Investigation launched into community charity

The Charity Commission has launched an inquiry into Streets Ahead for Information in Middlesbrough

A community charity is being investigated amid concerns over its governance.

The Charity Commission has begun looking into Streets Ahead for Information in Middlesbrough after it submitted overdue accounts.

Lines of investigation relate to “trustees’ oversight and management of conflicts of interest and payments to connected parties”, as well as any potential “unauthorised personal benefit”.

The charity has declined to comment on the inquiry.

Set up in 2006, the community drop-in centre on Parliament Road in Gresham offers English classes and a reporting centre for environmental, crime and antisocial behaviour matters.

'Duties and responsibilities'

The Charity Commission said its concerns follow the double default of the charity’s reporting of its accounts for the financial years ending August 2020 and 2021.

The watchdog said it will examine if 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".

It told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the scope of the inquiry could be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge.

A spokesperson for the Charity Commission said it expects to follow its policy "to publish a report on the conclusion of the inquiry, setting out any findings, actions we’ve taken and conclusions".