About The Kent Firefighting Museum
The Charity
The Kent Firefighting Museum is Registered Charity No: 1157631, and is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
The Museum address is Woodlands Garden Centre, Ash Lane, Ash, Nr Sevenoaks, Kent TN17 7EG
The mission of the museum is to advance education for the public benefit, in the subject of firefighting in Kent, its history and heritage, by the establishment and maintenance of a museum and learning resources.
The original Kent Fire Brigade Museum was created in 1947 as the in-house museum of the then Kent Fire Brigade, located in Maidstone, Kent. In 2014 the museum collection was gifted by the now Kent Fire and Rescue Service, to the newly created Kent Firefighting Museum Charity. Woodlands Garden Centre generously offered accommodation for the collection, and the Museum is now housed in a range of buildings at the garden centre.
Our Patron
The Museum was opened in 2014 by our Patron , the Rt. Hon. the Baroness Blackstone. Lady Blackstone is an eminent peer and public figure, whose father, Geoffrey Blackstone CBE, GM, was a distinguished Chief Fire Officer and the author of the definitive historical work “A History of the British Fire Service”.
Trustees and Secretary
Jeremy Beech Chairman of Trustees
Alan Wells Vice Chairman of Trustees
Howard Myers Treasurer and Trustee
John Meakins Curator and Vice Chairman of Management Committee
Kevin Sivell Management Committee
Joe Luque Chairman of Management Committee and Trustee
Ken Clay Trustee
Trish Hopkins Secretary to Trustees and Management Committee
Visitor Guides
The Museum is managed by a dedicated team of volunteer Visitor Guides who look after the exhibits, meet visitors, attend events and open days, and carry out restoration projects. Some of the volunteers are former firefighters, and others are people with experience of the voluntary sector in other capacities, but all are enthusiasts with knowledge of the collection and of the world of firefighting, which they love to share with our visitors.
Friends
The Friends of the Kent Firefighting Museum, simply known as “The Friends” is an organisation established to support the Museum, by raising funds and promoting the activities of the Museum, and to help increase visitor numbers. It also seeks to encourage serving and former members of fire services, and other interested people to become involved with the Museum as visitor guides, or in some other capacity. Friends receive regular updates on the activities of the Museum and of special events.
Membership of the Friends is open to all, and application forms are available in the Museum.