The Kent Young Ringers’ group welcomes all young ringers under 25 years of age from around the county. It provides a chance to ring with other youngsters and further their own ringing abilities. The Young Ringers have opportunities to run all or part of these sessions.
Monthly practices are arranged, usually on the fourth Saturday afternoon of the month (3rd in February & July). These are now usually held at towers in central Kent within easy reach of a train station. Lifts can also be arranged.
Kent MINI-Ringers meets approximately 6 times a year to enable new ringers and younger ringers from year 7 and below to meet up and ring together. “Craft”, handbell & other activities are provided to occupy them when not ringing. Older/more experienced members of the Kent Young Ringers come along as helpers (MINI-Ringers need to be able to ring independently in their own tower). We usually meet at Frinsted or East Farleigh. We have outings during school holidays and combine these with visits to tearooms, BBQ or a picnic!
We have our own Kent Inter District Young Ringers’ Striking Contest held in November each year; there is considerable friendly rivalry amongst those vying to take the fantastic trophy home to their own District.
We enter 2 striking contests a year: The South-East England Contest in April (which rotates around the Guildford Diocesan Guild, Hertfordshire, Sussex, Essex, Kent and Surrey) and the RWNYC (Ringing World National Youth Contest) which takes place on the first Saturday of July, this year in York. The upper age limit for these 2 contests is 18.
We are very proud of our Kent Young Ringers for having won the Ringing World Editor’s Trophy for Excellence at the 2019 RWNYC contest in Liverpool. The team was placed 2nd overall (24 teams) and 1st in our category (19 teams ringing Call Changes).
So far Kent Young Ringers have been successful in ringing 1 peal and 33 Quarter Peals (20 in 2019) on their own and several more with an extra adult or 2.
Young Ringers have access to their own Facebook page where information and photos are posted, as also the Kent Young Ringers page on the KCACR website. More information can be obtained from the Youth Officer, Jen Thomas () and the District Contacts:
Ashford: Maureen Poole | |
Canterbury: Benjamin Legg | |
Lewisham: Nick Wilkins | |
Maidstone: Shona Clark | |
Rochester: Neil Jones | |
Tonbridge: Phil Jarvis |