Community
Kent Community Training launches new social enterprise
Kent Community Training (KCT), co-founded by Lee Webster and Emma Doyle, is a new social enterprise dedicated to helping people from all walks of life — including those facing mental health challenges, unemployment, rehabilitation and other life transitions — to gain practical skills, rebuild confidence and reintegrate into the community and workforce.
Read More
Pupils’ art promotes recycling in Kent
10 budding young artists have won the chance to see their artwork promoting the importance of recycling out on the roads of Kent and Medway thanks to a drawing competition organised by local business Countryside Recycling.
Read More
Furley Page announces Pilgrims Hospices as chosen charity for 300th anniversary year
Pilgrims Hospices has been chosen as Furley Page’s charity of the year for 2025 as part of the law firm’s celebrations to mark its 300-year anniversary.
Read More
Kent business wins award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Community’
Swanley-based construction and fire safety specialist Trail Group has won a major award for its contribution to the community, celebrating the company’s delivery of an expanded range of services to improve the quality and safety of social housing and its exceptional record of supporting local communities and charities across Kent and the South East.
Read More
Southeastern unveils £380k boost for good causes
Southeastern is providing a £380,000 boost to community projects as part of its Customer & Community Improvement Fund (CCIF), reinforcing its commitment to supporting the people and places it serves.
Read More
Four Jays steps in to support Kent charity
Kent-based Four Jays, one of the South East’s largest family-owned toilet, welfare and commercial hire companies, responded to a call for help from Kenward Trust, a charity dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals affected by addiction and homelessness.
Read More
Emmaus Dover calls for new trustees to help tackle homelessness
Homelessness charity Emmaus Dover is seeking individuals to join its Board of Trustees and help play a pivotal role in transforming the lives of people who have experienced homelessness.
Read More
Newhaven Fort to reopen following £7.5m restoration
Newhaven Fort in East Sussex will reopen its doors to the public on 15 February 2025, following a transformative £7.5m restoration of the historic landmark.
Read More
FareShare calls for donations to combat seasonal ‘Hunger Gap’
Leading food redistribution charity FareShare Sussex & Surrey is urging food businesses to help tackle the annual ‘Hunger Gap’.
Read More
Folkestone’s Leas Lift appoints community engagement manager
As restoration work at Folkestone’s Leas Lift is set to begin, the charity has appointed a community engagement manager to ensure local people are kept informed and feel part of the efforts to reopen the iconic lift.
Read More
Haven Young Creatives receives £5k funding from Newhaven Enterprise Zone
An arts charity in Newhaven which provides free drama workshops for children and young people has received nearly £5,000 from Newhaven Enterprise Zone’s Community Fund to employ an early years artist.
Read More
Sussex Emmaus calls for new trustees to help tackle homelessness
Homelessness charity Sussex Emmaus is seeking individuals to join its board of trustees and help play a pivotal role in transforming the lives of people who have experienced homelessness.
Read More
Apogee Corporation raises £4,300 for Dementia UK
Kent-based managed workplace services provider Apogee Corporation has raised £4,300 for specialist dementia nursing charity Dementia UK through its 2024 Christmas Advent Calendar.
Read More
Local housebuilder invests over £800,000 in Deal community
Local housebuilder David Wilson Homes has recently confirmed its Section 106 agreement with Dover District Council (DDC), confirming that a total of £805,084 will be directly invested into the Sholden area.
Read More
Supporting charities ‘boosts customer loyalty by 250%’
Customers that engage with charity partnerships are more than three times as likely (250%) to stay loyal to the brand, the MD of sustainable packaging supplier Priory Direct told representatives from more than 40 businesses and charities at a Kent CSR event in November.
Read More
Kent community centres awarded share of £30,000 from Southern Water
Christmas has come early for 10 Kent community centres after they received a share of Southern Water’s £30,000 regional Community Fund.
Read More
Shepherd Neame sponsors Rochester’s new Christmas lights
Kent independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame is among the sponsors of the new Christmas Lights in Rochester.
Read More
Ashford Borough Council steps up support for rough sleepers
Ashford Borough Council is opening an Outreach Centre in January as part of renewed steps to support rough sleepers this winter.
