A new children’s centre providing support and relief for a slum community in Goa has been built thanks to a trust set up in memory of a generous local businessman.

El Shaddai, a charity that provides homes, shelters and schooling for homeless children and families in India, received the money to pay for the home from the Albert Burns Children’s Fund.

Albert Burns asked that the money he had left in his will was donated to children’s charities and specifically named El Shaddai. Mr Burns, who was known as Big Albert as he was 6ft 7ins tall, ran a chain of launderettes in Thanet. He passed away in 2013 aged 70.

The new centre in Moti Donger, Goa, was officially opened on Saturday and has been called Albert’s Good News Centre. Thanet and Canterbury solicitors Boys & Maughan are administering the Albert Burns Children’s Fund and transferred the money to pay for the facility.

Trustee and El Shaddai UK Co-Ordinator, Ruth Bealing, said: “Albert’s Good News Centre will make a huge difference to street children of the Moti Donger slum and we would like to thank the late Mr Burns and Boys & Maughan for making it possible.

“The centre has quickly got off the ground in its role of providing desperately needed help for local families. Children are receiving schooling and there is a nursery for the younger ones. Vocational courses have commenced in a range of subject areas such as nursing, mobile phone repairing, tailoring, computers, mehendi, and becoming a beautician. Literacy and English classes are being provided for the teenagers and women who have a desire for learning. Awareness talks, free medical check-ups, family planning and counselling sessions are also available.”

The inauguration event was attended by 800 people, including civic dignitaries and many slum children who dressed up especially for the occasion. Boys & Maughan were invited to attend as guests of honour but decided it would be better to support more children than spend charitable funds on the trip.

Albert Burns Children’s Fund trustee and partner at Boys & Maughan, Richard Durrant, said: “The new centre is a fitting tribute to Mr Burns’ memory and we are extremely proud to have helped make it possible.”

Boys & Maughan has also created a permanent legacy to benefit smaller Kent-based children’s charities, which is being administered by the Kent Community Foundation.

To find out more about El Shaddai’s work visit www.childrescue.net