Latest news

The latest news from Singleton Environment Centre and the Kent BTCV team - check back regularly to see what's been hapenning.

See us at the Kent County Show 17th-19th July

Come and see us at the Kent County Show this week on Friday 17th, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July at Detling near Maidstone.

The Singleton Environment Centre team can be found on STAND 145 in the Eco-Village. Come and say hello and meet some of the team. You can find out about our new eco-centre in Ashford.

We hope to see you at the Kent County Show this weekend.

Minister drops in for lunch - June 09

Jonathan Shaw, Minister for the South East, visited The Singleton Environment Centre in Ashford for lunch on Wednesday 17th June as part of a tour of developments in the town.

Having been given a tour of key town centre developments, including Victoria Way, the shared space area along Elwick Road, the new arts centre at St Mary’s Church and the Stanhope development, the Minister called in on The Singleton Environment Centre, run by BTCV, for lunch before returning to London.

Mr Shaw was interested to hear about the partnership between BTCV and Ashford Borough Council, the ecological design and operation of the centre and the wide range of business and community events being held. Representatives from Ashford Borough Council and Ashford’s Future joined Mr Shaw in enjoying a Kentish lunch freshly prepared from local produce by the centre’s Footprints restaurant.

Pictured: Kate MacKenzie, BTCV South & East Operations Director (front left), representatives from Ashford Borough Council and Ashford’s Future with Jonathan Shaw MP, Minister for the South East

Staff go car free at environment centre - June 09

Staff at The Singleton Environment Centre in Ashford gave up their cars on Wednesday (17th June) to show how easy it is to travel without the car as part of Bike2Work day, part of the National Cycle Week (13-21 June 2009).

The Singleton Environment Centre can easily be reached on foot from Singleton, Stanhope and South Ashford. There are cycle routes from Singleton and Stanhope as well the national cycle route 18 which runs behind the centre. The centre has cycle racks and shower facilities for those traveling to the centre on two wheels. Star prize status goes to Mike Phillips, BTCV's Kent Training Manager who cycled in from his home in Whitstable!

The Stagecoach A-Line bus service which connects with the town centre and train station runs every 10 minutes during the day with a stop in Langley Drive, just five minutes walk from the centre making the Singleton Environment Centre in easy reach from wherever you are in town.

Centre Manager Daniel Jones said: “We have a range of options in Ashford from the excellent bus services, wonderful walks and ever expanding network of cycle ways. Journeys around town don’t always have to mean taking the car and it can keep you and the environment healthy plus can reduce motoring costs as well.”

For more information on cycling or walking in Ashford, visit the Singleton Environment Centre for more information.

Pictured: Mike Phillips, Alex Davis, Jessica Karp, Alan Watts and Daniel Jones

Get walking at Singleton and get healthy - April 09

Ashford’s Singleton Environment Centre is the latest venue to join the East Kent Health Walks Scheme. If you are in the Ashford area and interested in finding a FREE, FUN and EASY way to get fit, meet friends, lose weight and have fun as well, then why not come along and give it a try for yourself.

HealthWalks are free, short, volunteer led, local walks aimed at those who wish to be more active. HealthWalks from The Singleton Environment Centre take place every Friday from 10am and last for around an hour. There is no need to book, just turn up for a free HealthWalk.

HealthWalks will give you the opportunity to get fit and healthy, enjoy the fresh air and some of Ashford’s green spaces and countryside around the centre, including Ashford Community Woodland which is located next to the centre.

The walks will be led by trained volunteer HealthWalker leader Peter Walkden and will be 80% off road, so a good pair of walking boots is advisable. The walk will finish with refreshments and a chat in the centre café so they are also a great way of meeting other people. After the first 4 walks you will receive a free rucksack and after 8 walks a free pedometer to measure your steps.

