The Charity Commission has appointed an interim manager to Bhaarat Welfare Trust (1077821), a Leicester based charity with objects to promote the Hindu culture and religion. It carries these out by making grants, primarily overseas. The appointment was made due to continued concerns over the financial management of the charity.

The Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity in January 2017 to examine serious concerns over the financial management of the charity, including the trustees’ failure to evidence a significant amount of charitable expenditure overseas. In order to protect charitable funds, the Commission froze the charity’s bank accounts.

Despite receiving regulatory advice and guidance over a number of years, the trustees were unable to demonstrate that the charity has appropriate financial controls and the necessary due diligence checks.

The Commission therefore exercised its legal powers to appoint an interim manager to the charity on 9 May 2019. Finbarr O’Connell of Smith & Williamson LLP has the powers and duties of the trustees of the charity, to the exclusion of the charity’s trustees. His tasks will include: reviewing the charity’s financial controls and overseas payments, in particular evidence of how the funds were applied, and securing charity property by taking control of the charity’s assets.

The Commission’s inquiry continues.

Ends

Notes to Editors

• The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. For more information see the about us page on GOV.UK
• Section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission power to appoint interim managers to a charity.
• It is the Charity 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
• Interim managers are appointed to take over the running of a charity where the Commission has identified misconduct or mismanagement, or there is a need to protect the charity’s property. It is a temporary and protective measure.

The number of entries to EBacc subjects at GCSE has increased for the third year in a row, meaning more pupils are leaving school equipped with the core knowledge and skills parents expect.

Provisional data for England shows that a rise in the number of entries to modern foreign languages (MFL) – specifically a 10% rise in Spanish and 4% in French – is contributing to an overall increase in entries to core academic subjects at GCSE. The rise in EBacc entries is also driven in part by an increase in entries to the sciences.

The data, published by Ofqual today, provides yet more evidence of this government’s efforts to halt the decline in the uptake of languages since they became optional at key stage 4 in 2004.

The increase in EBacc and MFL entries comes alongside an overall increase of 3% in entries to GCSE arts subjects. The increase includes rises in art and design subjects and performing and expressive arts, demonstrating focus on core academic subjects does not come at the expense of important cultural education.

At A Level, biology, chemistry, physics and computing all showed increases, along with Spanish.

Today’s data shows a total of 5.19million GCSE entries this year – a slight increase on the 5.14million entries in 2018 – while entries to A Level remained broadly stable at around 746,000, down from 760,000 last year.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said:

It’s important that young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain and with the widest set of options available to them. Core academic subjects, such as English, maths, science and foreign languages are key to making that a reality.

Today’s data shows that following our reforms, those GCSEs are becoming increasingly popular among young people. We know parents place great importance on these subjects, so with 4.2million entries to GCSEs in EBacc subjects this summer, both parents and employers can be confident that our schools are providing pupils with the strongest possible foundation.

It is particularly pleasing to see an overall increase in entries to GCSE arts subjects, including a 9% increase in entries to art and design subjects. The arts are an important part of the curriculum, and I know the best schools combine a rich cultural education with excellence in core subjects.

Polling shows parents place greater importance on core academic subjects such as English, maths, science, humanities and languages, aligning with those subjects that have seen increases in this year’s GCSE entries and demonstrating the value of the EBacc.

Today’s data also shows:

• Increases of 8% and 9% in entries to GCSE and A Level computing, respectively;
• Increases of 9% in entries to A Level biology and chemistry and 3% to A Level physics; and
• 15,000 more entries to GCSE art and design subjects.

Pupils across the country are currently sitting their A Levels and GCSEs, with results days on 15 and 22 August respectively.

PM Theresa May’s statement in Downing Street.

Ever since I first stepped through the door behind me as Prime Minister, I have striven to make the United Kingdom a country that works not just for a privileged few, but for everyone.

And to honour the result of the EU referendum.

Back in 2016, we gave the British people a choice.

Against all predictions, the British people voted to leave the European Union.

I feel as certain today as I did three years ago that in a democracy, if you give people a choice you have a duty to implement what they decide.

I have done my best to do that.

I negotiated the terms of our exit and a new relationship with our closest neighbours that protects jobs, our security and our Union.

I have done everything I can to convince MPs to back that deal.

Sadly, I have not been able to do so.

I tried three times.

I believe it was right to persevere, even when the odds against success seemed high.

But it is now clear to me that it is in the best interests of the country for a new Prime Minister to lead that effort.

So I am today announcing that I will resign as leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party on Friday 7 June so that a successor can be chosen.

I have agreed with the Party Chairman and with the Chairman of the 1922 Committee that the process for electing a new leader should begin in the following week.

I have kept Her Majesty the Queen fully informed of my intentions, and I will continue to serve as her Prime Minister until the process has concluded.

It is, and will always remain, a matter of deep regret to me that I have not been able to deliver Brexit.

It will be for my successor to seek a way forward that honours the result of the referendum.

