A CENTRE which aims to improve the lives of disabled north Kent youngsters and their parents has officially opened.

Gravesham, Dartford and Swanley charity the Parents Consortium opened Allsworth Court in Hextable on Saturday (July 17) - with help from a £5,000 grant from News Shopper’s parent company Gannett.

The resource centre in St David's Road includes a ‘short breaks unit’ - six bedrooms which are customised for disabled children, to give their parents a rest from caring for them.

Clare Norman says Allsworth Court will make a huge difference to her and her 12-year-old daughter Franny, who has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user.

The 45-year-old, of Willow Wood Road in Meopham, said: “The centre will give Franny a little independence, as she can go off for one or two nights to get away from the family and spend time with her peers.

“It will also give me a break, as caring for Franny is a full-time role, and although you get used to it, it does not get any easier, so sometimes you need some time away.

“It’s not unusual for couples with a disabled child to split up because of the strain caring for the child places on the relationship.

“So having more time to spend with my husband, and our 15-year-old daughter Holly, while Franny is at the centre, is very important to us as a family.”

Alan Milner, services director for the charity, which supports disabled people aged under 20 and their carers and family, says Allsworth Court will make a big difference to many people.

He said: “The vision behind developing our short breaks unit is about enabling high quality, responsive and flexible support for disabled children and their families.

“We look forward to working towards providing disabled young people with a real opportunity to develop life skills.

“We also look forward to giving families a chance to recharge their batteries, spend quality time with their other children and thrive as a family.”

Renovating the building for the disabled youngsters cost £404,000, with funding coming from the governments Short Breaks Transformation Programme.

The short breaks unit has cost £39,000 so far, with money provided by a range of organisations, including drugs company GlaxoSmithKline, Raw Hairdressers in Swanley, and the £5,000 from Gannett.

Gannett donated the money via its charitable organisation, The Gannett Foundation, which gives grants to projects in the communities its newspapers represent.

Allsworth Court will be used for activities throughout the summer, and children will be able to stay at the short breaks unit from December.

The Parents Consortium, which was established in 1996 and currently has 916 members, is supported by Kent County Council’s social services department.

For more information on the charity, call 01322 668501, email admin@parentsconsortium.co.uk or go to parentsconsortium.co.uk