Kids Company closes after 19 years of helping vulnerable children and their families

Children’s charity, Kids Company, has closed its doors due to lack of funding, leaving tens of thousands of children and their families without support which they reply and depend on.

Established in 1996, the charity spent the last 19 years providing practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable children and their families in Britain.

Supplying support to 36,000 children through the charity’s 11 centres throughout Bristol, London and Liverpool, especially those from the most deprived areas of each city whose families were able to provide care for them due to their own complex needs.

Founder of Kids Company, Camila Batmanghelidjh, said: “We have been forced to close Kids Company which we do with profound sadness. Our children, staff, and volunteers supported by trustees and extraordinarily generous donors, have over the last 19 years helped create an inspirational community committed to recovery and love.

“The catastrophic abandonment of children who are suffering is a testimony to our collective moral failing. I hope one day the childhood maltreatment wound, that is so deeply hurting this country, will heal. I apologise to all the courageous and dignified young people who have touched our hearts and made us brave. We want you to know that the hope we shared together cannot be negated and will serve to strengthen our resolve to never be silenced when your truth needs to be told. To the staff of Kids Company, you are a gift. For everything we have learnt, I am deeply grateful.”

Kids Company has been heavily funded in the past by donations from individuals, trusts, foundations and Government grants.

In recent months, the charity has faced allegations of poor financial management and claims of sexual abuse. In addition to further problems with securing and maintaining funding levels to enable the charity to continue providing the same level of services as previous years.

A Government spokesperson added: “The Government has supported Kids Company over the last seven years to help it deliver services for vulnerable young people and so we are disappointed it has been unable to move to a sustainable financial position.

“The welfare of these young people continues to be our primary concern and we are now working closely with local authorities to make sure they have access to the services they require.”

Despite a planned restructure to enable the charity to continue supplying services at a level that could be supported with lower levels of funding, seeking financial support from the Government and a group of donors, the charity was unable to continue.

Trustees of the charity said: “It is with the greatest sadness and reluctance that we have reached the decision to close Kids Company. We have been forced to do so because collectively, despite the extraordinary efforts of Camila and her team, some truly enlightened philanthropists and the government, we have not been able to continue.

“Kids Company has touched and transformed so many young lives and it is a tragedy that this extraordinary work will come to an end leaving many thousands of vulnerable children, young people and families without hope. It is a very sad end to Camila’s pioneering vision that started over two decades ago and has inspired so many children and young people.

“We are in close touch with the local authorities and other charities to help our children and young people access their services. Right now our priority is trying to secure a future for these children.”

Commenting on the closure, councillor David Simmonds, a spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: “Up and down the country, councils regularly work with charities and the voluntary sector to provide services to children and in situations when things go wrong, they will always be there to pick up the pieces. “When a charity such as Kids Company closes, and it has been providing services commissioned by a council, we will ensure that any vulnerable users are identified and supported appropriately.”

Those in receipt of support by the charity in recent months will not be required to seek help from their local authorities and charitable organisations in their local areas, including Barnardo’s and the NSPCC.