Accommodation and Facilities

Greatly enhancing its experiential and academic study courses is Saint Anselm’s Multi-Cultural Living Community, a unique teaching/learning laboratory. Within this vibrant milieu, the participant interprets and develops — according to the context of his or her own culture and spirituality — all that he or she learns in class. Here students discover for themselves that underneath our individual uniqueness, we have the same emotions, pains and pleasures as everyone else. The barriers of surface differences, our features, languages and personal beliefs, soon melt into an enrichment of living and relationship that continues throughout one’s life. 

The Community is noted for the striking warmth offered equally to all who come to study or visit. Being a part of Saint Anselm’s multi-cultural community offers you a unique opportunity to appreciate and value cultures and ways of community other than your own. Here you will directly experience how community can enhance personal development. Relationship building is fostered in the daily situation of praying, learning, relaxing and living together within this international community. The multi-cultural community provides an opportunity to practise constructive communication where truly listening and absorbing is of paramount concern in forming vibrant, growth-producing relationships. The inherent struggles in unifying your spiritual life with your secular life will be addressed through this daily interface. During your time here, you will be given an opportunity to be a community leader under supervision. 

Community and Multicultural Living

Community is at the heart of life at St Anselm’s. There is an emphasis on group work and social/community interaction, complemented by time for private reflection. The art of constructive communication and the forming of healthy growth-producing relationships is central. Awareness of relationships in community where we both support and receive support is valued and encouraged. Participants affirm and support each other on their journey towards greater wholeness and integration.

An understanding and appreciation of cultures other than your own, together with the implications of a multicultural setting for formation is explored and enhanced by living in a multicultural community. This is enriching for any leader or formator. The relationship between community and individual development is also examined.

The large community is divided up into small communities, each with a mix of people of different nationalities, different ages, men and women.

Location and Facilities

The Institute is housed in Norfolk Road, located in a quiet residential area of Cliftonville, adjacent to Margate, on the northern coast of Kent, in southeast England. The Institute contains its own chapel, dining room, large recreation room where snooker, table tennis and other activities may be enjoyed, and television areas.

All bedrooms are en-suite. Growth facilitation rooms, therapy rooms, common rooms and offices are housed in "St. Basil's" an adjacent building in Cumberland Road. There is a an on-site laundry with washing, drying and ironing facilities.

Our specialist library is extensive and housed in a separate building in Madeira Road There is a total book stock of circa 5000 specialist books and a number of specialist journals. The library catalogue is computerised.

It is a three minute walk to the splendid cliffs and ever changing, inspiring sea in one direction and a three minute walk to the shops in the other direction.

Meals are enjoyed together in the central dining-room. A three-course meal is provided at mid-day and a two-course, lighter meal, in the evenings. 

Coffee, tea and biscuits are provided in the coffee bars, and cakes for afternoon tea.

Students are free to make use of the computer facilities with access to the Internet, at any free time during the day. The computers are also available for use in the evenings and at weekends.