Folkestone Nepalese Community Centre (FNC Centre)
The Folkestone Nepalese Community Centre (FNC Centre) was formally opened on 7 October 2021. It was initially run by the Folkestone Nepalese Community (FNC) in partnership with Kent Coast Volunteering (KCV) until the end of 2023.
From January 2024, the Centre has been solely managed and operated by the Folkestone Nepalese Community (FNC).
Read Kent Online’s coverage of the formal opening here.
Purpose
The Centre is the hub through which the objectives of FNC are delivered. It provides a welcoming space for education, training, cultural exchange, wellbeing activities, and community events, with a focus on:
Combating loneliness by promoting wellbeing through education, training, and recreational activities.
Providing educational opportunities that enhance the skills of FNC members and the wider community.
Preserving Nepalese culture, traditions, and identity while building strong relationships across diverse communities.
Current Projects and Activities
Activities and projects run from the FNC Centre include:
Education and Skills: Numeracy and literacy education programmes, ESOL & Multiply courses, and one-day training sessions (e.g. First Aid, Health & Safety, Food Safety).
Digital and Language Inclusion: IT and language classes; hub sessions including Veterans’ Drop-In, Hypertension Hero, Gurkha Welfare Trust support, Community Garden, and arts & crafts (stitch & chat, Nepalese handicraft, watercolour).
Festivals and Cultural Events: Programmes celebrating the originality and diversity of Nepalese culture and traditions.
Health and Research Collaboration: Projects with the NHS and health agencies on health, wellbeing, and community research.
Academic Partnerships: Collaborations with universities (Kent, Surrey, King’s College London, Reading) on research and knowledge-sharing.
Outreach: Engagement with schools, other communities, and organisations to promote cultural diversity.
Annual Festivals: Hosting the World in a Tent Multicultural Festival, the Nepalese Holi Colour Festival, and the Food & Farm Festival in partnership with Equator Festival and Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
Click here to view the current activity timetable.
Click here to view additional monthly events.
Venue Hire
The Centre also offers space for hire to support fundraising. Rooms can be used for:
Meetings
Digital classes
Community social events
For details, click here and please contact us at communitycentre@fncuk.org or 01303 398055.
Support Us
You can help us continue our work by making a donation. Click here to donate.
Our Funders
We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of our funders and partners, whose contributions make our programmes, projects, and activities possible.
Their ongoing commitment enables the Folkestone Nepalese Community to deliver education, wellbeing, cultural, and community initiatives for British Gurkha veterans, Nepalese families, and the wider local community.
If you would like to support us, you can make a contribution to help sustain our work.