皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app charity regulator for England and Wales has opened an inquiry into a charity that supports the London Spiritual Mission as disputing trustees have been unwilling or unable to work together to address serious regulatory concerns.

is a charity that was established in 1945 to hold and maintain property for the London Spiritual Mission.

皇冠体育app regulator鈥檚 engagement with the charity uncovered several regulatory concerns including a lack of financial controls, failing to identify or manage conflicts of interest and paying connected parties for renovation services.

皇冠体育app Charity Commission is investigating the charity鈥檚 trustees鈥� compliance with the Commission鈥檚 decision-making guidance, having identified that significant decisions relating to property renovations may have been made by one trustee without full consultation of the trustee board. This includes decisions to pay connected parties for renovation services and spending double the agreed budget. 皇冠体育app guidance sets out principles to ensure all trustees act in the best interests of their charity.

All trustees are responsible for ensuring their charity鈥檚 money is safe, properly used and accounted for. 皇冠体育app inquiry will examine whether all trustees have had sufficient oversight of the charity鈥檚 funds. Through its engagement, the regulator discovered that the charity does not hold a financial controls policy. 皇冠体育app inquiry will examine this as a lack of sufficient financial controls is potentially putting the charity鈥檚 funds at risk.

皇冠体育app charity also filed its 2019 annual accounts 184 days late and has failed to submit any for the last three years. 皇冠体育app regulator understands these have not been submitted as a result of the ongoing dispute between trustees meaning that they could not agree on final versions.

皇冠体育app inquiry will examine the following regulatory issues:

• 皇冠体育app trustees鈥� compliance with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance and management of the charity, with particular regard to the management of the charity鈥檚 finances and their compliance with accounting and reporting responsibilities.
• If the trustees have appropriately identified and managed conflicts of interest.
• If there has been any misconduct and / or mismanagement in the administration of the charity by the trustees.

皇冠体育app Charity Commission is not a mediation service or to be used as an intermediary between disputing trustees. 皇冠体育app Commission鈥檚 role in this inquiry focuses on the charity鈥檚 trustees鈥� conduct and compliance with their legal duties.

皇冠体育app regulator may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.

It is the Commission鈥檚 policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry鈥檚 outcomes.

Notes for Editors

• 皇冠体育app Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.
• 皇冠体育app Charity Commission opened the statutory inquiry into the London Spiritual Mission under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 on 7th December 2023.
• Our guidance on financial controls can be found via this link: Internal financial controls for charities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)