As part of our 35 years of West Kent campaign we're highlighting different stories from our colleagues, residents, and communities, which make West Kent special.
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35 years of West Kent: How the West Kent Community Chest helps make change for residents and communities
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:
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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.
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The Olympia Boxing Club in Edenbridge, which gave young people an opportunity to get active and meet new people.
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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:
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The Bulky Waste Project, which allowed our residents to dispose of bulky waste that may otherwise have been left in gardens or fly tipped.
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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.
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35 years of West Kent: Megan reflects on how West Kent has supported her development and aspirations
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.
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35 years of West Kent: Energy Programme and Energy House
Our commitment to reducing running costs of our homes while lowering the environmental impact has been a focus of our work for years. Back in 1998 we began an extensive investment programme and in 2002 we built the award-winning “Energy House”.
We have ambitious environmental goals, which contribute towards achieving net zero carbon emissions targets set by the Government. One example that highlights our commitment to warmer homes and improved energy efficiency for our residents goes back to 1998, when we embarked on a £20m Energy Programme. The programme was set up to improve the condition of our homes, reducing heating costs for existing residents and lowering carbon dioxide emissions.
More than 50% of our residents benefitted from loft and cavity wall insulation and replacement of old windows with double glazing. At the time, awareness of energy efficiency in many of our homes was low; many people simply accepted that in cold weather, their homes were cold.
We then embarked on the innovative build of a prototype home where the energy saving and water conservation measures were “designed in.” The result was Energy House, a three-bedroom home in Kemsing built through collaboration with contractors Forge Llewellyn.
Energy saving measures included solar panels to give hot water, high levels of insulation, zoned heating areas and water saving measures such as spray taps for washbasins.
In 2002, Energy House won an EcoHomes award, the first such recognition for a housing association.
Current ambitions
This laid the foundations for our objective of all West Kent homes having an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C and above by 2030. We recently secured £1.3m of funding to carry out works such as installing air source heat pump heating systems, solar PV panels to generate electricity, and external wall insulation to homes without cavities to insulate, which will help ensure our target is met. You can read more about the funding here: New housing provider consortium set to modernise thousands of homes.
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35 years of West Kent: Regenerating 67 unused garages into 14 new, warm and affordable homes
As we mark 35 years of West Kent, we’re looking back on our innovative redevelopment, which turned 67 garages in Swanley into 14 new homes for local families.
Pear Tree Close, Swanley, was once home to three garage sites (67 garages) that suffered from anti-social behaviour (ASB) and fly-tipping. The garages eventually became unusable due to their condition, and we saw an opportunity to regenerate them into much-needed warm, affordable housing for the local Swanley community.
The garages were situated within residential areas making the development complex to complete. There were physical issues to overcome such as ownership, rights of way and the challenge of developing complex, tightly bound garage sites. However, through consultation with residents and partnership with the construction firm, Helix, 14 new homes were handed over to local Swanley residents in 2023 and 2024.
Our homes at Pear Tree Close are a mixture of one-bedrooms flats and two and three-bedroom houses, with sustainable technologies like air source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging. They are also insulated above levels required by building regulations, with many achieving EPC A. This has kept energy bills low amid the cost-of-living crisis, a key priority as we search for new, innovative ways to support our residents.
We also tailored one of the homes to meet the needs of a local family who have a child with a disability. We worked in partnership with Helix, Sevenoaks District Council and an occupational therapist to provide adaptations, including a through-the-floor wheelchair lift so the resident can safely access the first floor.
Anabel Palmer, Director of Property Development and Partnerships said: “This is a great example of how we can utilise brownfield sites no longer fit for purpose. We’re proud of the work we’ve done and the strong partnership working with Helix, which resulted in 14 new homes that exceed building standards and supported residents to live in a safe and energy-efficient home.”
Watch our video showing the new homes and community
For more information about 35 years of West Kent, visit 35 years of West Kent.
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35 years of West Kent: How we are shaping the future of housing across Kent
As we mark 35 years of West Kent, we’re looking at how our upcoming development at Woodland Place reflects our vision of building innovative and sustainable homes across Kent.
We’re committed to meeting the needs of our residents and communities. In an ever-changing landscape, innovation has never been so important as we look for new ways to support our residents and local areas for the years to come.
Woodland Place, our upcoming development in Allington, Tonbridge and Malling set to start handing over in Summer 2025, offers a selection of 106 new homes with a range of tenures available for residents. This is our biggest ever development in our 35-year history and we want to ensure that our Woodland Place residents are part of a thriving, successful community. As part of the development, we are providing two new play parks, restoring a World War II Pillbox, as well as contributing to local schools, youth facilities and other community initiatives.
The development highlights our place-based approach to land led development, ensuring we deliver tailored, specific improvements for local communities. We want to create high quality, attractive places that our residents are proud to live in, with a strong sense of community and support to sustain a successful tenancy and manage life changes.
Our homes at Woodland Place will have:
- A fabric first approach, which focuses on reducing a home’s heat loss, keeping them highly efficient and warm.
- Solar panels, which convert sunlight to electricity and help to reduce energy costs.
- Air source heat pumps, an efficient heating system that provides a constant and consistent ambient temperature.
- Mechanical ventilation, to provide better recycled air quality for our residents.
- Open spaces and play parks, so our residents can enjoy the outdoors and explore the local community around them.
Please see a selection of drone footage from our Woodland Place development
Looking ahead at our growth and regeneration ambitions, sustainable development will play a key part. We have been active recently in Sevenoaks, Dartford, Medway, Swale and Tonbridge and Malling with the vision of bringing sustainable and affordable homes to our local communities.
Our partnership approach has allowed us to build high-quality, efficient homes. We are excited by Homes England’s future commitment to fund land led developments and our own regeneration project as the opportunity that grey belt development, which has a 50% affordable housing allocation) will bring to create more affordable homes and sustainable neighbourhoods.
For more information on 35 years of West Kent, please visit 35 years of West Kent.