About us

To ensure all older people and adults with learning disabilities across Medway and Kent are supported to Achieve Life's Fullness.

Our principles are defined by our local mission, and inform our every interaction with our customers, ensuring that we make sure all older people and adults with learning disabilities;

• have choice and control over all aspects of their lives.
• have a voice in policy and in design and commissioning of services.
• are respected, valued, involved and have a sense of purpose.
• are recognised for the contribution they make.
• recieve the care they need, when they need it.

Our strategy for the future was updated by our Board of Trustees in 2021, and we are committed to working towards ensuring that all older people and adults with learning disabilities:

• has easy access to opportunities and activities that enable them to lead a healthy, active and fulfilling life, with the companionship and support they wish for.
• is able to and supported to express their views and be listened to on matters that affect them and on which they are about.
• knows about and has easy access to high quality, impartial and reliable information, advice and advocacy when they need it in the way they need it.
• has access to locally available high quality, and personalised health and care services that are affordable to them or free of charge.
• has enough money to live comfortably and never needs to reduce their spending on one essential to pay for another.
• lives in age-friendly communities and places where they are welcomed as active, equal participants.
• is valued for who they are and the contributions they have made and continue to make to society.
• can be themselves, is accorded equal respect, and has equal access to services, amenities and opportunities to be included.

We are proud to say that we have been offering quality care and support services to our community for nearly 50 years.

Age Concern has had a presence in the Medway Towns since the 1970s, during which time the organisation has built a strong reputation locally for providing a range of quality care and support services for the growing older population. The range of services has continued to expand to meet the changing needs of the local older population, and to meet the Government, Local Authority and Health agendas.

In 2010, Age Concern Gillingham and Strood merged to become Age Concern Medway. In 2012, we made the transition to become a local partner of Age UK, becoming known as Age UK Medway. In 2018, we expanded our Homecare service to cover Faversham as well as Medway. In 2021, we extended the support services we provide to include adults with learning disabilities, by adding the Carer's Relief Service to the Group.

In 2023, Age UK Medway expanded it's service provision on a larger scale;

• In April 2023, Age UK Medway formally took over operations of The Clarendon Royal Hotel, Gravesend, to oversee its transformation from its traditional hotel use, to a thriving community which offers extra care housing, respite beds and a hub of activities open to resident and non-resident local communities. Find out more about The Clarendon Royal Community here.
• In April 2023, Age UK Medway took transfer of the services and staff at Age UK North West Kent following their announced threat of closure, helping to sustain the services provided to older people across the boroughs of Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley.
• In July 2023, Age UK Medway entered a planned merger with Age UK Faversham & Sittingbourne following the departure of their CEO, as a practical measure to ensure sustainability for the vital services provided to the older people of Faversham, Sittingbourne and surrounding areas.
• In October 2023, Age UK Medway formally changed their name to Age UK Kent Rivers to accurately reflect all the areas across Kent in which its services are now operated.

Age UK Kent Rivers liaises closely with a number of other agencies and organisations who work with and for older people. Funding for Age UK Kent Rivers' activities is provided in a number of ways. We charge for a number of our services in a community-focussed way, ensuring affordability and providing support with finding the money needed to meet the costs. We also utilise small grants, general fundraising, legacies and charitable donations from the community as well as reinvesting the takings from our charity shop in Gillingham into our Welfare Fund.

We are proud to be a brand and local partner of Age UK, who's mission is for a world in which everyone can love later life.