Our innovation

As we mark 35 years of West Kent, we’re proud to recognise how we support our residents and local communities. One innovative way is through the West Kent Community Chest, a fund which provides financial assistance to help bring our residents and communities together and their ideas to life.

The West Kent Community Chest was founded in 2010 and was originally called the Linda Hogan Fund, in memory of Linda Hogan, a staff member who sadly died in 2009 after working with us for 11 years. Linda was a pivotal member of our communities team and sourced funding for many of our projects, which made a big difference to our local communities and residents.

From 2010 to 2022, the Linda Hogan fund issued grants totalling more than £191,000 to over 600 community projects.

In 2023, the fund was renamed to the West Kent Community Chest to make it easier to understand what the fund is and how it can provide support, building on Linda’s legacy.

From 2023 to 2024, the West Kent Community Chest awarded £43,998 to 50 community projects, including:

• The Swanley Food Project, which provided foodbank supplies for the local Swanley community. The project is still running today under the name Swanley Community Hub and has secured further funding from other organisations.   

• The Olympia Boxing Club in Edenbridge, which gave young people an opportunity to get active and meet new people.

• A new hobby room in Repton Court, Ashford, that provides a fantastic range of activities for our residents and helps to tackle loneliness and isolation. 
  
  

From 2024 to 2025, the West Kent Community Chest awarded £34,285 to 43 community projects, including:  

• • The Bulky Waste Project, which allowed our residents to dispose of bulky waste that may otherwise have been left in gardens or fly tipped.

    

• Autism family support sessions for our residents who care for a child or young person with autism. The sessions provided residents with educational information on autism, tips to help with sensory difficulties, assistance with understanding behaviours and sleep, and practical advice and emotional support.  

A huge thank-you to our electrical and building contractor, Brenwards, and our windows and doors contractor, AD Construction Group, who support the West Kent Community Chest financially and help make our community projects a reality.  

To find out more about the West Kent Community Chest, please visit https://www.westkent.org/help-for-residents/community-project-funding. 

As part of our 35 years of West Kent campaign, we’re reflecting on how innovation has played an important role in providing our residents with places to live and space to grow.

Alex has been one of our board members since June 2023 and has over 20 years of experience in investments, particularly in infrastructure and real estate.

In this video, Alex shares how financial innovation and planning has allowed us to grow and have a positive impact on residents and communities throughout our 35-year history.

 

Megan has been a resident member of our Board since 2018. As part of our 35 years of West Kent campaign, she shares her reflections on how living in a West Kent community has supported her personal and professional development as well as her aspirations.

What has your journey with West Kent been as a resident?

I have been a West Kent resident since a very young age, and it is safe to say that West Kent has shaped my life in more ways than one. It gave me a neighbourhood where I could play out on the street, ride bikes with friends and go trick or treating (something I always remember looking forward to). It gave me a home, community and a safe place for myself and my mum to grow, and that I did.

I was always the type of child who wanted to do absolutely everything, Brownies, ballet, taekwondo, you name it, I wanted to try it (and get the outfit for my dress-up box). When I was in Year 5, I played a very small role in the Year 6 play - a playing card in the production of Alice in Wonderland!

It was around this time that my 9-year-old self realised I had found my calling. I was going to be an actress, mind made up. I went and told my mum the good news and that she didn’t have to worry anymore because I was going to be a famous superstar. Unfortunately, my school didn't have any extra-curricular drama classes (I wasn’t naive enough to think stardom came overnight, I needed to put in the work), so she searched elsewhere for me. The only class close enough ended up being more than we could afford but my mum, being the person, I got my determination from, told me she’d find a way. 

She ended up spotting a West Kent rising stars bursary poster on our estate, advertising a fund for kids who wanted to do something creative. So, she went to speak to someone at West Kent and filled in an application form for me. A few weeks later, we had the money for my drama classes, hurrah! 

The reason I tell this story is because it does feel so pivotal to the beginning of my whole life. By having access to the fund, I fell in love with acting even more. I got a drama scholarship and a 100% bursary to Sevenoaks School for sixth form, which allowed me to travel around Germany performing with my class. I then attended drama school and became the first person in my family to get a degree.

I now have an agent and am pursuing acting as a career!

So many people from my background, or with my lived experience, don’t have access to the arts in the same way others do, I even wrote my dissertation on this topic.

I feel so grateful that West Kent not only invested in my physical safety by providing us with a home, but they also made a long-term investment in my future. I will never forget how West Kent helped my dream of pursuing an acting career become a reality.

What motivated you to join our Board as a resident member?

West Kent has given me a springboard in life, and I really wanted to learn more about the organisation and be a part of the team that helps people like me through such thoughtful and innovative resources (like the Rising Stars Bursary Fund).  

I applied to join the Board via an application form and then had a few rounds of interviews with other Board members. It could not have been a nicer process; everyone was so friendly and welcoming with such a clear commitment to making sure the residents’ voices are heard at every level of the organisation.

What have been some memorable moments while being a member of our Board? 

For me, what is most memorable is the team's unwavering determination to provide the best service possible for West Kent residents.  

West Kent supports residents in their careers through apprenticeship schemes and their employment and training service, which makes a huge difference and has innovated over the years to form partnerships with local charities and other housing associations, helping residents into new or better paid employment. West Kent is always putting residents at the heart of their decision making and this makes me proud to be a resident and a Board member.

How would you describe West Kent in three words?

Courageous, committed and community.

For more information on 35 years of West Kent, please visit 35 years of West Kent.