Contact with nature has been shown to improve people's physical and mental health. Specifically it increases physical activity, reduces stress and access to open spaces helps strengthens communities. Exercising outside can improve concentration for several hours afterwards and makes you more resilient to stress. Walking and keeping fit also increases your metabolism so it's good for you even when you're not doing it.

For more information on the HealthWalk at Singleton Environment Centre, contact the centre on 01233 666 519 or Health Walk leader Peter Walkden on 07730 985 523 or visit www.whi.org.uk/eastkent

The Singleton HealthWalk is supported by Eastern & Coastal Kent NHS Primary Care Trust and Kent County Council.

Go4Playdays go back to nature - April 09

Nature loving youngsters are in for a treat this summer with the return of the Ashford Go4Play.

Ashford Go4Play is a series of fun, free and fully inclusive two hour play sessions for children and young people up to the age of 16 who do not normally have access to these kinds of services.

Launched last year with great success by the Kent Children’s Fund Network (KCFN) on behalf of Ashford Borough Council, this year’s theme is all about natural play, with 12 playdays in woodland areas across the borough from April to August, culminating in the Family Play Festival at The Singleton Environment Centre on Wednesday 5th August.

Every playday encourages the children to take a lead in creating and organising activities on the day, to help physical and emotional growth as well as social and behavioral skills.

Staff provide materials and ideas for games, but the youngsters are free to take the play in whatever direction they choose, and parents and carers are invited to join in and learn more about using free play at home.

Joel Roszmann, Ashford Go4Play Coordinator at KCFN said: “Play is an essential part of being a child, and provides endless learning opportunities for children and parents alike. Children of all ages deserve to be encouraged and facilitated in their play, and that’s exactly what these play days are all about.”

Ashford Go4Play kicks off at The Warren on Wednesday 8th April, with two sessions (10am-12noon and 2pm-4pm) on the theme Tribal Adventure.

Participants will have the chance to hunt trails, make costumes, sing songs and devise other adventure themed games.

Parents must remain on site with their children, but are encouraged to take an active role in playing with their children at all the play day sessions. Go4Playdays 2009 at The Singleton Environment Centre take place on:

Bring us your empties when you visit - Feb 09

Visitors to Ashford’s Singleton Environment Centre are being invited to bring their empty glass bottles & jars and old newspapers & magazines to be recycled when they visit the centre.

The centre has bottle banks and a paper collection bank on site, ideal for visitors to the centre and local residents to use.

There are bins for clear and coloured glass as well as a paper bin which takes newspapers, magazines, catalogues, brochures, leaflets and any glossy or white paper, white directories and yellow pages. Please keep out envelopes and cardboard – if placed in the container, they can contaminate the whole load.

Used printer cartridges and old mobile phones can be dropped off at the centre reception to be recycled. More than 1 billion ink cartridges are used each year around the world – most are thrown away. What happens to the cartridges you use?

Recycle your old mobile and the proceeds will be used to help local volunteers; plant trees; help wildlife; improve footpaths and bring nature a little bit closer to a street near you!

There are more mobile phones than people in the UK! 78% of the UK population currently own at least one mobile phone, and research shows phones are upgraded every 18 months on average. How many old mobiles do you have hiding in your drawers and cupboards?

Old phones can be dropped off at the centre or you can pop it in a padded envelope and post it free direct to: BTCV Phones, EMC Recycling, FREEPOST MID 23462, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 1BR

Why bother ? Facts and figures

The Singleton Environment Centre is run by BTCV, the UK’s largest practical conservation volunteering charity, in partnership with Ashford Borough Council. You can visit the centre seven days as week in Wesley School Road, off Cuckoo Lane in Singleton. As Ashford’s sustainable venue, The Singleton Environment Centre composts and recycles as much of its waste as possible.

Love Food Hate Waste? - Feb 09

Free food is on offer at The Singleton Environment Centre on Tuesday 3rd February 3:45-5pm.

