A children’s charity has opened a new state-of-the-art facility.

Demelza, based in Bobbing near Sittingbourne, celebrated its 25th anniversary by unveiling its new building which includes two self-contained flats, a kitchen area, event space and parking.

The structure, officially opened on Wednesday, November 1, is on the opposite side of the road to Demelza’s headquarters in Rook Lane.

The plan is for it to be used as accommodation for nurses or families whose children need longer-term care at the hospice.

It was made possible by a gift of the land from the Kemsley farming family.

The build itself has been funded by Kent-based developer Esquire Developments, which is building 30 homes on a neighbouring plot.

Meanwhile, the charity funded the fixtures and fittings to ensure they met the needs of the families they support.

Lavinia Jarrett, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Over my 20 years at Demelza the children's palliative care sector has changed dramatically with children with complex conditions living to a greater age and so our services need to adapt.

“This state-of-the-art building will allow us the flexibility to adapt to families’ specific circumstances and to support family life to be the best it can be.”

The charity says the new spaces mean young adults will be able to socialise with their peers as well as learn valuable life skills before leaving children’s services.

Parents can also use the facilities as holiday accommodation.

This follows a rebranding of the charity in April to remove the word hospice from its logo in an effort to expel the misconceptions people have.

Pat Convey head of construction at Esquire Developments said the relationship between the developers and Demelza was a “special one”.

He added: “The team regularly helps out with fundraising events and is always looking for new ways to offer support, which is why we are extremely proud to have provided this fantastic new facility for Demelza.”