COT show their stuff
Published: 28 January 2013
On Tuesday the 22nd January Kent County Council Chairman, Mr. Richard King kindly hosted Canterbury Oast Trust (COT), a charity that supports adults with learning disabilities to Kent County Hall in Maidstone. The purpose of the event was to showcase the work of the trust and launch a 3 week public exhibition celebrating the work of Artists from COT’s Rainbow Gallery.
Gill Gibb CEO of Canterbury Oast Trust says:
“This is a great opportunity for our artists to showcase their skills to the general public and we are grateful to KCC for hosting the exhibition”
The evening was a great success with a variety of people in attendance from the charities Service Users and volunteers to the Mayor of Ashford Pictured. An auction of products from COT’s enterprises including an annual pass to the Rare Breeds Centre and a hand painted ceramic tea set. The auction raised £576 for the charity and they hope to raise more from sales at the exhibition. Ben Hillman a tenant at one of COT’s independent living houses was interviewed by former BBC presenter and patron of COT Barbara Sturgeon about his life with COT and how it had enabled him to be more independent.
The exhibition will be at County Hall for three weeks and is open to the public he artists learn their craft in a therapeutic and supportive environment at Rainbow Gallery based at COT’s Rare Breeds Centre, a very popular farm and visitor attraction.
Over the past 7 years KCC has worked in close partnership with COT to volunteer staff as part of its employee volunteering programme at the Rare Breeds Centre.
KCC Chairman Richard King states:
“Volunteering is very important to me, and to the County as a whole. Volunteers are the backbone of their local communities and make such a valuable contribution to individuals and to their local areas by their unstinting commitment”
