‘Breach of trust’ as major disability charity used restricted funds for other purposes
Leonard Cheshire committed a “breach of trust” by using restricted funds for other purposes, the charity’s accounts show.
The charity, which is being investigated by the regulator over ongoing financial challenges, previously used cash donated as restricted funds for other purposes, according to its accounts for the year to the end of March 2024.
During the 2023/24 financial year, the charity made 310 redundancies through cuts to support functions and service closures, with the accounts showing that the charity spent a total of £1.5m on redundancies during the year.
Former chief of the King’s Foundation exposed it to ‘substantial risk’, regulator concludes
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator’s published its report about its inquiry into the King’s Foundation.
Michael Fawcett, who was not named in OSCR’s report but was the charity’s chief executive between 2018 and 2021, resigned after a series of media allegations, including claims that he offered to secure a knighthood and UK citizenship for one of the charity’s donors.
OSCR, which opened its inquiry in September 2021, investigated a number of concerns about the charity’s historic governance – including financial transactions, a refused donation that was sent to a third party rather than being returned to the donor, and the purchase of an item of home furnishing for a former trustee.
The regulator’s report into its inquiry concluded that although Fawcett’s actions as chief executive did not amount to misconduct, they did expose the charity to “substantial risk”.
Partnership with the voluntary sector ‘critical’ to the government’s missions, Prime Minister says
In a letter to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations thanking the voluntary sector for working in partnership with the government over the past six months, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Given the scale of the challenges we inherited, dire public finances and crumbling public services, I know this government alone cannot deliver the change this country needs”.
The Prime Minister said he was “greatly encouraged” by the responses to the civil society covenant consultation, which closed at the end of last year, adding that the government would work “quickly” on next steps.