Charity regulator opens inquiry into The Retreat Animal Rescue

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into the charity The Retreat Animal Rescue (RAR) (1105654) to examine concerns about the charity’s financial operations and governance.

RAR provides services including veterinary care and a shelter for animals often prior to rehoming them.

On 19 November 2018, the charity was placed into a double defaulter class inquiry after it failed to submit annual accounts and returns for the years 2016 and 2017. These accounts were later submitted to the Commission, but the charity is currently in default of its filing obligations for 2018.

Scrutiny carried out as part of the defaulter inquiry identified significant related party transactions. This was including in relation to the charity’s rent and payment to a trustee, which may have been made in breach of the charity’s governing document and/or without having appropriately managed any conflicts of interest.

The inquiry was opened on 13 November 2019 to examine:

• the administration, governance and management of the charity by the trustees, including whether the trustees have:

  • responsibly managed the charity’s resources and financial affairs and the charity’s financial controls
  • operated within the provisions of the charity’s governing document
  • adequately managed risks to the charity, its property and reputation including risks of misappropriation and misapplication of the charity’s funds
  • avoided or managed conflicts of interest

• the extent to which any failings or weaknesses identified in the administration of the charity during the conduct of the inquiry were a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees

The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if further 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 by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

Ends.

Notes to Editors:

  1. Double defaulters are charities that have failed to file their annual documents for two or more times in the last five years.
  2. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales; our role is to regulate charity trustees’ compliance with the charity law framework.