From Monday, there will be a new youth club for the youngsters of East Malling.
The ROC Cafe is the inspiration of PCSO Philip Harrison.
He said he hoped the club would be a positive approach to reducing anti-social behaviour in the area.
PCSO Harrison said: “When I talk to local people, especially parents, I am told that there are limited places for young people to go and that a youth club is badly needed.”
The new club is being partly financed by money confiscated from criminals.
PCSO Harrison said: “As well as being there to support neighbourhood policing teams and to be a visible presence in communities, one of the duties of a PCSO is to identify local problems and priorities, and find solutions.
“I was looking for ways to reduce antisocial behaviour in the area.”
He appealed for volunteers to run the club. He said: “The response and help so far has been absolutely fantastic and the creation of a new youth club will give young people a place to meet and learn new skills.”
On average there have been around 30 reports of antisocial behaviour in East Malling each month, not all caused by young people of course. Officers have been working to reduce this number through high-visibility policing.
The centre, which is based at the East Malling Institute, has been set up and will be managed by a partnership which includes Larkfield Community Church, Kent Youth Service and the UK-based charity, Redeeming Our Communities.
It will benefit from a donation of £1,000 from Kent Police as part of the force’s work to claw back criminal gains, by using The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The act allows the police to deprive criminals of benefits resulting from crime. Proceeds from confiscation orders are deposited in a central government fund before being redistributed to forces throughout the country.
Insp Nick Sparkes said: “Our officers actively seek opportunities to remove assets from criminals and we will continue to use The Proceeds of Crime Act to ensure ill-gotten gains from the Tonbridge and Malling area are used in a positive way.
“We are delighted to be able to help fund the new youth club using money which will now benefit one of the communities affected by criminal activities.”
The ROC Café will open for the first time on Bank Holiday Monday (27) and will then run every Monday between 6 and 9pm for people, aged from 12 to 19.