Local charities, The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre and Imago Community, sign a transformational property deal
(back row, left to right): Elizabeth James, Deputy Chief Executive, Imago Community; and Louise Griffiths, Director of Development, Imago Community
(front row, left to right): Caroline Shaw, Chief Executive, Imago Community; and Angela Ward, Deputy Chair of Trustees, The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre
Two local charities have exchanged on a property deal that will enable them both to open the door on exciting plans for the future
The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre recently exchanged on 17-19 Monson Road, the building it hopes will become its new Centre, only a few doors down from its current home. The building it has signed the paperwork on is the current home of charity Imago Community which, in turn, has cemented plans to move to a bigger building in Lamberhurst Vineyard.
Pickering’s new building – double the size of the existing Centre – will continue to provide a ‘warm and cosy hub’ for visitors, while offering the space for more quiet areas, as well as additional and accessible therapy rooms. In turn, Imago had out-grown its current location and needed a new head office to provide additional space for its expanding team, while remaining in the Tunbridge Wells borough.
The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre exists for anyone impacted by cancer, as well as their friends and family. It is entirely self-funding, run solely by volunteers and relies on donations to survive. Last year around 2,500 people turned to Pickering for help and support, with therapists providing 1,000 treatments, all of which is provided free of charge. This exciting move for Pickering, comes at a time when the charity is celebrating its 21st birthday.
“When it comes to finding a property, location is key,” says David Bartholomew, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Pickering. “We love being based in the heart of Tunbridge Wells - so are delighted to have found our new Centre…on our doorstep. At Pickering, we already work collaboratively with other locally charities, so, it feels special to not only be securing our future as a charity but seeing Imago do the same.”
Adds Angela Ward, Deputy Chair at Pickering: “We both now have a lot of work ahead of us and Pickering doesn’t expect to be in our new Centre until at least the spring of 2026. But, we are thrilled to have exchanged and be in a position to start making plans for this exciting next stage for our charity.”
Imago Community is a social action charity offering a wide range of support services for people of all ages across Kent, Medway, East Sussex and London. Last year, the organisation celebrated 60 years of supporting individuals, families and communities to improve their health and wellbeing, creating positive change together.
In 2024, for example, Imago worked with 11,273 young carers and 8,419 adult and young adult carers, helping them to feel better supported in managing their caring role.
“After we exchanged on the building, we told our team that Pickering would be moving in and they were thrilled that another local charity would be using this space,” says Caroline Shaw, Chief Executive at Imago Community. “With this joint move, we are helping to secure a long-term sustainable future for both charities. Having been based in central Tunbridge Wells for so long, we were keen to find a new office location in the borough. Imago’s Head Office in Lamberhurst will be energy efficient, which will help with rising operational costs and we are looking forward to a much bigger building with adaptable, open-plan spaces for collaborative working.”
David Bartholomew comments: “We couldn’t have done this without the assistance of Tom Lumsden and his colleagues at CooperBurnett LLP, who guided us expertly through the paperwork. Thank you to them all, as well as our Centre Manager, Caroline McGibney for helping to ease this transition. We will miss having Imago as our neighbour but wish them well in Lamberhurst.”
Caroline Shaw adds: “We hope that the Pickering community will soon feel at home in their new building. While Imago office staff will be making the move out to Lamberhurst, the Imago Charity Shop will continue to operate on Monson Road. Shopping there is not only a great way to pick up some unique finds but it also helps to raise vital funds to support vulnerable people in our local community, so we encourage Tunbridge Wells residents to continue to support us by popping in or donating preloved items.”
The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre has launched The Key to the Door Fundraising Campaign to raise £150,000 in support of their move: