What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 10am - 3pm Wednesday 10am - 3pm Thursday 10am - 3pm

Blackthorn Charity

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Blackthorn Charity

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A Health and Community Hub providing holistic, life enhancing opportunities for people with mental and/or chronic physical health conditions.

The onsite Café and Charity Shop are open to public weekdays 10am-3pm. Anyone can be struck down with illness. For some, however, it becomes a life long struggle, which can result in losing a job, friends and a love of life. The Blackthorn Trust through its Anthroposopical therapies and garden placements helps restore confidence and well being to face the world at large. Registered Charity 1117979

20/10/2026

UPDATE 26/10/2026: today's session with Mental Health Voice has been cancelled as Joanna is unwell - apologies for the short notice.

Joanna from Mental Health Voice will be at Blackthorn on Monday (26th October) - drop in anytime between 10am and 4pm to share your experience of mental health services.

Mental Health Voice is the platform that gives people with mental health (and their families) a voice. It works hand in hand with people with mental health, carers and the organisations that commission and deliver mental health services. It ensures that voices are heard by the right people, in the right way, at the right time to ensure maximum impact.

More information can be found online: https://www.ek360.co.uk/mental-health-voice

12/10/2026

Share your views on our latest consultations 📣

Maidstone, we want to know what you think! Take part in our latest consultations:

- Lockmeadow 2026 - dnds 16 October
- Financial wellbeing
- Young persons financial wellbeing - under 21's only - enter into our prize draw and win a £100 gift card

See all our our consultations on Let's Talk Maidstone, linked below 👇

[Image description: Graphic for consultations. A slightly transparent picture of Brenchley Gardens sits in the background with details of the consultations in the foreground. There are also images of a Lockmeadow concept drawing, a piggybank wearing spectacles next to a calculator, and a young person putting money in a camper van shaped moneybox.]

10/10/2026

🌍World Mental Health Day 2026 💜

Blackthorn Charity has been supporting people with mental health conditions for 40 years.

Information about our six-month, free to attend, mental health support programme can be found on our website: www.blackthorn.org.uk/mental-health

Mental Health UK has a wide range of wellbeing guides and tools available to download for free from their website: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/help-and-information/downloadable-resources

07/10/2026

We are delighted that, thanks to funding from Involve Kent, we are able to run more 8-week craft courses.

We have a few spaces available for the course starting next Thursday, 15th October.

The craft courses, which are for people aged 55+, are free to attend and take place on Thursdays from 10.30am to 12.30pm (places must be booked in advance). The venue is our craft studio at the Blackthorn Charity site in St Andrew’s Road, Maidstone (ME16 9AN).

To find out about availability for upcoming courses please email [email protected] or call 01622 828377.

There will be a maximum of 6 people enrolled on each course – this is a great opportunity to learn craft skills and chat in a relaxed, small group of like-minded people.

More information can be found on our website: https://blackthorn.org.uk/involve-craft-workshops/

05/10/2026

🎉Blackthorn is celebrating our 40th anniversary today (5th October)! 🎉

Visit the Blackthorn Café to see a display showing the development of Blackthorn over the years - our site, including the Café, Charity Shop and garden, is open to the public 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday.

Support from individuals and businesses is vital to our work - you can make a donation via our website: https://blackthorn.org.uk/donate/ 💸

💜Each year we help more than 250 people with mental health conditions to gain practical, life and social skills. Our work is based on the belief that more than medication is required to affect positive change. 💜

29/09/2026

World Mental Health Day event at Maidstone Safe Haven (ME15 6LU) 11:00-16:00 on Friday 9th October (more details in the post below) 💜

23/09/2026

We're really looking forward to hosting the new Young Lives Foundation - YLF Care Leaver Hub 💜

19/09/2026

Metal Colour Light Workshop at Blackthorn

Saturday 3rd October 10am-5pm £55 (light lunch and refreshments included)

Please send all enquiries to: [email protected]

Join us for an introductory seminar with Hazel Adams and Jeanne-Claire Bischoff.
The day will be an opportunity for anyone interested to discover and explore the therapeutic qualities and character of some of our Therapy Glass panels.
Our explorations will be experiential in nature and everyone is welcome!

15/09/2026

Free 2-hour community cooking workshops at Blackthorn Charity

*All participants will receive a FREE kitchen starter pack to take home*

How to book:
[email protected] / 01622 828374

What you’ll do:
Learn basic cooking skills & techniques
Create meals from a bag of ingredients (Ready, Steady, Cook style)
A trained chef will provide guidance
Enjoy a fun, educational session

Who it’s for:
Anyone looking to build confidence
Beginners with little or no cooking experience
Individuals seeking a supportive

When the course is running:
1.30pm to 3.30pm on a Thursday (choose one date)
24th September
1st October
8th October
15th October
22nd October
29th October

Where the course will take place:
in Blackthorn Charity’s training kitchen at our site in St Andrew’s Road, Maidstone, ME16 9AN

How to book:
[email protected] / 01622 828374

[This project is supported by a grant from Kent County Council]

12/09/2026

Blackthorn Charity couldn't operate without our amazing volunteers who work in a variety of customer service and programme-support roles. Our current volunteer opportunities are detailed on the website: https://blackthorn.org.uk/volunteer

What’s in it for you?
💜‘give back’ to the local community
💜join a friendly and supportive team
💜learn new skills
💜spend time every week at our beautiful and tranquil site
💜meet new people
💜attend two volunteer 'thank you' events each year
💜know you are helping to make a difference to the hundreds of people who access Blackthorn’s support programmes each year

Address

St Andrew's Road
Maidstone
ME169AN

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 3pm
Wednesday	10am - 3pm
Thursday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

+441622828374

Website

http://www.blackthorn.org.uk/

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