Who Do We Help?

The KPT has supported Safer Shopping Schemes around the county (Folkestone, Dover, Medway, Sevenoaks, Swale etc). The schemes are designed to reduce retail crime, and town centre anti-social behaviour. Thanet Safe is a particularly good example. They have just received their second interest free, long-term loan from the Trust. This funding will be used to purchase new radios to be distributed to retailers who purchase them to be members of the project, which in turn sustains the project.

The KPT gave a large grant of £10,000 to the NAC to improve the security around the centre (removing graffiti, installing lighting and CCTV) to make it more accessible for all, and also to run graffiti workshops for young people to give those who had been causing anti-social behaviour problems something to do.

Jo Harwood from the NAC commented on the benefits of the KPT ‘Working with the Trust has not only allowed us to improve the facilities the Art Centre offers to all users, it has also opened the doors to other partnerships including with the people who have often been the cause of problems in our community.’

A small grant of £800 was give to Medway Action Against Racist Attack (MAARA) to establish a Neighbourhood Watch style scheme, but based in Faith Centres. The grant paid for secure ballot boxes to be placed in faith centres, which can then be used to communicate with the police. By having the ballot boxes in Faith Centres it is hoped that these will provide a non-threatening mode of communication in a familiar environment, which will lead to improved interaction between ethnic communities and the Police.

KPT gave a grant of £6, 868 to the service in April 2007, and has previously given £10,000 to the Tunbridge Wells service. In Touch Home Support works with vulnerable people to improve their security, comfort and warmth. When visiting a property the Handyperson completes a checklist which includes examining the overall security of the dwelling, and makes recommendations on how security can be improved. The will also supply and fit equipment, e.g. mortice locks, window locks, smoke alarms, and provide literature on how to improve security.

The grant was for funds to extend the Handyperson service to Maidstone. The extended service will be able to assist over 1,200 older, disabled and vulnerable people across West Kent with security information, as well as assisting 850 people with minor repairs.

David Eaton, Manager of the Handyperson Service, commented "The grant awarded by the Kent People's Trust is invaluable. On behalf of the 100's of older and disabled people we help across West Kent we would like to thank the Kent People’s Trust for their continued support and interest in the work of the Home Improvement Agencies."

The Trust has given a small grant of £400 to The Father’s Club to run a series of monthly support sessions in Maidstone. The club is a forum for fathers with a child or children with autism.

The meetings will focus on helping to bridge the gap between autistic children, their families and the criminal justice service, and to draw awareness to the needs and problems involved. Autistic teenagers, particularly those with Aspergers Syndrome, run a serious risk of ‘misunderstandings’ unless police officers understand the actions and responses of those with the disorder.

The KPT gave £2000 to re-establish a Friday night youth club for young people (8-11 year olds) in the Folkestone and Sandgate area. St George’s required a part time youth work (half a day per week) to get the club up and running. The grant covers the cost of the youth worker and of equipment such as art-work.

The youth club can accommodate up to 40 children, and when previously held, had long waiting lists.

The Freedom Programme is a 12-week programme for victims of Domestic Violence. It aims to raise confidence, and provide victims with strategies for protecting themselves and their children, as well as giving them support and advice for legal action or moving on.

Grant monies from the KPT will be used to cover the cost of trained facilitators, crèche facilities, and trained childcare staff.

A crime reduction initiative aimed at youngsters aged 12-17 yrs in crime hotspot areas within Swale. The project involves youth clubs run within separate areas of local pubs that have volunteered to run the schemes. Attendees take part in various sport activities often supervised by the landlord, volunteers and probationer police officers. In the areas served by the pubs in the scheme, there has a been a reduction in anti-social behaviour.

Grants were give to the Forum in to help cover the cost of funding an increase in hours for an outreach worker to work with victims of Domestic Violence. They also received a grant to cover the cost of mobile phones for victims to contact the emergency services.

A five-month outreach project led by Groundwork involving professional youth workers and aimed at youths aged between 9 and 17 regularly involved in anti social behaviour on the Elm Grove play area in Murston, near Sittingbourne. The project aimed to involve local residents and the youths in question in finding a common solution to their current problems in order to improve the residents overall quality of life.

Elements is a community interest company based in Margate offering counselling and training services. It has 2 staff and 5 volunteers. They have been in operation less than a year, but have delivered one-on-one counselling to 58 people, and group work to 48. Clients are referred by Connexions, Social Services, Children’s Centres etc. They support young people to break negative cycles of behaviour, increase self esteem and create opportunities for active citizenship. They work with 14-19 year olds. Trained counsellors work with the young people, whilst volunteers chaperone, facilitate group work, and undertake administrative duties.

Elements received funding to run and evaluate a ‘Breakthrough’ programme pioneered by LAPD to reduce gang crime. The pilot will involve12 young people referred by the Police, supporting them into apprenticeships or voluntary work. The programme involves one to one counselling for six session of 3 hours, personal development training programme (using video, experiental and reflective exercises), and supported voluntary work in the community. The latter gives a ‘look forward’ factor to the programme. Many young people need hopes and dreams and the experience of feeling valued and contributing to their community as well as their own development.

Animate, an Arts Company based in Canterbury works creatively with and for the community and educational groups. They are using their grant to produce art work representing positive images of young people.

Working with a disaffected local youth to create panels that run the length of the pier, these images of young people will celebrate their place in the community. This project will challenge the participants and viewers to look beyond the surface of how we view young people.

Taken by a professional photographer, it will then be up to members of the NHS mental health support group to convert them onto wooden panels, weather proof and install them into a giant public exhibition. The work will be exhibited during the Herne Bay Festival.

Aims are to: develop positive attitudes to young people by showing what young people are capable of, and by portraying them in a positive light; build self esteem in the community by giving young people and NHS clients the chance to work with professional artists to deliver a large public art work; counter (misguided) perceptions of youth culture that young people on the streets are criminals and delinquents.

This is a well-known scheme which was one of the first projects ever supported by The KPT. The benefits are safer and healthier children. The most recent grant was to cover the cost of new tabards and caps for several classes of children.

The Trust has given two grants of £2, 500 to this Canterbury based service. The service provides advice and support to the victims of rape and sexual abuse. They also assist those who feel able to report their abuse. The grant funded the extension of the East Kent Rapeline to recruit and train 12 new volunteers, who will then allow the service to be open for an additional three afternoons per week.

KPT gave a grant £2590 to fund a programme of activities and informal information sessions aimed primarily at young male refugees in Ashford, who have a tendency to form gangs and carry weapons when intimidated and isolated. The YMCA delivered the activities through 2 dedicated youth workers who, in conjunction with relevant agencies, targeted this group. Kent Police and other advisors provided talks on the dangers of carrying weapons.

The New Romney Counselling Service covers Folkestone, Dover, and Tenterden area. They have received two grants from the Trust. The first was to run a counselling project with victims of domestic violence. The most recent was to support an on-going free/donation counselling service to teenagers and young adults.

Their aim is to reduce anti-social behaviour, and the causes of crime through counselling which tackles some of the associated emotional and personal issues. They also work with the victims of crime.