Kenward, Yalding opened in May of 1943 as a girls home. In August of 1944 the girls and staff were evacuated to Dumfriesshire but ended up in a newly acquired home called  Balcary in Scotland their charge was a Miss O'Brien (Mamajie). The children with Miss O'Brien and Miss Vera Folley all left at 5am for their long train journey. The local people and staff had made up a hamper ready for the long trip but in the rush to the station it had been forgotten. Miss O'Brien had managed to get a couple of churns of milk and some sandwiches from somewhere to see them through. The journey was so long and that the children were so exhausted when they arrived at Balcary their new home for the duration of the war, they went to sleep that night dressed in the clothes they had arrived on camp beds left by the previous occupants.

At wars end In 1945 the children returned to their old home Kenward, Yalding that had now become a mixed accommodation home like so many of the Dr Barnardo homes after the war. In December of 1947 it is recorded Kenward moved to a smaller home called Heathfield House, Maidstone, Kent which was re-named Kenward, Maidstone. Before this move the Matron in charge was Rosemary Hughes Jones with one of her assistance Janet Dunphk who I am in contact with and now lives in London.

09/02/08 Paul Harrison contacted me via email: He stated Miss O'Brien and Miss Allen have sadly passed away some time ago, however Miss Folley or Aunty Vera is still very much with us but is not in the best of health, having problems moving around. The lost hamper and other memories make her laugh, the long journey thinking about how the children all looked laying there flopped onto the beds.

Paul ended by saying " Miss Vera Folley has done many wonderful and charitable things in her lifetime and not expected anything in return. If something came up and she thought she had the capability of doing something to help, she would." Paul visited Miss Vera Folley February 2008 to read click here

Dr. Barnardo's used this branch home with the children and staff to promote the need for new members of staff. The then Aunty Janet Dunphk was shown getting the children up and serving breakfast.

Today the old home is called the Kenward Trust which is an independent Christian registered charity, which operates a series of residential communities, Outreach and counselling services, for the rehabilitation and long-term care of those with alcohol and other drug problems.

This home is listed on page 98/23 Childhood Memories a photographic history of Dr Barnardo's.