Kent County Council’s Love Food Hate Waste roadshow comes to the centre for a cookery demonstration and an opportunity for visitors to taste the FREE food.

There will be advice and demonstrations on composting your food and garden waste from Ashford Borough Council and BTCV’s Project Officer, Fiona Houghton. Visitors can visit the compost demonstration area at the centre to see the different types of composter set up.

Caroline Robinson from Footprints Café & Bistro at the centre will be showing visitors some of simple money saving recipes they can use at home in a special demonstration kitchen which will be set up for the afternoon. The Love Food Hate Waste team will show visitors how to save up to £50 a month on household food bills!

The Singleton Environment Centre is the ideal venue to host the Love Food Hate Waste roadshow, as Ashford’s sustainable venue. Footprints Café & Bistro uses the finest local produce, from milk, eggs and cheeses through to vegetables, meats and even lemonade & ice cream from local suppliers. All food waste is composted on site. Paper, cardboard, plastics, glass and cans are recycled and the eco-features of the centre such as wood fired heating, solar energy and recycled rain water mean The Singleton Environment Centre is a truly sustainable venue.

Boost for Kent's rural heartland unveiled - Jan 09

Friday 23rd of January marked the official launch of the Kent Downs and Marshes Leader programme at The Singleton Environment Centre, Ashford. The Kent Downs and Marshes Local Action Group, a partnership of private and pubic sector organisations, supported by Kent County Council, has successfully bid for over £2 million in funding.

This money, from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) which is funded by Defra and the EU, has been provided to deliver a strategy to help rural businesses and communities, within the Kent Downs and Marshes area.

Grants worth a total of £2.25 million are being offered to boost rural businesses, farming and communities in Kent's heartland. Kent Downs and Marshes Leader rural funding programme is making the grants available to business people, communities and farmers for projects over the next five years.

Small and large grants of up to £50,000 can be awarded to help farmers developing new local food products, innovative new tourism schemes and community-led projects.

The money was secured from the European Union's Rural Development Programme for England, and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, through SEEDA, following a joint approach co-ordinated by Kent County Council. The qualifying area for Kent Downs and Marshes covers rural parts of Ashford, Dover, Canterbury, Maidstone, Medway, Shepway and Swale.

KCC Lead Member for Regeneration and Supporting Independence Richard Long said: "This new rural funding programme comes as a much-needed boost for Kent's rural heartland at this difficult time. It is so good to be able to give our rural businesses and communities a shot in the arm as we are all feeling the affects of the economic downturn."

Chair of the Kent Downs and Marshes Local Action Group, Keith Harrison, said: "This is a really exciting opportunity to invest in new, local ideas which will help inform management and understanding of some of rural Kent's most iconic areas like Romney Marsh, the Kent Downs and the North Kent Marshes."

For further information visit Kent Rural Network website or email contactruralregeneration@kent.gov.uk

Ashford Ancient Woodland Survey - Dec 08

The key findings from a survey looking at Ashford’s Ancient Woodland were presented at an event held at The Singleton Environment Centre on Friday 5 December.

Speakers included Ashford Borough Council, Natural England, the Forestry Commission and BTCV.

Cllr Paul Clokie, Leader of Ashford Borough Council, said: “The publication of this survey is timely in view of the need to understand and safeguard Ashford’s rich heritage of Ancient Woodland for future generations at a time of intense development.

“This survey has resulted from a strong partnership between Ashford Borough Council, Natural England, the High Weald AONB Unit, and the Forestry Commission and this event provided an opportunity to meet project partners and discuss the key findings and wider planning implications.”

Ancient woodlands are widely recognised as being irreplaceable habitats and local authorities have a key role to play in the protection of this unique resource. They are required to identify any areas of ancient woodland that do not have statutory protection.

The Ashford borough is one of the most heavily wooded landscapes in the country, with over two thirds of its woodland currently classified as ancient.

This largely unchanged landscape has protected what is probably among the greatest concentrations of ancient woodlands in the UK.

