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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's finances. | Ministers approved the grant despite warnings from senior civil servants about the charity's finances. |
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". |
Meanwhile, the charity's supporters have taken part in a march in London. | Meanwhile, the charity's supporters have taken part in a march in London. |
About 150 people walked from the charity's former centre to Parliament to raise awareness of the vulnerable people who used the support service. | About 150 people walked from the charity's former centre to Parliament to raise awareness of the vulnerable people who used the support service. |
'Sad' ending | 'Sad' ending |
Kids Company closed on Wednesday after ministers said they wanted to recover the £3m grant. | |
The Cabinet Office said it believed conditions attached to the use of the money had not been met - but the charity's founder has repeatedly rejected claims of financial mismanagement there. | The Cabinet Office said it believed conditions attached to the use of the money had not been met - but the charity's founder has repeatedly rejected claims of financial mismanagement there. |
Speaking to Channel 4 News, Camila Batmanghelidjh said she had "confirmed in writing" with Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin last year that he had agreed to find £20m for the charity. | |
But she said: "I honestly believe that they didn't want us to go under before the election because it wouldn't look good, and then post-election, I think, they were prepared for it to go under." | |
Ms Batmanghelidjh said the "necessary, genuine, and deep-thinking commitment to solve the problem of large-scale childhood maltreatment in this country is not there inside the current government". | |
Speaking earlier, during a visit to the National Citizen Service - a social enterprise that helps teenagers with training and life skills - Mr Cameron said he was "sad" the charity had "come to an end". | |
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 told Channel 4 News: "From what we have been told, there this no case to answer so far on the part of Kids Company." | |
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". | 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." | 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." |
Kids Company closure timeline | Kids Company closure timeline |