Kids Company
Keeping Kids Company (in liquidation) (formerly Kids Company) is an incorporated and registered charity, founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh in 1996 to provide support to deprived inner city children. From its original "drop-in" centre in south London it expanded over the following two decades to be a prominent children's charity operating 11 centres, mostly within Greater London, but also in Bristol and also in Liverpool.
The charity reported that from 2011 it was supporting 36,000 children per year, although it has been stated that this was an exaggeration. Funding was provided by businesses and through government grants.
In 2015, it was first reported that Kids Company was in significant financial difficulty. A £3 million grant from the government was temporarily withheld until Batmanghelidjh agreed to resign as Chief Executive. However, after the grant was made, the government withdrew it and sought to reclaim the amount after alleged breaches of the grant's terms. A police investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the charity was also announced.