Ancient woodlands over two hectares in size are recorded in Ancient Woodland Inventories which were compiled in the 1980s and 1990s by the Nature Conservancy Council, based on the technology and field survey techniques available at the time, which were not very accurate.

This project therefore aims to re-examine the available information for ancient woodland in Ashford and importantly, the revision now includes areas of woodland under 2 hectares.

The extra information will include a record of important habitats, as well as the presence of invasive species and archaeological features.

Building Excellence Awards - Dec 08

The Singleton Environment Centre and neighbouring John Wesley School were among the winners at this year’s Ashford Borough Council Building Excellence Awards.

The ceremony was held at the Civic Centre, on Thursday 4th December and was hosted by the Worshipful the Mayor of Ashford, Cllr John Link.

The Mayor, Cllr John Link said; “Some of the schemes we have seen tonight are absolutely splendid examples of innovative and clever workmanship. I’m sure the judges had a very hard job choosing the winners from several strong entries in each category.”

The Ashford Building Excellence Awards scheme highlights the importance of Building Control in achieving high standards and gives well deserved recognition to companies and individuals within the construction industry who are committed to producing high quality buildings throughout the borough of Ashford.

The LABC Building Excellence Award recognises and rewards the most forward thinking people and organisations and the most innovative construction projects completed over the last year.

Richard Alderton, Head of Planning and Development, said: “Sustainable development and building excellence are at the centre of Ashford Borough Council’s approach to planning and we are delighted to showcase and reward excellent construction in and around the borough.”

Children show green fingers - Dec 08

Children from the John Wesley School joined the Mayor, Cllr John Link, and ward member, Cllr Hodgkinson, to plant spring bulbs at the Singleton Environment Centre on Wednesday 26 November.

The Mayor, Cllr John Link, explained: “In April this year, Ashford Borough Council was recognised by the BTCV in their ‘Green Heroes’ Awards.

“The council won the regional partnership award for their work on the Singleton Environment Centre and today’s event was a nice way to mark the occasion.”

The Local Partnership award is for the council, company, trust or other group that best works in partnership with BTCV at a local level.

The BTCV Green Hero awards recognise the huge difference that volunteers and community groups can make in looking after their local wildlife and green spaces. The council led scheme was described as one of BTCV’s most challenging and exciting projects.

The prize was a voucher which was exchanged for a selection of spring bulbs and local school children were invited by BTCV to help plant them at the Singleton Environment Centre.

Cllr Amanda Hodgkinson, who is also on the Management Advisory Board at the Singleton Environment Centre and a Local Authority Governor at the John Wesley School, said: “It was wonderful to see the children getting stuck in planting the bulbs. I’m sure they will look forward to visiting the centre in the spring to see the result of their handy work.”

The native spring bulbs planted by the children included wild garlic, snowdrops, wood anemone, bluebells, lesser celandine and wild daffodils.

Jazz legends play at Singleton - Nov 08

Two jazz greats joined the locally renowned music director Colin Welch for an evening of fantastic live jazz at Ashford’s Singleton Environment Centre.

The legendary Don Rendell and Henry Lowther joined with the Colin Welch Big Band for an evening of live jazz on Saturday 29th November at the centre.

Since it’s opening in the Spring of this year, the centre has quickly formed a strong reputation across the borough and further a field for it’s monthly dinner and jazz nights.

The jazz nights combine live jazz in the relaxing and environmentally friendly surroundings of the Singleton Environment Centre together with a sumptuous freshly prepared meal, made with the finest local ingredients lovingly prepared by Caroline Shier & Neville Robinson of Footprints Café & Bistro at the centre.

At Saturday’s event, which was completely sold out, around sixty people enjoyed a five course meal and some of the finest local wines from Tenterden and Biddenden, along with ales from Shepherd Neame in Faversham.

