GSA has closed. What comes next?
Plus politics latest, St. John's Church reopens, news in brief, and more
This week’s edition leads on the sudden end of Gillingham Street Angels, with the charity now formally closed and a new organisation already taking shape in its place. We look at what happened, what’s unclear, and what the transition means for Medway’s voluntary sector. There’s also news from the political fringes, a major church reopening in Chatham, and the usual mix of planning decisions, local updates and a busy run of extra Authority content.
We’ve also been thrilled by the response to our Two Medways pen pal scheme, which we launched over the weekend as a joint venture with Port Medway in Nova Scotia. We’ve had lots of people sign up already, but sending letters to Canada (and receiving them back!) sounds fun, you can read more about the project and get involved here.
Also, don’t forget that we are jumping on the rampant capitalism bandwagon and offering a 25% Black Friday discount. If you enjoy our work and want to support us, there’s never been a better time.
GSA has now closed. What comes next?
Gillingham Street Angels has now formally closed, with all operations ending on Friday 21 November and the organisation entering voluntary liquidation. The shutdown comes three weeks after the charity first announced it would cease trading, and days after its statutory accounts became overdue with the Charity Commission.
In an email seen by Local Authority, GSA CEO Tracey Errington told partners the charity had been “heartbroken” to make the decision and said the failure stemmed from “rapid growth and historical lack of robust financial controls at Board level”. She added that she had kept the Charity Commission “fully informed of the issues” and stated that “despite what some have posted on social media, the Commission has not placed Gillingham Street Angels under investigation”.
GSA’s closure ends one of the most visible voluntary-sector operations in Medway. Its food bank, soup kitchen and charity shops had become fixtures during the cost of living crisis, and the charity reported income of £1.23m a year at one point. As we previously reported, the trustees’ 2023 annual accounts acknowledged inadequate financial records and the dismissal of a finance officer after concerns were raised by external advisers. The charity’s 2024 accounts were due on 31 October but still have not been published.
Errington’s email emphasises the future rather than the liquidation itself. She announced a new organisation, Thrift & Thrive Medway, described as a “fresh start for community support,” which she will lead with a new board of trustees and a “core team” of former GSA staff and volunteers.
Thrift & Thrive has been incorporated at Companies House as a non-profit private company, with Errington listed as its sole director and sole shareholder. According to her email, the venture will focus on reuse, upcycling and low-cost goods, alongside food initiatives and a new community soup bar. She says it will operate from two sites previously used by GSA: the former Argos building in Chatham High Street and The Emporium on the Old High Street Intra. Both locations had originally been offered to GSA specifically for charitable purposes.
There is also no detail yet on what will happen to GSA’s other sites, including the charity shops and units in Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. Errington’s update does not refer to these locations, and all Street Angels activity has stopped, with some stores still containing significant levels of stock.
The details of the liquidation process are limited at this stage. Nothing has yet been published about the appointed liquidators, their timetable, or the next steps for creditors and donors. On its final day, GSA’s shops operated on a cash-only basis, a stark contrast to a period when the charity had been running multiple food initiatives, employing staff, and maintaining a fleet of vehicles and equipment.
While Errington expressed gratitude to partners and donors, describing the past few weeks as “chaotic,” the transformation of GSA’s two largest trading sites into a new private company raises questions about how much of the previous model will be replicated, who will oversee it and how continuity will be managed. Her email says the new organisation intends to keep supporters “updated on our progress as we move forward with Thrift & Thrive.”
Gillingham Street Angels had become one of Medway’s best-known charities, growing quickly during the pandemic and playing a prominent public role as demand for support surged. Its collapse leaves a significant gap in the network of local organisations that provide food, clothing, and low-cost household goods. Several groups told us they expect to take on additional demand in the coming weeks, such was the scale of GSA’s operations.
Can you help us?
🧑💼 We’re still eager to hear from anyone with knowledge of what happened within the Gillingham Street Angels, particularly over the past twelve months or so. We’re grateful to those who have come forward so far, but we’d love to talk to more people to hear more views and check some details.
🥪 Subway at Liberty Quay in Gillingham has been closed for over a month, with a handwritten sign on the door saying it is due to ‘building damage.’ If you know what’s going on and would like to share why students can't get their sandwiches, we’d love to hear from you.
Politics latest
🗣️ St Mary Hoo Parish Council has become the latest to pass a vote of no confidence in All Saints ward councillor Chris Spalding. Minutes from the meeting of 11 November state that councillors do not believe he positively supports the parish, refuses to acknowledge that he has zero power over the parish and constantly makes complaints about council processes. Parish council chairperson Nick Craddy proposed the motion of no confidence, which was unanimously supported by the council.
