Regulator investigates education charity over concerns about its governance and financial management
The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into Crossfields Institute (charity number 1124859).
Crossfields Institute has objects which include the provision of training and qualifications across a range of sectors. The charity is based in Stroud and it was registered with the Charity Commission in 2008.
In September 2025, the charity was placed in the Commission’s double defaulters class inquiry as it had failed to submit its accounting information for the financial years ending 31 March 2023 and 2024. During that inquiry, the charity went into further default for the 2025 financial year.
Through its engagement with the charity, the Commission has identified additional regulatory concerns. These include concerns about whether the charity has been operating with a sufficient number of trustees and whether it has appropriate financial controls in place to manage risk to charity funds.
There are also concerns that the charity’s operations and activity may have been transferred to a non-charitable company.
Scope of the inquiry
The inquiry will examine the extent to which the trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance, and management of the charity, in particular:
- whether the charity has a sufficient number of trustees who are willing and capable of managing it in accordance with its governing document
- the trustees’ financial management of the charity, including compliance with statutory accounting and reporting responsibilities, and whether the charity has appropriate financial controls in place
- the trustees’ management of connected party transactions and potential conflicts of interest, and whether there has been any unauthorised private benefit
- the trustees’ decision-making and record keeping, including decisions about the future operation of the charity
The scope of the inquiry may be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge.
It is the Commission’s usual policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry’s outcomes.
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Notes for editors:
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The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Read further information about what the Commission does.
- On 7 September 2026, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 as a result of regulatory concerns that there is or has been misconduct and / or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.
- A statutory inquiry is a legal power enabling the Commission to formally investigate matters of regulatory concern within a charity and to use protective powers to protect the charity and its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation. The Commission has not reached any conclusions and the opening of the inquiry is not a finding of wrongdoing.
- The Commission’s class inquiry for double defaulters examines charities which have failed to submit their annual accounting information for two or more years in the last five years.
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