The Colin Welch Jazz trio is appearing again at Singleton in December but this has already sold out. For more details of the monthly jazz nights check our website or contact Footprints Cafe & Bistro at the centre on 01233 668 308.

Association of Project Management Awards 2008 - Oct 08

Ashford Borough Council and the Singleton Environment Centre were a runner up in the prestigious Association of Project Management Awards 2008 under the Community Project of the Year category.

The award ceremony took place on the 29 October and was won by Langdon Park Station, Docklands Light Railway.

Cllr Gerry Clarkson, portfolio holder for cultural services said: “We are very proud to have come so close to winning this award.

“A lot of hard work and effort went into ensuring the Singleton Environment Centre was built and it is down to council officer’s dedication and excellent project management skills that the community now has such a fantastic local amenity.”

For the past 15 years the APM Project Management Awards have been rewarding and celebrating project management success from the Eden Project to record breaking round the world voyages.

The awards reflect the invaluable contribution project management and project managers make in all sections of society.

The Community Project of the Year recognises the project that has provided a major benefit to a local community, the environment, a disadvantaged group or to society as a whole.

The award is open to both professional project management organisations and others who have shown the best project management skills in delivering their work for a community or stakeholder group.

The criteria for this category are based upon a clear demonstration of community benefit, alongside the APM Body of Knowledge and Project Risk Analysis and Management Guide.

The focus is on the project, the difficulties encountered and how they were overcome, along with the success of the final outcome, measured in terms applicable to the project.

Road signs update - Oct 08

Kent Highway Services have confirmed they are consulting stakeholders as part of the process for evaluating the need for direction signs to The Singleton Environment Centre.

The borough council, parish council, councillors and other parties will be consulted as part of the process. It is hoped that this consultation & survey will be concluded before the end of the year and that in the New Year that direction signage will be installed.

Yoga, Tai Ji & Qi Gong come to Singleton - Oct 08

In the wake of the Beijing Olympics, the demand for tuition in Ancient Chinese Arts has grown and so experienced teacher, John Scott Petty, has starting classes in Yoga, Tai Ji and Qi Gong at The Singleton Environment Centre.

John explained; “Singleton Environmental Centre is a beautiful location with attractive facilities serving the community.

"Teaching these ancients arts in this peaceful place is a wonderful antidote to our busy modern lives."

John went on to add; “My aim is to make classes friendly, inclusive and accessible to everyone. The classes show how these practises can be used in everyday life to help combat stress and promote well being."

Yoga Classes will involve simple yogic techniques that help to build a healthy body and healthy mind. Yoga can make you peaceful, radiant, strong and able to deal with life’s challenges.

Tai Ji and Qi Gong are practised in China and around the world to maintain health and physical fitness and to combat stress through the promotion of mental calm and clarity.

For any questions or to book a space please call John on 07831 219 578.

Japanese Visitors Welcomed - Sept 08

Ashford’s Singleton Environment Centre has been attracting visitors from all around the borough and further a field since it opened in May this year, but last week two Japanese academics visited to find out more about it.

Noriko Kajiki, Associate Professor in Urban & Regional Planning at Kobe Women’s University and her colleague Noriko Tsujimoto from Osaka College of Social Health and Welfare visited Singleton with their host Yoshihiko Oyama from Birmingham University.

Their fact finding visit was to learn about the work of BTCV, the environmental charity that runs the Singleton Environment Centre in partnership with Ashford Borough Council, and the role of the environmental voluntary & charity sector organisations in the UK.

Their visit was as part of week in Kent to learn about development and skills in promoting biodiversity and community involvement which is something the Japanese are looking to develop. In particular they were interested in BTCV’s work at the Singleton Environment Centre and partnership with Ashford Borough Council.

Yoshihko Oyama from Birmingham University said, “We wanted to visit BTCV as we know that BTCV is a leading organisation in the UK in terms of working with people and local communities.”

