A community centre has been short-listed for a National Diversity Award along with big names such as rapper Stormzy and sporting hero Dame Kelly Holmes.

The Grand Healthy Living Centre, in Gravesend, has been nominated for a Community Organisation Award.

Ravinder Marwaha talking about The Grand and its services

It was set up 21 years ago as a multi-partner agency creating services to help people of all ages with their mental and physical health.

At the time, it was only a small office providing a safe space for people facing inequalities.

There was also a computer café because access to the internet was not as available as it is today.

Now, it holds many clubs and is home to a number of external organisations helping people with similar issues.

Ravinder Marwaha is the Sports and Being Active team leader at The Grand. He says he never had a community centre like it when he was growing up.

He said: "The only spaces I had were school common rooms or the park because we didn't have anything like this."

Ravinder now works with adults at the centre and in 2014 he started a football club for men who wanted to get fit but were reluctant to go to traditional exercise classes.

Ravinder said: "We wanted to get men active without selling it as a fitness class."

Fast forward to now and the club has a Saturday and Sunday team.

The Saturday team recently won the league they play in and the county cup, the two biggest trophies they could win at that level.

He said: "This all came from one project at The Grand that we used to run to suddenly being a community club."

The centre also has links to Gravesend's Gurdwara where the elderly community, some of whom had never seen exercise equipment before, can be taught how to use what's available there.

Ravinder said: "We are able to deliver projects that people want and the consistency that we deliver is because of the team and the quality."

The centre is also passionate about supporting different cultures in the community, and sharing some of the things they do.

One of their most famous members is Genny Jones, otherwise known as the Confident Queen who some may recognise from Britain's Got Talent in 2012.

She started her African dance classes after turning 60 last year because there were very few around.

After doing some online courses to teach African dance fitness, she went to The Grand to pitch the idea of starting her own sessions.

They were supportive and said she could run a 10-week course to see how it went.

It has been running every since.

Genny said: "The Grand is so diverse and encourages people to do things from different cultures."

The work The Grand has done has particularly had a big impact on young people using its services.

Manahil Zahra, 17, said: "Being part of the GYG youth service at The Grand has made me more aware of issues we face as the youth in today's society.

"It has given me the foundations of who I am and who I will become in the future."

Adel Haholt, a parent of one of the young participants, said: "One of my daughters is shy, reserved and very anxious. Our GP referred her to the Active Listening service at The Grand, where she attended a course of talking therapy sessions with one of the amazing counsellors there.

"She is so much stronger and confident since she completed her course and what's even better, she found her passion and her voice."

The Grand's aim is to reach as many people as possible and to win the award would be welcome praise.

It was shortlisted thanks to a public vote. When voting, people had to leave a quote on the reasons for their support.

Ravinder said: "It's humbling when you read the quotes because it could be one little project, and the impact that has on the person could be life changing.

"To win would be a recognition of 21 years of hard work and good for the community in Gravesham.

"Without everyone's votes we would not have been selected."

The awards ceremony will be held at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral on September 12.

Big names like rapper Stormzy and Dame Kelly Holmes have been shortlisted for Celebrity of the Year Award along with other stars who have been recognised for tackling issues in society.

For more information on what The Grand offers, click here. https://www.thegrand.org.uk/