A charity that supports homeless people is to close with trustees saying they “have not found a workable pathway to recover” from alleged “imprudent financial and operational decisions that were taken in the past”.

According to the charities register it has around 60 staff and the same number of volunteers.

In announcing their plans to close Gillingham Street Angels (GSA) the trustees have concluded “that the charity is no longer financially viable”.

Earlier this year the charity's founder and former chief executive Neil Charlick departed
and was replaced by interim chief executive officer Tracey Errington, who was tasked with assessing the financial and operational viability of the charity and to ensure it meets its legal duties.

Despite appointing a new board of trustees and her team having “put their hearts and souls into efforts to streamline and stabilise” the charity, the trustees say that “with sadness” it can no longer survive.

“The trustees are grateful to our legal advisors and the Charity Commission for their sound advice and practical support,” they say in a statement.

“Through their guidance, we understand that allowing GSA to struggle on in its current form would be irresponsible.”

They add that they are in “ongoing talks” with other organisations in the Medway, Kent area “to mitigate the effects” of the closure, regarding its food bank and crisis response.

The charity, which launched in 2018, also ran charity shops and other services to support homeless people facing financial hardship.

The charities register also details that the charity is six days late submitting its financial information for the financial year ending December 2024.

Its spending has not exceeded its income for any of the last four years. Its most recent returns show its income was £1.23m and it spent £1.12m.

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