They met with BTCV Kent’s Training Manager Mike Phillips who explained about the charity and in particular their work in Kent working with local groups, such as the Ashford Community Woodland group and the Ashford Veteran Tree Project which are two projects run in the borough, alongside other projects around the county.

In Kent, BTCV has strong local partnerships and with over 45 years of experience and has developed a collection of successful projects. From their base at the Singleton Environment Centre, BTCV offers diverse training opportunities, Green Gyms, a network of community warden schemes, compost advisers and a range of practical activities across Kent.

Centre Manager Daniel Jones explained about the Singleton Environment Centre and all the sustainable features that were used in construction and operation of the building and the ongoing partnership work with Ashford Borough Council and others.

The visitors were also interested to hear how the centre’s Footprints Café is now a focal point for the local community, whilst at the same time educating people on local, seasonal produce and reducing food miles.

Yoshihko Oyama said, “It was so nice to visit the Centre as we could see and sense a new community and landscape has been created with the Centre as the focal point. The new environmental building, the community woodland, community cafe, training and empowerment of local communities - all make up a new opportunity for making local communities sustainable. It was very exciting and inspiring.”

Daniel Jones from BTCV said: “We were delighted our Japanese visitors wanted to come to Ashford to find out more about BTCV and the Singleton Environment Centre. We hope that they will be able to take a few ideas from their fact finding visit to shape what they are doing in Japan.”

Eurostar lends a hand at Singleton Environment Centre

Extra work has been carried out at Ashford’s new Singleton Environment Centre thanks to a team from Eurostar.

Eurostar arranged for a team of staff from across all areas of the company to spend a day working in the fresh air and contributing the environment in Ashford.

Paula Brodzinski, Environment and Energy Programme Manager, Eurostar, said: “The day spent at the Singleton Environment Centre was a bit of a first for Eurostar. We took a team of about 30 employees, our environmental 'champions', and they all agreed it had been a really useful, motivational and enjoyable day.”

Three teams lead by experienced BTCV staff worked on three projects during the day. The first group built steps to the amphitheatre, and the second group built steps to “Bugshire” the area for children to look for creepy crawlies on the site.

They created an area suitable for children to sit amongst the ‘bug hotels’, use the space as an educational resource or simply to eat a packed lunch and admire the view! All logs and tree trunks used were found around the site and a team effort was required to place them in position!

The third group worked on clearing access to a pond located in an area left to colonise naturally located next to Cuckoo Lane which is also now part of the site looked after by BTCV.

At lunchtime they stopped for a truly Kentish lunch freshly prepared from local produce by the centre’s caterers, Footprints.

Mike Cook, Manager for BTCV in Kent said, "Events like these really show what people can achieve. Even with little or no experience, through support from the BTCV team, everyone got stuck in and made a real contribution to the centre and grounds.”

“It is also very pleasing that companies such as Eurostar are choosing to support the environment for their team days and make a real difference, rather than choose an activity that has no lasting benefits. We hope that they are the first of many groups to join us."

Paula added: “What most people liked was the opportunity to spend time doing something completely different to their day-to-day work and seeing the very tangible results of their labours, whether that be pond clearing, fence repairs or step-building. It was very satisfying to see what we could achieve as a group in just a few hours”.

Singleton Environment Centre Open Day 2nd August

Several hundred people braved the weather to enjoy a fun packed day at Singleton Environment Centre on Saturday, August 2nd, 2008.

The centre’s community open day was a chance for everyone to see behind the scenes and join in fun activities for all the family whilst learning about the environment.

Organised by Kent BTCV, which manages the centre for Ashford Borough Council, the day’s programme of events included pond-dipping and home composting demonstrations.

Visitors were given guided walks around the centre and in the nearby community woodland with a chance to join in with Ashford Community Woodland Volunteers on their monthly task their monthly practical conservation tasks.

