Charities under investigation? #1

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Charities under investigation in the Public Interest?

It is about 12 months since the Lee Rigby Foundation found itself without a base or a home at Moorcourt. During this time many allegations have been made against both the Lee Rigby Foundation and the Kendo Nagasaki Foundation and in particular the principals Peter Thornley and Lyn and Ian Rigby. Trustees acting for the charities at the time would, presumably also need investigation.

The allegations are serious and wide ranging, and have not, to my knowledge, been explained or denied by those involved.

From my personal experience I see some evidence of these accusations.

I have been unable to establish who is being investigated and specifically why from the police, however I have been assured by our local Member of Parliament that 'although complex, the goings on at Moorcourt are being investigated by the authorities'.

It seems fairly certain that a lot of good meaning people gave up their time and money in the Lee Rigby House project. Despite warnings from me in August 2016, Mrs Rigby continued with the project, disappointing a lot of unselfish people.

It is quite easy to say there is no smoke without fire, but this does need to be investigated thoroughly and wherever possible for those who have lost out to be reimbursed from the sale of the properties.

So you may ask what is going on? I share that question and hope that there is no cover up.

The third sector, ie charities, appear to be under pressure to clean up, as some two thirds of the sector are considered fraudulent or potentially so, (Charity Commissions claim).

It would help if new or existing laws governing charities included scrutiny under the FOI Act.

When charities are formed they focus publicity on their ''aims and objectives', they collect donations from well meaning people for those reasons. It seems unacceptable therefore that when charities fail to meet those aims and objectives, year after year after year - but use substantial amounts of money raised in wages, pensions, advertising and vehicles - that answers need to be sought. It didn't take much longer than this to investigate Oxfam.

If charities fail to meet their stated objectives within a predetermined timescale they should be struck off.

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