🟢 Earlier in the summer, we reported on an alleged ‘coup’ within the Medway Green Party. Following our reporting, the party decided to rerun its AGM due to ‘irregularities.’ This finally happened on Sunday (2 Nov), where previous Rochester East and Warren Wood by-election candidate Grace Duffy was elected as the party’s new Chair.
🗣️ Around 30 people attended the Your Party Medway launch event, which may or may not have been officially affiliated with Your Party.
St John’s Church reopens after £4m restoration
A major Chatham landmark has reopened after a two year, £4m restoration that has brought one of the town’s oldest churches back into public use. St John’s, the grade II* listed building on Railway Street, had mainly been closed for around 25 years before work began. Long-term water damage, structural problems, and a failing roof had left it in a state where the building's future was an open question.
The overhaul, backed by the Diocese of Rochester, the Church of England, Medway Council, The Heritage Fund, national government and several charitable trusts, has transformed the 200-year-old building into a flexible venue with new meeting rooms, a café servery and improved insulation. Church leaders say the aim is for the building to operate seven days a week as both a place of worship and a space for community groups, events and small businesses.
Rev Martyn Saunders, who leads the Bishop’s Mission Order at St John’s, described the reopening as the result of long-term persistence. “This truly is a story of faith, hope and determination,” he said. “Many people never gave up on the hope of seeing community, mission and ministry taking place once again at St John’s Chatham.”
Canon Matthew Girt, Diocesan Secretary, said the focus was now on making sure the restored building serves the wider town. “We are delighted that we have this building back for the use of the community here at the heart of Chatham,” he said. “This is not just a church but a place that will be open seven days a week with so much going on for everyone.”
Medway Council contributed support, with council leader Vince Maple calling the project an example of the “One Medway approach.” “It is fantastic to see new life breathed into this magnificent building,” he said. “As well as being a place of worship, it is great to see social spaces for classes and events, the café area, meeting rooms and more.”
Some activities are already running, including the play groups and twice-weekly sessions offering conversation, tea and coffee, and (optional) prayer. A Heritage Fund-backed local history project is also underway to collect memories, photographs and stories from residents connected to St John’s. Volunteers are being sought to help explore archives and document the building’s shifting role within Medway.
The reopening comes just ahead of the Christmas season, with a carol service on 14 December and a charity performance by Walderslade Sings on 20 December. Details of the full festive programme are on the church’s website.
In brief
🚌 Medway Council has expanded the use of ANPR cameras to catch and fine drivers illegally using bus lanes in three new locations. The new enforcement is in place on Corporation Street, Rochester, as well as High Street, Chatham, and Chatham Hill.
🏥 Medway NHS Foundation Trust and Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust are to combine their leadership structures to form a new group covering both trusts.
🏨 The Trivelles Hotel on Station Road in Strood has applied for planning permission to annexe a neighbouring house to create additional rooms.
🎰 Government planning inspectors have allowed a new 24-hour gambling arcade to open on Chatham High Street, despite an initial refusal by Medway Council.
🏪 Medway Council chose to ignore Medway Council’s objections to approve a new Budgens supermarket within the Chatham waterfront development.
🌊 Southern Water and Medway Council have signed an agreement to tackle flooding and storm overflows.
🛝 Medway Council is consulting on improvements to Esplanade Gardens in Rochester.
🚣 A nineteenth-century military fort in the middle of the River Medway is up for sale with a guide price of £50,000.
More Authority
It’s been a bumper week for additional Local Authority content.
Former civil servant Bob Collins took us through the process of local government reorganisation, and precisely what we can expect to happen next:
Life after reorganisation
This is the second of our more in-depth looks into the details of local government reorganisation that regular readers of Local Authority already know and love. In part one, former civil servant Bob Collins looked at the back story – how and why we got to this point. In this one, we take a look beyond the current shenanigans to what the future will actually look like and how it might differ from the way things are now.
On Sunday, our supporters received an interview with Lee Grimshaw, the owner of the Spinout Nuggets record label:
"Success is doing it in the first place"
Spinout Nuggets have released some of the best Medway records of the last decade. Following their recent takeover event at Analogue Music, Steven met DJ Lee Grimshaw in Rochester for coffee where they discussed why he set up the label, how he came to release the latest 5.6.7.8’s single, and what counts as success in the modern music business.
We also published our latest Voice column, which publishes writing by Medway’s elected representatives. This time, we heard from Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Scott:
Voice of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Editor’s note: Each month, we publish a guest column from one of Medway’s elected representatives, rotating between our MPs, council and opposition leaders, and the Police and Crime Commissioner. Today, we welcome Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott, who discusses his new Police and Crime Plan and the campaign to reduce children’s exposure …
Footnotes
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