The Bay Trust

Who we are

The Bay Trust improves lives through outdoor learning and connections with nature.  Our Environmental Education Charity is located across two campuses between Dover and Deal. The sites include a residential centre with outdoor classrooms, an eco venue, organically managed garden and popular tea room - both the eco venue and tea room have won national awards. These exist thanks to the combined efforts of our trustees, staff, volunteers and partner organisations. Through our environmental projects, we seek to cooperate with nature, improving both biodiversity and human engagement with the natural world.

A wide range of  groups and organisations benefit from working  us:

• Mainstream and special schools regularly visit as part of planned programmes - these might be drop-in sessions or week-long residentials.

• Adults with additional needs, including the long-term unemployed, come daily to engage in gardening and rural skills.

• Individual learners from colleges and higher education take advantage of formal apprenticeships and internships to augment their studies or to engage in specific research.

Our activities are continually evolving and include outdoor environmental learning, horticulture and organic land management as well as broad-based office skills and marketing for the third sector.

The programmes we offer are designed to enhance self-awareness, nurture productive relationships and help manage personal or social challenges. These challenges often arise from limited opportunities, poor health or well-being, exclusion from mainstream education or simply a transition between different stages in life. Helping people improve their lives by connecting with the outdoors and nature is at the heart of what we do.