Outreach charity is now homeless like its clients

An outreach centre for the homeless will shut its doors in the County Town next week after volunteers were told to pack their bags and leave.

Making a Difference to Maidstone (MADM) was told in June it had a month to vacate Coronet House in Queen Anne Road.

With the deadline looming on Thursday, July 13, devastated founder Amanda Sidwell says she has found it impossible to get suitable premises in the town centre and enough people to move a mountain of furniture and other items the charity has accumulated since it moved into the former DVLA building.

“It has really hit us hard,” the 55-year-old said. “It is not just about us, it is about all those people who we reach out to.

“They [the landlord] is well within their rights, it is just the way it has happened. We were assured we would be okay.”

Mrs Sidwell had approached Maidstone Borough Council about taking on the former Post Office sorting office near Maidstone East station, but the charity’s offer was turned down.

MADM moved into Coronet House in September alongside another charity called Second Chance as part of a new community hub.

Despite a high profile launch attended by MP Helen Grant and Maidstone’s mayor, Second Chance left the premises within a few months. MADM remained rent free while the landlord attempted to sell the property.

As well as office space it uses to help signpost the homeless to services, volunteers also use to the space to sell furniture and electrical goods, restore bicycles and run an art room.

The building is owned by Smit- ten Estates Ltd, an inactive company registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Last month Maidstone Borough Council told Redrock Development Group it would not need prior approval for a change of use application to convert the block into 39 self contained flats .

If you can help MADM, call Mrs Sidwell on 01622 687414.