To succeed, he or she will have to find consensus in Parliament where I have not.

Such a consensus can only be reached if those on all sides of the debate are willing to compromise.

For many years the great humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton – who saved the lives of hundreds of children by arranging their evacuation from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia through the Kindertransport – was my constituent in Maidenhead.

At another time of political controversy, a few years before his death, he took me to one side at a local event and gave me a piece of advice.

He said, ‘Never forget that compromise is not a dirty word. Life depends on compromise.’

He was right.

As we strive to find the compromises we need in our politics – whether to deliver Brexit, or to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland – we must remember what brought us here.

Because the referendum was not just a call to leave the EU but for profound change in our country.

A call to make the United Kingdom a country that truly works for everyone. I am proud of the progress we have made over the last three years.

We have completed the work that David Cameron and George Osborne started: the deficit is almost eliminated, our national debt is falling and we are bringing an end to austerity.

My focus has been on ensuring that the good jobs of the future will be created in communities across the whole country, not just in London and the South East, through our Modern Industrial Strategy.

We have helped more people than ever enjoy the security of a job.

We are building more homes and helping first-time buyers onto the housing ladder – so young people can enjoy the opportunities their parents did.

And we are protecting the environment, eliminating plastic waste, tackling climate change and improving air quality.

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Security; freedom; opportunity.

Those values have guided me throughout my career.

But the unique privilege of this office is to use this platform to give a voice to the voiceless, to fight the burning injustices that still scar our society.

That is why I put proper funding for mental health at the heart of our NHS long-term plan.

It is why I am ending the postcode lottery for survivors of domestic abuse.

It is why the Race Disparity Audit and gender pay reporting are shining a light on inequality, so it has nowhere to hide.

And that is why I set up the independent public inquiry into the tragedy at Grenfell Tower – to search for the truth, so nothing like it can ever happen again, and so the people who lost their lives that night are never forgotten.

Because this country is a Union.

Not just a family of four nations.

But a union of people – all of us.

Whatever our background, the colour of our skin, or who we love.

We stand together.

And together we have a great future.

Our politics may be under strain, but there is so much that is good about this country. So much to be proud of. So much to be optimistic about.

I will shortly leave the job that it has been the honour of my life to hold – the second female Prime Minister but certainly not the last.

I do so with no ill-will, but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country I love.

The product, developed in a ground-breaking partnership with retailer Marks and Spencer and learning provider Highfield, is now shortlisted for the world final in autumn.

Beating off rival submissions to scoop the Business Continuity Institute’s ‘Innovation’ category, ACT Awareness e-Learning provides organisations large and small with a free-to-access course which could help prevent and mitigate against terrorist attacks.

Since its launch just over a year ago, 4000 companies have registered to use ACT Awareness e-Learning and 250,000 individuals have taken part online, completing more than one million modules of training.

John Frost, Head of Business Continuity at Marks and Spencer, who collected the award in Hamburg, said:

The feedback we have received from users of this product has been overwhelmingly positive. Now we are getting a considerable amount of interest and plaudits from overseas.

The way the commercial sector and Counter Terrorism Policing have worked together on developing this product makes us world-leaders in this field.

Detective Superintendent Michael Orchard, National Co-ordinator for Protective Security, added:

We have seen that attacks can take place anywhere at any time. All locations that attract large numbers of people to their premises should take steps to help protect their staff and visitors.

Everyone working in crowded places – not just those who have a security role – can follow the course and be in a stronger position to help protect themselves, colleagues and the public.

Organisations wanting more information about the ACT Awareness e-Learning package, or to apply for registration, visit www.gov.uk/government/news/act-awareness-elearning.

The Planning Inspectorate was one of 106 organisations to take part in Mind’s third annual Workplace Wellbeing Index, and was recognised with a Silver, meaning they are achieving impact within their workplace.

Mind’s Workplace Wellbeing Index is a benchmark of best policy and practice, celebrating the good work employers are doing to promote and support positive mental health, and providing key recommendations on the specific areas where there is room to improve.

The event took place at the Ham Yard Hotel in Central London. The ceremony was hosted by TV Presenter and Mind Ambassador Anna Williamson.

Mental health problems are common among employees. Mind surveyed more than 44,000 employees across the 106 employers participating in the awards and found that 7 in 10 had experienced a mental health problem in their lives, with over one in two (53 per cent) affected by poor mental health in their current workplace.

Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind, said:

“Every employer depends on having a healthy and productive workforce – valued and supported employees are far more likely to deliver the best outcomes for your organisation. That’s why we’re delighted to recognise and celebrate employers making mental health a priority for their organisation through our Workplace Wellbeing Awards.

This year, we’ve been overwhelmed to see so much good practice right across the board, from each and every one of the 106 diverse employers to take part. The Awards event provided an opportunity to recognise those forward-thinking employers who are at the cutting edge when it comes to investing in their staff wellbeing, and in turn getting the best outcomes for their business.”