A local Age UK charity has closed following “a period of significant cash flow challenges” including difficulties compounded by a recent merger.
Yesterday, the trustees of Age UK Kent Rivers said they had taken the “extremely difficult decision” to close the charity.
In a statement, they said that over recent months, they worked “diligently to address serious and escalating financial pressures”.
“Despite these efforts, the position became unsustainable, and we’re no longer able to continue operating,” they said.
“We recognise this news will come as a shock and will be deeply upsetting to many, particularly our clients, staff, volunteers and partners. We share that sense of sadness and concern.”
In 2023, the charity – formerly Age UK Medway – took over a failing local Age UK in northwest Kent and merged with Age UK Faversham and Sittingbourne.
After that, Age UK Kent Rivers’ average monthly employee numbers increased from 138 to 215, while its total income grew by 92% to £5.59m in the year to March 2024, its accounts for that period show.
Despite this, the accounts say the transfer and merger “compounded the challenges for the charity”, which recorded a deficit of £761,000 in 2023-24 (2022-23: £36,000).
Community charity closes
Also yesterday, InCommon, a charity connecting young people with their older neighbours, announced its closure, effective on 31 May.
InCommon was established in 2017 as a social enterprise company and registered as a charity in June 2022.
“Like many small charities, we’ve found ourselves facing an increasingly challenging fundraising landscape,” it said on LinkedIn.
“Despite the passionate efforts of our team and the generosity of our supporters, InCommon is unfortunately no longer financially sustainable.”
Financial data filed with the Charity Commission shows that InCommon had seven trustees, 10 volunteers and an average of 6.9 full-time equivalent employees in 2023-24.
During that year, the charity generated a total income of £437,000 (2022-23: £326,000) and incurred expenditure of £325,000 (2022-23: £239,000).
The charity said: “We’re proud of what we have achieved over the past nine years, connecting more than 3,500 people from different generations.”
It added: “We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has donated time, money, or support to InCommon.
“While this chapter may be ending, we have no doubt that the impact of your support will be felt for a long time in our communities.”
