Press release

Charity investigation opened into Hospice Aid UK

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Hospice Aid UK (registered charity number 1092575).

This news article was withdrawn on

No longer current. The report has now been published.

The charity’s objects include promoting the relief, care and treatment of the sick and dying, and the support and care of the bereaved and their carers. The charity’s website states that it provides grants to hospices in the UK.

The regulator has been assessing concerns about the charity as part of an operational compliance case since January 2014, in particular the charity’s decision to enter into a contract with a direct marking company and the apparent low level of charitable expenditure at the charity. The Commission opened the inquiry on 28 August 2014 to examine:

  • whether the charity is being used for private advantage

  • the administration, governance and financial management of the charity by the trustees, including their decision to enter into a contract with a direct marketing company

  • the charity’s fundraising activities, the proportion of funds applied directly for charitable purposes and the potential impact of this on public trust and confidence in the charity and more widely

  • the extent to which the trustees have complied with and fulfilled their legal duties and responsibilities as trustees under charity law

The Commission stresses that opening an inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrong doing. The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail and investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can ascertain whether there has been misconduct and mismanagement; establish the extent of the risk to the charity’s property, beneficiaries or work; decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its legal powers to do so.

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.

The charity’s details can be viewed on the commission’s online charity search tool.

Ends

PR 81/14


Notes to editors

  1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales.
  2. Our mission is to be the independent registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales, acting in the public’s interest, to ensure that: * charities know what they have to do * the public know what charities do * charities are held to account
  3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Charity Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the commission access to a range of protective and remedial powers.
  4. The commission’s decision to announce the opening of a statutory inquiry is based on whether it is in the public interest to do so and with consideration of our objective to increase public trust and confidence in charities.
Published 24 September 2014