You can find our Community in the historic city of Canterbury, South East of England.

We are the oldest of the UK L’Arche communities, calling Canterbury a home since 1974. Canterbury is vibrant, friendly and easily accessible from the continental Europe with excellent transport links to London. We have everything that a big city has to offer – cinemas, cafes, theatres, galleries – as well as seaside and the Garden of England at our doorstep.

Our Community includes currently 24 people with learning disabilities, who we support at home, as well as volunteers, friends, neighbours and L’Arche assistants. Some of the people we support choose to live in their own flat, others prefer to share their home with one or more housemates who have a learning disability and perhaps with L'Arche assistants as well.

Our wide-ranging activities programme and Community traditions like the annual four-day Pilgrimage walk or Valentine’s party are at the centre of Community life in L’Arche Kent. We offer activities which nurture and celebrate people’s creativity like card and candle making and promote independence and entrepreneurial abilities like beer making and horticulture. We also run a weekly Book Club at the local library using Books Beyond Words resources.

Over the last 50 years we have built deep links with our neighbours, local churches and other community groups. It is impossible to walk through the centre of Canterbury and not to meet someone connected to our Community on the way!

Take a look at our stories to meet some of the people in our Community.

Our stories

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