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 at 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.”
