Supported by a grant of £1,364 from the Kent Mark Benevolent Fund (KMBF), The Bright Horizons Foundation for Children has joined forces with Kent Police to improve the facilities at the Vulnerable Victim Suite at Tonbridge police station.
The suite in Tonbridge is used by adults and children who are victims or witnesses of crime that need to provide a video interview (form of a statement), in a safe and private environment. It is also used for occasional police protection as a safe space for vulnerable children to be in, until care is taken over by Social Services, which sometimes involves children staying overnight in the suite until a suitable foster placement can be found.
Emily Harris of Bright Horizons commented. “The grant will be used to transform three rooms at the police station: two waiting rooms with sleeping facilities and the interview room. Funds will be used to purchase furniture, soft furnishings, bedding, books, games, creative materials and relaxation aids, to make the suite welcoming and comfortable, and to put victims at ease before providing evidence. The kind KMBF donation will also allow the provision of white goods for the communal areas (e.g. washing machine for washing bed sheets) and seating for the garden so that the outdoor space can be used more effectively.”