A charitable trust and its "strong-willed" co-ordinator have "parted ways" over "personal difficulties".

Janette Walker is no longer the co-ordinator of Crossroads Charitable Trust, which operates John's Kitchen in Blenheim, a soup kitchen that also offers social support and advocacy.

Crossroads board chairman Stephen Vallance said the board ended Walker's contract because the board "could not work with her any longer".

RICKY WILSON/STUFF Janette Walker, right, says she will keep advocating for the vulnerable, just in an unpaid capacity.

"Janette is a very hard, passionate worker but we had some increasing difficulties in working together. We felt it was for the best," Vallance said.

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Vallance said he understood Walker planned to file a complaint against the board with the Employment Relations Authority.

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Janette Walker took her second run at the Kaikōura electorate seat in the 2017 election.

"I can't really say anything else. We will have to work through that, and that's sensitive," Vallance said.

"We have to move on. There was just a breakdown in our relationship and the board felt it could not go on. It's not about her competence. She is certainly strong-willed, and that makes her good at what she does."

Vallance would not say whether Walker's "strong-willed" nature was a factor in the decision to end her contract.

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Marlborough Mayor John Leggett, left, described Janette Walker as "relentless" in her quest to house the homeless as they opened the Blenheim Emergency Transitional Housing Service (BETHS) in May.

Walker ran as Labour's Kaikōura candidate in the last two elections, losing twice to National's Stuart Smith.

She gatecrashed former Prime Minister Bill English's coffee break at BV Gourmet on the campaign trail last September, suggesting National supporters were taking down her election hoardings.

Three days later, police were called to a polling booth at Mariners Mall in Picton where voters claimed Walker was confronting them about who they had voted for. Walker said she was about 20 metres away and doing nothing wrong.

STUFF Janette Walker joined Crossroads as co-ordinator in 2015.

Marlborough Mayor John Leggett described Walker as "relentless" in her quest to house the homeless when she opened Blenheim Emergency Transitional Housing Service (BETHS) in May, after years of campaigning for emergency accommodation in the town.

BETHS was run by the Christchurch Methodist Mission, in partnership with Crossroads Charitable Trust.

Walker confirmed this week she was no longer employed by the trust, but said she would keep helping vulnerable people access services.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF Janette Walker helps Blenheim's vulnerable access housing, welfare and mental health services.

"I have a sense of duty to continue doing the advocacy work I was doing before, but it will be in an unpaid capacity," Walker said.

"The employment matter will be subject to an Employment Relations Authority hearing, and I've no further comment."

She would remain the manager of BETHS, under contract with the Christchurch Methodist Mission, at the former motel on Middle Renwick Rd.

Vallance said the Crossroads Charitable Trust board would advertise for a replacement part-time employee shortly, but was reviewing the job description.

"The nature of the position has changed a lot since Janette started with us. We have since employed somebody to run the kitchen and the food side of things. So the new role will be more for the administrative aspect."

The Labour Party declined to comment on whether Walker's employment issues would affect her ability to run for the Kaikōura seat at the 2020 election.

Before moving to Marlborough to take on the role as Labour's Kaikōura candidate, Walker successfully campaigned for the prosecution of three major trading banks over the rural debt swaps issue, where banks misled rural customers into swapping interest rates on loans between 2005 and 2009.