Therapy in the garden and a bake-off take-off

The first Kent Charity Awards are on course to be a big success after organisers received a huge number of entries. The awards, backed by the KM Group, attracted more than 140 nominations, which will now be whittled down to a shortlist of 18. This week we profile more of the nominated charities: Friends of Wisdom Hospice The hospice was built in Rochester following a community fundraising campaign started by Molly Wisdom and was officially opened by The Queen in 1983. The Friends support the care provided by the hospice team and make an annual grant towards the running costs. Samphire This charity helps solve some of the problems caused by immigration detention. It provides emotional, practical and legal support to detainees at the Dover Immigration Removal Centre (DIRC). Home-Start South West Kent Home-Start offers confidential homevisiting support to young families within the boroughs of Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells. The team are all parents themselves and offer weekly visits to provide emotional support, mentoring and advice. Compaid This charity has been providing opportunities for disabled and elderly people in and around Kent for more than 25 years. It offers computer skills training, accessible transport and work experience opportunities. Canterbury Street Pastors This charity is part of the Ascension Trust and is one of 12 groups in Kent and over 250 across England. With an ethos of helping, caring and listening, they patrol the streets on Saturday nights until 4am assisting those in need. Carers FIRST Carers FIRST’s objectives are to relieve the needs of carers of people who are sick, infirm or disabled by providing respite care, information, advice and support. This organisation provides support to more than 5,700 carers in Kent and Medway. St George’s Community Children’s Project, based in Tunbridge Wells The St George’s Community Children’s Project has more than 30 years’ experience in independent quality childcare that is affordable and accessible. It provides more than 30 subsidised places every week to families. Hospice in the Weald Hospice in the Weald provides compassionate and supportive care for terminally ill patients, their families and carers. This year it launched The Weald’s Biggest Bake Off, and managed to secure 15 celebrities to donate recipes. The Bridge Trust The trust has been supporting homeless people in West Kent since 1991. Based in Tonbridge, the trust has accommodation for 23 people, and over the past 24 years has housed over 700 people from the Kent region. Abbey Physic Community Garden This Faversham-based charity believes in the therapeutic benefits of horticultural activities. Whether to pass on knowledge, learn a new skill, make friends or enjoy outdoor activities, the members and visitors can all share this wonderful garden. More entrants will be featured in next week’s paper and the shortlist will be published in January. In addition to the KM Group, other sponsors are Kent County Council, Furley Page solicitors, Medway Council, Reeves, MidKent College, Kent Reliance, Diggerland and Southern Water.