Kent Young Ringers

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 to further their own ringing abilities. The young ringers have opportunities to run part or all these sessions. Monthly practices are arranged, usually on the 3rd or 4th Saturday of the month. These are usually held at towers in central Kent within easy reach of a train station.

Kent MINI-Ringers meet several times a year as appropriate. This enables new ringers and younger ringers from Year 7 and below to meet up and ring together. “Craft”, handbell and 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 unassisted in their own towers). We meet at a suitable tower such as Barming, Frinsted or Kemsing.

We have outings for all young ringers during school holidays and may combine these with pizza, a visit to a tearoom or picnic / BBQ. We have our own Kent Young Ringers’ Inter-District Striking Contest, now held in March each year; there is considerable friendly rivalry amongst those vying to take the fantastic trophy home to their own District.

We also enter two striking contests further afield: the South East Contest in April (which rotates around the Guildford Diocesan Guild, Hampshire, Essex, Sussex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey) and the RWNYC (Ringing World National Youth Contest) with normally 20-24 participating teams which takes place in July. The upper age limit for both these contests is 18. We are very proud of our Kent Young Ringers for having won the Ringing World Editor’s Trophy for Excellence in Liverpool in 2019 and Worcester in 2021 and we continue to strive to attain the trophy again!

Kent Young Ringers also enthusiastically ring quarter peal and peal attempts on tower bells and handbells with much success. We are very thrilled to have been given two sets of handbells in memory of Tom Barlow and enjoy handbell sessions with small groups around the Association.

Young Ringers and MINI-Ringers have access to their own Facebook pages where information and photos are posted. There is also an Instagram page for Kent Young Ringers.

More information can be obtained from the Youth Officer, Jen Thomas and the District Youth Coordinators or District Secretaries:

Useful KYR Forms

• KYR Parental Consent & GDPR Form August 2025
• KYR Permission Form (Away from Home) v0.2 June 2016