Ashford, Get Active!

Here, you will find a list of events in the borough designed to help residents get up and about, as well as a list of events at our award-winning leisure centres in the borough, including The Stour Centre, The Julie Rose Stadium and Tenterden Leisure Centre.

All of these activities are FREE and have been funded by government grant funding! For all other activities within the borough, please visit Active Ashford's website.

Ashford Borough Council funded activities

+ Scootering

Scoot, scoot!

If you ever wanted to learn the basics of scooting in a fun, safe and supportive environment, we have you covered! Down at The Julie Rose Stadium, we have three dates (4, 18, 25 August) of experts teaching you the ropes.

Book here!

+ Skateboarding

If you'd prefer another way to get about on wheels, how about skateboarding? We have experts ready to teach you how to use them and how to be good at using them!

We're running these over three days at The Julie Rose Stadium (4, 18, 25 August), with beginner sessions running at 2pm and advanced sessions running at 3pm. See below for links:

Beginner sessions
Advanced sessions

+ Family walk session

If you'd like something of a slower pace, then we have two lovely hour and 45 minute family walk sessions in Hothfield on 23 August! Here, you'll take in some of the most picturesque views of the borough, all while getting active and getting some steps in.

The first walk is at 10am, while the second is at 1pm. Links for each walk are below:

Book the 10am walk here
Book the 1pm walk here

+ Nordic walk session

Should you want something a bit extra when it comes to walking, then why not try a Nordic walk session? By using the walking poles, a Nordic walk session uses 90% of your muscles and is fantastic for getting active! We have a two hour session planned on 12 August between 10am-12pm - don't miss it!

Please note, this event is only suitable for adults. Book here.

+ Bikeability (in conjunction with Kent County Council)

Bikeability is back and on July 28, 29 and 30, at Victoria Park! Bikeability is designed to give kids in Year 6 the skills and confidence needed to ride on the road. Unlike everything else listed above, there is a £5 booking fee with Bikeability. If you are interested, the booking links are as follows:

Bikeability - July 28
Bikeability - July 29
Bikeability - July 30

+ Adult Cycling Training

A 2024 study revealed that 24% of UK adults don't know how to ride a bike. When pressed why, 22% stated that they'd love to learn how, but feel it's too late. The good news is that it's never too late to learn! Qualified Kent County Council instructors are running FREE events designed to get adults (17+) on bikes in a friendly, welcoming setting - completely free of judgement. These sessions will take place at Cuckoo Park Basketball Court (TN23 5FB) in South Ashford on 25 July - you can book your space here.

+ Outdoor gym

Get fit and meet new people with our FREE community outdoor gym sessions in Newtown and Kennington this July! Personal Trainer, Wolfy, will show you how to use the outdoor gym equipment to create a routine you can then continue on your own to improve your fitness level. There’s no need to book, simply turn up, bring a bottle of water and meet by the outdoor gym equipment!

Time: 10am to 11am
Dates: July 28
Where: Bulleid Place Play Area, Willesborough

Time: 3pm to 4pm
Dates: July 24
Where: Rylands Road Play Area, Kennington

Time: 10am to 11am
Dates: August 4, 11
Where: Spearpoint Pavilion, Kennington

Time: 3pm-4pm
Dates: August 7, 14
Where: Noakes Meadow, South Ashford

Cycle Maintenance

Want to make sure your bike is as safe and as sturdy as it possibly be? Then head on down to one of the several free cycle repair outlets in Ashford, where you can take your bike to an expert and they can give it a once over! If you also have some minor repairs needed, these experts will happily take a look and see what they can do for you, too.

Here is a list of the upcoming repair shops in Ashford...:

Free Cycle repair William Harvey Hospital - 4 September at 10:30am, more information here.

Places to Walk

The Ashford Borough is full of wonderful, picturesque, scenic walking routes. Be this around The Warren, Conningbrook, Hothfield or Kingswood, there are miles and miles of country footpaths and always somewhere new to explore.

If you're looking for somewhere to walk about and to take in some great sights, the Explore Kent website has a host of things with you in mind. Alternatively, the Cycle Ashford website has a route planner, featuring some of the best walking routes in the borough.

Places to Cycle

Equally, if you prefer to roam about on two wheels, there's plenty of places to explore around the Borough. Be it a trip around Victoria Park to get yourself moving or a zoom through Conningbrook to take in some scenery, there's a lot to do as a cyclist within the borough.

Over at the Cycle Ashford website, you can explore a number of the Borough's favourite routes, while also inputting your own! The website will also tell you the best way to get from A to B on a bike, which can be handy when moving through Kent.

Freedom Leisure activities

With all Freedom Leisure activities that are listed, please be aware that these may come at a cost and may not necessarily be free. For further information, reach out to the venue in question.

+ Events at Tenterden Leisure Centre

From 22 July to 31 August

PlayZone

Every day
Suitable for ages 0-12
Under 1s £1, 1-4 years £4.50, 12 years £7
Tickets available here

PlayZone SEN sessions

Every Sunday and Wednesday, 1:30pm-3pm
Suitable for SEN children and their families
Under 1s £1, 1-4 years £4.50, 12 years £7
Tickets available here

InflataFun

Every Tuesday and Thursday, 2pm-4pm
Suitable for all ages, but pool inflatable 8-15 years
Normal swim prices
Pay and play

Floats and Fun

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 2pm-4pm
Suitable for all ages
Normal swim prices
Pay and play

Giant Obstacle Course & Bouncy Castle Session

Every Friday, 1pm-3pm
Suitable for under 10s - £5.50 per child
Tickets available here

Wave Rave

17 July and 21 August - 6:30pm-8pm
Suitable for all ages, but pool inflatable 8-15 years
£10.50 per adult, £8.50 per child
Tickets available here

Summer Crash Courses - Swimming Lesson

Week commencing 10, 17 and 24 August - 8am, 8:30am, 9am, 9:30am, 10am
Suitable for ages 5-12
Free for swim school members, £45 for non-members
Book here.

Hire a court for badminton, table tennis or pickleball

Every Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30pm-3:30pm
Suitable for all ages - £13
Book a court here

Little Ravers

17 July and 21 August - 6:30pm-8pm
Suitable for ages 0-12 - Under 1s £1, 1-4 years £4.50, 12 years £7
Call 01580 475014 or email here for more information.
Pay and play