A trust which helps people recover from alcohol and drug addiction has a new department dedicated to rehabilitating the homeless.

Kenward Trust in Yalding is offering rooms to rough sleepers looking to get their lives back on track.

The accommodation – seven single rooms in two self-contained flats – has all the home comforts and is set in the grounds of the estate, with views across the countryside.

So far, 10 men have been through the Lodge Project after being referred by a support worker or approaching the trust directly themselves, and there are three more living in the flats at the moment. Paid for by exempt housing benefit, women are now being accepted at the Lodge too, with Kenward hoping to open a further eight bedrooms in the coming months.

A man who spent several weeks on the streets of Folkestone has just moved into the Lodge.

The 29-year-old – who doesn’t want to be named – was renting a flat off a friend but had to leave when the leasehold ran out. With no formal contract, he was given little notice and was forced to sleep rough.

He said: “I wasn’t in touch with my family and slept on a couple of friends’ sofas but then I had no other choice. It’s terrible – quite scary at times. You always have to sleep with one eye open. But the worst part about it was the cold. It was absolutely freezing.”

The former labourer says he ended up getting into drugs but then Folkestone’s Rainbow Centre offered him a place at its winter shelter. When it shut at the beginning of March, the organisation got in touch with Kenward Trust and secured the man a room which he says has been “lovely so far”.

He said: “I’ve just spent the last few days getting settled. I couldn’t get used to it at first. They’re all really nice people.”

The trust is about a mile walk to Wateringbury Railway Station, so residents can get into town, but the man is quite grateful for the seclusion.

“It’s good being further out as we’re away from the noise and crowds of the town,” he said. “There’s a nice working out section and I’m interested in getting into woodwork. It’s good to have something to concentrate on.”

The man hopes to enrol on a health and safety in construction course soon and says he will consider volunteering opportunities.

He added: “Before, I was in a very dark place at times, but it’s surprised me how different I feel already since coming here. It’s had a massive affect on my whole outlook. I’m really grateful.”

Staff are on-site 24 hours a day and if family or friends want to visit, there is a tearoom in the main building, also open to the public. There’s a weekly trip to Maidstone’s Salvation Army food bank and residents are expected to remain at the centre on Fridays to partake in activities in the therapy garden.

They can grow fruit and vegetables on the allotment and there is also a pottery studio, carpentry workshop, outdoor gym and recreation area with a pool table. There are even alpacas and chickens roaming about.

Support worker Sally Thompson says having something to focus their mind on can be really therapeutic for the residents. She added: “A lot of people have had quite traumatic pasts. They may have suffered from sexual abuse or been in really terrible situations and have never really experienced anything like what we have here. Some say it’s the best time of their lives and actually don’t want to leave.”

Offering services for the homeless is why Kenward Trust was originally set up.

It was founded after the Sinden family, who ran a successful farm in the Weald, decided to welcome men from east London who had been living on the streets and battling to go sober but could not find any shelter while they recovered.

Not wanting them to return to their old habits, Ray Sinden offered several men a flat over a garage block at his home.They joined the family for meals, bible study and took part in other activities.

So successful was the Sinden’s homespun project that eventually, the farm became overcrowded and so in 1968, the family decided to sell up and buy a much larger estate near Maidstone called Kenward.

It has now gone on to support more than 10,000 men and women struggling with addiction and substance abuse.

However, over the years, the services have become very much centred on drug and alcohol rehabilitation and somewhat drifted away from being able to help the homeless.

But now, the Lodge Project is offering accommodation and support to those who have been battling addiction on the streets.

The Lodge lies on the same site as the main rehab centre, which has 20 rooms for men and women, providing them with personalised interventions and one-to-one support for between four and 24 weeks. It gets its funding from several sources including the Big Lottery Fund.

Rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission last year, the trust has built up a national reputation for the treatment and therapy it offers.

Although a Christian ethos underpins the way support workers help people in crisis, the programmes are not based on religion and Kenward welcomes people from all religions and backgrounds and encourage people to explore spirituality.

Those looking to move into the Lodge must test negative for intoxication and staff then help them find support groups for addiction and mental health issues in the community. People can stay at the Lodge for up to six months and may then be offered a Move On house, also run by the charity. For many, the properties – located across Kent – are the next step to living an independent, happy life.

Read more: All the latest news from Yalding