July 2012
Saltwood Church has been a supporter of The Folkestone Rainbow Centre since it was founded in 1985 as The Folkestone Family Care Centre. Bridget Wight has been involved as a Trustee since it was founded, and for a number of years was Chairman. Jerry Salter is our Church Liasion Officer for The Folkestone Rainbow Centre and keeps us informed as to what is going on. I am Company Secretary and Secretary to the Trustees.
The aim of The Folkestone Rainbow Centre as described in their Purpose Statement is “to support individuals and families through times of crisis; and to invest in children’s early years and well being”.
What does it do? The Folkestone Rainbow Centre runs two Pre-Schools in the east side of Folkestone, one in the Salvation Army building in Canterbury Road and one at Mundella School. It runs the Drop In Centre in Sandgate Road for those needing help and advice, a friendly word and a cup of tea. It arranges and supervises contact visits on Saturdays for children of separated families. It runs Foodstop which provides food for those who are homeless and for the last two years it has managed the Winter Shelter Project for the homeless in Shepway. Until recently it ran a very effective Counselling Service, which had to be discontinued through lack of funds.
The work of The Folkestone Rainbow Centre is funded almost entirely by donations, grants (with the exception of pre-school places which are central government funded) and the support if its charity shop.
We feel that The Folkestone Rainbow Centre does a superb job on very limited resources to support individuals and families in times of crisis and is very worthy of the support that we provide from Saltwood Church.
For further information please contact The Folkestone Rainbow Centre on 01303 850733 or their website www.folkestonerainbowcentre.org.uk