Additional reporting by Oliver Leader de Saxe

Those most in need could end up “going hungry” following a decision to take back a run-down building relied upon by a homeless charity.

The Bus Shelter Kent Community Hub has been helping the most vulnerable in society every weekday from its base at Phoenix House in Sittingbourne since 2016.

Inside the building, the charity has a food bank, offers clothing and hot meals and sends out food parcels to those in need.

People from across Swale including Sheerness and Newington regularly rely on its services including the homeless, police officers, ambulance drivers and those on low incomes.

But now its good work is at risk after it was announced the building is set to be “disposed” of by Kent County Council (KCC) due to its poor state.

The charity group had taken on a goodwill lease for the community centre back in 2021 and was told by KCC its use of the building would be “short-term” as the structure was at the end of its life “with a great many defects”.

However, the founder of the community group, Tony Cooper, says he now “does not know” what will happen to those who rely on the services housed there as he warns the group has “nowhere else to go”.

The 56-year-old said as part of the terms of the lease the group had continually searched for other venues but there was nothing suitable available.

Mr Cooper told KentOnline: “In the hall of the building we can have 40-plus people but guaranteed we have 20 people eating hot meals before we can think about it. We also have more than 20 people on our food parcels.

“I hope KCC has a change of heart and works with us so we can purchase the building. It would allow us to either build a new building for the community or repair this building.

“I don’t know when this will end, when people will stop needing food parcels and hot meals.

“I would hate to think what it would be like not to have a meal when you are hungry.”

One of charity’s regular volunteers, Mark Brown, had been homeless before he met Mr Cooper but now says he “on the straight and narrow”.

He said: “I’m really worried what will happen when this place goes. There are other places in town but these aren't open five days a week.

“It’s pointless KCC taking it back and it will affect a lot of people who are kept out of trouble by this place.”

One of those people who used the service, who gave only his first name of Tony, says he comes from Sheerness to get a “bit of food”.

He said: “A lot of people are helped out here and without they are going to go hungry.”

The Bus Shelter has since applied for the building to become an “asset of community value” which would allow the group, if the structure comes up for sale, to be given a fair chance to make a bid to buy it on the open market.

“We now intend to dispose of the property in line with our disposal policy and statutory duties at the earliest opportunity...”

Protests were previously held in Sittingbourne High Street when community groups were ousted from the building in 2013.

Swale Community Centres, which has been operational at the centre in Central Avenue for 25 years at the time, was served notice by KCC on the tenancy of the building.

They ceased all operations there in December 2020.

Meanwhile, KCC has acknowledged the “valuable work” of the current batch of volunteers but says it facing its own “significant financial challenges” which mean further investment into the building would be a “poor prospect”.

In 2018, the building's heating system started to fail and repairing it would have set KCC back more than £100,000.

A KCC spokesperson said: "While we recognise the valuable work Bus Shelter provides to those in need, we have always made it clear to the charity that we planned to demolish or dispose of Phoenix House.

“Given the poor state of the property and the fact that it is surplus to the council's needs.

“The shelter have been holding the property on a tenancy at will at a peppercorn rent, with repairs and maintenance falling to the council.

“It was explained to Bus Shelter at the outset that their use of the property would be of a short-term nature as the building was ‘end of life’ with a great many defects.

"Due to the significant financial challenges currently faced by KCC any further investment in Phoenix House is a poor prospect, given its state of repair.

“We now intend to dispose of the property in line with our disposal policy and statutory duties at the earliest opportunity.”

The county council added any money generated will be reinvested back into the delivery of its services which it is legally obliged to provide.