Charities supported by The mayor of Dartford
Dartford Association for the Disabled
The organisation, founded in 1963, is a self-supporting club for the disabled which meets once a week and provides a much needed transport service to the wheelchair bound in the form of an adapted sixteen seater minibus. As well as providing a means for members to attend the Club meetings volunteer drivers and escorts on outings to the coast; The Orchard Theatre; the Mayor’s Charity events and many other places. Transport is also provided for individual members to attend hospital and doctors appointments or wherever there is a need.
Valley Park Radio
Valley Park Radio has been broadcasting to the patients of Darent Valley Hospital for just under 8 years. The Station is a voluntary organisation and a registered charity that would not be able to operate without the hard work & determination from its enthusiastic membership which broadcasts 24 hours a day seven days a week.
As well as broadcasting to the patients the hard working team can be found going round the hospital wards at least three times a week collecting requests, speaking to the patients & bringing a smile to there faces.
Hubert House
Hubert House is a Community Project, situated on Temple Hill in Dartford. The Centre is open seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year and exists simply to work with, serve and assist the local community by promoting the well-being of children, families and the more vulnerable residents within our the Borough of Dartford.
People are welcome to drop in or contact Hubert House at any time. The groups using the Centre include a Breakfast and After School Club; a Summer Play Scheme; a Social Club for Adults with Learning Disabilities; a Lunch Club for the older members of our Community and an ‘Open House’ on Christmas Day for people who would otherwise be on their own. Additionally we provide a base for over 20 groups who offer a wide and varied range of services and activities.
Air Training Cadets - 1051 (Dartford) Squadron
1051 (Dartford) Squadron was formed over sixty years ago and is part of a national youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Air Force in the UK. Membership is open to young people aged between 13 and 19 years, inclusive. The aims of the Air Cadet Organisation are to promote and encourage among young people a practical interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force; to provide training which will be useful in the Services and civilian life and to foster the spirit of adventure and develop qualities of leadership and good citizenship.
1st Sutton at Hone Scouts Group
The 1st Sutton-at-Hone Scout Group is one the oldest groups in existence not only in Kent and the United Kingdom but also the World as it was formed in 1909 only two years after Scouting was established.
The Group covers all ages both boys and girls with Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and an Explorer Scout unit for the older teenagers. We offer a range of social and Scouting activities - camping, hiking, cooking, competitive sports and inter-group challenges, rock climbing and canoeing. The Group has its own field attached to the hall, which allows the Group to participate in many outdoor pursuits close to home and the River Darent.
Broomhill Playgroup
Based in Broomhill Road, Dartford Broomhill Pre-School Playgroup provides sessional care for children aged between 2 months and 4½ years. Throughout the year the Playgroup celebrates all of the multi-faith festivals such as Easter; Christmas; Eid and Hanukah as well as other celebrations such as the Chinese New Year.
The dedicated and caring staff at Broomhill like to take the children in their charge on days out with visits to Father Christmas and the animals at Godstone Park but rely on fundraising activities and donations to make these possible.
Broomhill is OFSTED registered and are proud with the ‘Good’ report received at the last inspection.
1st Dartford Scout Group
1st Dartford Scout Group provide fun, friendship and adventure for young people age 6-14 years and adults. The Group has had its base in East Dartford for approaching 100 years, naturally not the current Leadership, and maintains its own modest Scout Hall in Little Queen Street.
Scouting aims to encourage the individual development of young members in all aspects of their lives, this is achieved through adventure and teamwork. 1st Dartford Scouts Group hope to enable the young members to become responsible citizens of their local area and enable them to take their place in national and international communities.
2009 sees 1st Dartford Scout Group’s 100th year celebrate its 100th Anniversary and with the support of the Mayors charity the Group will mark its centenary with even more opportunities for adventure for our young people.
121 Youth Befriending
121 Youth Befriending is a Charity that operates across most of North West Kent, providing help and support to young people aged between 6 and 16 years old in crisis. Sometimes the families of the young people are unable to support them due to a variety of circumstances and difficulties.
Many of the children referred to 121 are seen as a problem, starting on a downward spiral leading to all sorts of problems such as school exclusion, disruptive and anti-social behaviour and possibly crime. Volunteers can turn this around by providing the young person with a positive role model, giving space, time and support to help the young person cope with the demands they face. The 121 volunteers empower the young person to take control of some of the difficulties they face and cope with them and go forward.
