A Brief History

Gravesend Old People’s Welfare Society was formed in July 1949 and in 1965 opened its first Centre at 35 The Grove.  By February 1966 the Society became a registered charity, No 246514, and in 1967 another Centre was opened in Kitchener Avenue with special transport being provided to collect the housebound from home.  Over 50 voluntary helpers ran these Centres - both of which provided hot mid-day meals.

In 1969 the Committee decided that these two Centres’ were not adequate for the district’s needs and started to consider building a purpose designed centre to meet these needs more fully.  Gravesham Borough Council (then Gravesend Corporation) very kindly provided a site in Clarence Row in 1970 and an Appeals Committee was promptly formed to raise the £70,000 necessary to build and equip the centre, which could cater for approximately 100 people and would be staffed entirely by volunteers.

His Worship the Mayor of Gravesend, Councillor D McMillan, laid the Foundation Stone for the new Centre on 28 April 1973 and the Centre was officially opened by The Rt Hon Lord Astor of Hever on 1 November 1974.

By 1978 the Centre was receiving grant aid from the Social Services Committee of the County Council (administered by Age Concern Kent) and the Society had taken the title of Gravesend Old People's Welfare Committee - Age Concern.  It was not until a resolution to adopt a new name was put forward, by Mr Bernard Fleming, at the AGM on 17 May of that year that Age Concern Gravesend came into being with 39 people being for the change and 14 against.

Age Concern Gravesend we have remained until this day, grant-aided to approximately 62% by KCC Social Services.  As an autonomous organisation it is essential that we fundraise continually to enable us to provide support for local services.