Educational activity centre OK
Kingswood
Educational Activity Centres, one of the UK’s leading education
activity providers, has received planning approval from Ashford
Borough Council to develop Ashford’s Grosvenor Hall into a “top
educational activity centre in Europe”, creating at least 150
jobs.
Locate in Kent, the investment promotion agency for Kent and
Medway and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA),
assisted Kingswood with the planning of the move and provided
contacts and information on services.
Kingswood Educational Activity Centres, part of Education Travel
Group, intends to develop the 50 acre site, formerly a police
training centre, into a high-tech flagship educational centre
within the south east.
Due to open in March 2010, Kingswood plans to create 150 jobs at
the site, many of which will be for instructor/delivery staff aged
between 18-24 years old.
Paul Wookey, Chief Executive of Locate in Kent said: “This shows
fantastic use of an existing empty site and it’s a real testament
to the county that one of the UK’s leading education activity
providers has chosen Kent for its flagship centre.
"As the site is minutes away from the M20 and Ashford International
Station, Grosvenor Hall will be accessible to children and teachers
across the UK and overseas.”
Judith Armitt, Managing Director of Ashford’s Future, the
organisation tasked with delivering the growth agenda for the town,
said: “This proposed development is excellent news for Ashford. It
promises to provide first class educational activity facilities and
represents a major investment in the town.
"The project also involves the creation of a significant number of
new jobs and that is to be warmly welcomed.”
Kingswood has been operating for 25 years and provides
residential school trips for predominantly primary school children
who stay on a residential basis with their teachers and explore
topics such as ICT, environmental studies and core national
curriculum topics alongside outdoor adventure sessions.
Currently around 100,000 school children visit one of our 9 UK
Centres every year. The most recent site to have launched was in
conjunction with Liverpool City Council is at Colomendy in North
Wales. Grosvenor Hall will be Kingswood's tenth centre.
For more information visit the Kingswood website.
Media release 0224/09
17/07/2009
This webpage was updated on
7/17/2009