The Charity Commission has opened a compliance case into the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA) over governance concerns after its board fired its chief executive.
BNTVA announced earlier this year that it has stopped operating after witnessing a “considerable shift in the focus” of the charity, “some of which has clearly been to the detriment of our key responsibilities”.
The charity, which supports people who have worked with radioactive material, had seen its income decline to £34,000 in the year to September 2021 from £147,000 the year before.
It has appointed a new chair and a special advisor to review the charity’s governance practices, with plans to “be around for many years to come”.
CEO and chair depart
Ceri McDade joined the military charity as a trustee in 2020, served as chair for a year and then became chief executive officer in October 2021.
The board terminated her appointment on 28 January 2023, according to a statement on its website, but did not state why. Only that “BNTVA has received numerous enquiries regarding the chief executive officer”.
On social media, McDade posted a statement that the charity remains “a cause very close to my heart that I remain committed” and that she has been in “transparent communication” with the Charity Commission.
A week before, BNTVA made a statement that its then chair Ed McGrath had left his role early to allow a special advisor to review the charity’s governance practices.
It said there were some “large problems that needed addressing” at the charity and that it had decided to “halt all activity and take a full inventory of our situation”.
Former trustee Michelle Harding and Ian Razzell also left the charity, which has now appointed David Bostwick as its chair.
The Charity Commission said it had opened a case after previously issuing the charity with advice and guidance around resolving disputes and making decisions.
A Commission spokesperson said: “We have opened a regulatory compliance case into the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association, to examine potential governance concerns. We have reached out to the trustees.”
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