Coming Soon!
10th January 2025
There is lots to look forward to during 2025 up at The Old School. We have some exciting new projects that will take shape as the year progresses, including an exciting new venture to launch the Old School Coffee Shop and Kitchen. Keep an eye on this page and our facebook page for updates and if you want to be amongst the first to know please sign up for updates here.
Achievements in 2024
9th January 2025
Thank you to everyone who worked with us during 2024. We are proud of all the things we managed to achieve, some of which are outlined below, and we are looking forward to building on this during 2025 and with some exciting news coming very soon!
Christmas Opening Times at the Aylesham Community Trust
20th December 2024
The Aylesham Community Trust will be closed from Friday 20th December 24 until Monday 6th January 25.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy Christmas and a healthy New Year
Coming Soon! Creative Coffee Mornings Return in January 2025
19th December 2024
We are excited to share that, after the success of these sessions last year, The Creative Coffee Mornings with Espression Arts will be returning in 2025.
Due to the popularity booking is essential. Use the QR code below or click to book your free space!
Notice of the AGM & CRT25 Event
21st November 2024
In the Main Hall from 2pm on Tuesday 26th November
The Aylesham Community Trust AGM will take place on the 26th November 2024 between 6pm-7pm and all residents are welcome to attend. This year our AGM provides the opportunity to help celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our longstanding community partners The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT). We are celebrating our longstanding partnership by announcing that Aylesham Community Trust has become the first CRT Community Anchor Organisation in the South East!
Residents are invited to drop into the Old School Main Hall from 2pm for the community showcase where visitors can find out about and meet local clubs and groups, discover how the Trust and CRT have been working together to support the local communities and find out more about our plans for the future. At 4.30pm there will be a free public talk by our special guest Kate Flannery, who is Chair of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign. Andy Lock, CEO of the CRT will also share his vision for the future role of the CRT in supporting the communities of the Ex-Kent Coalfields. The speakers are due to start just after 4.30pm. This will be followed by refreshments and networking with the Aylesham Community Trust AGM taking place between 6pm-7pm.
2024-25 Kent Coalfield Community Fund (KCCF) Now Open
16th October 2024
The Aylesham Community Trust and Coalfields Regeneration Trust are pleased to announce that the Kent Coalfield Community Fund has a new look for 2024 -2025. The annual fund provide grants of between £100 and £3,000 to support projects that deliver community benefits in eligible areas. To find out more please visit the Kent Coalfields Community Fund page on our website. The CRT have provided £25,000 to create a total grant pot of £30,000 for 2024-2025 with The Aylesham Community Trust contributing £5,000 and administering the grant across the Kent Coalfield Communities.
Since 2004 the Trust has given out over £179,000 in small grants to local community organisations and the CRT grant fund has provided Kent Coalfield Community projects with a further £176,000 in grants to support their activities. We are proud to be able to support our local communities in such a direct way.
New MP welcomed to the Trust
We welcomed Mike Tapp MP on Friday 25th October for his first visit to the Aylesham Community Trust. who came to meet a group of Ex-miners and we look forward to a return visit soon.
Welcome to East Kent College: Aylesham
30th October 2024
We’re excited to introduce East Kent Colleges Group – otherwise just known as EKC Group – to Aylesham village. EKC have recently joined the community in the old Secondary School, and received a warm welcome!
The Group is an Ofsted Outstanding education provider, with colleges in Ashford, Broadstairs, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Sheppey. EKC have more than 14,000 students training in a range of technical and vocational courses. Now that EKC have arrived in Aylesham, their goal is to support learners of all ages with a variety of educational and training programs that help them to achieve their ambitions in both their work and personal lives.
Education for Young Learners
EKC understand that every student has different needs. Their Alternative Provision for Further Education (FE) offers flexible and personalised courses designed to help young people succeed, especially where they may not thrive in traditional college settings.
Courses for Adults
The Group believes in lifelong learning. That’s why EKC are offering a range of courses and training programs for adults in Aylesham. Whether you want to advance in your career, learn a new skill, or pursue a personal interest, EKC will have something for everyone. The courses are designed to be accessible and relevant, helping you achieve your personal and professional goals.
The EKC Commitment to the Community
EKC are here to make a positive impact in Aylesham. Their commitment is for providing high-quality education and training while working closely with the community to meet your local needs. EKC look forward to becoming a part of Aylesham and helping learners of all ages reach their full potential.
Please get in touch or visit their website for more information on what EKC offer.
A Big Thank You to the Mears Group
October 19th 2024
A huge thank you to the Mears Group who have helped us to progress some important projects in 2024.
The Mears donated a team and materials to completely redecorate our Community HQ space making it look better than new. This is an important space for the Trust as the Community HQ provides our member community groups with practical support to help them deliver their activities. Community HQ members use this space for free to meet and plan and are given free access to light refreshments, printer, noticeboards and a post box. The space was looking tired after many years use and is now a fresh, comfortable and pleasant space for local groups to use as they plan activities that will support the local community. Their staff also helped to move the stored kitchen equipment donated from Saga to enable the full installation of our “new” kitchen to take place.
A Huge Thank You to Amey
October 19th 2024
A huge thank you to Amey who have helped us to progress some important projects during the summer.
Amey generously donated the time of a team across a week plus materials during the summer. The team cleared a disused pathway and laid tarmac and new paths that will pave the way for 2 new pedestrian entrances at the front of our site. This is a really crucial step in making our site easier to access for everybody. The first will be open as soon as we have been able to clear the overgrowth and will provide direct access to train station. The Trust also intends to create a second new pedestrian entrance opposite Queens Road that will lead up to the Pheonix Statue and into the Old School Coffee Shop & Kitchen. The Trust will still need to secure funding for this work and it is likely to require planning permission also so will take a little longer to deliver but we are hoping to deliver this before the end of 2025.
JOIN OUR TEAM
16th September 2024
Customer Services & Safety Officer
Based in Aylesham, Dover
The Application period has now closed
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Aylesham Community Trust (ACT) as we progress our ambitious programme of growth and change. Our plans will unlock new types of support and opportunities for communities in the rapidly growing village of Aylesham and the surrounding areas. We are looking for someone to become our Customer Services and Safety Officer and help us drive our ambitious plans forward. This is a busy and varied role that delivers important tasks across key areas of our day-to-day operations such as Customer Services, Health and Safety, Contractor Management and Facilities Management.
We are looking for someone who is a strong team player who likes to work in a collaborative way. You should enjoy working with all kinds of people. We believe this role would be well suited to someone who is a good multi-tasker, self-motivated, energetic, honest and hardworking. The role will require you to possess excellent reading, writing and verbal communication skills and be competent in using Word, Outlook and Excel. You must have excellent attention for detail and be well organised and a confident problem solver. In return, ACT offers you a rare chance to become part of a friendly and hardworking team in a role that has the potential to develop. This role also presents the opportunity to work within a vibrant and lively local community and offers the reward of being able to see and feel the positive impact of your work on a daily basis.
New Website Content!
12th September 2024
We have made a significant number of updates to the website to improve the menu and content.