Read More
Eastbourne welcomes Lightning Fibre’s fully accessible ice rink
British Olympic figure-skating champion Robin Cousins MBE, along with special guests from Forward Facing, a charity supporting Sussex families whose children have long-term or life-limiting conditions, took to the ice at internet service provider Lightning Fibre’s accessible Ice Rink in Eastbourne to celebrate its accessibility for all.
Read More
WIBN Kent raises over £2,000 for charity at 2024 Christmas event
On Thursday 5 December, the Women in Business Network (WIBN) Kent held its much-anticipated annual Christmas Lunch at the picturesque Chilston Park Hotel, raising an impressive £2,040, which will be equally distributed among six exceptional charities.
Read More
Girlings Solicitors supports Holding On Letting Go
Kent law firm Girlings Solicitors has chosen child bereavement charity Holding On Letting Go (HOLG) as its ‘Charity of the Year’.
Read More
FareShare appeals for support to fight hunger this Christmas
Food waste charity FareShare Sussex & Surrey has launched two ambitious campaigns to help feed those in need this winter.
Read More
Ashford charitable sector benefits from £500,000
The Frank Brake Community Fund, which was established through Kent Community Foundation in 2019, has awarded more than half a million pounds in funding to small charitable organisations across the district of Ashford.
Read More
Nourish appoints new chair of trustees
Simon Vincent has been appointed chair of trustees at Nourish Community Foodbank in Tunbridge Wells, bringing with him a wealth of experience from both his professional and personal life.
Read More
Latest 2024 London Gatwick Foundation Fund recipients announced
Community groups in Sussex, Surrey and Kent were jumping for joy this week as London Gatwick announced the recipients of nearly £100,000 of funding from the second round of the London Gatwick Foundation Fund of 2024.
Read More
David Wilson Homes volunteers support local organisations
Kent housebuilder David Wilson Homes recently dedicated a week of volunteering to local organisations close to its The Poppies development on Hermitage Lane in Aylesford, Maidstone.
Read More
Chartwells delivers school holiday workshops to over 300 children in Sussex
As part of its ongoing support for the government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF), leading school and education catering company Chartwells has provided a range of free, interactive cooking and nutrition workshops to children across Sussex.
Read More
Local builders merchants band together to race a dragon for charity
A combined team from Sussex and Surrey builders merchants Fairalls, Chandlers and Parker Building Supplies is taking on a challenging dragon boat race to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust.
Read More
Ashford’s month-long live music line-up returns this October
Ashford’s grassroots music venues will once again be alive with the sound of live music for the entire month of October as Create Music Village returns to the town for a third year.
Read More
Newhaven Enterprise Zone donates nearly £9,000 to good causes
A film school which provides courses for neurodiverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged filmmakers and a summer academy for young people are the latest recipients of funding from Newhaven Enterprise Zone’s Community Fund.
Read More
Faversham Hop Festival returns this weekend
Faversham Hop Festival is back on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, with Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame returning as principal sponsor for another year.
Read More
Redrow kicks off community fund with generous donations to local causes
Kent housebuilder Redrow South East has made four donations, totalling over £2,000, to support the incredible community work and events happening across the local area.
Read More
Kent County Show celebrates the best of Kent
The 93rd Kent County Show, the annual flagship event of registered charity the Kent County Agricultural Society, took place on 5, 6 and 7 July 2024, displaying the best of Kent through livestock and equine competitions, trade, exhibits and more.
Read More
FareShare Sussex & Surrey rolls out frozen food campaign to boost support
FareShare Sussex & Surrey has launched a new crowdfunding campaign to help charities and community groups increase their capacity for frozen food to feed more people experiencing hunger and food poverty.
Read More
Thomson Snell & Passmore partners with the Children’s Respite Trust
Kent law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore and the Children’s Respite Trust have set out on a two-year charity partnership.
Read More
Festival celebrates Ashford’s food and drink offering
It’s the final countdown to the annual Ashford Food and Drink Festival, a month-long celebration of food and drink experiences in and around Ashford town centre, taking place this July.
Read More
28-mile cycle event along the Kent coast supports The Evie Dove Foundation
A new cycling event, The Big TEDF Bike Ride, is set to take place on 15 June, featuring a 28-mile off-road route along the Kent coast to support The Evie Dove Foundation (TEDF). The Evie Dove Foundation (TEDF) was established in 2022 by the parents of Evie Dove, a young girl from Folkestone who passed […]
Read More
Walker Construction sponsors the Green School Awards
Walker Construction is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Green School Awards, an esteemed event celebrating sustainability and innovation in education.
