Following the Charity Commission's operational compliance
case, the Africa Children's Fund (the
'Charity') has been struck off by
Companies House and removed from the Charity Commission's
register. The Charity Commission's report indicates that the
Charity was making payments that did not appear to be for
charitable purposes.
The Charity Commission launched its investigation after becoming
concerned about a number of factors, which included the Charity
being in default of filing requirements, the description of the
Charity's activities recorded at Companies House not matching
the Charity's objects, only having two trustees when the
governing document required a minimum of three, and submitting
dormant accounts to Companies House despite submitting a 2013
annual return indicating that its income was £24,090. The
Charity Commission also found that the Charity had changed its name
several times.
As a result of its investigation, the Charity Commission requested
that the Charity submits its outstanding documents and requested a
copy of the Charity's accounts. Following the failure of the
trustees to provide the accounts or to give an explanation, the
Charity Commission used its power to obtain the Charity's bank
statement.
The Charity Commission found that the figures in the statements did
not match those declared on the annual return, and to the Charity
Commission's concern, showed that a number of payments that did
not appear to be for charitable purposes. Despite the Charity
Commission's attempts to request further information regarding
this, it received no further response from the trustees.
In May this year, the Charity was dissolved and struck off by
Companies House. As the Charity was no longer a legal entity, the
Charity Commission proceeded to remove it from the register of
charities.
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