Meet the Partners at KentCOG

The University of Kent is the home of the Kent Community Oasis Garden and the project is supported by colleagues across the University. 

Safety, Health and Environment Unit 

The Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Unit is the driving force for sustainability action across the University and is proud to support this project and its objectives. The SHE Unit provides investment and staff resourcing to this project. 

Estates Department 

The Estates Department are supporting the project through advice, facilitation, funding and logistical support. Mark Arnold, Head of Security, Chairs the Kent Community Oasis Garden Steering Group. 

Student Services 

The wellbeing team from Student Services is excited about the prospect of having natural spaces available to use for the purpose of building mental and emotional resilience and general wellbeing. As a team we understand that there is an immediate and positive experience that can be found when individuals or groups engage and participate in gardening and activities associated with the natural world. 

The wellbeing team provides funding to the project and plans to collaborate with KentCOG and offer events that will take place at the garden as part of a calendar of wellbeing events. Examples of these activities are: 

• Bushcraft
• Foraging walks
• Eco-therapy
• Mindfulness
• International group social
• Wild foods
• Student social support network events 
• Art, nature and wellbeing 
• HeartMath
• Nutritional herbalism, and more… 

We look forward to developing this great resource alongside our friends and partners across the campus in order to offer a great co-curricular wellbeing resource. 

Staff volunteers 

Staff volunteers from across the University are an integral part of the space and have been volunteering at the site since its original inception. These staff members are represented on the KentCOG management group and continue to provide valuable support to the project.

East Kent Mind is an independent charity, providing quality outcome-based services to make a positive difference to the Mental Health of the people of East Kent which includes the Canterbury District and Thanet. 

East Kent is affiliated to Mind in Bexley. Our charity is affiliated to National Mind but is run independently and has its own constitution and board of Trustees. 

Who We Are 

We’re Mind, the mental health charity. We’re here to make sure anyone with a mental health problem has somewhere to turn to for advice and support. 

Mission 

Our purpose is to promote better mental health and wellbeing across East Kent including the Canterbury District and Thanet. 

Charitable Objects 

To promote the preservation and the safeguarding of mental health services and provide relief to those suffering from mental health disorders. 

How We Do It 

• Delivering services offering support focussed on individual needs through a Person Centred approach. 
• Helping and supporting people to build resilience to improve and sustain their mental and physical wellbeing. 
• Seeking funding to deliver a range of services to meet a variety of needs both short and long term. 
• Developing better support for people who are at risk of self-harm and/or suicide. 
• Assisting in the promotion, support and maintenance of good mental health in the community. 

At KentCOG East Kent Mind will be providing opportunities to take part in sessions, peer support activities and workshops with an aim specifically designed to support and improve mental health and wellbeing.  

Read more about East Kent Mind by following this link – https://eastkentmind.org.uk/ 

The Whitstable & Herne Bay beekeepers form a branch of the Kent Association (https://www.kbka.org.uk/). The branch is one of the oldest in the county and has a current membership of around 60, with about two-thirds of these being active beekeepers, ie with their own hives, and the remainder made up of beginners, novices, or Friends of the branch. Our members are based from Teynham through to Reculver, including the north side of Canterbury.

We meet as a branch once every month throughout the year, usually on the afternoon of the final Saturday in each month. During the active beekeeping season (when it is warm enough to open the hives) these meetings take place at the teaching apiary on the Kent campus so that hive inspections and teaching beginner beekeepers take up most of the afternoon. 

During the winter months, when it it too cold to disturb the bees, we meet at Herne Mill and enjoy a series of talks on various themes connected to bees and beekeeping nationally. These meetings and events are organised and led by the branch’s committee members who are all active beekeepers and with a wide range of experience. 

We welcome enquiries from anyone wanting to know more about honey bees and beekeeping, whether it’s with a view to becoming a beekeeper themselves or simply an interest that they want to explore.

We are always keen to know of sites that can offer a home to one or more hives as we assist our newer members without suitable home space of their own to get started. We have regularly provided talks to different students groups and societies at the University, and also to schools in our area.

Members of the branch come from a very wide range of backgrounds and we are thus fortunate in having many different skills and professions to call upon when needed. Our income is derived primarily from sales of honey harvested from the branch hives, with grant income for specific planned projects from different funding bodies. We teach at least one and usually two beginner courses every year, the theory element of which is followed by several weeks’ mentoring of practical work with the branch hives. We are known for being friendly and welcoming and often have beginners referred to us.

Check out our website here, which has information about how to contact us. We also have an active Facebook group.