In a report published today the Commission sets out its findings, conclusions and regulatory action taken following its investigation into 1st Knight Military Charity. The charity, which had objects to assist members of the armed forces and their dependents or carers, was ordered to and has now been wound up.

The Commission’s inquiry was opened on 8 November 2016 after undercover reporting for a BBC Scotland programme exposed anti-Islamic comments made at the charity’s shop by a trustee and volunteer, as well as the sale of merchandise displaying anti-Islamic and derogatory comments and imagery.

“Wholly offensive and inappropriate” materials and comments

The inquiry concluded that there was misconduct in relation to offensive material available for sale at the charity’s premises and comments recorded as part of the programme. The Commission’s report highlights:

• A second trustee present at the time of the undercover recording failed to intervene or challenge the comments made.
• The offensive merchandise was ordered on more than one occasion, and the trustees did not seek to later return or dispose of the stock.
• Further highly offensive and inappropriate t-shirts depicting Nazi symbolism was advertised for sale on the charity’s online store.
• An unannounced visit to the charity’s premises later confirmed that the relevant materials had been removed from sale, however offensive and inappropriate merchandise was still displayed on the charity’s online store in February 2017.

Michelle Russell, Director of Investigations, Monitoring and Enforcement at the Charity Commission said:

The public rightly expect charities to demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and conduct. What we saw in this case fell short of that: not only was this charity mismanaged, we also saw evidence of behaviours and attitudes that have no place in charity. The organisation has now wound up, and I am pleased that we have ensured its assets are redistributed by another charity.

The inquiry also found wider concerns about the charity’s management and governance.

The Commission issued an order under section 84B of the Charities Act 2011 to direct the trustees to wind up and dissolve the charity, in the public interest and because it was unlikely that the charity could continue to operate beyond the end of the inquiry. The trustees complied with this order on 22 March 2018 and the charity was dissolved and removed from the Register of Charities on 23 March 2018.

The charity’s remaining funds were transferred to another charity, identified by the Commission, with similar objects to the charity. They will be used to provide support to wounded veterans and their loved ones.

The full report of the inquiry is available on GOV.UK.

Ends.

Notes to Editors

1. Under new powers granted to it under section 84B of the Charities Act 2016, the Commission has the power to direct charity trustees to wind up and dissolve a charity. On 22 December 2017 the Commission published a public notice of its intention to issue the order under section 84B (2) of the Act. This was published on the Commission’s website for a period of 60 days. The Commission did not receive any representations following the issuing of public notice. After the period for representations expired the trustees were directed to take specified action to wind up and dissolve the Charity and have its remaining property transferred to a charity with the same or similar purposes.
2. The programme ‘The Great Military Charity Scandal’ was broadcast on BBC One Scotland at 19:00, Tuesday 8 November 2016.
3. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see the about us page on GOV.UK.
4. Search for charities on our online register.

Ohh Deer supplies illustrated greeting cards, stationery, clothes and homeware, designed by handpicked artists and illustrators, recently working with Mr Men and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to create 2 bespoke product ranges.

The company, which makes as many of its products as possible in the UK, has also collaborated with retail giants ASOS and Urban Outfitters.

From their humble beginnings working from a relative’s attic, Ohh Deer have now opened 2 stores in Loughborough and Ipswich – the founders’ hometowns and counts the likes of Selfridges and John Lewis amongst its customers.

The business’ headquarters, has since moved to The Rushes, Loughborough, and employs 22 permanent staff, which doubles during peak seasons.

To make the most of the demand for its products internationally, Ohh Deer turned to the Department for International Trade (DIT) for advice on how to navigate customs regulations and paperwork requirements in countries it was exporting to for the first time.

The company has since seen significant success in the US, with Papyrus, a leading North American stationery and greeting card retailer, increasing its order volume by 500% in the last year. Papyrus operates over 450 stores across the US and Canada.

Mark Callaby, Founder, Ohh Deer, said:

It’s vital for our business to continue to diversify and grow, gaining more market share in order to protect against any unpredictable changes in the retail sector. DIT provided us with start-up advice in the very beginning and has since provided us with funding to attend various international trade shows in the US. These have helped us make new contacts and learn from other businesses and their experiences.

The majority of the countries we export to speak English, which has made our exporting journey much less daunting, but there are other specific challenges we’ve faced. For example, every country has their own differing paperwork requirements. DIT has been a great help in understanding this in the US by providing advice and support on the logistics of customs.

There are so many opportunities to trade with international partners that businesses, like us, aren’t aware of. But, with the support of DIT and after doing some market research in potential target markets we discovered the quirkiness of our products was actually a unique selling point. If we can export successfully, with the right guidance and support, so can other businesses in the Midlands.

Ian Harrison, Head of Exports for the Midlands at the Department for International Trade, said:

We’re pleased to see Ohh Deer’s continued success in overseas markets and look forward to working alongside them as they continue to grow.

British firms have a strong trading relationship with the US, and Ohh Deer is a great example of a business who has made the most of the demand from this economy. It is important businesses identify suitable partners and fully understand market and regulatory requirements in order to do well, which Ohh Deer has done effectively.