121 Youth Befriending in Dartford has been held up as a shining example for its work with volunteers from disadvantaged backgrounds and has been included in a guide to help voluntary organisations across the country work successfully with volunteers from socially excluded backgrounds, including people with no qualifications, people from BME groups and those with disabilities or long term illnesses.
WalkTall
Set in a performing arts framework Walk Tall works with young people to explore reasons for anti-social behaviour and the ways that people communicate and learn how to convey effective but non-aggressive messages. The young people learn skills and strategies to deal with and/or manage aggression bullying and to appreciate the benefits of co-operative non-violent behaviour and adopt it as the most effective way of relating to others. Walk Tall also helps young people to develop self-esteem; self-confidence and respect for themselves.
All of these issues are expressed through drama, music and movement either over a term or workshops during which the young people devise dialogues, songs and dances which are worked up into a performance. Walk Tall’s approach gives valuable practice of effectively managing difficult situations in a safe and controlled environment.
Walk Tall also offers a service for vulnerable adults, for example, those who have a physical disability or those who may need to re-build their lives after trauma. Adult learning is practical and includes processes, which can be instantly applied to life to start the process of change and development.
Dartford & Crayford Sea Cadets – TS Anson
The Sea Cadets is a uniformed disciplined youth movement based upon the traditions of the Royal Navy whose aim is to help young people towards responsible adulthood by encouraging valuable personal attributes and high conducts of standard using a nautical theme based on Naval customs.
The movement has a long continuous history that dates back to the Crimean War when sailors returning home formed Naval Lads Brigades to help orphans in the sea port back streets but the Sea Cadets have come a long way from those early days.
TS Anson was formed in 1948 and is open to boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 18. Most of the senior cadets have obtained numerous seamanship skills such as ropework and knot tying and have taken part in such activities as canoeing, sailing and engineering as well as going to sea aboard Royal Navy ships and attending courses at Naval bases including helicopter flying at Naval Air Stations.
Dartford Age Concern
The Old People’s Welfare Committee was established in 1949 and changed its name to Dartford Age Concern in 1971. The Organisation moved to its purpose built Centre at Meadowside in 1992 where it provides day care for residents of Dartford aged 60 years or over.
The Day Centre caters for 60 clients a day providing refreshments throughout the day including a two course cooked dinner. Clients are transported to the Centre on minibuses, adapted to take wheelchairs and an escort is provided on all journeys. Whilst at the Centre a number of services are provided including bathing by fully trained staff in a purpose built bathroom; hairdressing by qualified hairdressers and chiropody.
Clients can participate in a number of activities including bingo, cards, quizzes and board games or try their hands at various handicrafts. Outings are also arranged throughout the year including trips to shows at The Orchard Theatre.
1st Galley Hill Scouts
The 1st Galley Hill is the only Scout Group in Swanscombe and has been in existence for almost 70 years. The Group runs an active programme for boys and girls from the age of 6 to 16 years.
Included in the activities are community/charity projects; outdoor skills; camping; arts and crafts and many other adventurous activities that young people enjoy doing. The Group is run by trained leaders from across the community who have the knowledge and experience to make a worthwhile contribution to the lives not only of the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in their charge but of others.
Rainbow Lodge
Rainbow Lodge provides a respite service for disabled children and is a venture joint funded by West Kent Primary Care Trust and Kent Count Council. Over 65 children and young people access the service and enjoy a variety of activities including arts and craft; board games; soft play; cooking as well as there being a sensory room as well as swings and slides in the garden. During the holiday times the Unit arranges day trips which are greatly enjoyed by the children and young people
Rainbow Lodge recognises that the service it provides gives families a much needed ‘break’ but also ensures that those under the care of the Unit are supported to make decisions; choices and take responsibility for themselves.
5th Dartford Scout Group
5th Dartford Scouts was founded in December 1916 and an initial troop of twelve boys has grown to a current membership of one hundred and ninety seven covering Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts.
The Group is situated on West Hill in headquarters rebuilt in the early 1960s and boasts a magnificent climbing wall - a facility utilised by Scout Groups from across the County. This is complimented by rifle and archery ranges.
The Group runs a very active outdoor programme with camping very much to the fore culminating in an Annual Summer Camp which in the past few years has had an international flavour being held in places such as Brittany, Spain, France as well as the Channel Islands, Wales and England. All of the camping is activity based allowing the youngsters to become competent and achieve awards in a wide variety of disciplines all of which are regulated by a dedicated group of Leaders.
