The Canterbury & Districts Mediation Service (known as The Mediation Service) is based in Whitstable, Kent.   The Service covers the Canterbury and Thanet  Council districts for community,schools and workplace mediation, and the East Kent regions for Victim Offender Mediation and Restorative Justice.  For us, East Kent stretches from as far as the Isle of Sheppey down to Dover and Deal.

The organisation was formed in 1989 by Canon Derek Russell, and was originally named Whitstable Opportunity for Reparation and Mediation … or WORM, as it was locally known.  

The Service has developed considerably and currently we are funded through Kent, Canterbury and Thanet Councils, The Lottery and other trusts and charitable and statutory organisations.  We have 2 full-time members of staff and two part-time, in addition to several sessional Schools Workers plus nearly 50 volunteer mediators covering the East Kent area.

We successfully liaise with Kent Police, the Probation Service, The Prison Service, Youth Offending Service, Kent County Council, Canterbury City Council and Thanet District Council.  The Mediation Service is also in partnership with the Public Safety Unit, Thanet Community Safety Partnership and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to work with those exhibiting anti-social behaviour, particularly young people receiving Referral Orders from the courts.

In April 2004 it was decided, in line with many other voluntary organisations, to change the status of the service to that of a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee.  In line with this, the service achieved the Communiy Legal Service Quality Mark status in May 2005.  We are also members of the Restorative Justice Consortium and Kent Mediation.

We are a Registered Learning Centre with the Open College Network, providing Accredited training for volunteers and staff at Canterbury Christchurch University.  The Mediation Foundation Course carries 15 credits at Level 3, and is often the starting point for those that wish to continue into higher education, or into a professional mediation career.