To celebrate the start of the summer holidays, last Saturday, Kent Wildlife Trust’s Dover Connector Project Officer Ed Turpin joined Southern Housing Group’s Community Connectors as they organised a ‘school breakout fun day’ for residents and neighbours of Bunker’s Hill. The community enjoyed gardening, painting and decorating in the morning, followed by an afternoon of activities, such as sports games and afternoon tea. 

Ed Turpin, our Dover Connector Project officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, attended the event to lend a hand to the project and teach the children about horticulture and wildlife. The Dover Connector Project is a community engagement project based in Dover which is managed by Kent Wildlife Trust with the support of Dover Town Council and Dover Harbour Board. As a Dover Connector, Ed helps connect people in the local community with nature. 

The community event was the result of a group of local schoolchildren, many of whom live in Bunker’s Hill, which is managed by Southern Housing Group, deciding to do something positive with their summer holidays. Their idea was to create a growing garden of fruits, vegetables and herbs. 

The young people, supported by Community Connectors, encouraged other residents and local people to come along and lend a hand. Community Connectors are recruited by Southern Housing Group to galvanise change in their area by running community projects. 

Gordon Cowan, the Mayor of Dover, also attended and took part in the Bunker’s Hill community event. He stated that it is fantastic to see the local community working together towards creating something that will be looked after for generations to come, benefiting everyone in many ways. 

Ed Turpin, Dover Connector Project Officer, added that “Community projects like this are a great way of getting local people interested in nature and the environment, and also demonstrate how we can all benefit from caring for wildlife around us”. 

Find out more about our exciting community projects across Kent.