Younger visitors took part in making bird boxes and bird feeders to take home in the centre’s workshop, whilst BTCV volunteers ran a popular ‘fun with fabrics’ workshop giving visitors the chance to print their own cotton bag.

There was information and opportunities for volunteers of all ages to take part in conservation projects in the town and its countryside or to learn more about the borough’s green spaces.

Woodland nymph ‘Flora, the Singleton Giant’ greeted visitors to the centre building and acoustic music duo ‘Carnelian’ (Nina Clark and Simon Bridgestock) entertained visitors in the afternoon.

Visitors also found out about the progress of the Ashford Veteran Tree Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, run by BTCV with Ashford Borough Council. Other attractions included information on some of the sustainable features of the building and a chance to meet the team running the centre. Homemade produce and drinks from Footprints Café & Bistro, which is located within the centre was served throughout the day.

The Mayor of Ashford Cllr John Link and other Ashford Borough Council representatives visited during the day.

Organiser of the day BTCV Project Officer Virgina Hodge said, “The Open Day was a huge success. It was really great to see so many local people enjoying the Centre’s facilities and getting involved in a variety of activities from designing your own bag to making a bird box or bird feeders using re-cycled milk cartons. The Ashford Community Woodland Walks were very popular, despite the rain.”

Preview Day - 22nd May 2008

Representatives from Ashford Borough Council, the BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers), funders and the local community partners and stakeholders were among the guests invited to the special preview of the Singleton Environment Centre on Tuesday 20th May.

Visitors were able to see the finishing touches being put to the new centre and it is expected it will be fully up and running by the end of May. A community launch and celebration is due to take place later in the summer.

The innovative eco-friendly £1.9m building will be a centre for learning about the environment and will also provide a full and imaginative programme of activities catering for people of all ages from both the local community and visitors to Ashford.

Cllr Gerry Clarkson, portfolio holder for cultural and project services, said: “The Singleton Environment Centre is a unique project that will play a key role in highlighting the importance of environmental awareness in the borough.

Daniel Jones, Centre Manager, said: “The Singleton Environment Centre is a fantastic concept. It is not just a building; it is a centre for the community and a whole range of local organisations and groups to use.”

Mike Cook, Kent and East Sussex Manager for the BTCV, said: “The centre will act as a one stop shop for those that want to get active in the environment. People coming to the centre can find about their local green spaces, what is going on and how they can help.”

The project has been coordinated by Ashford Borough Council and funded from a range of sources including the DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government), Channel Corridor Partnership, the county and borough councils, builders Hillreed and Redrow Homes, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Rail Link Countryside Initiatives and waste and recycling specialists BIFFA.

Centre's new cafe opens - May 2008

When you go down to woods today, why not pop in for a coffee?

Footprints Café and Bistro is located within the exciting new Singleton Environment Centre.

Footprints Cafe and Bistro follows the theme of conservation and environmental awareness, by serving local and seasonal produce with ethically farmed meats and fish set in an unpretentious, elegant and relaxing location.

Footprints is run by locals Neville Robinson and Caroline Shier. Opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm and also open late on Friday and Saturday evening from 7pm until 11pm.

Neville said: “We want Footprints to be a place where people want to be, to relax and enjoy the view, enjoy a tasty meal, a delicious glass of wine or a fantastic cup of coffee. Together we are putting our friendly personalities, enthusiasm and energies into this business.

“We want to create a place where you can nourish your soul with good food and drink, hear beautiful music and escape the bustle of everyday life, breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the company of friends. “The food is freshly made with as much seasonal local produce as possible. There are local beers and wines, as well as some excellent European examples. Conscious of food miles ‘local’ is strongly featured as well as sustainability.

“We have a comprehensive day menu, but we are also open Friday and Saturday evenings with a dinner style menu. Sundays will be a little different with brunch and a special Sunday lunch menu. It will be a twist on the traditional Sunday Roast theme. As the seasons unfold, live music is planned as well as family hog roasts. Watch this space!”