Charity Commission announces statutory inquiry into Moss Side and Hulme Community Development Trust

The charity has previously been placed under inquiry (28 August 2018) following a failure to submit its accounts for the financial year ending 31 August 2017, and concerns about potential unauthorised payments to a trustee. That inquiry concluded in November 2020.

During that inquiry, the 2017 accounts were submitted and in July 2020 the Commission issued two trustees with an order made under section 84 of the Charities Act 2011. The order, among other things, required the trustees to appoint additional trustees and to hold an annual general meeting. The trustees were required to supply the Commission with an update within 6 months of the order. They failed to do so and requested an additional 6 months to comply.

Despite numerous attempts made by the Commission to engage with the trustees, the regulator is yet to receive any evidence that the charity has complied with its order.

The Commission says the trustees’ engagement with the regulator has been below the expected standard.

This inquiry will examine:

• The extent to which the trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of their administration, governance, and management of the charity
• The extent to which trustees have complied with the s.84 order and the regulatory advice and guidance previously issued by the Commission

The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries are available on GOV.UK.

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. The inquiry has been opened in line with Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011.

2. The 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.

3. See the report of our previous inquiry into the Moss Side and Hulme Community Development Trust.