Keychange Charity, formerly known as Christian Alliance, was founded in 1920 by a group of women concerned for the social and spiritual needs of young single women working in cities. Just after the First World War, lunch clubs were set up where young women, many in menial jobs, could meet and make friends. Hostels opened for young working and student women and later for men. In the 1950s holiday homes were established to provide young families with affordable seaside holidays.
Superficially, conditions have changed enormously since our
work began, but there are still major social problems in the
UK. Recent trends in family life have led to dramatic and shocking
changes in the structure of today's population. Increasingly
there are large numbers of people who feel marginalised by society
- alone and lonely in a country of 60 million.
Over the last 80 years the work of Keychange Charity has responded
to the demands of a rapidly changing society. We now operate
in two distinct areas of social need: providing homes for frail
elderly people, and supported accommodation for young and vulnerable
homeless people. All of our centres are run on Christian principles.