What KINGSTON CHURCHES ACTION ON HOMELESSNESS does

Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness (KCAH) is a registered charity (No. 1075890) founded in 1993 by over 50 churches in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to address local housing and homelessness problems through a professional housing advice service. The organisation operates four integrated service lines targeting single adults experiencing homelessness or housing crisis: the Housing Crisis Intervention Service (HCIS), a free weekday drop-in for housing, benefit, and advocacy support; The Bridge, a specialist substance use service for rough sleepers evolved from the 2021 Joel Stabilisation Centre; the Access Project, supported housing across 11 managed properties with 2-year tenancies and dedicated Asset Coaches; and the 30-bed Winter Night Shelter rotating across Kingston churches during the coldest months. Outreach teams also engage rough sleepers borough-wide, and co-located Kingston Wellbeing Service assessments run from KCAH's headquarters at St Peter's Church Hall.

KCAH's revenue model is non-commercial: services are free to beneficiaries and funded through a mix of statutory grants (notably Royal Borough of Kingston and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities), individual donations and legacies, community fundraising events, and the Kingston Draw — a Small Society Lottery priced at £5 per ticket. Operational technology is standard third-party SaaS (Lamplight for case management, Stripe for payment processing, Three Rings for volunteer scheduling, Zeffy for peer-to-peer fundraising) with no proprietary platforms or AI components. The organisation is governed by a 9-person board of trustees chaired by Roger Sutton, led by CEO Georgie Forshaw, and employs approximately 21 staff supported by 7 regular volunteers. Impact metrics include ~40 new registrations per week, 35+ people housed into stable accommodation over a recent 3-month window, £2,100+ in direct financial relief unlocked for residents, and 3,000+ hours of Asset Coach support delivered annually across the supported housing portfolio.

Name

KINGSTON CHURCHES ACTION ON HOMELESSNESS

Legal name

Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness (KCAH)

Website

https://kcah.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness (KCAH) is a registered charity in Kingston upon Thames providing integrated homelessness services — drop-in advice, supported housing, a winter night shelter, and substance use support — to single adults facing housing crisis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Housing Support Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG)

Keywords

• Homelessness services
• Emergency accommodation
• Supported housing
• Housing advice
• Rough sleeping support

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston Upon Thames

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, regular giving programs, one-time gifts, legacy bequests, and event-based fundraising (Big Sleep Out, 24 Hour Challenge, music events, quizzes). Services are free to beneficiaries.
2. Community Raffle (Kingston Draw): Monthly lottery with £5 per ticket, licensed by Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames under Gambling Act 2005. Maximum 5 tickets per person per draw. Total prize fund not exceeding 80% of proceeds.
3. Grant Funding: Core funding from Royal Borough of Kingston (RBK) and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). Additional grants from various departments recognizing service gaps for substance use and supported housing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness provides homelessness prevention, supported housing, and emergency accommodation services in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Its offer spans four distinct programmes: HCIS (information and signposting), The Bridge (supported accommodation), the Access Project (housing advice and resettlement), and the Winter Night Shelter (emergency overnight beds). Services are delivered free of charge to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the borough.

Product overview

KCAH operates four interconnected core services addressing different stages of homelessness: HCIS provides front-line drop-in advice and advocacy, The Bridge offers specialist substance use support, the Access Project delivers supported housing with dedicated Asset Coaches, and the Winter Night Shelter provides emergency seasonal accommodation. The Kingston Draw raffle product generates additional fundraising revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HCIS (Housing Crisis Intervention Service): An in-person, drop-in advice service for people facing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Open weekdays from 10.00am – 1.00pm.
• The Bridge
• Access Project
• Winter Night Shelter
• The Kingston Draw

