Kent schools and community groups benefit as Community Chest spills it's gold

A diverse range of charitable good causes across Kent are sharing a £20,000 bounty thanks to South East Water’s Community Chest Fund.

The projects chosen include two schools in Maidstone, a community centre based in Ashford and Tenterden and a Maidstone-based charity. A grant of £2,000 each has been awarded to each of the four organisations.

This year over 100 applications to South East Water’s Community Chest Fund were received and the decision on where to place the money was taken by a panel of eight South East Water employees from all parts of the business, but all with an interest in raising money for good causes.

Valley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT) will use the funds to help create an outdoor learning environment for primary school aged children. It will include a sensory garden and improvements to the biodiversity of the area with the installation of bug hotels and plants to encourage wildlife.

Five Acre Wood School will be creating a sensory garden for its pupils who have profound, severe and complex learning difficulties. The garden will take the children on a multi-sensory journey through four seasons, enriched with the magic of fairy tales.

The Ashford & Tenterden Umbrella Centre will be using the funding to provide mental health and wellbeing support drop in sessions at its community centre. Meanwhile Dandelion Time, a nature-based charity that provides support to children who’ve suffered from traumatic experiences, will be using the money to harvest rainwater through the installation of a hand water pump.

Tanya Sephton, Customer Services Director, South East Water said: “Once again this year we saw a high number of applications, giving the judging panel difficult decisions to make.

“After careful thought and discussion they went on to choose a number of projects covering a wide range of good causes that needed a little extra financial help to make a difference.

“This award from our Community Chest fund will help bring these projects to life and make a really positive difference to the communities they serve.”

Valley Invicta Academies Trust (VIAT)

Lesley Beattie, Treasurer, Holborough Lakes School PTA, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be awarded £2,000 as part of this year’s Community Chest Fund, allowing Holborough Lakes School PTA to support children across the school through the creation of an outside learning space.

“This amazing space will be invaluable to the children's team-working, social interaction skills, mental health and overall confidence. Thank you South East Water!”

Five Acre Wood School

Tim Williams, Headteacher at Five Acre Wood School (Loose site) said: “We are beyond grateful to have secured funding from South East Water’s Community Chest Fund. This generous support will help us reimagine our outdoor space and create a truly one-of-a-kind sensory garden for our pupils with profound learning difficulties.

“Funding like this enables us to bring magical, meaningful environments to life - spaces that are thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of our pupils.”

Ashford & Tenterden Umbrella

Kirsten Floyd, Community Engagement Officer at Ashford & Tenterden Umbrella said: “We are thrilled to be chosen as a recipient of South East Water’s Community Chest. This funding will help us continue to reach socially isolated, lonely and disadvantaged people within our local community by allowing us to hold weekly coffee mornings.

“People can come to our ‘Chatty Café’ to meet new people and chat over a cuppa, which improves mental wellbeing. Our service users truly appreciate our service and are keen that we keep our doors open as many small charities are closing. This grant will help us to do that – so thank you.”

Dandelion Time

Lizzie Hoskins, Corporate Relationship Manager at Dandelion Time said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been selected by the judges to receive £2,000 from South East Water’s Community Chest Fund. The funding will be used to install rainwater harvesting barrels and a hand water pump to collect water for our gardens.

“As well as environmental benefits, this equipment will form a key activity for our therapeutic work at Dandelion Time which supports children and their families who have experienced trauma. Over the last 20 years, we have incorporated rhythmic activities through varied activities in craftwork and gardening which helps to soothe busy minds. The use of movement in water is similarly very calming for children as a sensory experience.”

To view the full list of this year’s winners, visit www.southeastwater.co.uk/communitychest(opens in a new tab)