The Charity Commission has opened a regulatory compliance case into Girlguiding to assess concerns raised about its decisions to close its five activity centres and end overseas operations.
At a debate in Westminster this week, MPs dubbed the charity’s decisions as “utterly bizarre” and said they came after a lack of consultation with members.
Conservative MP Julian Lewis asked charities minister Stuart Andrew at the debate whether “we have to look to the Charity Commission as a last resort to see whether the mismanagement can, even now, be limited in its terrible effects”.
Andrew responded by saying that anybody can raise any case with the Commission, but said Girlguiding’s decision to close the five activity centres “is due to the significant capital investment required to ensure that they are fit for purpose”.
Now, the Charity Commission has confirmed that it has opened a regulatory compliance case into £25m charity the Guide Association, which oversees Girlguiding, “to assess the concerns raised with us”.
Regulator engaging with trustees
A spokesperson for the regulator said: “We are aware of concerns that some have about decisions made by the Guide Association (Girlguiding) to end British Girlguiding Overseas operations and sell its training and activity centres in the UK.
“Strategic decisions like this are for trustees to make, but we have a role in ensuring that trustees have complied with their legal duties and responsibilities in the way they made decisions.
“We are therefore engaging with trustees on the concerns raised with us, to ensure that they understand what the law, and our guidance, expect of them.”
The regulator said it had made no finding of wrongdoing at this time.
Girlguiding declined to comment on the compliance case.
The youth charity last month confirmed its activity centres in Blackhand Farm, Foxlease, Glenbrook, Waddow Hall and Ynysgain will close at the end of 2023.
It also decided to put an end to its 100-year-old British Girlguiding Overseas (BGO) operations.
Girlguiding received tens of thousands of signatures across several petitions asking for it to reconsider
Related Articles