We have a team of specialist advisers on the ground in the East Midlands, who are on hand to support budding firms as they look to start or build its exports.

Data published today by Public Health England (PHE) reveal that new HIV diagnoses in the UK have fallen for the second year in a row. New diagnoses decreased by 17% in 2017 – from 4,363 new diagnoses reported compared to 5,280 in 2016, which brought new cases down to their lowest level since 2000.

This decrease continues a downward trend that started in 2015, with an overall 28% reduction in new HIV diagnoses between 2015 and 2017. The reduction was largely driven by a decline in new HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men, which fell by 17% compared to 2016 and by 31% compared to 2015. This decrease was due to the high uptake of HIV testing in this group, particularly repeat HIV testing among higher risk men. Increased uptake of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) – drugs that keep the level of HIV in the body low and help prevent it being passed on – also significantly contributed to the decline in new diagnoses.

New HIV diagnoses in black African and Caribbean heterosexuals have been steadily decreasing over the past 10 years. For the first time, a UK-wide fall was also seen in new diagnoses in heterosexuals from other ethnicities, with a drop of 20% in 2017 when previously they had remained stable at around 1000 per year.

Professor Noel Gill, Head of the STI and HIV Department at Public Health England, said:

We are pleased to see that UK prevention efforts are having a significant impact on new HIV diagnoses, and this heralds the lowest number of HIV diagnoses in the UK since 2000. However, we know that anyone who has sex with a casual partner without a condom or shares needles may be at risk of infection.

The most common way of getting HIV in the UK is through having sex without a condom – so consistent and correct condom use with new and casual partners stops you getting or transmitting HIV and other STIs. If you think you have been exposed to HIV it is easy to get tested so, if positive, you can start treatment as soon as possible.

Steve Brine, Public Health Minister said:

HIV is a devastating and life-altering disease. Today’s figures mean we are well on our way to eradicating it once and for all but we have not an ounce of complacency.

Our commitment to prevention has led to more people getting tested and almost every person with a diagnosis is now in treatment – meaning they are unlikely to pass the virus on to someone else. I am committed to ensuring that we deliver on our promise to reduce the number of people contracting HIV even further.

There are very effective treatments for HIV that enable people diagnosed with the virus to live a long and healthy life, and minimise the risk of onward transmission. Early diagnosis through regular testing ensures people get the greatest benefit from these HIV treatments. HIV testing is freely available through GP surgeries, local hospitals and sexual health clinics, as well as through a self-sampling service or by using a home-testing kit.

Public Health England, alongside other government and third sector organisations, is working to control HIV by 2030 and these new figures are an encouraging sign that this is achievable.

Background

1. Epidemiological data on new HIV diagnoses and people receiving HIV care can be found in the PHE health protection report and annual HIV data tables. Regional and Local Authority data on new HIV diagnosis rates, late diagnoses and diagnosed HIV prevalence data can be analysed on the PHE Sexual Health Profiles.
2. The data shows that:
   • In 2017, 4,363 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in the UK, a reduction by 17% compared to the 5,280 diagnoses reported in 2016.
   • There were 2,330 new HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men reported in 2017, a 17% reduction from the 2,820 diagnoses in 2016 and 28% reduction from the 3,390 diagnoses in 2015.
   • There were 594 new HIV diagnoses among black African and Caribbean heterosexuals in 2017, a reduction of 23% compared to the 775 diagnoses in 2016.
   • Overall, 42% of people were diagnosed at a late stage of infection (CD4 count <350 cells/mm3 at diagnosis) in 2017. Late diagnosis is associated with a ten-fold increased risk of short term mortality (within a year of diagnosis).
   • In 2017, there were 230 people with an AIDS-defining illness reported at HIV diagnosis (5.3%) and 428 deaths among people with HIV.
   • In 2017, 93,385 people were receiving HIV-related care in the UK, with 98% (91,266/93,385) receiving anti-retroviral therapy to control the virus. Of those receiving anti-retroviral therapy in 2017, 97% (88,528/91,266) had untransmissable levels of virus.
3. HIV is a virus which damages the cells in people’s immune system and weakens their ability to fight everyday infections and diseases. Without treatment, after an average of 10 to 15 years, the infection is fatal.
4. PHE advises gay and bisexual men to have an HIV test at least once a year, or every 3 months if they’re having unprotected sex with new or casual partners. Black African men and women are advised to have a regular HIV and STI screen, if they’re having unprotected sex with new or casual partners.
5. You can find out more information about how to prevent and get tested for HIV on NHS Choices. The HIV home sampling service offers an alternative to traditional testing offered by GPs and sexual health clinic. Visit www.FreeTesting.hiv to find out more about free HIV home-sampling test kits.
6. It is too early to know the size of the expected additional effect on underlying HIV transmission and new HIV diagnoses of the scale-up of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PHE is supporting NHS England in delivering the 3-year PrEP Impact Trial, which began in October 2017.