15/06/2026
IMPORTANT NEWS FROM GATEHOUSE
It is with great sadness that we share this news with our community.
After 40 years of service, Gatehouse - Caring in East Anglia will be closing all of its services on 31 August 2026.
This has been an incredibly difficult decision, and one the Board of Trustees did not take lightly. Over the coming months we will be working to ensure our key services — including the Food Bank and Christmas Project — continue under the care of other local organisations.
We are so grateful to everyone who has supported Gatehouse over the past 40 years — our donors, volunteers, partners and the wider community. Without you, none of what we have achieved would have been possible.
Full statement below.
The Board of Trustees of Gatehouse - Caring in East Anglia, has announced with “great sadness”, that the charity will close all of its services on August 31, 2026.
The decision, taken unanimously by the board, follows what the charity describes as a sustained period of “falling income and rising costs” that has left the organisation without a “viable financial path forward”.
The charity, which provides a foodbank, social supermarket, Homestore furniture reuse project, free community café, wellbeing activities and community support services, currently helps more than 3,500 people a year across East Anglia.
It marked its 40th anniversary in April this year.
“This has been an incredibly difficult decision; one we did not take lightly, and have done so with great sadness,” said a spokesperson on behalf of the Board of Trustees.
“Gatehouse has been facing serious financial pressures for a number of years, driven by falling income and rising costs that has left us with no viable path forward.
“Gatehouse has served this community for 40 years and the work it has done, the lives it has touched, the people it has supported - represents something genuinely special.
“But we have a responsibility to act with integrity and to protect our ability to meet our obligations to staff, volunteers and the people who depend on us. Continuing in the hope that things would improve was no longer an option.”
The charity’s difficulties reflect a pattern seen across the voluntary sector nationwide.
It says both cash donations and donations of goods have fallen steadily over the past two years, while grant funding from statutory bodies has also declined significantly.
The spokesperson added: “At the same time, the costs of running services have risen sharply, driven by inflation.
“Cost-cutting measures were introduced in an attempt to stabilise the position, but were not sufficient to reverse the trend.”
Gatehouse Homestore has historically been the charity’s primary source of earned income.
The charity says the shift in public habits towards online resale platforms has reduced the volume of donated goods coming into the store.
The charity says the resulting drop in Homestore revenue has had “significant impact”.
“When that income started to fall, we felt it across everything we do. We are not alone in facing this. We know of other charities in Suffolk and beyond who are dealing with exactly the same pressures - but that does not make it any easier,” the spokesperson added.
Gatehouse has confirmed that it has no creditors and has sufficient funds to meet all its liabilities, including staffing costs, through to closure. Four members of staff will be made redundant.
“The board has acted now specifically to protect that position and to ensure a managed and responsible wind-down,” the spokesperson said.
Over the coming months, the charity will work to transfer its key services - including the Food Bank and the Christmas Project - to other local organisations, to ensure continuity of support for the people who rely on them. Discussions with potential partner organisations are underway.
The Gatehouse building will also be put up for sale.
“Our absolute priority now is the people we serve,” the spokesperson said.
“We are determined to do everything we can to ensure that the Food Bank, the Christmas Project and our other services continue in some form, under the care of organisations who share our values.
"We would like to thank everyone who has supported Gatehouse over the past 40 years — our donors, volunteers, partners and the wider community.
“Without them, none of what we have achieved would have been possible.”
Gatehouse — Caring in East Anglia was founded in 1986 by Sister Helena Moss and has provided a range of community services from its base in Bury St Edmunds throughout its history.
