In March 2018 Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council (Parish Council) signed a twenty-five year lease with Ashford Borough Council (ABC) for Singleton Environment Centre on the basis it is operated by a new charity Singleton Spaces.
The previous tenant, a national environmental volunteering organisation, had served notice to ABC after ten years with the Centre as a regional base. It conducted local conservation work and a Kent-wide tree identification project. With their departure ABC would have closed the Centre without another organisation seeking to make it a going concern. This opportunity was not lost on local residents and the Parish Council was urged to take on the lease as long as a newly created charity, Singleton Spaces, adopted the operational responsibilities.
Over five years, including the difficult Covid period, the Centre has proven viability and gone from strength to strength in terms of the community and education programme.
The Parish Council has also made a financial contribution to a number of different community and education projects at the Centre.
The Parish Council has kindly supported the education work at Singleton Environment Centre which has allowed a huge range of activities to keep the children busy and entertained. In total, over 580 participants have taken part in one of the Summer 2023 events.
Singleton Spaces reports to the Parish Council Meeting each month and to local residents in the PC Newsletter.
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