by Nicola Jordan

A bitter row has broken out between cash-strapped charity Age Concern Chatham and Medway Council.

The charity’s bosses have been accused of "going for closure" – even though Medway Council is prepared to stump up £69,000 to keep it open.

The council’s offer, revealed at a full council meeting, has been rebuffed by the charity’s trustees who are still insisting no "money has been put on the table".

They say they will be forced to close the Hopewell Drop-In Centre in Luton at the end of the year because of lack of funds.

Chatham MP Tracey Crouch has offered to act as an intermediary between the charity and council.

Over the past two weeks, both parties have held emergency meetings to discuss how to save Age Concern Chatham based in Hopewell Drive.

Cllr David Brake, who is in charge of old people’s services, told Wednesday’s meeting: "Sadly, the trustees and senior management appear not to have future-proofed the organisation and there is financial pressure. The trustees and senior management could have pursued a proactive fundraising programme, could have merged with another local charity to minimise costs and administration or could have made modest increases to their charges.

"They have now turned to the council to seek a bail out. "We had hoped that the trustees of Age Concern Chatham would have accepted the council’s generous offer of assistance and that the service under their banner would have continued for many years to come.

"Sadly, in a letter received by officers and myself, the trustees have declined the offer ... and gone for closure."

The charity ran into money problems three years ago after the regeneration scheme in Chatham forced them out of their town centre premises where they paid a peppercorn rent to the council.

The charity’s solicitor Mark Hawkridge, who is also a trustee, told the Medway Messenger: "We have not received an offer for grant funding from Medway Council.

"The charity must maintain funds for potential liabilities such as redundancy payments in accordance with the rules of the Charity Commission. The council wants us to use these potential reserves in breach of the rules and increase our daily charge from £8 to £15 in the hope we can survive another year.

"The council has offered that, should we become insolvent during the year, they would indemnify the trustees as to the reserves, but it is a limited indemnity wriggle room."

Cllr Brake said he had instructed officers to find an alternative service for the elderly in Chatham.

He added: "I would stress our door remains open should Age Concern wish to speak further."

Chatham MP Tracey Crouch, who visited the centre on Friday, is offering to step in as a go-between.

She said: "I am determined to keep a service for the elderly in Chatham and, with that in mind I am convening, and will chair, a meeting at the earliest opportunity between Medway Council and Age Concern Chatham to see if a resolution to this problem can be found.

"If not, I will do all I can to ensure that an alternative provider is found to continue a service in Chatham at an affordable price for those users and carers who need it most."

Tristan Osborne, Labour candidate for Chatham & Aylesford, called on Medway Council to either reallocate funding from the £140,000 mayoral budget or funding from the Members Priority Fund to aid Age Concern.

Mr Osborne described the centre as a "pivotal asset to the community".

He added: "I am open to offering my services to broker an outcome."