Read More
Kent businesses back Living Land event
Countrystyle Recycling played its part in celebrating 20 years of fun and interactive learning opportunities centred around food, farming and the countryside when it took part in Living Land.
Read More
South East builders merchants join forces to host charity football tournament
Chandlers Building Supplies, in collaboration with Parker Building Supplies and Fairalls Builders Merchants, is hosting a charity five-a-side football tournament, scheduled to kick off on 2 June at Tonbridge Angels FC, in support of Teenage Cancer Trust.
Read More
CREST Business Awards Charity Golf Day raises £4k for Surrey Wildlife Trust
International explorer Nick Hollis, who has taken on the world’s most challenging feats of endurance to promote environmental responsibility, praised the golfers he joined at the CREST Business Awards Charity Golf Day, who raised £4,000 for Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT).
Read More
Brighton Fringe 2024 launches
Brighton Fringe is back for 2024 from 3 May to 2 June, with a massive 750 events being staged in over 120 venues across Brighton, Hove and beyond.
Read More
Kings Hill welcomes public art project celebrating Kent’s agricultural heritage
A five-metre high, multi-coloured artwork celebrating Kent’s agricultural heritage has been unveiled in Kings Hill, near West Malling.
Read More
Martin Tolhurst Solicitors partners with Kent Wildlife Trust
Kent law firm Martin Tolhurst Solicitors has announced a new partnership with Kent Wildlife Trust, a respected wildlife charity dedicated to preserving the county’s natural heritage.
Read More
Kent Community Foundation analyses Kent and Medway’s voluntary sector
A survey commissioned by Kent Community Foundation in December 2023 has revealed the challenges and opportunities facing Kent and Medway’s voluntary sector in 2024.
Read More
Newhaven Enterprise Zone boosts art scene with £160,000
A programme of grassroots arts events will continue in Newhaven thanks to £160,000 of funding from Newhaven Enterprise Zone (NEZ).
Read More
Redrow South East launches fund to support local community projects in Kent
Premium housebuilder Redrow South East has launched its first official community fund to help continue its support of the incredible community work led by groups, schools, organisations and individuals across Kent.
Read More
London Gatwick delivers more than £87,000 to good causes in Kent, Surrey and Sussex
London Gatwick has delivered a fresh cash injection for 20 of the most deserving organisations and special causes throughout Kent, Sussex and Surrey, with more than £87,000 donated just in time for Christmas.
Read More
IoD Surrey partners with Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS)
The Surrey branch of the Institute of Directors (IoD) is partnering with Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) to help the organisation raise its profile and connect with more Surrey businesses.
Read More
Community groups in Newhaven urged to apply for £40k funding pot
Newhaven Enterprise Zone is appealing for community groups in Newhaven to apply for £40,000 of funding to enrich residents’ lives during the cost-of-living crisis.
Read More
Charity Christmas tree lighting event to be hosted by Brighton seafront attractions
Brighton’s iconic seafront is set to glow brighter than ever this year as local businesses join forces for the first time on 25th November at 1pm for a festive Christmas light switch-on event in support of The Starr Trust charity.
