the importance of speaking up if they have concerns about someone and who to contact for support.

Friday:

As the week came to an end we hosted a resources stand for staff that was filled with leaflets, posters and QR codes linked to further resources. It offered a round up of everything that had been learnt, discussed and put into practice over the week and more!

For more information on National Safeguarding Adults Week, you can visit the Ann Craft website: https://www.anncrafttrust.org/…/safeguarding-adults-week/

To celebrate Black Friday we are offering a Black Friday Special Offer with 15% off some of your favourite Rare Breeds experiences! Just use code BLACKFRIDAY15 at checkout!

But that’s not all! Enjoy 15% off Grotto Sessions and SEN Grotto Sessions too on selected dates! Just use code BLACKFRIDAY15 at the checkout!

As you step into the farm this season, Santa’s elves have already been hard at work, scattering their magic throughout the farm and filling every corner with twinkling lights and festive cheer. Overnight, the whole farm transforms into a winter wonderland sparkling with seasonal enchantment. Families can enjoy a full day of Christmas fun, including festive entertainment, a Plant Your Own Christmas Tree activity, and magical moments for all ages, all set in the charm of our Christmas themed farm.

And our cattle barn is transformed into a glittering Santa’s Grotto, where families can take part in daily shows featuring Father Christmas and his jolly team of elves.

T&C’s apply

• Subject to availability.
• Offer only valid for online purchases only.
• Offer available until Friday, 28th November

Don’t miss out, treat yourself or someone special this festive season!

Visit our Granary Restaurant this November and spend £5 or more to get a half price children’s hot or cold meal.

This offer is running weekdays only (Wednesday – Friday) and is open to all visitors.

T+Cs apply:

• This offer is available Wednesday to Friday for the duration of November 2025.
• Limited to one discount per booking/group – a voucher will be given on arrival which can be redeemed in the Granary Restaurant.
• Spend £5 or more and receive one half price hot or cold children’s meal.
• There is no cash alternative for this offer.
• The half price cold children’s lunch box includes a sandwich, juice box or water, and 5 other items from our children’s fridge (subject to availability).
• The half price hot children’s meal must be listed under the ‘Children’s Meal’ section of our menu.
• The child must be under the age of 18 and present at the time of purchase.

Today, 4th November, marks Purple Tuesday, a global initiative encouraging organisations to recognise, understand, and take meaningful action to improve accessibility for all.

At the Rare Breeds Centre, we’re proud to support this movement and to highlight the steps we’re taking to make both our website and farm more inclusive, reflecting our ongoing commitment to our mission and vision.

A More Accessible Website

We’ve been working hard to make sure our website is as accessible as possible for everyone! We’re delighted to now offer the Recite Me Assistive Toolbar, which helps make our website inclusive and easy to use for a wide variety of special needs.

This handy tool allows you to customise your online experience by:

• Adjusting text size, colours, and fonts
• Using a screen reader or reading aids
• Translating content into multiple languages

The toolbar helps individuals enjoy an online experience that works for them, including those who are neurodivergent, visually impaired, speak English as a second language, or anyone who needs a more tailored online experience.

Improving Accessibility on the Farm

Accessibility is just as important across the farm. In November 2023 we obtained funding for an accessible trailer, allowing one wheelchair user to enjoy a tour of the farm on each trip.  Our next step was to welcome the team from Accessible UK, to provide an accessibility audit to help us identify ways we can continue improving.

Based on the audit’s findings and recommendations, and in honour of our 40^th anniversary, we’ve launched an accessibility fundraiser to help us make the entire farm accessible to a wide range of visitors. Some of our future plans include:

• Installing more wheelchair accessible playground equipment
• Creating a changing places facility, allowing wheelchair users to access bathroom facilities with dignity and independence
• Setting up calm and quiet spaces to support visitors with sensory sensitivities
• Providing ear defenders and sensory backpacks for use around the farm
• Developing large print, Braille, and easy-read information guides

We’re excited to continue our journey toward a fully inclusive experience, both online and on the farm, so that everyone can access and enjoy the wide range of activities and events offered by the Rare Breeds Centre.

Free child ticket with paid adult ticket

No tricks, just treats! Get one free child ticket when an adult ticket is purchased on bookings from 27th–31st October during our Farmyard Frights and Delights Halloween event! Just use code HALLOWEEN when booking day tickets online to claim your discount!

Terms and Conditions

• Only valid on tickets booked for between 27th and 31st October
• One free ticket per transaction
• Only valid when a full price adult ticket is booked
• Only valid on bookings made through our website

How it works

• Book your day tickets online
• Enter the promo code HALLOWEEN at checkout
• The child ticket will automatically be discounted (free)
• Note: the offer applies to one free child per booking. For additional tickets with the same offer repeat the process.

Planning a trip to the Rare Breeds Centre this Halloween for our Farmyard Frights and Delights event? Make it a day to remember with a delicious family meal at The Woolpack Inn, located in Warehorne, just a short drive away.

From 18th October – 2nd November, The Woolpack Inn is offering for kids to eat free including a main and dessert in an exclusive offer to all Rare Breeds Centre visitors. We think it’s the perfect way to wind down after a spooky day on the farm!

For every full-paying adult, one child can enjoy an 2 course evening meal for FREE, offering fantastic value for families this autumn.

• Available Wednesday to Sunday during dinner service (offer excludes lunch and breakfast visits)
• Offer valid 18th October –  2nd November 2025 (subject to opening times)
• To Redeem: Just show your Rare Breeds Centre receipt, booking confirmation or annual membership pass on arrival at The Woolpack Inn.

We are celebrating International Day of Charity

On 5th September, we join the world in celebrating International Day of Charity. It’s the perfect moment to reflect on and share the incredible things happening across COT this year!

