CANTERBURY Christ Church University, the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent, who already work together as the Universities at Medway, are joining forces to address the regeneration needs of Swale.

The three institutions are part of the South East Coastal Communities Project, an initiative that sees nine universities team up to address the regeneration needs of socially deprived areas in Kent, Sussex and Hampshire - a UK first in higher education. The project has been launched thanks to a £3 million match funding award from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

The universities of Canterbury Christ Church, Greenwich and Kent will be responsible for the project's regeneration work in Kent. The institutions will work in collaboration with the regeneration agency, Swale Forward and other local partners.

The project will particularly focus on health and well-being in the area of Swale and will utilise the expertise of specially created university teams which comprise of academics from all three institutions with specialisms in a range of fields including: health care; social science; the economy; the voluntary sector; and social services. The teams will primarily work with community groups in Swale to develop their ability to apply for more funding to further regenerate the area and give more opportunities to the people of Swale.