Folkestone Rainbow Centre 25th Anniversary

The people of Folkestone can be rightly proud of the Rainbow Centre (www.folkestonerainbowcentre.org.uk) and its work. As I have chosen the charity for fundraising this year, I was delighted to be invited to attend its 25th Anniversary service at St Mary and St Eanswythe's Church.

The attendance of Sheila Watson, Arch-Deacon of Canterbury Diocese, showed the importance that the Bishop and Archbishop places on this exceptional work.

The Rainbow Centre is unique in its multi-agency and multi-denominational approach to social action in this town and district. At the service, significant people spoke of the early work, the interim stages, the move to new premises and the plans for the future. New songs had been written specifically for the event and the composer led the congregation in learning the tune.

The centre continues to reach out to the homeless, the hungry and the unemployed in our area. They also support one parent families and enable supervised parental contact for estranged parents. A help line and a call in centre are only a few of the services it provides and I am convinced that it is the way forward in working together to reduce the problems for people in distress.