The next coffee afternoon will be September – 11th – OneFolkestone with Jon O’Connor.
The OneFolkestone concept was founded at the ‘Community 50/50’ event the Society held back in January. Since then, Jon has been hard at work developing the concept as a community partnership approach to regeneration. With local government reorganisation imminent, it will be important for outgoing and incoming councils to be working with local communities.
Come and learn more about the concept and how it has evolved over a free tea or coffee from 3-5pm.
Review of Talk by Debby Jones, New Folkestone Society – A Victorian Super Head, the Recluse of Folkestone and an Alderman with a Vision
Debby Jones, New Folkestone Society trustee, genealogist and writer gave a talk on 28 June at the Masonic Centre
A guided tour by Friends of Folkestone Old Cemetery.
ABOUT THE TOUR
With so many Folkestone residents laid to rest in the cemetery, there are naturally many stories to be uncovered. Join us to have a stroll around the cemetery to hear some of these stories, find some well-known local names and see the flora and fauna.
After the tour, we will head over the road to Folkestone Bowls Centre for Afternoon Tea at 4pm. Should the weather be inclement, we will have an indoor talk in the Bowls Centre in place of the tour.
ONLINE BOOKING ESSENTIAL! Please book by 20 July to secure your place.
Review of Talk by Debby Jones, New Folkestone Society – A Victorian Super Head, the Recluse of Folkestone and an Alderman with a Vision
Debby Jones, New Folkestone Society trustee, genealogist and writer gave a talk on 28 June at the Masonic Centre
An introduction to Heritage Open Days for venues and organisers
The New Folkestone Society is a member of Shepway HEART Forum – an umbrella group for all organisations interested in Heritage and Arts Tourism in the Folkestone and Hythe district. Since the pandemic, forum members noted a wide range of Heritage Open Days events across Kent each year. However, these were mostly in the Canterbury, Dover and Thanet districts. There were few events in our district! The other districts had local co-ordinators, but ours did not.
In 2025, the Society became local co-ordinator for Folkestone and the surrounding district. We aim to raise awareness of Heritage Open Days with organisations across the district, encouraging them to participate.
FAQs about Heritage Open Days
What is Heritage Open Days?
Heritage Open Days is a national festival that offers FREE ENTRY to heritage venues and events across England. It is the largest festival of history and culture in the country. Events are held in a wide range of locations, including:
venues usually closed to the public
venues that usually charge admission
free entry venues (and groups) putting on a one-off event such as a tour.
Organisers get a FREE listing on the national website, visited by millions of people looking for new heritage experiences. They also have access to free resources such as marketing materials and free public liability insurance for your event. Some organisers will be eligible for micro-grants, too! There is also the opportunity to network with other venues and organisers.
The requirements are that a visitor must be able to have a free visit from entry to exit. An event should be either unique, or one visitors would usually have to pay for.
What are the benefits of offering free admission?
Here are some statistics from Heritage Open Days 2024:
One-third of visitors said they hadn’t visited a heritage site in the past 12 months, so footfall increases. Furthermore, over 45% of visitors feel inspired to volunteer at heritage sites.
The free marketing advice, including online seminars, is useful in your everyday marketing campaigns. For smaller groups that don’t have public liability insurance, free event cover is available.
When is Heritage Open Days?
Heritage Open Days 2026 takes place between 11 – 20 September.
Do I have to participate every day?
No! You can have a single event, or multiple events if you wish. It’s up to you!
Is there anything I can still charge for?
It is preferable to have a completely free day for simplicity. However, you can keep regular charges, so long as the event is free and the paid element is optional. For example, a castle could have a free reenactment in the grounds, but charge to enter the keep.
You can sell items, refreshments, memberships, etc. and collect voluntary donations. However, the paid element cannot be central to your advertising, for example:
You cannot advertise a ‘Cream Tea at the Castle’ event and charge for the food.
You may advertise a ‘Castle Open Day’ and state that cream teas are optionally available to purchase.
Ideally, there would be no parking charges for your event. However, if you do normally charge for parking, you can still charge the same fee. You may not increase the fee, nor charge if you do not normally.
How do I register an event?
If you haven’t already, request a login and choose Organiser.
Once your login is approved, sign in and go to My Events. If you’ve participated previously, you can clone your event. Otherwise, click Create new event and follow the prompts. See the Registration Tips for more information.
If you have any issues registering your event, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help! We are happy to help co-ordinate local event timings between organisers.
Can I put a limit on numbers?
Yes – you can choose whether booking is required. If you want to ticket your event, we use TicketSource, which has no charges for free events. You can set a limit on how many tickets are available. Sign up via our affiliate link and we will receive a referral for any paid events you ticket in future. The TicketSource fees for paid events is generally cheaper than other platforms.
When do I have to register by?
Registration closes on 13 August. There can be no late entries. Early bird registration closes on 1 May – register by this date (preferably including this year’s theme) and you stand a chance of being featured in the national campaign!
Do you have any face-to-face events for organisers?
Yes – come along to a Shepway HEART Forum meeting …it’s free! The Forum meets on the second Thursday of most months at 7pm. Meetings are held at different venues, mostly in Folkestone but we travel across the district. Why not join the Shepway HEART Forum mailing list, so you automatically receive updates on their meetings?
Contact us for confirmation of the location of the next meeting.
Is there a Heritage Open Days theme for 2026?
Yes – the theme for 2026 is everyday histories. Don’t worry – this is entirely optional! It might help inspire you to come up with an event, though – e.g. a tour, talk or exhibition.
Meet at The Community Room, 19 The Bayle, Folkestone, CT20 1SQ departure at 2:00pm meet at least 10 minutes before. Refreshments will be served afterwards.
