A community arts project has finally been given a shop it can call home.

Litter Angels will take over the former Three Cooks restaurant in the Forum centre from
Monday.

The group aims to turn the empty unit into a “creative hub” by housing a gallery and staging exhibitions, workshops, talks and music events.

Litter Angels chief executive Sioux Peto said: “For a lot of different reasons, we’ve had real problems getting a space in the High Street.

“The response we’ve had so
far about the shop has been
really positive and lots of
groups have shown an interest in using it.

“This project is about all of us, and this is Sittingbourne’s big opportunity to show what we can do.”

The group, along with Swale Arts Forum, bid for the empty premises in October 2012.

The move is being funded by the High Street Innovation
Fund, a programme set up by
the government in response to the Portas review into the future of high streets.

A total of £35,000, awarded earlier this year, was shared between Litter Angels and Sittingbourne Retail Association.

Sioux said a “green-themed project” would be the first one staged at the site, which will also act as a creative nerve centre to help plan seasonal High Street events.

Among these is Create Christmas, in which decorations will be made and hung up at the town’s independent stores in time for Sittingbourne’s festive lights switch-on in November.

Sioux said the shop was open to all groups or individuals with ideas or projects to promote, and she hoped the scheme’s success would lead to the unit’s six-month’s tenancy being extended.

She said: “It would be lovely to have a permanent space which links people and projects together. If everybody knows what’s going on, we can work to create a good community spirit.

“Hopefully, people will tell
us what they want so we can help deliver new events to
Sittingbourne.”

n For more information on Litter Angels, call Sioux Peto on
01795 522566 or email sioux@
litterangels.org