For those just discovering COT, we’re the organisation that operates the Rare Breeds Centre. COT currently supports around 170 adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, across our accommodation services and Life Skills programmes.

Set up in 1985 by a group of parents who wished for their adult children to have the opportunity to live their own independent lives. COT has grown steadily over succeeding years to become one of the most groundbreaking and respected providers of accommodation and support for people with a learning disability in Kent.

This year is especially meaningful for COT as we mark a remarkable milestone, our Ruby Jubilee, celebrating 40 years of making a difference as a registered charity.

To mark the occasion we are holding a three day music festival, dreamed up by our supported people! It’s a tribute to the incredible innovations of our founding parents and supporters and the decades of dedication that have brought us here.

COT has also been named a finalist in the Large Charity of the Year category at the Kent Charity Awards! As part of the judging process, the panel visited the Rare Breeds Centre, where they met with our Senior Management Team and a few of the people we support. We were proud to share the amazing achievements of COT over the past year, along with some exciting plans for the future. The visit also gave us the chance to highlight the creativity and talent of our Art at the Farm students.

To make this year even more special, a few of our Care Team staff members have been nominated and are proud KiCA Award finalists! We’re thrilled to celebrate Lisa in the Ancillary Worker category and Anoop in the Care Newcomer category. Both Lisa and Anoop are exceptional members of our team, consistently going above and beyond to deliver the highest level of care to the people we support.

A well-deserved mention for Beth, Vicky, and James, who were also nominated. Every member of our team plays a vital part in making a meaningful, positive impact on the lives of the people we support, and that’s what makes COT so special.

To keep up to date with all the exciting things going on around the trust follow our Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn pages.

Among the many amazing people who make COT what it is, our incredible volunteers truly stand out. We’re so fortunate to have them on our team, some have been with us for years, while others have only recently joined. No matter how long they’ve been with us, each volunteer plays a vital role and makes a huge difference to the services they support.

We’re always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us across all our services, whether it’s on the farm, in our training kitchen, at the academy, or with Art on the Farm. We’re also currently seeking events volunteers ideal for those who want to get involved but may not be able to commit to weekly hours, as these opportunities occur once every few months.

To learn more about volunteering with us please contact our volunteer coordinator Paul Harris on paul.harris@canterburyoasttrust.org.uk

10 years of participation

Our Poulton Wood rangers (life skills students) have been taking part in the Big Butterfly Count for around 10 years now in our beautiful, ancient woodland. Each year, they dedicate a full week to surveying butterflies daily across a variety of habitats including the garden, meadow, and woodland, to ensure a rich and diverse snapshot of local species.

So far this year, they’ve completed their first survey and were excited to spot a Common Blue Butterfly in the meadow, along with a good variety of other species. Over the years, their records show a number of more unusual sightings as well, highlighting the importance of consistent monitoring.

Our rangers have recently started working on their AQA Unit Award Scheme for Introduction to UK Butterflies.

Pictured above is the Speckled Wood Butterfly, often seen spiralling in vertical displays through the woodland as they compete for territory.

Integrating research and art

As part of a creative butterfly project linked to the Big Butterfly Count, a few years ago our Life Skills students each selected a native butterfly species to research. They then illustrated their chosen butterfly and painted it onto a wooden shape. The finished artwork, combined with recycled research materials, now forms a beautiful collage displayed on one of our window boards and refreshed each year for our butterfly focussed week.

Below is a Silver-washed Fritillary, a striking species whose caterpillars feed on common dog violets and thrive in newly coppiced areas.

This butterfly was recently spotted in the Poulton Wood garden—an encouraging sign, especially considering the students’ and rangers’ dedication to maintaining and coppicing the habitat. Sadly, this species is in sharp decline across the UK due to habitat loss, so this sighting is a promising result of conservation efforts, particularly our students’ hard work coppicing.

Below is the striking Six-spot Burnet Moth, easily recognized by its bright red spots.

This moth is often found on ragwort, a plant sometimes unfairly criticized. But actually, ragwort plays a vital role for many caterpillars, butterflies, and moths. Its presence supports a rich web of wildlife, making it an important part of the ecosystem.

Part of our ongoing conservation efforts

The Big Butterfly Count at Poulton Wood is more than just a survey exercise, it’s a hands-on opportunity for learning and conservation. With the ongoing work of rangers and volunteers, Poulton Wood continues to be a great place to spot butterflies and other vital pollinators. We’re excited to see what the rest of the surveys tell us!

Love butterflies? Use the links below to participate in the Big Butterfly Count. You can also visit our butterfly tunnel on the farm to see and learn more about native and tropical butterflies, and you can learn more about our conservation efforts at Poulton Wood and the Rare Breeds Centre.

Kids eat free!

Planning a trip to the Rare Breeds Centre this summer holidays for our Big Summer of Games? Make it a day to remember with a delicious family meal at The Woolpack Inn, located in Warehorne, just a short drive away. See the Woolpack Inn menu.

Throughout the whole month of August, The Woolpack Inn is offering Kids Eat FREE to all Rare Breeds Centre visitors. The perfect way to wind down after a full day on the farm.

For every full-paying adult, one child can enjoy an evening meal for FREE, offering fantastic value for families this August.

• Available Tuesday to Sunday during dinner service (offer excludes lunch and breakfast visits)
• Offer valid 1st–31st August 2025
• To Redeem: Just show your Rare Breeds Centre receipt, booking confirmation or annual membership pass on arrival at The Woolpack Inn.

Book your table now and make mealtime one less thing to worry about.

Directions

The Woolpack Inn is just 5 minutes’ drive from the Rare Breeds Centre. As you exit the farm, turn left onto the B2067. In about 2 miles, turn right onto Church Lane. Your destination will be on the left opposite the church.