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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 |
(about 2 hours 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. |
Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh said on Thursday that the charity had become "a football for the media and the civil servants" and rejected claims of financial mismanagement there. | Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh said on Thursday that the charity had become "a football for the media and the civil servants" and rejected claims of financial mismanagement there. |
She said that some people in government wanted the charity to "disappear" and there had been a "malicious discrediting campaign". | She said that some people in government wanted the charity to "disappear" and there had been a "malicious discrediting campaign". |
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. | 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. |
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". |
During a visit to the National Citizen Service, a social enterprise that helps teenagers with training and life skills, he 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, he 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." |
What did Kids Company do? | What did Kids Company do? |
It provided services including counselling, walk-in centres with hot meals and help with housing and healthcare for children and young people whose parents were often unable to care for them. | It provided services including counselling, walk-in centres with hot meals and help with housing and healthcare for children and young people whose parents were often unable to care for them. |
It had branches in London, Bristol and Liverpool and employed 600 paid staff, as well as working with a pool of about 8,000 volunteers and 500 students. | It had branches in London, Bristol and Liverpool and employed 600 paid staff, as well as working with a pool of about 8,000 volunteers and 500 students. |
What went wrong at Kids Company? | What went wrong at Kids Company? |
'It feels like we've lost a parent' | 'It feels like we've lost a parent' |
Kids Company has also faced accusations by former staff that the charity failed to deal with allegations of serious incidents, including sexual assaults. | 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. | 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. | Ms Batmanghelidjh has strongly denied any wrongdoing. |
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday that Kids Company had been subjected to a "trial by media" based on "rumours and conjectures". | She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday that Kids Company had been subjected to a "trial by media" based on "rumours and conjectures". |
She said reasons for the closure included a lack of funding and that it was dealing with too many serious child protection cases that should have been dealt with by government. | She said reasons for the closure included a lack of funding and that it was dealing with too many serious child protection cases that should have been dealt with by government. |
Individuals within the government wanted the charity to "disappear", Ms Batmanghelidjh said, partly because she was "outspoken" and highlighted child protection problems. | Individuals within the government wanted the charity to "disappear", Ms Batmanghelidjh said, partly because she was "outspoken" and highlighted child protection problems. |
Local Government Association spokesman David Simmonds said that councils in the three areas where Kids Company operated were "working hard to identify all vulnerable children connected to the charity". | |
He added: "Kids Company has a duty of care to ensure all children known to them who require support are referred to the appropriate council as soon as possible." | |
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. | 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. |