Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner has awarded funding to a service which helps children who have been sexually abused.

The NSPCC Service Centre in West Street, Gillingham, has been given £50,000 from Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott, after successfully applying for a grant from the Victim Specialist Services (VSS) fund.

The money will go towards their Letting the Future In service which is a six month program for boys and girls aged between four and 17 who have been sexually abused.

The scheme launched in 2011 and has helped 246 children combat their trauma.

There were 1,405 sexual offences against children under the age of 16 recorded by police in Kent between 2017 and 2018.

Mr Scott visited the centre to meet staff and see the therapy rooms in which children receive help.

He said: "Kent Police works tirelessly to safeguard vulnerable victims and bring offenders to justice, but the money I allocate each year from my VSS Fund goes beyond that.

"It helps vulnerable victims of crime – such as children who have experienced unspeakable abuse – along the road to recovery, coming to terms with what has happened and moving on with their lives.

"Residents have told me that, when presented with a list of issues Kent Police faces, child sexual exploitation is their top concern.

"This is reflected in the fact that for 2019/20 I increased the maximum amount available to projects like the Letting The Future In programme to support the most vulnerable members of our communities."

Gillingham centre manager, Sarah Jenner, said: "We are extremely grateful to Mr Scott for approving our application for funding.

Since 2014, the Kent PCC’s office has awarded more than £170,000 in grants to the NSPCC’s Gillingham Service Centre.

"As a charity we rely on applications such as this being successful, as well as donations from the public, to enable the charity to offer life changing services such as Letting the Future In.

"It takes a lot of courage for children and young people who have suffered sexual abuse to speak out about their ordeal and when they do confide in someone they often feel confused and upset about what has happened to them."

Listen to kmfm speaking to Matthew Scott and NSPCC Gillingham centre manager Sarah Jenner:

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