Commission commences inquiry into Bradford based charity

29 Oct 2024 03:43 PM

On 13 September 2024, the Charity Commission opened a Statutory Inquiry into Bradford based Al-Hikam after the charity failed to comply with an Official Warning issued by the regulator.

Al-Hikam was established to advance the Islamic faith and supports young people, providing education services in Bradford.

Al-Hikam was issued with an Official Warning around misconduct and/or mismanagement in November 2023. This involved a failure to comply with legal duties.

The trustees have since failed to demonstrate that they have made progress against rectifying the actions set out in the warning.

The scope of the inquiry will cover:

• The administration and governance of the charity by the trustees
• Preparedness of trustees to fulfil their responsibilities under charity law
• Suitability of the environment, particularly in relation to the vulnerable people in their care
• Links to connected companies, the viability of the charity and suitability of the structure.

Additionally, it will examine any conflicts of interest in relation to the charity.

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.

Notes to Editors

• The inquiry has been opened under Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011. Reports of previous inquiries are available on GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/inquiry-reports-charity-commission 
• The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society. Find out more at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission
• 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 for the benefit of the charity and its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation. An inquiry will investigate and establish the facts of the case so that the Commission can determine the extent of any misconduct and/or mismanagement; the extent of the risk to the charity, its work, property, beneficiaries, employees or volunteers; and decide what action is needed to resolve the concerns. When opening an inquiry, the Commission normally expects to deal directly with the charity trustees. This is because they have general control and management of the charity’s administration and are directly and legally responsible for what happens in it.

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