Charity quits Leighton Buzzard warehous as probe deepens

‘Into The Light Ministries’ based on Grovebury Road is part of the Elim Pentecostal Church denomination. Its purpose is to spread Christian faith and provide humanitarian aid.

After concerns were raised over its finances, the Charity Commission began an investigation in October 2017.

Now, Dunstable Foodbank has reported that the charity is vacating its warehouse in Grovebury Road – which the foodbank had been allowed to use over the past six years.

The LBO has attempted to contact Into The Light trustees Debbie and Colin Kaye on numerous occasions, without success.

The Charity Commission stated: “After receiving information from a third party that questioned the adequacy of the charity’s financial controls, the Commission obtained bank account records and reviewed accounts previously filed.

“This revealed significant concerns regarding the charity’s accounts, potential conflicts of interest, non-primary purpose trading and public benefit, indicating a possible risk to charitable property.

“The accounts submitted for the financial year ending 31 August 2016 were also not compliant with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) which sets out how charities must prepare their accounts.

“As a result, we took regulatory action under section 76 of the Charities Act to safeguard the charity’s property and funds, and have opened a statutory inquiry.”

The inquiry will consider:

> Whether adequate control systems were in place.

> Trustees’ management of charity’s resources.

> Management of any conflicts of interests.

> Valid authorisation for any payments/benefits to trustees and connected parties.

> To what extent the charity operated for the public benefit and whether there has been mismanagement.