“Charity Commission Investigates 10 Charities Over £22m in Cashed Cheques”

Concerns over £22m in cashed cheques have prompted an investigation by the Charity Commission into ten charities. This inquiry follows serious concerns raised by tax officials regarding the payment of £22m to a company in east London. HMRC conducted an unannounced visit to a company in Hackney, discovering that 105 charities cashed cheques totaling £22m between December 2021 and March 2023.

The Charity Commission has initiated a statutory class inquiry into ten of these charities, with plans to potentially expand the investigation. The regulator has also issued orders to temporarily restrict these charities from issuing cheques without prior consent. The ten charities initially under scrutiny include Inspirations, Beis Aharon Charitable Trust Limited, Mifal Hachesed Vehatzedokoh, Friend of Beis Soroh Schneirer, One Heart – Lev Echod, Yad Vochessed Association Limited, Friends of Beis Chinuch Lebonos Trust, Chasdei Dov Trust, Friends of Mercaz Hatorah Belz Macnivka, and the Rehabilitation Trust.

These charities have been prioritized based on the number of cheques issued and the total value of those cashed. The Commission aims to determine how these charities, some of which focus on advancing the Orthodox Jewish faith or education, transferred funds. The investigation will also examine how trustees oversaw the funds exchanged for the cheques and whether these funds were used appropriately to support the charities’ objectives.

The Commission seeks to establish how trustees determined that these financial transactions were in their charity’s best interests. All named charities with publicly available contact details have been contacted for comment. This situation highlights the importance of accountability and transparency in governance, echoing the biblical principle found in Micah 6:8, which calls for justice, mercy, and walking humbly with God.

Source: Read the original report