Charity for homeless and vulnerable set to close

This site on Gillingham's Skinner Street assists thousands of local residents per month

A charity which supports people across Medway whose lives have been impacted by homelessness, financial hardship and food poverty is to close.

The trustees of Gillingham Street Angels (GSA) made the announcement on social media on Monday, saying the charity was "no longer financially viable".

No closure date was given, but the statement said that GSA's services, including its food banks and shops, would continue to operate as normal until further notice.

It added that "ongoing talks" were under way with other local service leaders "to mitigate the effects of the closure" on the community.

Founded by former CEO Neil Charlick in 2018, GSA employs 52 full-time staff and 100 volunteers and costs an estimated £1m a year to run.

Mr Charlick stepped down from the role in February 2025 and was succeeded by the charity's operations manager Tracey Errington the following month.

After appointing a new board of trustees, Ms Errington and her team "put their hearts and souls into efforts to streamline and stabilise GSA", according to the statement.

But "despite their extraordinary hard work and the continued support of donors and partners", they have not found a "workable pathway to recover the charity".

The announcement added that, as a result of "sound advice and practical support" from the likes of regulators The Charity Commission, "we understand that allowing GSA to struggle on in its current form would be irresponsible".

The trustees said they were "exceptionally proud of the GSA team for their dedication to the people of Medway".

"Most of all, we are eternally grateful to the people of Medway for your loyalty, and for finding the courage to reach out for our help," they added.