Products and services

• HCIS (Homelessness and Complex Needs Information Service) Information, advice, and signposting service for people in Kingston upon Thames experiencing homelessness or complex needs, helping them navigate access to housing, benefits, health, and other support services.
• The Bridge Supported housing service provided by KCAH for people moving on from homelessness, offering stable accommodation with structured support.
• Access Project Housing advice and resettlement support programme assisting individuals in Kingston upon Thames to secure and sustain tenancies and avoid homelessness.
• Winter Night Shelter Emergency overnight accommodation service operating during the coldest months to provide a safe, warm place to sleep for people rough sleeping in Kingston upon Thames.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35+ people housed into stable accommodation over 3 months (Nov-Jan 2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Royal Borough of Kingston upon ThamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary local authority partner providing core funding and licensing for the Kingston Draw raffle. The council refers clients to KCAH services and KCAH works with RBK housing department for homelessness applications and placements.
• Churches in Kingston (50+ churches network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founding partners in 1993. Churches continue to provide venues for Winter Night Shelter and community support.
• Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department providing grant funding for substance use services and Bridge program.
• St Peter's ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts KCAH headquarters at St Peter's Church Hall. Former partnership on Joel Project evolved into The Bridge service.
• Kingston Wellbeing ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal health service providing mental health and wellbeing support. Co-located assessments at KCAH offices for service users.
• YMCAsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner providing supported accommodation. KCAH refers clients to YMCA and vice versa.
• Various Housing AssociationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners providing social housing placements for clients moving from supported accommodation. KCAH assists with applications and advocacy.
• Kingston Foodbank (Trussell Trust)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial food bank voucher provider. Tuesdays and Fridays see increased drop-in traffic coinciding with Foodbank sessions.
• Local NHS and HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCAH advocates for clients at hospitals, assists with GP registrations, and coordinates medical care for complex needs clients.
• ZeffyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLow-fee peer-to-peer fundraising platform partner for events like Big Sleep Out and 24 Hour Challenge.
• Kingston Community Furniture ProjectminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended partner for furniture donations. KCAH refers donors to this organization for furniture items.
• Local SchoolssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchools support through fundraising, meal provision for night shelter, and educational engagement. Include Ahmadiyya Muslim Women's Association and Everyday Church Kingston Lifegroup.
• Local BusinessessecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness partners provide donations, event sponsorship, venue space (The Fighting Cocks, OLR Cafe, Bacchus for Kingston Unlocked), and corporate fundraising.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Single Homeless Project: London charity providing supported housing, prevention services, and rough sleeper outreach for single adults. Directly comparable service mix and target population.
• Glass Door Homeless Charity: London-based charity operating seasonal night shelters and casework support for people experiencing homelessness. Closest direct peer to KCAH given shared winter-shelter model, drop-in services, and single-region London focus.
• The Passage: Westminster-based homelessness charity providing drop-in services, supported housing, and resettlement support. Comparable integrated service model and central/single-borough focus.
• Thames Reach: London homeless charity delivering outreach, supported housing, employment support, and rough sleeping services. Strong overlap with KCAH's Access Project, outreach, and supported accommodation model.

Broad incumbents

• Crisis UK: National homelessness charity offering advice, housing, and education services. Comparable service philosophy and target population, though operating nationally with a broader policy and research remit.
• St Mungo's: One of the largest London homelessness charities, offering outreach, hostels, supported housing, and recovery services. Same population and service mix but at much greater scale across multiple boroughs.
• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting young people experiencing homelessness with housing, health, and education services. Similar supported housing and wellbeing model, but focused on 16–24 year-olds rather than single adults.
• Depaul UK: National charity working with people who are homeless, focusing on supported accommodation and prevention across multiple UK regions. Comparable supported housing operating model at larger geographic scale.
• Shelter (UK): National housing and homelessness charity providing advice, legal services, and campaigning. Overlaps with KCAH's housing advice function and is a major sector voice but operates at national scale and does not deliver direct supported housing locally.

Emerging players

• Emmaus UK: UK charity supporting formerly homeless people through live-in communities and social enterprise work. Adjacent model — different intervention (residential community vs. drop-in and supported housing) but overlapping beneficiary group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kcah_org_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/kcah.org.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kcah

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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