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.

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.

Today, 28th July, marks World Nature Conservation Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the vital importance of protecting our natural resources and preserving the environment for future generations.

We’re excited to welcome our new Environmental Conservation Officer, Mark, who joined the Rare Breeds team last week. Below, Mark shares insights into his role, his passion for the environment, and his hopes for the future of conservation on the farm.

Mark, right with Howard, our Director of Commercial Operations

Mark’s ethos

As Environmental Conservation Officer at Rare Breeds Centre I am responsible for managing and improving the biodiversity of the woodland, wildflower meadow and ponds at Highlands Farm. My background in forestry, primarily working sweet chestnut and hornbeam coppice in semi-natural ancient woodland in Kent, and relying on traditional methods such as using heavy horses for timber extraction, has laid the foundations for my woodland ethos that now guides my approach in all the management and conservation work I do.

Managing woodlands

The demand for the woodland products that gave rise to the managed woodlands we are surrounded by in Kent has waned over the last couple of hundred years or so, meaning many woodlands have been neglected and are now in poor condition. If these woodlands are managed in a similar way to in the past, which means the maintenance of open rides and pathways, the periodic felling of coppice and the thinning of new plantations, then the increased light levels and resulting regrowth are what drive the biodiversity gains we are after. For it to be a truly effective and holistic approach then we need to find uses for absolutely all the product as well. Specifically, here, the wood and any cut hay. Conservation for the sake of conservation will only get us so far.

A holistic approach

All the work we do here at Rare Breeds Centre needs to subscribe to this holistic ethos of informed management, minimal damage, zero waste and disciplined and timely interventions. This will result in a sustainable and biodiverse landscape that can be enjoyed by everyone who visits the farm and surrounding countryside, because a healthy and biodiverse landscape is a beautiful one. Ultimately, it’s about simply having a kind and considerate relationship with the natural landscape that surrounds us.”

Learn more about Conservation around the trust. Our conservation projects involve a great deal of dedicated work. If you’re interested in sponsoring one, learn more here.

Don’t miss your chance to savour a delicious afternoon tea at the Granary Restaurant on the farm! Our talented culinary life skills students are not only baking all the fresh treats (everything except the sandwiches and drinks), but they’ll also be serving up the teas. We’re proud to use fresh ingredients from our own Plants and Produce life skils programme whenever possible, making this a true farm-to-table experience. As with all offers at the Granary, you don’t need to enter the farm to enjoy an afternoon tea.

You will need to book in advance as our afternoon teas are made fresh to order.

What’s included

Enjoy a selection of scones with jam and clotted cream, biscuits, finger sandwiches, mini quiches, mini tarts, chocolate dipped strawberries and more! Plus unlimited refills on tea or coffee.

When it’s available

Afternoon teas are available by prebooking online Tuesday – Friday during term time between 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm.

If you’ve visited the Granary Restaurant at the Rare Breeds Centre recently, you may have spotted some eye-catching new artwork brighteningup what was once a very empty wall.

We’re thrilled to be showcasing a beautiful series of animal prints created by our talented artists from Art at the Farm available for purchase!

Whether you’re exploring the Rare Breeds Centre or simply stopping by the Granary Restaurant for a cup of tea and a slice of cake, be sure to take a moment to enjoy these fantastic pieces. You can find more unique, hand-crafted art  by our students in our gift shop, so make sure to pop in there too!

Some of the beautiful artwork created by our talented students in Art at the Farm is now available for purchase at Ethel Loves Me, a vibrant shop in Rye celebrating all things creative!

Ethel Loves Me is dedicated to supporting local artists, emerging talent, and unique handmade products, making it the perfect home for our students’ work.

If you’re in Rye, be sure to pop in and explore the inspiring collection of art by our COT students, alongside a fantastic range of pieces from other local creatives.

We thrilled to announce that we are finalists in the Large Charity of the Year category in the Kent Charity Awards.  On Monday, supported people Jon and Rachel greeted the judges when they arrived to meet with Sarah, Howard and Michael.  

We shared some of the achievements of COT over the last year as well as some of our plans for the future.  We also took the opportunity to showcase some of the great work by Art at the Farm and shared our Mindful Bee collaboration.

We are excited to announce we are partnering up with the team at Mindful Bee and Friends, who have published a brand-new children’s mindfulness book series.

We kickstarted our partnership by welcoming the team from Mindful Bee to our Christmas Gift Market in November 2024 where their wonderful books were available to purchase, and visitors had the chance to meet the team behind Mindful Bee and Friends. On the same day, they also hosted 3 storytelling sessions in the Discovery Zone on the farm, offering each family 1 free book to take home, with 50 books up for grabs!

At Easter, we hosted the launch of their new book: On the farm with Buzzy Bee and friends. Visitors met Buzzy Bee in mindful movement sessions for children.

Mindful Mondays

In May, starting on 5th May and continuing on the 19th; Mindful Bee will be running Mindful Mondays as part of the Rare Breeds Centre’s “The Great Outdoors” initiative which promotes mindfulness and the positive impact of being outside! There will be 3 sessions per day, in the Discovery Zone:

• 11:00 am
• 2:30 pm
• 4:00 pm

The collaboration between Mindful Bee and Friends and COT represents a joint commitment to foster a supportive and nurturing community where children and families can experience the benefits of mindfulness and creativity.

Mindful Bee book range

Their range of books and resources are dedicated to creating safe, engaging and educational content that supports both parents and children. And providing tools that help children manage and sustain their mental health from an early age.

Mindful Bee offer a monthly subscription service which children receive a box full of delightful books, fun activities and all the tools to help children thrive emotionally.

Their series of books involves the characters Bee and her friends, where every moment is an opportunity for mindful learning and development, encouraging a sense of calm, compassion and curiosity.

Come along, join in the fun, and get a glimpse into the heartwarming tales Mindful Bee and Friends has to offer!

Mindful Bee Video

Watch the video below featuring Steph, one of the co-authors of the Mindful Bee book series, talking about the launch of Book 2, On the Farm with Buzzy Bee and Friends. Here she describes the ethos behind the book series and explains the concept of mindful movement.