The CEO of a charity that was left homeless last year says she is “absolutely delighted” to have been given three years’ worth of funding to continue its services.

Christine Locke, of Sittingbourne’s Diversity House, said the charity was in a “dangerous” position at the end of last year after trustees of Swale Community Centres (SCC), the charitable company set up to manage Phoenix House, in Central Avenue, said they had decided not to reopen the centre due to the coronavirus crisis.

The charity had been at Phoenix House for 14 years.

However, after finding a new home at ISP House in Church Street in December, Kent Community Foundation has awarded core funding to Diversity House, which promotes community integration, re-integration, social inclusion and cohesion.

The foundation established a new fund earlier this year, as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, to provide funding to one charitable organisation from each of the county’s districts.

The 13 groups whose applications were successful – including Diversity House – received £12,000 in April. They will then get a second grant of £9,600 next April and a third of £6,000 in April 2023, all of which will go towards their core costs including utilities, rent and staffing.

Christine said: “I am absolutely delighted, this means we can continue to provide the much-needed services for our various communities.”

She added: “The idea is that we address social inequalities we have in our societies such as mental health issues, disabilities, relationship crises and unemployment.

“We are a charity for human beings and we are open and willing to work with anyone to address whatever issue they bring to us.”

More about the charity at www.diversityhouse.org.uk

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