Read More
Sussex-based digital marketing agency scoops UK Agency Award
Smart Monkey Marketing, which specialises in B2B SEO for professional services, the built environment and workplace services, recently won a prestigious award at the 2023 UK Agency Awards. Winning the award for ‘Best New Business Campaign (Small)’ at the annual event, the agency celebrated its work with one of its newest clients, Oven Rescue. This […]
Read More
Embridge Consulting receives ERP Today Awards commendation
Business transformation consultancy Embridge Consulting, headquartered in Gravesham, Kent, is celebrating its commendation for the ‘Customer Hero Award’ at The ERP Today Awards 2023. The ERP Today Awards and Fundraiser recognise excellence across the enterprise technology industry, celebrating leadership, innovation and customer success within organisations of all sizes. This year’s winners were announced on 14 […]
Read More
Sussex-based Identity announces partnership with Turner Prize 2023
Identity, the global event agency founded in Sussex, has announced its partnership with Turner Prize 2023. The prize, named after the great painter J M W Turner, is now in its 38 year and continues to grab international attention and stimulate discussions well beyond the art world. The British artists on this year’s shortlist are […]
Read More
Historic Kent pub restored for village
A historic public house in Elham, Kent has reopened following a major refurbishment, with its new owners Contemporary Pubs fulfilling their promise to restore the much-loved pub for the village. The Grade-II listed 15th-century pub, The Kings Arms, is operated by Contemporary Pubs, the team behind the award-winning success of The Marquis of Granby, Alkham […]
Read More
Housebuilder bolsters community investment in Aylesham, Kent
Barratt Homes has recently handed over its most recent Section 106 funding to Dover District Council (DDC). The funds, totalling £208,000, were agreed as part of the ongoing development at Aylesham Village, with the next Barratt Kent phase of the development due to launch later in the year. The most recent payment by Barratt Homes […]
Read More
Local charities and groups receive funding from Gatwick Airport Community Trust
Good causes across Surrey, Sussex and Kent were celebrating this week after Gatwick Airport Community Trust announced the recipients of thousands of pounds of funding. Money went to more than 100 groups and charities across the region, which will be used to carry on essential work during the cost-of-living crisis. Every year, The Gatwick Airport […]
Read More
Dorking-based Unum UK joins the fight against period poverty
Employee benefits provider Unum UK, based in Dorking, is joining the crusade against period poverty by teaming up with community partners the Hey Girls network to launch a period dignity scheme across its UK sites. As of today, Unum UK will be stocking free, sustainable products in all bathrooms to help reduce period poverty and […]
Read More
Brakes supports care homes in overcoming challenges amidst food price inflation
Kent-based food wholesaler Brakes has launched a new campaign aimed at helping care providers manage a range of budgetary and practical challenges being driven by labour shortages and food price inflation. The company’s new ‘We Care, Because You Do’ campaign highlights the additional support and resources available to care home owners and managers, procurement specialists […]
Read More
ChannelPorts Limited and Kent Community Foundation launch Community Fund
After supporting grass root charities for some time by making regular donations to experienced grant makers Kent Community Foundation, Hythe-based ChannelPorts Limited has decided to set up its own philanthropic fund. The new philanthropic fund will be known as the ‘ChannelPorts Community Fund’ and will award grants to small charities and community groups that operate […]
Read More
State-of-the-art environmentally friendly factory opens in Maidstone
Esteemed representatives from the Maidstone community attended today’s opening of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant set to bring work opportunities and a positive environmental impact to the local area. Distinguished guests included Faversham and Mid Kent MP, Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) Helen Whately and The Worshipful the Deputy Mayor of […]
Read More
Film production startup crowned Kent winner of South East pitch competition
Nocturnal Pictures has been announced as the Kent winner of the South East Startup Roadshow, hosted by South East Angels. The independent film production company specialises in dark, high-concept, story-driven narratives within the action, horror and Sci-Fi genres. Its debut feature film The Last Rite has already made its mark on popular streaming platforms such as HULU, […]
Read More
Baxall to deliver net zero primary schools in the South East
Kent-based main contractor Baxall Construction has secured Department for Education (DfE) contracts to deliver two of the South East’s first net zero in operation schools. Baxall has designed and will build the £5.7m new St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Deal and the £8.4m Iqra VA Primary School in London – both of which are […]
Read More
Pig & Porter celebrates Taste of Kent ‘Beer of the Year’ Silver Award
Tunbridge Wells-based craft brewery Pig & Porter received the Silver ‘Beer of the Year’ award for its Caravan bitter at the Taste of Kent Awards, held on June 22 at The Gulbenkian, Canterbury. The brewery currently produces a wide range of beers in cask and keg. Caravan, one of its well-loved bitters, picked up the […]
Read More
FareShare Sussex & Surrey highlights food scarcity crisis
Food waste charity FareShare Sussex & Surrey is appealing for businesses to provide support as it expands its vital services across Sussex and Surrey during the cost-of-living crisis.
Read More
Kent Food Partnership tackles food crisis
Since the start of 2023, a group of stakeholders invested in Kent’s food system have been quietly working on the establishment of the Kent Food Partnership. The partnership brings together lead agencies Produced in Kent and Social Enterprise Kent with local government, public health, Kent Universities, food and drink business representatives and community groups to […]
Read More