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Kids Company closure: David Cameron defends £3m grant to closed charity | Kids Company closure: David Cameron defends £3m grant to closed charity |
(35 minutes later) | |
Prime Minister David Cameron has defended the government's decision to give charity Kids Company £3m one week before its closure, saying it had been right to give it "one last chance". | Prime Minister David Cameron has defended the government's decision to give charity Kids Company £3m one week before its closure, saying it had been right to give it "one last chance". |
Ministers approved the grant despite warnings from senior civil servants about the charity. | Ministers approved the grant despite warnings from senior civil servants about the charity. |
Mr Cameron said the grant had given the charity a final chance to restructure and to "continue its excellent work". | Mr Cameron said the grant had given the charity a final chance to restructure and to "continue its excellent work". |
Supporters of the closed charity have been taking part in a march in London. | Supporters of the closed charity have been taking part in a march in London. |
Kids Company closed on Wednesday after ministers said they wanted to recover the grant. | Kids Company closed on Wednesday after ministers said they wanted to recover the grant. |
The Cabinet Office said it believed conditions attached to the use of the money had not been met. | The Cabinet Office said it believed conditions attached to the use of the money had not been met. |
Charity founder Camila Batmanghelidjh has rejected claims of financial mismanagement at the charity. | Charity founder Camila Batmanghelidjh has rejected claims of financial mismanagement at the charity. |
During a visit to the National Citizen Service, a social enterprise that helps teenagers with training and life skills, Mr Cameron said: "The government thought it was the right thing to do to give this charity [Kids Company] one last chance of restructuring to try and make sure it could continue its excellent work. | During a visit to the National Citizen Service, a social enterprise that helps teenagers with training and life skills, Mr Cameron said: "The government thought it was the right thing to do to give this charity [Kids Company] one last chance of restructuring to try and make sure it could continue its excellent work. |
"Sadly that didn't happen, not least because of the allegations that were made and private donors withdrawing their money. | "Sadly that didn't happen, not least because of the allegations that were made and private donors withdrawing their money. |
"But I think the government was right to say 'let's have one last go', to try and keep this charity going, given the excellent work it's done for so many young people." | "But I think the government was right to say 'let's have one last go', to try and keep this charity going, given the excellent work it's done for so many young people." |
Mr Cameron said he was "sad" the charity had "come to an end". | Mr Cameron said he was "sad" the charity had "come to an end". |
Kids Company has also faced accusations by former staff that the charity failed to deal with allegations of serious incidents, including sexual assaults. | |
The Metropolitan Police's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse unit is investigating a number of allegations of crime involving the charity. | |
Ms Batmanghelidjh has strongly denied any wrongdoing. | |
About 150 people gathered outside the charity's former centre in London earlier to march to Parliament to raise awareness of the vulnerable people who used the service. | |
Before it shut its doors, Kids Company provided practical, emotional and educational support to some of the most deprived and vulnerable inner-city children and young people in London, Liverpool and Bristol. | |
At the time of its closure, the charity employed 600 paid staff, as well as working with a pool of about 8,000 volunteers and 500 students. |