Medway's Wisdom Hospice and a charity which supports blind and visually-impaired artists are to share a £10,000 cash boost.

The Rochester Riverside Community Project, which is overseeing the town's multi-million pound regeneration scheme, has announced the funding which forms part of its £30,000-a-year to help Medway organisations.

The hospice at High Bank, Rochester - which serves adults across Medway and Swale - is to be handed £5,000 towards running costs and to provide extra equipment and facilities.

The Friends of Wisdom Hospice charity has already benefited from the developer's Countryside Communities Fund, which was set up in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to the tune of £2,500.

The remainder goes to the Out of Sight Not Out of Mind project which encourages artists with sight loss to create and showcase their work from their homes.

The group, formed by Rochester artist Wendy Daws, has exhibited at Rochester Cathedral, the Guildhall Museum and the Huguenot Museum based at the Visitor Information Centre in the High Street.

Its current programme, Back in Touch, forms part of the 100th anniversary celebrations for the Kent Association for the Blind.

These initiatives follow the success of other community projects which have already been supported by the board.

These include the recently-completed renovation of the playground and teaching areas at St Margaret's of Troy Town Primary School, Rochester, and the Medway Neuro-Arts Festival at Jasper's Community Cafe, Eastgate.

Countryside managing director Andrew Usher said: "Our Rochester Riverside regeneration has been marked by our commitment to the wider area and the board's funding for local projects is a key part of this.

"The challenges of this past year have made this funding particularly important and so we're proud to support the Friends of the Wisdom Hospice and Back in Touch, which will improve community cohesion and quality of life for those in need across the area."

Martyn Reeves, chief executive of the Friends, added: "2020 has certainly been a year like no other. Our fundraising events were cancelled and our charity shops were closed, causing our income to all but dry up."

Wendy Daws said: "Projects like this are vital for everyone's well-being and sense of self, especially during current times."

Rochester Riverside is the region's flagship regeneration project and is being delivered by Countryside and Hyde over the next 12 years. It comprises up to 1,400 new homes, a primary and nursery school, a hotel, 2.5km river walkway, commercial units, open spaces and play areas.

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