Three women from the Sittingbourne area are launching a new centre to help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Kerry Consitt, of North Street, Milton Regis, decided to set up the charity to help other parents after she struggled to find support for her seven-year-old son, who suffers from the disorder.

She plans to manage it alongside Teynham Cllr Joanne Gifford and Newington resident Anne Marie Harris and is hoped the facility will be up and running by January.

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Mrs Consitt, who is in her 30s, also suffers from ADHD said she found very few resources in Swale to deal with the issue.

“It’s becoming more and more of a problem and a lot of people are realising its more than naughty behaviour,” she said.

The outreach centre is to be named after her son Jimmy, who was diagnosed a year ago.

The mum-of-three said: “It’ll hopefully give parents a break and help them understand ADHD a bit more because its often boredom that leads to trouble, this will help tackle that.

She stressed the focus of the new centre will be to provide an outlet to keep the young minds busy rather than the use of drugs to treat the disorder.

“I don’t believe in drugs, there are other ways of managing ADHD and certainly I don’t take drugs for the disorder neither do my kids,” she said.

To be located at the New House Youth Centre in Sittingbourne’s Chalkwell Road, it will host a range of workshops designed to build on the talents of youngsters attending.

Cllr Gifford, who is also a mum-of-three, got involved in the project as a way to help her friend and get back into working with young children.

The former governor of Teynham Primary said she was concerned about the rapid increase of ADHD cases within Swale.

“I’ve seen friends struggle and this is very much about giving them the space to take a break,” she said.

Cllr Gifford said the appropriate training would be undertaken by the centre’s staff.

“We’ve got the full backing of New House staff and are currently getting registered and qualified with the Kent Carers,” she added.

The trio are still fundraising for the centre, but say the Swale Community Voluntary Service has pledged help and Kent County Council may provide a grant.