Streets Ahead a Middlesborough charity is under investigation by the Charity Commission

The regulator is investigating Middlesborough-based charity, Streets Ahead for Information, over concerns regarding the trustees’ management of conflicts of interest and payments to connected parties. The inquiry will also examine whether there has been any unauthorized personal benefit to trustees.

Streets Ahead for Information was established in 2006 and registered with the Commission in 2017. The charity provides an information, help, and advice centre for residents of the local area.

The Commission engaged with the charity after it failed to submit its annual accounting information for the financial years ending 23 August 2020 and 2021. As a result, the charity was placed into the class inquiry for charities in double default of their annual reporting requirements. Upon submission of the overdue accounts, the regulator identified issues that required further investigation, leading to the opening of a new inquiry on 16 April 2024.

The inquiry will focus on whether the trustees have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law and if there has been any misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity, with particular attention to:

• The trustees’ oversight and management of conflicts of interest and payments to connected parties.
• Whether there has been any unauthorised personal benefit.

The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.

It is the Commission’s policy, after concluding an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry’s outcomes.

About the Charity Commission: 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, enabling charity to thrive. This ambition aims to create and sustain an environment where charities can further build public trust and ultimately fulfill their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. More information is available on their website: The Charity Commission.

The inquiry was opened on 16 April 2024 under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011.

The Commission’s class inquiry for double defaulters examines charities that have failed to submit their annual accounting information for two or more years in the last five years.